Lord's Day Thoughts: Remembering Him

Lord Jesus! we remember

The travail of Thy soul,

When, through Thy love's deep pity,

The waves did o'er Thee roll;

Baptised in death's dark waters,

For us Thy blood was shed;

For us Thou (Lord of glory)

Wast numbered with the dead.

(Little Flock Hymns #149)

     When we look back, by faith, and see Jesus Christ, the Son of God, shedding His precious, sinless blood on Calvary's cross, and freely giving His life to pay the price for our sin, how can our hearts not be stirred with a mixture of joy and sorrow?

     Joy, because of the awesome display of dying love that was exhibited towards us, and sorrow, because this was necessary because of our own sin.

But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He (Jesus) humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Philippians 2:7,8

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

1 Peter 1:8

We think of all the darkness
Which round Thy spirit pressed,
Of all those waves and billows
Which rolled across Thy breast.
Oh, there Thy grace unbounded
And perfect love we see;
With joy and sorrow mingling,
We would remember Thee.

(Little Flock Hymns #245)

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Number Our Days!

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment..." 

Hebrews 9:27

"There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it. All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun...  Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.  Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God."

Ecclesiastes 8:8-9,11-13

     When it is our time to die, none of us have the power to prevent death. Those that have lived their lives in sin, and have not turned to Jesus, will not be spared or pardoned,  just because their natural lives in the flesh has come to an end. Whoever dies in their sins, will face the judgement of God. It will then be to late to repent and turn to Jesus for salvation. This is something we need to consider now, while we are able to make the decision! "For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured (helped) thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."  2 Corinthians 6:2.

     We see many people live very ungodly lives, and many times they are the ones most prosperous and successful, but be assured, they will not escape the wrath and judgement of God when their time comes to an end! Remember our time here on earth, even if we live to be an old age, is as nothing compared to spending all of eternity in either Heaven or Hell! 

    

"LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered--how fleeting my life is." 

Psalm 39:4 (NLT)

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."  

Psalm 90:12.

"Watch out! Don't let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don't let that day catch you unaware"

Luke 21:34 (NLT)

     If you have not received the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, please consider these words. He is reaching out to you right now with open arms, He loves you more than words can describe, He loves you so much He willingly suffered and died to pay the penalty for your sins! 

"For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved."

Romans 10:13

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The Good Shepherd That Died For Us

When blood from a victim must flow,

This Shepherd by pity was led

To stand between us and the foe,

And willingly died in our stead.

Our song,  then, for ever shall be

Of the Shepherd who gave Himself thus;

No subject's so glorious as He,

No theme so affecting to us.

From Bible truth Publishers

      Jesus said:

"I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep... I am the Good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep...  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." 

John 10:11,14-15,17-18.

     

     Because of a love that God the Father, and Jesus, His Son, had for us, which is greater than our human minds can ever understand, Jesus willingly came down to earth from Heaven, and shed His blood and died for our sins, to save us from an etenity in Hell.

     If you have not received this free gift of salvation, by believing in the finished work of Jesus Christ, if you are still dead in your sins and on your way to Hell, I beg of you, consider your latter end, turn from your sins, and run to the open arms of Jesus! He loves you and does not want you to perish!

"If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved... For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved." 

Romans 10:9,11-13.

     

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Christ, Our Passover Lamb!

                      

Paschal Lamb, by God appointed,

All our sins were on Thee laid;

By almighty love anointed,

Thou hast full atonement made.

All Thy people are forgiven

Through the virtue of Thy blood;

Opened is the gate of Heaven,

Peace is made for us with God.

From The Little Flock hymnbook

    When the children of Isreal were under bondage to the Egyptians in the land of Egypt, God told Moses that He was going to deliver the children of Isreal out of Egypt, and bring them into the promised land of Canaan. God hardened the heart of Pharoah, who was the King of Egypt at that time. Even after God smote the Egyptians with many terrible plagues, Pharoah would still not let the children of Isreal leave Egypt. Then, in Exodus chapter 12, we have the story of what God was going to do to the Egyptians next, so they would indeed let the children of Isreal go.

     Each family of the children of Isreal were told to offer up a lamb, without blemish, as a sacrifice to the Lord God on a certain night. Because on that one certain night, God was going to pass through the land of Egypt and kill the firstborn son of every Egyptian household. But the children of Isreal were told that after they killed the sacrificial lamb, they were to smear the blood from the lamb on the sides and the top of the doorframes of their homes, and when God passed through that night to execute judgement on the people of Egypt, He would pass over every home where He saw the blood, and they would be kept safe.

 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. 
Exodus 12:13,14.

     The paschal (or, passover) lamb that had to be sacrificed when the first Passover was initiated, was an illustration of the TRUE Passover Lamb that was going to come in the future! As we read above, the blood of a lamb, had to be shed, and applied to the door posts of the homes, for the family within to be spared from death.

      

     The paschal (or, passover) lamb that had to be sacrificed when the first Passover was initiated, was an illustration of the TRUE Passover Lamb that was going to come in the future! As scripture says, the blood of a lamb, had to be shed, and then applied to the door posts of the homes, for the family within to be spared from death. The death of Jesus was foretold in Isaiah chapter 53.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all... He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 

Isaiah 53:5-6,11.

     How this applies to us today is that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). This is speaking of eternal death in Hell. And, just as the children of Isreal, we can do nothing of ourselves to save us from this death. But God showed His love for us by sending His Son, Jesus, to shed His blood and die for us (Romans 5:8)!

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness). Hebrews 9:22.

     As the Passover lamb was sacrificed, and it's blood displayed on the door posts of the homes, Jesus, our Passover Lamb, was sacrificed, and His shed blood pays the sin debt that we could never pay on our own!

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 1 Peter 1:18,19.

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29.

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace. Ephesians 2:13,14.

                                             

     How can we apply the blood of our Passover Lamb to our lives today? By acknowledging to God that you are a guilty sinner in need of a Savior. That you want to turn (repent) from the life you have been living, and trust in the shed blood of Jesus as being the only way to cleanse you of your sin.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:9,13.

For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.

1 Corinthians 5:7.

                               

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The Foolish To Shame The Wise

    

     One of my favorite verses is Acts 4:13: "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men,  they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus."

     This verse is very encouraging to me. Peter and John were simple, ordinary men with no special training in the scriptures, yet it pleased the Lord to call them out and use them mightily to proclaim the gospel, and to help establish the early Christians in the faith, and their writings are a large part of the New Testament scriptures that we love and treasure today!

     Our measure of spiritual understanding, and our usefullness to Christ stems from our abiding in Him, and allowing His Holy Spirit to teach and instruct us. 

And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you... the Comfortor, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My Name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. John 14:16-17,26.

But the anointing (the pouring out of the Holy Spirit) which ye have received of Him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him. 1 John 2:27.

And they of the circumcision (the Jewish believers) which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 10:45.

    
     Dear brother and sister in Christ, do not think that if you haven't had seminary schooling, or if you are not an eloquent speaker, or are not considered wise and successful in the eyes of the world, take heart and be encouraged, because the Lord can use you mightily to bring glory to His Name!

For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

The Foolish to Shame the Wise

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31.

     

     Thank you for taking the time to read this. I pray it will be a blessing and encouragement to you. I invite you to scroll down and read some of the other posts as well.

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The Chief Cornerstone

Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner   stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded.

1 Peter 2:6.         

Here we have a firm foundation;

Here's the refuge of the lost;

Christ's the rock of our salvation-