Crippled receives the king’s kindness and gets an invitation to come to his palace.

“Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” (2 Samuel 9:7)

Many Christians may not have even heard of Mephibosheth’s name. He was one whose name is hidden somehow because he is not famous like Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses or Apostle Paul. But his story opens up our eyes to see the grace of God and the greatness of His salvation that He offers. In fact, his life history is indeed a fantastic picture of a loving covenant and an unexpected beauty of mercy and kindness.

1st phase of his life.

Mephibosheth’s name and story first appear in 2 Samuel 4:4. When he was introduced there for the first time, he was a small boy just five years old. He was Saul’s grandson and Jonathan’s son and was lamed in both of his feet. The passage there informs us he was not born lame or crippled. He was crippled at the age of five. Philistines fought with Israel in a war. This time the battle went heavily against king Saul and on the same day both Jonathan, Mephibosheth’s daddy, and king Saul, great daddy died. When the news of their death came from Jezreel, his nurse took the young boy and ran away to protect his life from enemies. Fear and confusion surrounded his heart at an early age. Just in a moment, his life has changed entirely. He lost his dad and granddad. King David is going to take charge of the kingdom in Israel. Now his life is in danger. This is why his nurse took him in her arms and fled away. On the way, as she was rushing and running away to protect the child, the five-year-old boy fell from her hands and crippled both of his feet. Maybe she dropped him from a higher floor to a lower floor while coming down in a hurry. But the result was a game-changer for this young boy. He lost both of his parents and now became a cripple on the same day. One after another tragedy hit him. His nurse accidentally dropped him and in an instant, he got crippled on both feet.

Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:11 says, “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

We cannot escape from the thought that Mephibosheth’s story is our story as well. Like the nurse dropped Mephibosheth and he became lame, all humanity became crippled and lame because of the original sin of disobedience of Adam. When our earthly representative, our first parent, Adam disobeyed God, we all became crippled and lame. Bible says, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12). Adam dropped the ball and we all became crippled with sin in our life. Through one man (Adam) sin entered this world and death came to all as a result of sin. When Adam sinned, all sinned in him. The 21st-century notion that man is good and ok is not true. None of us are ok. We all have a serious problem. Like Mephibosheth was crippled because his nurse dropped him on the way, we all are crippled by the original sin of Adam and consequently, none of us are ok. We have an issue. All of us now have an issue. The daily newspapers, TV news channels, and internet news remind us of this fact on a daily basis, we are all under the influence of sin. The issue is we all are sinners by nature. Bible says, “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; we all are under sin…. THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE.” (Romans 3:9).
No one can say that they are not under the influence and power of sin. No exception period! The power and influence of sin taint all people, everywhere. We all had to feel bad and say sorry many times just because we all do sin.

2nd phase of his life

The second phase of Mephibosheth’s life began as he fled to a place called Lo-debar. Most probably his nurse may have taken him to Lo-debar because he was disabled and he needed daily help from someone else. Also, she tried her best to protect him by transporting him to a distant place so that his enemies would not know where he resides. He lived there for a period of time without anyone’s knowledge. The meaning of the word Lo-debar is ‘no word’ or ‘no pasture.’ It gives the picture of a barren place where there is no grass for cattle to eat. It is a desert kind of experience. The absence of ‘word’ and ‘pasture’ gives us the impression of sin and consequent curses on the ground. Sin always takes people to a barren and desert experience in life where there is no pasture and no word of God. In contrast, the place of God’s blessings is filled with His good pasture, His word, and promises. The presence of God leads us into the green pasture and still waters (Psalm 23:2). In contrast sin and wickedness always turns land into barrenness with no pasture. (Psalm 107:34).

His nurse dropped Mephibosheth, and he got crippled on both of his feet, unable to walk by himself and now living in a place called ‘no pasture’ and no ‘word’. This shows the powerful influence of sin, sinful lifestyle, and as a result away from the presence and blessings of God. Mephibosheth went down, down, and down as the years progressed in his life. He lived every day in hopelessness, loneliness, and fear. He knew anytime a servant of the king could come and execute him. What a fearful situation to live in, right? No joy, no peace, no grace and blessing of the loving God. Are you living in Lo-debar?

3rd phase of his life

The third phase of Mephibosheth’s life began when King David remembered his covenant with his best and loyal friend Jonathan. Jonathan, Saul’s son, was very loyal to David in his afflictions and they both became best friends. Jonathan knew and believed that David would become the king of Israel one day and he was aware of the evil plot of his dad toward young David. One day, when David fled away because Saul tried to kill him, he and his friend Jonathan made a covenant because of their love for one another.
Listen to the covenant they made with each other.

Jonathan said to David, “And may the LORD be with you as He has been with my father. If I am still alive, will you not show me the lovingkindness of the LORD, that I may not die? You shall not cut off your loving kindness from my house forever, not even when the LORD cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD require it at the hands of David’s enemies.” Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him because he loved him as he loved his own life.”
Jonathan made this covenant with David for both of them individually and for their children’s sake. Soon after the covenant, David had to run away to hide from Saul and Jonathan returned home to Saul’s palace. Now God gave the kingdom to David, and David kept the covenant in his heart and asked Ziba his servant, “Is there anyone in Saul’s house alive that he should show kindness for the sake of Jonathan? Ziba said yes, there is one son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet.” David immediately sent a person to get Mephibosheth from Lo-debar to his palace.

That day, like all other days, was yet another day of sorrow, frustration, loneliness, and hopelessness for Mephibosheth in Lo-debar. But now this day made all the difference in his life. Suddenly, unexpectedly, King David’s luxurious palace vehicle parked right in front of the house of Mephibosheth. He thought that is the last day of his life because his grandfather tried to kill King David on many occasions and he did not know anything about the covenant between his dad, Jonathan, and David. So he really got afraid. King’s person came and rang the bell at Mephibosheth’s house. With hesitation and much fear, he opened the door. The King’s man said I came here to take you to the palace because the king wants to see you and talk to you. Tension increased in Mephibosheth’s heart and his heart started beating fast. Because of the king’s order, he decided to go with the man. With a lot of puzzling questions in his mind, he came to the palace. Why king called me? I am unable to walk and I am a nobody. What is going on? The moment he reached the palace and saw king David, he fell down on his face and prostrated himself on his feet of David. David called him, “Mephibosheth” and he answered, “here is your servant.” David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your [c]grandfather Saul; and you shall [eat at my table regularly.” Again he prostrated himself and said, “What is your servant, that you should regard a dead dog like me?” (2 Samuel 9).

King David wanted to bless Mephibosheth for Jonathan’s sake. Not because of anything in Mephibosheth. But entirely for Jonathan’s sake.

Dearly beloved, the covenant between Jonathan and David resembles a much older covenant in the eternity past. Before God created this earth and heaven, in the old eternity past, in the counsel of the Godhead between God the Father and God the Son, they drafted a plan. God the father knew that He would create the earth and heaven and after that man in the garden of Eden knew well in His foreknowledge that man would fall by disobeying God’s commandment. They drafted a solution for man’s problem right then to save them from their fall. God made an eternal covenant between Himself and His son. This is called the eternal covenant of blood (Hebrews 13:20) in which God asked who would accomplish the salvation for man. Son said I would go down to earth, live in this world, and die for their sins. (Psalms 40:8). God, the father, said I would raise you from the dead, and whoever comes and believe in you, I will accept as my child and allow them to enter my presence in heaven and live with me.

My friend, like King David, thought about helping and delivering Mephibosheth from Lo-debar, the king of the whole universe thought about you and your deliverance from the old kingdom of Satan and sin. Do you know He thought about you even before the foundation of the world and that is why He sent His only begotten Son to die for you on the cross for your sin? King David wanted to bless Mephibosheth because of the covenant he made with his best companion, Jonathan. The great King of all, the God of the universe, wants to bless you, deliver you and bring you to His palace in heaven because of the eternal covenant He made with His son, Jesus Christ. Per the covenant, precisely at the fulfillment of the time, Jesus came into this world through the virgin birth, carried your sin and sorrows on His body, and then died, buried, and rose again to bring you back to a loving God and His heaven.

Like King David sent a person to go and call Mephibosheth from Lo-debar. The king of the whole universe, the God in heaven, is sending this message to you and invites you to come to Jesus Christ. Why? Because God wants to talk to you and show His kindness for Christ’s sake. You do not need to waste your time in Lo-debar, where there is no pasture, barrenness, no hope but only fear and uncertainty. You do not need to spend your days in a sinful lifestyle. Sin never gives you true and lasting joy and happiness. The prodigal son thought this world and what it offers would give him joy and happiness. He thought it is boring to live in his loving father’s house and he wanted to enjoy the pleasures of this world. That decision finally took him to where he had to eat pig’s food. In fact, even the pig food, nobody would give him, and starved to death. Come out of your Lo-debar. King is calling you to come and talk to Jesus Christ today right now. Bible says in Revelation 3:20 the invitation of Jesus. Jesus said, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Will you come home? Jesus, the King of King and Lord of Lords, wants to come into your life, save you and bring you into your father’s house where all God’s kindness and blessings are waiting for you.

The fourth phase of his life

The fourth phase of Mephibosheth’s life was so beautiful and blessed. The king restored all the land of his grandfather Saul. Besides, he became like one of the children of King David, and he ate at the table along with King David and his royal son every day in the royal palace. You see God can easily restore all you lost in the past because of your sinful life. He can multiply you abundantly. You will eat with the royal children of the great king all throughout your life and even after death. You will be in heaven, right with royal sons like Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, David, Ezra, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Zecharia, Peter, James, Paul, and John. You will sit with them at the table along with all royal princes in heaven. Bible says in Psalm 113:8 that God makes you sit with princes, with the princes of His people. He has far better blessings in store for you. Jesus is calling you. Come out from your Lo-debar like Mephibosheth did and meet the King Jesus.

Would you accept His invitation and come to the loving God to receive his kindness, forgiveness, blessings, and salvation for Jesus Christ’s sake. God shows His kindness for the sake of Jesus Christ. Those who have Jesus Christ have God’s mercy, grace, kindness, forgiveness, and salvation. Those who have Jesus Christ have eternal life and they become the children of God. Those who won’t come to Jesus Christ does not have eternal life and His sonship. Would you receive the invitation of His kindness now? If so, please pray after me now.

Prayer time:

“Father in heaven, I accept the invitation of your kindness, grace, and mercy today. Please grant me kindness for the sake of Jesus Christ. I accept Jesus Christ as my savior and Lord. I believe he died, buried and rose again for my sin. Please save and deliver me. I seek your blessings in my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.”

[bctt tweet=”Crippled receives kindness of the king” username=”sam2017insights”]

You can come out of all your bondages. Ransom paid for your deliverance!

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

Did you ever think a ransom or payment had to make on your behalf? Did it ever dawn on you? Let me explain why payment or ransom was needed.

You see we all look at this world with our tainted eyes. Did we ever try to  look at this world with God’s eyes? How can I look at this world with God’s eyes? Bible gives us God’s eyes of this world. It describes how God in heaven sees this world, the way God sees every one of us. God said in Isaiah 61:1-2 that He sent His anointed one to proclaim the good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor. This verse was a prophecy about Messiah that fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Bible says in Luke 4:16-18 that Jesus went to a synagogue in Nazareth on a Sabbath day. There He stood up and read the same passage prophesied in Isaiah 61 about Himself, rolled up the scroll and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on Him. Jesus then said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” This was a big claim from Jesus. He said He is the fulfillment of the above prophecy given more than 800 years before in the Scripture.

God sees this world and all people in it are poor, broken-hearted, captives, prisoners and slaves. I am not talking about people who are in prison in all different countries. And I am not talking about people who are doing slave’s work because someone forced them to serve them. No, but I am talking about how God sees you and me and the all the people in the world. Bible tells the truth, and this is the truth the whole world and everyone live in this world are slaves to sin. God sees people living in the yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1). Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” (John 8:34). Jesus is right. Do you know everyone sins and thereby we all are a slave to sin?
You see, you may be better than me, or another person may be ok than both of us. Usually, people think in comparative terms. I am better than you, or He is better than her. But do you know the truth is this – nobody is ok in the eyes of the LORD in heaven. We all are touched and tainted by the nature of sin within us. Romans 3:23 affirms this truth about people. It says no one is righteous, not even one in the whole world. There is not even one who can stand accepted and perfect in the eyes of the holy and perfect God. It says in the above passage, people’s throat, mouth, feet, heart are all tainted by sin. You may be far better than me, and I do agree, but the truth is this, we all have a problem. The problem is sin enslaves we all in one way or another.

Parents never teach their children to be selfish. But they naturally have the selfishness in them. They do not need to show them how to lie or steal. But they have these natural propensities inside them. As adults, we are grown and matured, why don’t we look into ourselves? The words that we said, the way we hurt others by our words and actions, the cheating we have done, the sinful thoughts we kept in our hearts, the way we coveted what belonged to others, the way we disrespected our parents. The list goes on and on. How did this happen? Bible answers this question in Romans 5:12. It says through one man, Adam, sin entered the world. The consequent of sin was death and sin brought death with it. In Adam we all, all humanity failed and became the prisoners of sin. We are under the power of sin. This became our nature because like apple begets apple, Adam begets Adam’s sin nature in all of us. Bible says, “It is shameful even to talk about the things they do in secret.” (Ephesians 5:12). All of us have an issue that we are unable to solve.

Paul said in Romans 7:14, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” He continues to say He has the desire to do what is good, but he cannot carry it out. For he says, “ I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do- this I end up doing.” He says because he has the good desire to do good but not able to do it, “it is no longer I who do it, but it is a sin nature living in me that does it.”
Beloved, this is the clear picture of all people living in this world. Surely enough, we are under the yoke and slavery of sin, and we are prisoners who need freedom and deliverance from our sinful nature.

This is why Jesus said, “The Son of Man came to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45. Jesus was on a rescue mission to rescue us from the enslavement of sin – to deliver us from the yoke and prison. He came to deliver us from sin’s power and condemnation on us. He said he came to serve us. In what sense He served us? By giving His life as a ransom for many.

We had to be bought out from the slave market of sin. We were in handcuffs enslaved by the power of sin and as a result condemned to die eternally. Eternal death means not only in this world but also eternally away from the goodness of the Lord. That is the result of sin. After you and I die, we enter into eternity without the presence of God and Jesus Christ our savior. Eternal darkness and that is called eternal hell.
But while we were in the slave market of sin bounded by our enemy, who is the devil, and condemned for eternal hell, the rescuer appeared and gave His life as a ransom for all our sins. What price will be acceptable to deliver us from our sins and the bondage of the power of sin over us? Bible says this there is only one price that can buy us from this slave market. It says in 1 Peter 1:18-19, “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” The acceptable and perfect price was not silver or God (the most precious valuable price in the first century), but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

In Jesus Christ, there was no sin and He never did any sins in action. Bible says in him there was no sin, He did not do any sin and He knew no sin. How can that be? Do you realize we inherited our sinful nature from Adam and our ancestors like 1 Peter 18 said? But Jesus did not inherit any sinful nature from Adam or our ancestors? Jesus’s did not have an earthly father. His father is the father in heaven – God. That is why he was born from a virgin. The virgin birth of Jesus explains his sinless nature. Bible says how baby Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb. It is elaborately described in Luke 1:27-35. This is how the miraculous conception happened in Mary womb without a man and sinful nature. Verse 35 says the angel said to Mary,” The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” The Holy Spirit of God and the power of the Highest overshadowed Mary, and the result was the One who is to be born from her would be called the Son of God. Not Son of any human father, the Son of God. Jesus was sinless from the very get-go, His blood was sinless, spotless, precious blood was paid as a payment or ransom for our sins. This is how Jesus Christ, the savior of the world, will deliver people from the slave market of sin. There is power, there is power in the sinless blood of Christ, and that is the perfect currency God needed for our sins. Not Gold, silver or any of our works. But the shed blood of Jesus Christ. The blood of Christ makes you free from the bondage and captivity of sin and delivers you permanently forever from its condemnation and punishment. He paid for your sin by His sinless, spotless blood. This is the good news of Gospel.

Jesus Christ is not just for Christians. Who said that? No, He is the savior for all people in this whole full world. He belongs to all, and He is the one who can set you free from the power, condemnation, and punishment of sin.

Do you know who He paid the payment or ransom? It all depends on who we wronged when we sinned. God is the holy and perfect God and when our first parents- Adam and Eve- rebelled and disobeyed God in the garden of Eden, the wrong done against Him. When we do sin in our lives, small or big, who do we offend? Of course, we harm another individual but at the final outset, all sins are against God, and we offend Him. David said to God about his sins, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” When someone murders our dear one or hurt us badly we want to get justice, don’t we? We want to get justice or payment for the hurt committed. God is offended and wronged against by our sins. An amount or ransom needed to be paid to satisfy the justice. Jesus Christ paid that payment or ransom on our behalf, and the ransom was His life, and His sinless, spotless blood poured out on our behalf.

Bible says in Hebrews 9 that Jesus Christ after His death, burial and resurrection for our sins entered the greater and more perfect Tabernacle in heaven. This Tabernacle in heaven was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. He entered into this heavenly tabernacle not with the blood of goats and calves but with His own sinless, spotless blood. As the perfect lamb of God, He entered the holiest place, released us from prisons and bondages, secured our freedom and redemption once and for all and forever. (Hebrews 9:11-14). Jesus Christ is the only rescuer who can deliver you from your bondages and grant you freedom.

It is how the wrath and anger of God against our committed and yet to be committed sins are atoned for by the Jesus Christ, the savior of the whole world, forever. Jesus Christ paid His sinless, spotless blood and that is the only note or currency acceptable to God’s heavenly court for our deliverance.

Prayer time:

“Father in heaven, I believe Jesus Christ is my rescuer and savior who is able to give me freedom from my bondages. I believe Jesus Christ died, buried and risen again for my sins. He paid His sinless and spotless blood as a ransom for me. Please save me and grant me eternal life. Thank you for saving me.”

If you prayed this prayer, I will be thrilled to hear from you. Please go to www.teachbible.org or face book or twitter page of teachbible.org and send me a note. Thank you.

[bctt tweet=”Ransom paid. Come out of the bondages” username=”sam2017insights”]

Pastor always says fear the Lord. Why should we fear Lord? What does it mean?

Ecclesiastes 12:13. “That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion. Fear God and obey his commands, for this everyone’s duty.”

The Solomon was the wisest person ever lived on the face of the earth. When he became old, after recounting the whole incidents happened in his life, he gave only summarized advice and that is “Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.”

Solomon, what happened to you?

Solomon’s life history shows us another side of the truth -even the wisest man can go through seasons of life without a genuine fear of the Lord. Solomon began his life with the fear of the Lord but later disobeyed the Lord by loving many foreign women and going with them to the pagan temples to worship their god. Bible says, these foreign women he loved surely turned his heart away from the one and true Lord. He even built altars for their pagan gods, to please his wives. God gave him all the wisdom but he chose to disobey God in the latter part of his life. This is so sad to see a man who began very well ended up in such a pathetic condition toward the end of his life. May this never happened to us! My prayer is Lord, guard my heart with fear and faith in you for all of my days on this earth. Bible truthfully describes all these details so that we can learn and avoid such pitfalls in our lives. “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction.” (Romans 15:4). Bible says God finally announced His judgment on Solomon in these words, “Because you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. Nevertheless, I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.” (1 Kings 11:11-13).

First lesson – God will judge our sins severely if we harden our hearts and don’t turn away from it.

Basically, Solomon couldn’t control his lustful passions for this world and the things the world can offer. However, he learned a big lesson and shared his life’s lesson with us in Ecclesiastes 12:13. He wrote these words after describing the pursuits of his life, “That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion. Fear God and obey his commands, for this everyone’s duty.”
What went wrong with Solomon? Did he lose his fear of the Lord after a while? Definitely, he feared the Lord at the beginning of his kingship in Israel. He should have learned the lesson to fear God from his father David who paid dearly for many, many years for his disobedience of adultery and murder. (2 Samuel 11). He should have learned that God chastens His children like human fathers disciplines their children (Hebrews 12:6). Solomon knew the hardship and pain his father David gone through due to the sins he committed.

Second lesson -confession and turning back to the Lord is the key that Solomon apparently missed.

The book of Psalms gives us the glimpse of David’s dark days due to the consequence of his sins against the Lord. David survived because he confessed his sins to the Lord and pleaded for His mercy. (Psalm 51). Solomon should also have learned from his own half-brother, Absalom who rebelled against the plan of God. Absalom was killed by the Lord due to his wickedness and rebelliousness. (2 Samuel 18). David turned back to God by confessing his sins and survived and restored from his failings, (Psalm 51 and 32) but Absalom and Solomon didn’t. Turning back to the Lord and pleading for God’s mercy by confessing our sins is the key to forgiveness and restoration.

How does fear of the Lord looks like?

Bible claims the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). This means a person who does not fear the Lord does not have the true wisdom. A true wisdom begins with a fear of the Lord and His precepts. Bible also says fear of the Lord leads to life. “The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.” (Proverbs 19:23). Not only fear of the Lord is the beginning of a life of wisdom but also it leads one to a good life, gives rest and protects from troubles. Psalm 119:99-101 says a person can become wiser than his teachers, have more understanding than the older people and avoid every evil way by fearing the Lord by obeying His Word which is the Bible.
“I am wiser than all my teachers,
because I think about your rules.
I have more understanding than the elders,
because I follow your orders.
I have avoided every evil way
so I could obey your word.”
Our fear of the Lord comes from a high reverence to His name and his commands. God loved us and He gave His only begotten son, Christ Jesus, to save us from hell. God gives us health, energy, new mornings, new evenings, rain in its season, spouse, children, food. All these come from the hand of the good Lord. God’s love toward us must prompt us to revere and fear Him voluntarily and willingly. Therefore, we will fear God with a holy reverence toward Him.
So many examples of people are given in the Bible so that we will learn the consequences of not fearing the Lord and start living our lives in a high honor of God and obeying his commands. Bible says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding has all those who practice it.” (Psalm 111:10). It simply goes like this. If you have a heart of fearing the Lord and obeying his commands, automatically you will become wiser than your friends and relatives and when you continue practicing the fear of the Lord, you will have a better understanding than the people around you. In other words, you will start making unwise and stupid decisions and actions if you don’t fear the Lord. You will lose the understanding ability if you don’t have a heart of fearing the Lord. You and I can witness several examples of unwise actions just because of the absence of the fear of the Lord in our own county these days (USA). This is true in all over the world. People make stupid and unwise decisions just because of the absence of the fear of the Lord. When you fear the Lord you will have reverence for Him and his commands and you will live differently to honor the Lord through your conversations and actions. Solomon failed in this and paid dearly for his consequence. Now he is admonishing everyone who read his biography to keep this eternal truth in their heart- He says this is the final conclusion of all – fear God and obey His commands, for this the divinely ordained duty of all mankind.

Fear of the Lord means we should fear to do sins because God is holy and He hates sin and he punishes sin. Hebrews 10:30-31 says, “For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” God says He will repay and judge the sins of people.
Bible describes Highly Exalted God and His holiness and Prophet Isaiah’s sin in these verses in Isaiah chapter 6. It says, “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
At the sound of their voices, the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it, he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
Isaiah saw the glory of God and His holiness. This knowledge of God’s glory and perfect holiness resulted in an awareness of his sins and he said “Woe to me!” He agreed he is a man of unclean lips and lives among such people. On the admission or confession of his sins, God sent a solution to his sin issue and guilt is taken away and atoned for.

We can not hide it away, anyway.

Bible also says we cannot hide ourselves or our action from an ever-present God. Bible asks this question in Psalm 139, “where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I got up to the heavens, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, If I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will guide me… If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me, even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” Sometimes people do bad things in the night time, in the darkest hours, and they think nobody would see what they do. It may be true no other human being would see, but for God, darkness and night are like the day and He sees all. That is why we should fear the Lord. The fear of the Lord can protect us from doing sin and involving in evil things. Fear of the Lord leads to a successful life because a person who has fear of the Lord can avoid many pitfalls that are caused by sin.

Fear of the Lord can initiate two different paths in your life

The fear of the Lord can direct our thoughts in two different ways. If you are a child of God (means if you have already accepted Jesus Christ as your savior, who is God’s solution for our sin problem), the fear of the Lord keeps you safe from sins and evil things by obeying His commandment. To a child of God,  fear of the Lord means, a high reverence and honor toward the Lord God who forgave all of his sins. Such a person looks at the cross of Christ and understands the greatness and wow of God’s love because the cross of Jesus Christ vividly pictures two things -the deep love of God toward him and the wrath of God toward his sins. Your life will become more safe and secure because you keep a holy fear and reverence to God and you don’t really want to disobey and dishonor His commands who loved you, saved you and granted you eternal life in heaven with Him. This results in a far superior quality of life on this earth.
On the contrary, the fear of the Lord also can also produce negative dreadful feelings of God’s wrath in a person who is not yet become a child of God. This is because such a person lives in dreadful and constant fear of his sins, wrong and evil actions. He knows he is accountable to holy God for his sins and wickedness. The reason is his or her sins issue was not settled as of yet. However, this can be once for all settled and they also can freely enjoy the love, mercy and grace of God (instead of dread, terror and wrath) if they come to God and agree with God their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their savor because God can cover you with divine forgiveness and love, available by the shed blood of Christ for the remission of sins, and thereby you can become a child of God. The sin of humanity is atoned for by Christ, the sacrificial lamb, on the cross and you can come out clean and blameless from all your sins and its punishment if you call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and seek His forgiveness. There is no need to live in the fear of the wrath of God anymore. God loves you and wants to forgive and cleanse you to become a new creature in Him. You can born again into God’s family by coming to Lord Jesus Christ now.

Finally, Perfect Love of Christ casts out our fear.

Bible says in 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment.” In this chapter, Bible says, God is love and He made His love complete and publicly showed us on the cross by allowing His son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sin in our place so that we will have confidence on the day of Judgment. Jesus became the sin-bearer for our sins. The wrath of God is on us because of our sins, right? However, God put all those sins on Christ and he took the punishment for all our sins. Now God’s perfect love is perfectly portrayed on the cross by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ can cast out all our fear. God so loved you and again I say God so loved you. Again God so loved you- “that He gave His only begotten son so that whoever believed in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Suppose you have aids because of your sinful life in the past and suppose I come to your deathbed and took all those aids disease from your body and placed it on my body. If this is possible, what is going to happen? I will die in your place and you will live and get forgiveness of your sins. This is what God did for you in and through the savior of the world- Jesus Christ. God placed all your sins on Jesus Christ who paid it all for you with his sinless and divine blood. Now you don’t need to spend your days in fear of your sins and wickedness.

Beautiful -Fear of the Lord becomes a reasonable service of worship

Why don’t you allow yourself to be gripped and stunned by the love of God portrayed on the cross for you personally? Then it becomes easy to keep a highly loving, highly regarded, honorable, awesome fear toward the Lord. Not arrested and captured by a fearful dreadfulness of the wrath of God, but captured by the greatness of His love, grace and mercies that He had portrayed for you in and through the person of Jesus Christ, so that you will lovingly, willingly and honorably fear the Lord and obey His commandments. Then our life becomes a living sacrifice for the Lord who loved so deep and it becomes our reasonable service of worship to Him on an ongoing basis. (Romans 12:1). May the good Lord achieve this in our personal lives.

All praise, glory and worship to Him alone.

Are you afraid? Fear not and don’t be afraid!

“But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” Matthew 14:27.

Fear is common to all.

Worry or fear is common to all people living on this earth. Some people are worried or afraid about their future, their job condition, health situations, financial conditions. Certain other people are worried or afraid of their children and spouse. As people get older, they often have another worry and that is this- who is going to look after me? Will I have a peaceful and loving end on this earth? The list goes on. As you may have noted already, the worries and fears are different for different people and they are different in different stages of your life.

[bctt tweet=”Are you afraid? Fear not and don’t be afraid!” username=”sam2017insights”] In the above passage given, the disciples of Christ were terrified because their boat was buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. They thought they are going to die right there in the lake. But it says Jesus went out to them even walking on the lake in the middle of the night and said to them, “Don’t be afraid, Take courage. I am here.”

Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an American writer who achieved posthumous fame for his influential works of fiction. He stated, “the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”
Karl Menninger, an American Psychiatrist, who founded the Menninger Foundation and Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kansas stated, “ Fears are educated into us, and can if we wish, be educated out.”

The origin and solution of fear.

Yet, the emotion or sentiment of fear or worry was not something experienced by our first parents-Adam and Eve-if we read the first two chapters of the book of Genesis in Bible, which gives us a detailed account of creation and how everything came into being. Adam and Eve enjoyed the perfect peace, protection, and provision because of their loving fellowship and friendship with God who created them from the dust of this earth. I often think what would have been their life and experience in the total absence of fear and worries than in the beginning? The Bible clearly states the ‘fear’ first came when Adam and Eve disobeyed the commandment of God. A new vocabulary of “fear” and “worry” along with several other painful vocabularies came into existence from that point onwards in human history. The fear was a new emotional experience they reported to have experienced after their first original sin. After the original sin of Adam and Eve, when God called Adam, he answered and said, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” They became dead spiritually and that means they lost their intimate fellowship and friendship with God when they decided to disobey God. You see, they lost their perfect peace, protection, and provision that came from the creator God.
To a certain extent, I agree with Lovecraft’s statement, “the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” The sinful propensities and fear and worries are handed down to all human beings because of the original sin of our first parents, Bible declares emphatically. I can understand the fear of the unknown gripping the hearts and minds of Adam and Eve because they lost all the peace, protection and provision when they sinned. God placed them out of the perfect environment of the garden of Eden. Genesis 3:23-24 says, “So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.” They cannot go back to the perfect environment of peace, protection, and provision now. Fear of unknown.
Now as we understand the origin of fear was because of the original sin of disobedience in the garden of Eden, we can tackle the emotion of fear in a better way, but only with the help of God. Karl Menninger’s famous quotation “Fears are educated into us, and can if we wish, be educated out” cannot be agreed because it appears fear is not educated into us, all of us are born with fear in the same way we all are born with sinful propensities. A little infant can feel fear when hearing an unusual sound and a little boy doesn’t need to be taught to fear or do sin. Both sin and fear are natural to all people because sin and fear entered into this world through the choice of disobedience of Adam and Eve.
God who already knew all this in advance in His perfect omniscience, already gave us the solution to our sin problem in and through His Son’s sacrificial death on the cross to pay for our sins. None of us could pay for our rebelliousness and sins. But Jesus paid it all for us in His body on the cross when he became a substitute for all of us. And now those who come to Jesus Christ in faith and believe He died and rose again on their behalf, their past, present and future sins are fully and completely paid by His innocent, sinless and divine blood. Christ’s blood is applied for the payment of your sins. Bible says in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified (means made right with God) through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”. Instead of fear, now in and through Christ Jesus a believer in Christ has peace with God because he or she has been made fully right with God. Why? Christ paid for all the sins and we can stand and enjoy the love and grace of God.
If you are a child of God who accepted Jesus Christ as your savior, God wants you to know that He loves you so much that He saved you and your future is safe, secure and guaranteed in His hand. By the way, you become a child of God by accepting Christ Jesus as your savior and Lord. Bible says, “ But as many as received Him (Christ Jesus), to them He (God) gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His (Christ Jesus’s) name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (means they are born from above into God’s household).

Fear not or don’t be afraid is the most frequently repeated commandment in the Bible.

You see it is not God’s will that His children live in fear. “Fear not” or “do not be afraid” is the most frequently repeated commandment in the Bible. Jesus Himself said many times “fear not” or “do not be afraid’.
It’s been said that there are 365 “Fear not” in the Bible — one “Fear not” for every day of the year! Lloyd Ogilvie in ‘Facing the Future without Fear’ even said there are 366 “Fear not” in the Bible, one for every day of the year, including Leap Year! God doesn’t want us to go a single day without hearing his word of comfort: “Fear not!” https://www.soulshepherding.org/2010/07/fear-not-365-days-a-year/
In fact, there are more than 365 times “fear not”, “be not afraid” or some variations of these words in the Bible. Do you know Bible addresses the topic of fear more than 500 times in King James Version? Therefore, it is true that the commandment “fear not” or a variation of this word appear definitely much more than 366 times.

Fear finds its solution in Christ.

The same way, fear, another result of the original sin, finds it’s solution in God and Savior Jesus Christ. This is why Jesus repeatedly said in his messages, “fear not” or “do not be afraid.” Fear loses its grip and strength because Jesus gave us the solution to our biggest problem – the problem of sin. Along with the given solution for our sin problem, fear loses its grip and strength on us.
Why? Because now we know God is for us because He loved us, forgave us and saved us in and through Jesus Christ, the savior of the world. And if God is for us, who or what can be against us? Nothing can stand against us to make us fear. Bible affirms this truth in Romans 8:30-32 that God predestined us, He called us, He justified us, and He even already glorified us (even though we live in this sinful world presently, in God’s sight our future glorification is a done deal) and then it says, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
The same idea is given in Ephesians 2:4-7. It says, not only God loved us with His great love and mercy, and as a result not only He saved us from our sinful condition by raising us up with Jesus Christ from our spiritually dead condition, but also listen it says “God seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. In other words, a Christ believer’s future security and safety is 100% guaranteed. God had already seated us with Him in heaven in Christ Jesus. Again, it is a done deal.
Why did God do this? It says there, God did this in order to show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. God wanted to show the incomparable riches of His grace that is expressed in His kindness in and through His son, Jesus Christ. God is going to show His wonderful grace and kindness toward us all through the eternity future. Amazing and Mind boggling is God’s love, mercy, and kindness shown by sending His son Christ to die and pay for all our sins.
I am quoting the whole passage from Ephesians here. “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-7).
So, my beloved friend, there is no reason for you to fear when roller coaster incidents happen in our life. You are safe and secure in God’s plan. In God’s sight, because you trusted in Christ as your savior, you are already seated in heaven with Him all through the coming eternity and He already glorified you. Peter says in his epistle that God in His great mercy had caused you to a new birth (birthing into God’s family) through your belief in Christ Jesus as your savior and granted you an inheritance that will never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you and God is shielding you now by His power until that day when you get you reserved inheritance in heaven. Then he writes, “In all this, you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” (1 Peter 1:3-6).
Again I am saying it is a done deal. Your seat and inheritance are reserved in heaven when you placed your trust and faith in the Savior, Christ Jesus. Mainly our fears are linked to our future, isn’t it? Our future safety, old age, will I get sick? what happens to my children etc. But if your future is safe and secure, then there is no need to fear about your future – No fear needed when you live here on this earth. Bible says God who gave His only son for your sake, will He not, along with him, graciously give us all things?” This question demands an answer from us. What is the answer? The answer is a definite Yes, He will!
But did even the children of God fear in the past in spite of all these truths? Abraham feared Jacob feared, David feared, Moses feared and the list goes on. Yes, sin and fear are going to be here in this world, until we are glorified with a new heavenly body, as a reminder of all our current fallen stage. This is why God and our Lord Jesus Christ commands and reminds us frequently “fear not” when you live in this world. Jesus said though you live now in this sinful world, for the time being, He commanded us to find peace in Him because He has overcome the world that is filled with sin and fear. John 16:33 reports what Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
God promised to protect and provide for His children when they live here on this earth. In fact, God provides rain, sunlight, water, air and other things for all in this world. Do you know how much more He will care you as a child of God?

An example of the children of Israel.

The Israelites were threatened with fear when they heard Pharaoh changed his mind and following them. “As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.” (Exodus 14:10). The children of Israel were so terrified that they complained to their leader Moses and said “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” (Exodus 14:11-12)
Moses said to them these words, “ Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:13-14).
I want you to see four points here.
1. Do not be afraid. What do you mean do not be afraid? They have Pharaoh in their back and the red sea full of water in the front. No way to escape and no deliverance from their fearful condition. But God said to Moses to tell the people to move on. (15c). Instead of fearing they need to move on. Fear should not stop you from going forward or moving ahead in God’s plan.
2. Stand firm in your faith and trust in God, and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. You see the LORD is the one who delivered them from the bondage of Egypt and He is the one who brought them to this point. Will he not provide and protect them? Yes, He definitely will. Stand firm in your faith and trust in God and move on as God said. This is all they need to do.
3. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again.
4. How? The LORD will fight for you; you only need to be still. You see, as a child of God, because you accepted Christ as your savior and Lord, your enemy is God’s enemy. God will fight for you. Again I repeat God will fight for you. This is true all the time when it comes to the issues of His children.
This is LORD’s response to our fearful situation. Do not be afraid, Stand firm in your faith and trust in God, He will remove the obstacle you are facing today because the LORD will fight for you.
Are you in a fearful situation? Now you are afraid or worried, aren’t you? God is asking you to maintain His peace. Do you know when the enemy attacks you, the enemy attack Him? When you are in dark and terrible situations God says, I am going to be with you and I will fight for you. But meanwhile, you are going to hold your peace. God says I am going to fight for you. I will not leave you there.

Paul to young Timothy.

Apostle Paul said to young Timothy, a servant of the Lord, who was gripped by fear this verse. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” As a minister of Christ or a child of God remember God does not want us to fear. Why? God has not given us a spirit of fear, but He has given in us the Holy Spirit of power, love and of sound mind. In other words, fear is not coming out of Holy Spirit. In you seemingly fearful condition, the Holy Spirit in you gives you the power, love and sound mind.

Rejoice in the Lord and forsake fear because God is for you and no one or nothing can stand against you because of God’s presence in you. Bible urges us to be confident in the one who began a good work in us. Because He will successfully complete His good work He began in you. No need to worry. It says, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6).

David’s conversation with his own soul.

When David had fear in his heart, he talked to himself and this is recorded in His Psalm. We can practice this good practice of talking to our own souls and encourage our own souls.
The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)
He talked to himself in Psalm 43:5, “The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?”
He said to himself in Psalm 56:3-4, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise—
in God, I trust and am not afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me.”
David testified in Psalm 34:4, “I sought the LORD, and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears.” God who delivered David from all his fears will do the same thing for you.

The most terrible fear is the fear of death.

Anybody who is not afraid of death?
Bible says in Hebrews 2:4-15, “Through His (Christ’s) death He (Christ) destroyed the power of the devil who has the power of death. Jesus did this to make us free from the fear of death. We no longer need to be chained to this fear.”
Bible also says, “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Are you afraid of death? You don’t need to be afraid. Why? Jesus by his death and resurrection for our sins swallowed up death in victory. God gives you the victory over death means God will raise you up even if you die if you believed and trusted in Christ Jesus as your savior.

May I ask you this very important question. Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your savior yet? If not, God is bidding you now to accept Christ as your savior now in a small prayer with me. God wants to forgive all your sins, remove your fears, worries and grant you eternal life in heaven with Him.

Prayer time:

Pray like this- “God, I know you gave the solution to my sin problem. I believe your Son, Jesus Christ, died buried and risen again for my sins. I repent and confess my sins now and accept Jesus Christ as my savior and Lord. Please save me and grant me eternal life.” Amen.

If you prayed this prayer please visit to www.teachbible.org and go to contact/prayer tab and send me a note. Thank you for doing that.

Isaiah 42:3, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.”

One of the several prophecies given in the Bible regarding the Messiah- Jesus Christ.

The above verse was one of the several prophecies given in the Bible about 750 years prior to the coming of the Messiah – Jesus Christ. The Messiah is referred as a servant, lamb, and king in the old testament prophecy books in the Bible. Hundreds of prophecies of the Bible about the coming Messiah were fulfilled with pinpoint accuracies. The background of the above passage is where Jesus was referred as the ‘servant’. The coming Messiah was referred as “servant”, “king” and “lamb” in the old testament prophecies in the Bible. The book of Isaiah was written more than 7 centuries before the incarnation of Christ. The background of the passage also describes several characteristics of this ‘servant’ who is going to appear down in the history. The characteristics of the coming servant in the above section of the Bible following includes the following:
He will bring justice to the nations
He will not shout or cry out or raise his voice in the streets
He will not break a bruised reed
He will not snuff out a smoldering wick
In faithfulness, he will bring forth justice
He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching, the island will put their hope (42:1-4).

It says certain other things about this servant who will appear and they include
He will be the covenant for the people
He will be the light for the Gentiles
He will open eyes that are blind
He will free captives from prison
He will release from the dungeon who sit in darkness. (42:6b-7)

Keep in mind there were hundreds of other prophecies in the Bible that were fulfilled with pinpoint accuracy in Jesus Christ. Some of these prophecies are already fulfilled in His first coming (for example, Isaiah 42 and Isiah 53 and several others) and the rest will be fulfilled in future at the time of the second coming of Christ. There were three times more prophecies regarding the second coming of Christ. Therefore, if hundreds of prophecies (more than 300) regarding the first coming of Christ are fulfilled literally, the three times more prophecies of the second coming of Christ will also be fulfilled literally. The opening the eyes of the blind, freeing the captives and releasing who were sitting in darkness had already literally happened in the first century BC along with many others when Christ was on this earth in his rescue mission. For more information about the prophecies fulfilled in Christ please read the article in the study Bible section of this website. All the Gospels record several instances of Christ’s wonderful ministries like opening the eyes of the blind, opening the ears of the mute, raising people from the dead, giving light to the Gentiles about God’s plan for them to be part of God’s eternal plan along with Jews. Some of these have an on-going application today as well. In fact, when it said he will be the covenant for the people- it is true- Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all the old testament covenants. The covenant made to Abraham that says in your seed, “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” is fulfilled in Him. This blessing is available even today, for people can be saved from their sins because Christ died and risen again for the sins of the people. The Davidic covenant – the everlasting king and kingdom that will last forever is partially fulfilled and going to be fully fulfilled in him in the near future when Jesus establishes His millennial kingdom on the face of this earth. (2 Samuel 7). These prophecies were repeated and reiterated by other major and minor prophets as well in the pages of the Bible.

But the thing that amazes us is the character and the gentle dealings of Jesus Christ.

 

“A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” Isaiah 42:3. Two groups of people mentioned here. A bruised reed and secondly a smoldering wick. Obviously, the passage is not talking about a reed or a fire wick. But it is talking about people who are bruised and smoldering and how Jesus Christ deals with them.

Bruised Reed.

Bruised reeds are often found in marshlands- low-lying land that has water and remains waterlogged at all times. You will see these weak, dry and bruised reeds along the waterside in paddy fields or marshlands. They are so dry, weak and look bruised that even small chicks or ducks can break and smash these reeds, let alone the foot of a man or animal. In fact, even wind can blow against it and break it.
Read the passage carefully, this is talking about the ministry of Christ to those who are discouraged, bend down and broken people. They were not like this before but something happened in their life and they are now crushed and damaged. They still have a life but only bare minimum and are limbing through their life and struggling to stand and walk.

You see, life breaks and bruise people.

You were doing good. But some bad thing happened to you. Somebody deserted you, betrayed you and now you are deeply hurt and bruised. You are in psychological and emotional pain. These are people bleeding on the inside. You were doing good but made a bad choice and here you are suffering from the consequences and are broken down and totally bruised now. It does not matter how strong you are and how spiritual you are, life’s storm can bend you down and these adversities can challenge you and your faith in God. This is a truth about life- life will not be good and rosy all the time, even for people who are good Christians who worked in the vineyard of the Lord for a long time. Life breaks and bruises people because we live in this sin-bound world and we do deal with sinful people. The disciples of Christ got hurt, Paul got hurt, Peter got hurt, John, James and even Jesus got hurt when he came to this earth to save us. The problem of sin is not finally removed as of yet from this earth until the final day of the final redemption when all (people and the whole earth) will get perfect and fine. (Romans 8:18-26). This will happen at the second coming of Christ Jesus into this world. However, Bible says things are going to get worse meanwhile as we progress toward that day of the second coming of Christ. It is not going to get better, it is going to worse and worse. (2 Timothy 3 and 2 Peter 2)
But our verse above promises us Christ Jesus will not break a bruised reed. Are you a bruised reed? The Lord promises He will deal with you gently. He will not break you because He is very compassionate and He has abundant love and cares for you. You may be thinking I am already bruised and broken and Oh, now if Jesus knew about all my condition, He will break me again and abandon me. Your friend and even Christian friends may do exactly do this to you. But Not Jesus. The opposite is true about him. Bible says He will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus assured His presence with you in Matthew 28:20. It says, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Did you notice “always” and that means exactly what it means- “always”- twenty-four hours, 7 days and 365 days until the end of the age.

Smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

Are you feeling like a smoldering wick or flickering candle? Your light was shining brightly before and now something bad happened and you became discouraged and depressed. Your light is not bright anymore because life has turned you upside down. You were the first in the church meetings before, you were the first person who would pray before, you were zealous and excited for the Lord before. But now you are burned out and you feel like you are dying inside and think about quitting. Life was hard on you. You are afraid the Lord may sniff off your flickering candle.

O Child of God, Be encouraged by this fact. He will not put out your flickering/smoldering light and He will not break your bruised reed. This is the character of Christ’s gentle dealings with you. This is the promise of your savior who loved you and saved you. He loved you that much that He came down to this earth and lived on this sin-bound world and finally willingly went to the cross carrying cross which was your sins on His shoulders and paid it all for you. Do you know God loves you and cares for you deeply?

In both of the above situations, the Lord Jesus has encouraging words for you. I know you are limping but His gracious, encouraging words are strong enough and good enough to make you stand again, to make you walk in your divine calling again. Not just walk but you will run again. He will give you the strength and power. He will give you the desire and ability to do what He wants you to accomplish no matter what happened in the past. Bible says, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Did you notice it says, It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose?” He will not leave you there in the bruised condition and He will not put out your flickering/smoldering flame. He will make it fan again with fire and you will experience His goodness and faithfulness. He will fill again the oil in your empty tank. Pray like the old song sings, “Fill me oil in my lamp and keep me burning”. He will fill oil in you with the filling of the Holy Spirit. God did this to the prophet Elijah and commissioned him again with energy, vision, and power when He delivered him from his deep discouragement and depression. He can and will do the same for you.

By one decision to deny Jesus three times in a tempting and testing evening, Peter thought his light is gone for good and he thought he can never shine his light again. All hope of becoming fishers of man (for which Christ called him) has gone from him and he thought he is good for nothing and finally decided to go back to his old trade of catching fishes. But Jesus would not put out the flickering candle in Peter. Jesus sent words to Peter, met with Him, cooked breakfast for him and showed his deep love for him and restored him to his original calling. Peter was a bruised reed and a flickering candle. you see the gentle dealings of Jesus Christ!

Two disciples of Jesus decided to go away from Jerusalem to Emmaus. What happened in Jerusalem that weekend had disturbed them. They believed Jesus was the prophet who will redeem them. They believed the Bible. But now looks like they wanted to be away from Jerusalem and they were hopeless because they hoped in Jesus. But on the day of his resurrection, in the evening as they left to Emmaus and walking, Lord Jesus came along and walked with them in the midst of all their doubts and confusion. He asked them “what are you discussing? They explained all that happened in Jerusalem- the death, burial and the updated news saying Jesus’s body is not found in His tomb. Jesus said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Jesus talked to them about the Scripture beginning from Moses and all the prophets and explained all the promises regarding the Messiah – Christ Jesus.
Later when Jesus was sitting with them, He took the bread and gave it to them. At that time, the disciples’ eyes were opened and they recognized Him and He disappeared from their sight.
Then they both said this, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He talked with us on the road and opened the Bible to us?” Their hearts were burning within them when they heard the verses from the Scripture from the lips of Jesus Himself concerning the promises of Him and His sufferings for their sins.

My friend, in your bruised and smoldering condition, this is what Jesus going to do for you. He will come to you and open the scriptures for you and you will be encouraged and strengthened again. You will get energized and fulfill your unique purpose for Him again. One word of Jesus Christ and the Bible is good enough and strong enough. All your limping will go away and all your flickering will go away.
Christ is so compassionate in your bruised and flickering condition. He loves you and wants to restore you to give His life and care again.

Come and pray with me now.

“God, I come to you in prayer. I am bruised and broken down. But I believe you love me and care for me. Please heal me, Lord. I am sorry for my sins and I agree I sinned against you. Please forgive me. I believe Jesus died, buried and risen again for my sins. Please fill in me your Holy Spirit and make me strong to live and minister to you. Thank you for saving me. Amen.”
If you prayed this prayer, please visit www.teachbible.org and go to contact and prayer tab and send me a note. Thank you.

 

[bctt tweet=”Are you a bruised reed?” username=”sam2017insights”]

Where or what is your confidence?

The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: “‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? (2 King 18:19).

The above question the field commander of the great king of Assyria asked Hezekiah, the king of Judah, is a thought-provoking question that demands an honest answer from all of us.

Can you and I frankly ask this question to ourselves? Where or what is your confidence?

Is your confidence in your money and wealth?

Then what happens when stock market crashes, real estate market goes deep south, people steal your money or hackers destroy what you have saved by a cyber attack?
I had a man whom I knew for several years. He had several million in his possession. He had big buildings and real estates. His house was a mansion with security guards 24 hours. But I heard a couple of years ago that He lost all and died of a heart attack. He didn’t even have money to pay his medical bills during the last many months of his life.

Is your confidence in your career?

Then what happens when your company reorganizes their business structure and you are laid off? Or you may be at an age that you are unable to compete with younger and smarter new generation? What happens to your confidence in your career?

Is your confidence in your spouse?

Do you think she or he would be there all the time for you? How about a sudden tragedy or death happens? A couple of my dear friends who had high confidence in their spouse had to face the sudden removal of their spouse in an unexpected way and they were in severe grief.

Is your confidence in your children?

Then how about if they die before you or something bad happen to them? How about when they grow up, leave your home and get married and start caring for their family and interests? Many parents who placed their confidence in the children, unfortunately, had to regret later in their old age. This is not to blame the children in any way. That is how life works. The children grow and they need to make decisions for their interests and family and it can be good or bad for parents.

Is your confidence in your political influence?

You may have prime ministers or presidents on your side. Then what happens when they are not voted by the people in the next election?

Is your confidence in your flesh, strength and muscle power?

Then what happens when your health and muscle power deteriorates? A wise person remembers health and muscle power won’t last long. We all get old as we age and as the years go by our health and strength weakens.

The  king of Judah, Hezekiah and Assyrian king Sennacherib.

The passage cited about from 2 King 18:19 is the message of the conquering king of Assyria to the king of Judah, Hezekiah. Though there were many evil kings in Judah (southern kingdom of Israel), Hezekiah was a king who trusted the Lord God in heaven with his whole heart, the God of Israel. In this regard, he was like his forefather King David who followed the LORD fully. Hezekiah’s confidence was in his trust in the LORD God and not in his power. However, the new world conquering king of Assyria- Sennacherib (BC 705-681 BC) trusted in his vast number of soldiers and chariots. He was an idol worshipper while Hezekiah was the worshipper of the living LORD God in heaven who is the sovereign God of all.
In the above historical account, we can see two kings. One who believed and put his confidence in the living God of heaven and the other one who placed his confidence in himself and his muscle power.
Sennacherib, of course, amazingly might have noticed Hezekiah’s confidence and asked this question when he sent his delegation to Jerusalem, “what is this confidence that you have?” Hezekiah, the king of Judah knew from whom the ultimate victory comes. Bible says, “the king is not saved by a mighty army; A warrior is not delivered by great strength.(Psalm 33:16). Another Bible verse says, “This is the word of the Lord ……: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.
You see God says our success ultimately comes from the LORD God in heaven. So our trust and confidence should be in the LORD. The God’s Holy Spirit is the one who helps and saves not our might, wisdom or power.
Hezekiah being a believer in the LORD had already placed his full confidence and trust in the LORD only and he came to the temple of the Lord and poured out his soul to the LORD in heaven because he knew Sennacherib was much stronger than him and the new conquering king had already conquered many nations including the northern part of Israel. Bible says the LORD God gave the northern part of Israel to the Assyrian king Sennacherib because of her continued unfaithfulness and disobedience to the commandments of the LORD God. God sent several prophets in His mercy so that they had the opportunities to repent about their rebelliousness and sins. But they were following the idol worship system established by Jeroboam, the first king of the northern part of Isreal after the division of the kingdom into two parts -the northern kingdom called Israel and southern kingdom called Judah, due to the sins that were committed by King Solomon in his later years. There was not even one king who obeyed the LORD in the northern kingdom but they all worshiped man-made idols continuously with no repentance or change of heart. They hardened their hearts toward the LORD God in heaven who is the only God who made the heavens and earth and all in it. They broke the first commandment of the LORD that said, “You shall have no other Gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them….” (Exodus 20:3-5). As a result, God allowed the king of Assyrian to conquer them and take them as captives to Assyria in BC 722.
Now the southern kingdom, Judah, had at least few kings who obeyed and followed the commandments of the LORD. Hezekiah was one among them. When Hezekiah poured out his soul in prayer to the LORD, He delivered Hezekiah and Judah from the hands of the mighty conquering king of Assyria. Hezekiah didn’t even need to fight against Sennacherib. The LORD honoring Hezekiah’s trust, prayer, and confidence in the LORD, struck down the army of Sennacherib. The LORD said in response to Hezekiah prayer and trust in the LORD this. “He (the Assyrian king) will not come to this city or shoot an arrow there, and he will not come before it with a shield or throw up a siege ramp against it. By the way that he came, by the same, he will return, and he shall not come to this city,”’ declares the LORD. ‘For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.” The detailed and amazing accounts of how God gave victory to Hezekiah is described in the Bible in 2 Kings 18-19.

 

Nehemiah’ confidence in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem

 

Bible says in Nehemiah 6:16 this about the enemies of Nehemiah when Nehemiah placed his trust and confidence in the LORD and started rebuilding the shattered walls of Jerusalem. In spite of the opposition from internal and external sources like the opposition of ridicule, the opposition of through threat of attack, opposition through discouragement, opposition through extortion, opposition through compromise, opposition through slander and opposition through treachery, the wall was completed successfully with the wondrous help of the LORD. There was only one reason for this marvelous achievement in the face of all these huge and powerful oppositions- the trust and confidence in the LORD God. Nehemiah himself said this, “So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.” (Nehemiah 6:15-16)
You see the paradox- All the enemies of Nehemiah lost their self-confidence because they realized the work had been finished with the help of the God. It was the confidence in the Lord that gave ultimate victory to Nehemiah to finish the work.

The confidence of Job in his severe testing time

Job, was a righteous man whose trust and confidence was in the LORD God and Bible describes his life history in the Book of Job. Though he was very rich because he had ten children, many servants and had much silver and Gold, sheep, camels, and oxen, his confidence was truly in God only. That is why even when he lost all his children and wealth suddenly and apparently in one day, he could fell to the ground and worship the Lord and make this famous statement, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there, The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job: 1:21). He testified that his confidence was not in silver, God or wealth in 31:24. He says, “If I have put my confidence in gold, and called fine gold my trust,
If I have gloated because my wealth was great and because my hand had secured so much……..that too would have been an iniquity calling for judgment, for I would have denied God above.” In essence in his severe testing and trial time, he declares the truth of his heart- he never did place his confidence and trust in his wealth. Had he done it, it would have been denying God in his life and calling for God’s judgment. But he did not do it. His trust and confidence in the LORD was fully rewarded at the end when God restored all the blessings of Job when he even prayed for his friends who blamed him in his sever trial times. The Bible says “the LORD increased all that Job had twofold.” (Job 42:10).

The confidence of the Disciples

Acts 4:13 says this about Peter and John who were the disciples of Jesus Christ, “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.” In spite of Jewish  and Roman authority’s threatening to stop preaching the name of Christ, the rulers, elders and scribes observed the confidence of the Peter and John. And they attributed the disciple’s confidence to the fact that there were with Jesus, even though they were uneducated and untrained otherwise. The rulers, elders and scribes marveled at their confidence. It is true that being with Jesus and spending time with Jesus multiples a believers confidence in life and unbelievers will recognize this fact of the secret of their confidence.

Keep Godliness and contentment (which is the confidence in the Lord) because it is a great gain, Bible says.

Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:6 that Godliness with contentment (trust and satisfaction in the LORD’s provision and keeping full confidence that the LORD will take care of all your needs if we trust in Him) is a great gain. Truly, such faith and confidence in God is truly a great gain, period! The Bible says, “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:9-10).

Keeping Godliness along with contentment in the provisions of the LORD for our daily needs is compared with another mindset found in many people. Those who want to get rich and those who love money. |The result of such a mindset is also given in this passage. They will fall into many temptations and traps having foolish and harmful desires. The final outcome of such people is this- they can be plunged into ruin and destruction. Bible warns the love of money (love to get rich by any means) is a root of all kinds of evil. We know this is one hundred percent true if we look around in our societies. Even many true believers in Christ because of their love of money and desire to get rich, had to wander away from their sincere faith in the Lord and pierced themselves with many griefs. Each of the verses and words of the Bible can be fully trusted because the Bible did not originate from this earth. But the Bible is the Word of God which was given to us by God from heaven.

Bible says your trust and confidence should be only in the Lord God. We should not even place our confidence in a neighbor, friend and watch what you say even to your spouse who lies in your bosom.

Keep your confidence only in the Lord.

Bible says, “Do not trust in a neighbor; Do not have confidence in a friend. From her who lies in your bosom Guard your lips.” (Micah 7:5). Bible also says, “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.” (Psalm 146:3).  In short, we should not put our confidence in princes, kings, presidents, cabinet ministers. We should not place our confidence in any human beings. Why? None of these can save or deliver us. It is the LORD who is able to deliver and save us. Psalmist says to the Lord in the Bible in Psalm 71:5, “For thou art my hope; O LORD God, Thou art my confidence from my youth.” Now when we place our trust and confidence in the LORD, He in his sovereign power can use any of the above sources for our deliverance and help. He can use people to help us and He can use thousands of other sources to help us. He will do it if you place your ultimate confidence and trust the LORD. And so let us learn to place our full trust and confidence in the LORD. He is the one who can give us success, victory and He is the almighty God who can bless us and meet all our daily needs.

Have full confidence in the Lord who promised He will meet all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Apostle Paul had full confidence in the LORD when he said in the Bible in Philippians 4:19, “And My God shall supply all your needs, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” He shall supply all your needs ‘according to His riches in glory’. What is the vastness of the riches of God’s glory? can you imagine the richness of God in heaven? Unimaginable and unfathomable right? That is the scope and source of where God shall meet your needs. If you read slowly and carefully you will learn one more thing from the above passage. God shall supply all your needs ‘in Christ Jesus’. God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. But it is coming in and through the savior of the world – Jesus Christ. If you are a believer in Christ and if you accepted Christ Jesus as your savior, then this promise of God is for you personally.

Do you have this confidence? Are in Christ Jesus?

May I ask you this question? Have you accepted Christ Jesus as your savior and Lord? God says He shall meet all your needs if you are in Christ Jesus. All your needs include your spiritual, physical and emotional – all your needs. I invite you to come to Jesus Christ today. Bible says this and please read this slowly and carefully and think about it. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16.
My friend, God loves you and He proved the fact that He loves you by giving His only begotten Son – Jesus Christ- for your sake. Whoever believes in Him (Christ Jesus) shall not perish but have eternal life.
Jesus came to this world to pay for all your sins on the cross of Calvary. He died for your sins, He was buried for your sin and He rose again on the third day for the forgiveness of your sins and eternal life. What a merciful and glorious statement? Whoever believes in Christ Jesus shall have eternal life. Will you accept God’s loving invitation today?

Prayer time:

If you do pray after me like this.

“God, I know you love me and want to save me from all my sins. I know you want to give me a new life. I am sorry for all my sins. I believe Your Son, Jesus Christ, died, buried and rose again for my sins. I accept Jesus Christ as my savior and Lord. Please save me.”

If you prayed this prayer, God saved you by forgiving all your sins-past, present, and future- and granted you eternal life now.
Please visit www.teachbible.org and go to contact/prayer tab and send me a note. I will be thrilled to hear from you.

Mark 4:35-41, “On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Are you in the night time, a gale of winds, strong waves, water filling in? You will not perish, guaranteed!

Do you know you will not perish, guaranteed, even if are faced with gales of wind, strong waves and your boat are being filled with water all over? Now imagine, you are in a small boat and your small boat is tossed to and from by the gale of winds, strong waves and the boat is being filled with water by the waves. What is going to happen? Of course, naturally, alarms go off and you think you will be perishing pretty soon. This was the same scared imagination the disciples had on that night.

But there is a big difference. They had Jesus in their boat. That made all the difference. Bible says Jesus was sleeping in the stern in their boat. They came to Jesus and woke him up and said, “save us Lord; we are perishing.” They thought they were perishing. But do you know the truth is this – they can not and will  not  perish if Jesus, the living God, is in their boat. Jesus said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” Amazing He just said ‘hush’ or in other words, ‘stop’ and then said, ‘be still’. Immediately the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.

I have dog and cat. Sometimes my dog starts rolling on the floor rug by making weird sounds. I know either she is trying to clean herself or she is playful and got excited. But when I say, ‘stop’, she immediately stops and comes and sit next to my feet. My kitten is so happy when she sees me. She starts climbing on the chairs and then plastic trees inside my home and starts jumping up and down. When she doesn’t stop, I will say, ‘stop, Lilly’, She stops and sits down calmly on the chair.
Are you in a night time of your life? Are you facing a gale of winds in your life? Are the waves too strong for you? Wind and waves – are they causing the boat to be filled with water? Are you terrified and scared? Are you afraid you are going to perish?

 

[bctt tweet=”Night time and gale of winds? You will not perish, if He is in your life” username=”sam2017insights”]

The power of Jesus over nature.

You see, the Lord Jesus has full power and authority over nature is what this incident teach us. When Jesus said, ‘Hush, be still’. The wind died down and there was perfect calm -Mark, Mathew, and Luke reported this incident in the Bible.

The most important one billion dollar question! Do you have Jesus in your lifeboat? If you have Jesus in your life, you will not perish, period! I want you to know this fact. A person who placed his or her faith in Christ will never perish. Don’t be afraid and don’t get scared.
Did you notice even in the midst of all this dangerous situation, Jesus was sleeping in the stern? This tells me we may feel like Jesus doesn’t care about us in the midst of our problems, right? I felt the same way in my life. He seemed to be far away. Where is Jesus? Why Doesn’t He help?
But the truth was this -Jesus was not far away. He was right there near them in their dangerous moments. The disciples had to wake Him up though. They could reach out to Him with their requests. Bible teaches us a lesson about God and that is this – God transcends and near at the same time. God is very near to our problems.

Bible says in Psalms 34:17-18, “When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.”

The Lord wants you and me to seek him and go to Him in prayer. A proud individual won’t do it. A humble individual will do it and will receive the deliverance and salvation of the Lord. This is why Bible says in Psalm 34:6, “This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.” If you and I call upon the name of Jesus Christ, He answers and helps in the times of our deepest troubles.

The most pivotal question you will ever answer is ‘Who is Jesus’?

When the disciple witnessed the power of Jesus Christ on nature, they were marvelous and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

My dear friend, this is the most pivotal question that each human being should answer when they have the brain power to think about. A dead body or a body that lost brain power won’t be able to think and analyze. But please make a decision about Christ before that day. Bible reminds us the seriousness of seeking and calling upon Him in this way, “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
“Who is Jesus Christ? An ordinary person like you and me do not have the power over nature, do we? Only God has the power over the wind and sea. Even the wind and sea obey the God because He is the creator and nature and all things on this planet earth and in the whole universe in His creation.

Bible says who Jesus Christ is. It says, “ He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead .” (Colossians 1:15-18).
Jesus Christ:
• Is the exact image of the invisible God. Those who know Jesus know God intimately. Do you want to know God? Then get to know Jesus. Then you will know who God is.
• The firstborn of all creation. This means Jesus is preeminent in all creation. It does not mean Jesus was the first created one. Why? The next verse says “For by Him all things were created. Because He (Jesus) created all things, He is not a creation. The original Greek word used for the first born can be used in two different ways- (1) preeminent, first in rank or first important or (2) first born in the sense of first child born. But obviously, here the meaning is preeminent or first in rank when we study the context and other parts of the Bible.
• By Him (Jesus) all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, all thrones, dominions, rulers or authorities
• He (Jesus) hold all these things together
• He (Jesus Christ) is also the head of the Christian church

In the case of Lazarus, the one whom Jesus loves is sick and going to die. Although Lazarus’s sisters informed Jesus about his severe sickness, Jesus didn’t go to their house. He went to their house only after the death of Lazarus, after 4 days of his burial. This tells me some times, Jesus has a bigger plan for your troubles and problems. You will discover His plan only later in your life. Even though Jesus didn’t come on time to heal Lazarus, He said this to Martha, “Did I not say to you, if you believe, you will see the glory of God.” Surely enough, Martha, Mary, Lazarus and the people, all of theme, witnessed the glory of God when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Jesus revealed His glory in the midst of their impossibilities. (John 11). Remember the words of Jesus. “If you believe, you will see the glory of God” (John 11:40).
In both situations, if your prayers are answered immediately or the Lord has another bigger plan for your life, one thing is sure- an individual who placed his faith in Christ will not perish. Bible assures this fact in John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Are you safe and secure?

Is your future safe and secure? Bible promises you will be safe and secure if you come to Jesus and call upon Him. At the end, keep in mind, nobody else can save you. Only Jesus can, period! You will face many heartbreaking incidents in this world. Who is going to help you in your humanly impossible painful situations? No one can deliver you like Lord Jesus. He is a friend who sticks closer than your brother (Proverbs 18:24). He will never leave nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5),
One day like many other people, you will also get sick and die or will meet with an accident and die. Do you know where you will spend your eternity after death? I know you want to go to heaven and spend eternity there with God, don’t you? Bible declares heaven is not for ‘good people’ who does ‘good works’. People have a notion that heaven is for people who did lot of good deeds. But heaven is for the ‘forgiven’ people like Greg Lowry repeatedly says in his radio show. There will be good and bad people who received forgiveness from Jesus Christ. You will be accepted in heaven if you were granted forgiveness of all your sins by the blood of Christ who died in your place for your sins. There is no other way to go to heaven. Only one way – that is by placing your trust in Christ who came to this world as the Son of God in fulfillment of hundreds of old testament prophecies, lived a sinless life and finally paid for your sin completely on the cross. Bible says God, the father, placed all our sins on His Son (Christ) who died on the cross to pay fully for all your sins. Your good works won’t make you eligible to go to heaven. Only the sinless blood that is shed for you will make you eligible to go to heaven. Now you can go to heaven with no effort of your own. Listen what God says in the Bible, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
In short, you will be safe and secure now here on this earth and later after death, if you would come to Christ and accept Him as your savior now. You will be a forgiven person fully eligible and qualified to enter in to heaven -the most holy place to spend your eternity. Not because of anything you  have done, but because of what God had already done for you in and through the person of His son, Lord Jesus Christ.

Please make that decision today as the Lord is speaking to your heart. I will help you to make that most important decision.

You can do this by a small prayer.
Pray after me.
“God, I come to you in prayer. I need you in my life. I know I am a sinner and I feel sorry about my sins. Now thank you for talking to me and  I believe Jesus died and paid for all my sins. I accept Him as my savior and Lord. Please save me. Amen”

Your wonderful miracle and answer to prayers didn’t happen, yet? What would you do?

Hebrews 11:35-40, ” There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

Consider and deeply ponder two completely different experiences of faith warriors.

They asked God and their miracle happened and when you asked God for deliverance, change of circumstance, it hasn’t come so far and it doesn’t look you are going to be delivered either. Keep reading….

[bctt tweet=”Your miracle and answer to prayer didn’t happen. What would you do?” username=”sam2017insights”]

The first group of those who experienced wonderful deliverance from the hand of God.

By faith, Enoch was taken from this life so that he did not experience death. By faith Noah when warned about the things not yet seen built an ark and saved his family. By doing so he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness according to faith. By faith Abraham, another victorious life example of faith, when asked by God to go to a place that will become an inheritance for him, obeyed and went even though he did not where he was going. He became of many nations and his descendants became numerous as the stars in the sky and countless as the sand in the seashore. By faith when God tested Abraham by asking him to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice, he faced the test and came out victoriously. He fully obeyed God and consequently, he didn’t have to offer Isaac as a sacrifice but God showed a ram and spared Isaac’s life. By faith, Isaac had a good and quiet life and blessed his two sons, Jacob and Esau regarding their future lives. By faith, Jacob, though he started his life as apparently a cunning deceiver became another hero of faith by pleading for God’s blessings at a dangerous crossroad of his life and blessed Joseph’s sons at his very old age, worshipped God as he was dying by leaning on the top of his rod. What a wonderful way to die! By faith, Joseph, when he was about to die, spoke about future things waiting for the children of Israel (regarding their future exodus from Egypt) and gave some instructions concerning the burial of his bones. By faith Moses’s parents when Moses was born not feared the verdict of the king to kill all the infants but took steps to spare him from death. By faith Moses, when he became a man, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and left the palace of Pharaoh and joined the people of God. He considered the temporary pleasures of sin and treasures of Egypt are only fleeting pleasures and treasures when compared with the everlasting and more valuable God’s reward. By faith, the children of Israel after they left Egypt passed through the Red Sea as on a dry land because God divided the Red sea and prepared a path for them to walk to the other side. Egyptians whey they tried to walk through the dry land were drowned. By faith when they marched around the Jericho wall for seven days, it fell down right in front of their eyes. By faith Rahab though a prostitute welcomed and kept safe the spies of God’s people and spared from those who were killed who were disobedient.
The writer of Hebrew says I have more example to give but do not have time for the great and wonderful achievements of faith by Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and other prophets. The writer reminds they conquered kingdoms, administered Justice (kings and judges), shut the mouth of lions, quenched the fury of the flames (Daniel and friends), escaped the sword, became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Some women received back their dead because their dear ones were raised to life again (Widow’s son by Elijah the prophet and Shunammite’s son by Elisha the prophet)
So far so Good. Wonderful and miraculous achievements by faith.

The second group of faith warriors who did not experience wonderful deliverances – Life was hard for them.

Now read slowly and carefully the next list of the people of who exercised the same faith.

Hebrews 11:35-40
“There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
These were all (the first and the second list) commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

In contrast to the conquering, successful, wonderful life experiences of the pervious list, there is a big twist from verse 35 onwards. Did you notice this sudden change?

By faith, there were many other faith warriors who were tortured. They even refuse to be released. They could have been released if they renounce their faith in the living God. But they did not. Why? The passage says “so that they might gain an even better resurrection.” They did not look at the ‘now’. They looked forward to the great and marvelous reward waiting for them in the resurrection. Jeremiah was called at a very young age to speak the Word of God. He faithfully spoke the Word of God but received nothing but scorn, persecution, torture and near death experiences. He was the suffering prophet who faithfully proclaimed the Word of God.

Another set of faith warriors who did not experience wonderful deliverance in this section of the ‘hall of faith’ are those who faced jeers and flogging. Those who faced chains and imprisonment. Joseph was cast into a prison, Jeremiah was let down into a dungeon full of mire. Elisha was mocked severely.

The third group is those faith warriors who were put to death by stoning. How cruel would that be? Can you imagine? They were stoned to death by the hands of those who hated the living God. When they received stones on their face, head, chest and all over body how painful that experience was? They stood there and got all the stones on their bodies and gave their life for their faith. Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest who stood for the truths of the LORD was stoned to death in the courts of the house of the LORD.

The fourth group is those who were sawed in two. Cut into two pieces. Tradition says the prophet Jeremiah was sawed into two. This prophet was hated and ridiculed by all and suffered unexplainable sufferings and atrocities by his own countrymen and finally, per the tradition, he was sawed into two by the sword. Recently we have seen the pictures on our own TV in this new modern era the same atrocities against Christians in the Middle East. Many were cut into two pieces (by cutting of their head). Many Coptic Christians died by exercising their faith in God. They were strong in their faith and gave their lives for the truths of the Bible.

Some others by faith went about in sheepskins and goatskins. They were destitute. They were persecuted, and mistreated. Some others for their faith wandered in deserts and mountains. Some lived in caves and in holes in the ground. Why? This world was not worthy of them. When Jezebel decided to kill the prophets of the LORD, hundred prophets were kept in a cave hiding them from Ahab and Jezebel. The prophet Elijah had to hide in caves fearing the evil king Ahab.

Read what Bible says about them in the next verse –They were all commended for their faith. You see, the Hebrew writer in chapter 11 portrays the picture of two groups of faith warriors. Both groups are included in the ‘hall of faith’. Those who experienced wonderful and marvelous deliverances in their lifetime and those who had to experience only difficulties and pains in their lifetime. Both had heaven’s approval but clearly different experiences on this earth.

The first group described in the chapter are the people who experienced wonderful deliverance from God. They got the wonder they were waiting for or praying for. But the second group are the group of faith warriors who did not experience the wonder of God at all. They did not have a good or even decent life. In contrast, all they experienced were unexplainable sufferings. They had to live in caves and holes in the ground, persecuted, mistreated and finally a death by their enemies. Their faith was not rewarded here on the earth while they were living.

We want to be in the first group. We don’t want to be in the second group, right? But only God knows which group we will be in. Either way, when you live a life of faith in Christ, you have heaven’s approval. All of them, both groups, died in faith and none of them received what had been promised. What was promised? They lived in the faith of the promised Savior- Messiah- who will remove all their sins. The one who will die for all their sins. You see, now we are looking backward at the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins. Then they were promised their sins will be removed once and for all. They did not see what we have seen now. Like Jesus, Himself said and was recorded in Luke 10:24, “For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” But in faith, they died in that promise that God will take care their sins one day in and through the promised Messiah.

Much more than that they were looking forward to something far better in future. What was that? The chapter says they only saw it and welcomed if from a distance. And they admitted they were foreigners and strangers on the earth. They stated their faith life in the living God and they were looking for a country that God is preparing for them. They did not want to go back to their old ways and when they left the old things, they don’t have any more cravings for them. Instead, they were looking for a better country – a heavenly one because God has prepared a heavenly city for them.
But the text says, “they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had the opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:13-16

How About you?

So how about you dear brother or sister in Christ? If your miracle did not happen and if your prayer was not answered remember you are not alone. You too have such a great cloud of witnesses around you and they are cheering and encouraging you to fix your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer, and perfecter of our faith.

You see, in the faith venture with God, you could end up in either one of these two groups described above. Wonderful miracles and amazing deliverance may not happen to all believers. I understand this is hard and bad news. But this is the truth that Bible gives us. But remember we are not looking for a temporary reward. In contrast, we focus our attention on the divine call by Jesus and the rewards in future in heaven.

Remember all the twelve apostles except apostle John became martyrs for their faith in Christ. Apostle John was tortured when they exiled him to Patmos but later freed and went to modern-day Turkey and died as an old man. The apostles were willing to give their life for their faith in Jesus Christ because they were the witnesses of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.
I don’t know about you. I am more touched by the second group of sufferers, and their faith because through a long time of trials, sufferings, persecutions and torturing, they never gave up their faith and they persevered in their faith although all things were against them. Praise and Hallelujah to the LORD! I can imagine that they even praised and worshipped God in the midst of their severe trails, fears, tortures, and face to face death experiences.

Do you know, none of them are going to get the promise without us being there on that beautiful shore of heaven. They will be perfect on that day along with us. They will get glorified bodies in heaven along with us in heaven. What a gracious, loving and faithful God we serve!
Read what Hebrews 11:39 says, “These were all commended for their faith (both victorious and suffering groups), yet none of them received what had been promised since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

How is Jesus different from other religious leaders and so-called deities of the world?

“Just consider how great He was”. Hebrews 7:4 (a)

Do you know no other person is even comparable to Christ? He is so great and unique in Himself.

1. No other claims on the table like Jesus’s claims.

No one ever had an audacity and confidence to claim oneself as God like Jesus did! Just think about this one point. Jesus said in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.” When Jews heard this statements they picked up stones to stone Him because they understood Jesus claimed Himself as God. When He said ‘I and the Father are one”, what is he meant? He meant He and the Father are same in nature and essence. Jews didn’t like His claim. John 14:19 says Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? Jesus was answering the question of Phillip who said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” In other words, Phillip wanted to see God. Jesus was saying to him He and Father are the same. Those who have seen Jesus has seen the Father God. It is that simple. Do you want to see God, take a long look at Jesus. Read the Bible, especially the four Gospels in the Bible that describes the work of Christ. No other religious leaders including Muhammad, Buddha or Joseph Smith never claimed themselves as God or equal to God. Jesus is unique and standing alone on this claim.

2. No other religious leaders claimed they lived in the past eternity

No other religious leaders ever claimed they lived before in the past. John 8:48-59 describes a conversation between Jesus and the Jews. Jews asked Jesus, “Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself to be? Jesus answered, “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see My day. He saw it and was glad. So the Jews said to him, “you are not fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham? Jesus said to them, “Truly Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” In other words, Jesus was claiming He was in existence even before the days of Abraham. (Abraham was lived about two thousand years before). This shows the pre-existence of Christ in the eternity past. Bible declares this about Jesus, ” He is before all things, and in him, all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17)
All other religious leaders were just men who lived, got sick and died one day and never rose again. Their grave sites and closed tombs are still in this world to visit. None of them risen again from the dead proving victory over sin and death except Jesus Christ.

3. No other religious leaders claimed they are the truth and the life nor they claimed they are the only way to God.

No other religious leaders ever said they are the only one way, the truth and the life. Bible records what Jesus said in John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” All other religious leaders showed certain principles (like Buddha) or pointed to God (like Muhammed pointed to Allah. But the difference is Jesus said He is the way to God. He was not giving certain good principles or showing how you might be able to know God. He said He Himself is the only way to God. In other words, He stated He is the only one way (no other way to God the Father), He is the truth (means you will find the truth only in Jesus), and He is the life (means He is the source of life and source of real life can be found and enjoyed only in Him). Watch what Jesus said after this. He said, “no one comes to the Father but through Me.” In other words, you will never come to God the Father except through Jesus Christ. There is only one way to God the Father and that is Christ Jesus.

3. No other religious leaders claimed they never sinned or had no sin in them

No other religious leaders ever claimed or could ever claim that they never sinned, knew no sin or no sin inside them. But listen what the disciples of Jesus testified about Him. Peter said in 1 Peter 2:22 “He committed no sin and no deceit was found in his mouth.” Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” And finally 1 John 3:5 says, “He (Jesus) appeared so that He might take away our sins. And in Him is no sin.” Jesus was unique and great in every sense of the word. Jesus is the only one person who lived a perfect and sinless life. Jesus challenged the followers with this question, “Which one of you convicts Me of sin?” (John 8:45-47). Yes, Jesus is the only person who lived a sinless life and that is why He became the perfect savior of human beings and Bible says in Hebrews 7:25, “Therefore, He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him.”

4. No other religious leaders said they came to give their life as a ransom for people’s sins.

No other religious leaders ever said their life was given as a ransom for people’s sin. Listen what Jesus said about the purpose of His incarnation and life. He said and the Bible says this in Matthew 20:28, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus came to give His life as a ransom for the sins of the people. John the Baptist said by looking at Jesus in chapter 1:29, ““Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” No other religious leaders were testified by others like this unique testimony. The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world! Great testimony about Jesus.

 

5. No other religious leaders promised eternal life in heaven like Jesus did. No one else warned about hell like Jesus either because He doesn’t want you to go to there.

Jesus words and the Bible proves the fact that the eternal life in heaven is not based on your works. All other so-called religions are based on your good deeds and the people who adhere to their teachings are never sure if they would go to heaven. No assurance of heaven for them. It is just a matter of how many good things you did over the bad things. But Christ and the Bible give assurance of heaven if you call upon Jesus Christ in prayer for salvation. What Christ offers has nothing to do with your goodness or good works. It is everything to do with Christ and His offer of free salvation based on what He already accomplished for you on the cross- He paid all your debts, died, buried and risen again for your sins. Christianity is totally different from all other religions. In fact, Christianity is not a religion because religion is just a set of rules (do’s and don’ts) and it will never save you. Christianity is based on your personal trust and relationship on the only Savior (Jesus Christ) who accomplished what you cannot and will not do by yourself. He paid it all for you. Now you believe in Him and ask Him to save you. That is all you need to do. Bible is clear in its point that salvation and eternal life in heaven are not based on good works but we are saved and granted eternal life to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. Even our good works which are the result of God’s love and salvation are prepared by God in advance for us to do. In other words, good works are the fruits and results of God’s work in our life, a result of our salvation. Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Bible records what Jesus said in John 10:28, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand”. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” You see Jesus said in an authoritative voice, “I give them eternal life”. Who gives eternal life in heaven? Jesus Christ!
He said in John 3:16 how one can obtain eternal life in heaven. Listen his words very carefully. He said “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son (Christ), that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” These are the words of Jesus. Many Bible translations quoted the words of Jesus in red color to make sure you understand it came from Jesus’s mouth. It says “Whoever believes in Him (Jesus) shall not perish but have eternal life.” It doesn’t say whoever believes in Him and then do karma or good deeds have eternal life. Only one condition whoever put his or her belief and trust in Jesus Christ already was granted eternal life. The present tense verb ‘have’ means if you accept Christ as your savior (by accepting Him as your savior and asking Him to save you) you are granted eternal life immediately. And you have it now. It will not be taken away from you no matter what. The moment you accept Christ as your savior by confessing your sins and asking Him to save you, you are eternally secure. You will not perish which means you will not go to hell. Period! Think about it! This is the truth of the good news or Gospel. Jesus continued to say in John 3:17, God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him (Christ). Whoever believes in Him (Christ) is not condemned, but whoever does not believe in Him stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:17-18). If you believe Him and ask Him to forgive your sins and save you, you will never be condemned for your wrongdoings or sins. You are eternally saved and granted eternal life in heaven. That is the salvation you need and such is the savior you need for your salvation and assurance of eternal life. No other religious leaders or deities can or will give you this promise and assurance of your eternal security. Jesus has the authority and power to save you from your sins, bondages and finally from the horrible place called hell. Nothing else but the blood of Christ which was shed for your sake can save you and grant you eternal life. Today may be the day you will never forget and you can have the assurance and joy of salvation and eternal security and eternal life, if you pray with me to accept Christ as your savior. I will give an opportunity to do the same down below. Please don’t forget to do that.

6. All other religious leaders are mere men and they never exercised authority over nature, people, demons, Satan or death.

As I mentioned above all other religious leaders are one hundred percent men. None of them were God or claimed to be God. But Bible attests and claim Jesus was one hundred percent man and one hundred percent, God. Only such hypostatic union can grant salvation for people and deliver from their sins. Only such a union can declare war with the kingdom of darkness (kingdom of Satan) and rescue people from it and transfer them to God’s kingdom of love. How do I know Jesus was 100% man and 100% God? Read the four Gospels in the Bible. You will see how soon Jesus switches from His human nature to His God nature. He got hungry but He blessed five loaves and two fishes and fed five thousand men. Women and children are not included in the count. The total number would have been over ten thousand. But after all of them ate and satisfied, they gathered the leftover food and filled twelve baskets. Jesus wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus and then the very next moment He commanded Lazarus to come forth. Lazarus though He was dead for four days with stinking smell came back to life. Another time He was sleeping in a boat as he was traveling with the disciples. Due to great waves and storms boat was about to sink. When they wake Jesus up, He commanded to the waves and storms, ‘Be still’ and the waves and storms immediately stopped. A woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years and had spent all her money to physicians but never got healed came and touched the border of Jesus cloth with full faith that if she just touches the end of his cloth, she would get healed. Jesus was walking with a huge multitude but when she touched the border of His cloth with faith in Him she was instantly healed. (Luke 8:43-48). You will come across many incidents of Jesus miraculously healing sick people, delivering the demon possessed from their bondage. Jesus had control over nature, people, sickness, demons, Satan and death. He was one hundred percent God and when He came into this world to rescue you and me He had to take the form of a one hundred percent man as well to pay for our sins once and for all. Only a Man-God could pay and deliver us from our sins and reconcile us to the Holy God. That was His mission. He accomplished this mission fully and completely on the cross of Calvary by His death, burial and resurrection. Philippians 2:6-11 says He was God and He became a man, became a servant, humbled Himself and suffered death, even death on a cross to save you and me and reconcile us to God the Father.

7. No other religious leaders have an empty tomb showing they are not there in the tomb. But Jesus does.

Above all the resurrection of Jesus Christ sets Him apart from all other religious leaders or deities. Every other major religious leaders grave site can be visited by the followers. You can name these religious superheroes of the world one by one. But there is only one person who ever lived in this world claimed that He will rise again after 3 days of his crucifixion and indeed did as He said and His tomb is still empty. Scholars agree there are strong evidences of empty tomb. D.H. Daalen said, “It is extremely difficult to object to the empty tomb on historical grounds; those who deny it do so on the basis of theological or philosophical assumptions.” Pilate, the Roman ruler, gave orders for the grave to be made secure. He said place a guard; go, make the tomb as secure as you may know how. After the burial, they rolled a huge stone against the entrance of the tomb. A guard, a huge stone that apparently cannot be moved and thirdly the tomb was secured by the Roman seal. Matthew 27:66 says, “And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.” This seal is a sign that the tomb of Jesus was under the power, control, and authority of the then superpower of the world – the Roman Empire. If anyone breaks the seal of the Roman seal, he would be under the punishment of death. Why did they make the tomb secure this fashion? Because of Jesus’s prior claim several times that He would rise again after three days. They couldn’t make the tomb more secure than they did. A guard was placed to watch the tomb of Jesus in addition to Roman Seal and a huge stone was placed in front of the tomb. If the guard was a Roman guard then that means it was 16 men. Each man was responsible for their allotted sphere of space around the area of the tomb. A Roman guard could not sleep without being beaten, burned and killed when working as a guard. If slept not only he but also all the other 16 men would face the death penalty. Such is the severity of the job. Bible says on the third day when Mary and few other women, and then the scared and fearful disciples hearing the news about the resurrection of Christ came to the tomb, the big stone was already moved and Jesus rose from the death.

8. Who moved the big stone in front of the tomb of Jesus and what happened to the guards and Roman seal?

Who moved the huge stone? What happened to the Roman seal and what happened to the guard who was watching the tomb? Roman Government won’t move the stone or move the body because it was their decision as well to crucify Jesus. They won’t do it? The guards won’t do it because they would be acting against the Roman government and that means their death sentences. The disciples of Jesus won’t do it. Because their leader, Jesus, was crucified by the Jews and the Roman rulers and these poor disciples were so afraid. The Bible says in John 20:19 the disciples were together and afraid and their doors were locked because of their fear of the Jews. They couldn’t even go outside and walk freely. They won’t have the courage to go to the tomb where the Roman guards are watching the tomb.
The question is who moved the stone? How the tomb of Jesus became empty? Nobody can give an answer to this question, right? However, Bible gives the answer to this question in Matthew 28:2-8, “And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.”

Did you read the account above slowly and carefully? These are the order of things happened on the resurrection morning.

• A severe earthquake had occurred for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.
• The appearance of the angel was like lightning and his clothing as white as snow.
• The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men- In other words, they couldn’t do anything.
• The angel said to the women “do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He Has risen, Just as he said.
• Come, see the place where He was lying.
• Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead
• He (Jesus) going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him.
• They left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples

The truth is this – God raised Christ from the death because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him. Bible declares this in Acts 2:24, “But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” Peter boldly declared this truth in front of the Jews and other people and in that single preaching three thousand people believed and accepted Christ as their Savior. Once a fearful disciple, even in front of slave girl, the one who denied Jesus three times. Where did he get the boldness and courage to speak like this? What was the reason for the courage and boldness of all disciples? Because they were the first hand witnesses of Christ’s resurrection. If you read the book of Acts in the Bible, you will be amazed to discover the secret of how these afraid, scared disciples got boldness in preaching about Christ. Resurrection of Jesus Christ was the reason for their boldness.

As I mentioned above, no other comparable claims from any other so called religious leaders can be documented in the above fashion. The claims of Jesus and Bible are unique. God loves you and want to save you and bring you into fellowship with Him by cleansing you from all your sins, iniquities and transgressions. He loves you so much that He gave His only begotten son to die for your sake, for your sins on the cross. This is the good news of the Gospel. It doesn’t matter what background you are from. You may be poor, rich, unhealthy, sick, girl, boy, man, woman, professional, non professional. Or you are born in a Hindu family, Muslim family, Buddhist family, or you  are coming from another religious background. Bible is not asking you to change your religion. You see, the religion will  not save or get you ‘moksha’. You need to  know who Jesus is and what He has uniquely achieved for you and for your future. Simply you need the Savior who is powerful enough to save you and protect you here on this earth and  take you to heaven when you die. That savior is Lord Jesus Christ. You an come home to living God in and through Christ with a simple prayer. Will you pray after me?

“God, I come to you in prayer. I accept Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. I believe Jesus died, buried and risen from my sins. Please forgive  my sins and make me your child. Thank you for saving me. Amen”.

If you prayed this prayer, I declare with the authority of the Bible and the living God, you just now became a child of God. You are granted eternal life in heaven and all your sins – past, present and future are forgiven.  Please locate a Bible teaching and preaching church in your area and start attending to grow in the Lord and Bible. Kindly visit www.teachbible.org and go to contact/prayer  tab and send me a note. I will be thrilled to hear from you. Thank you.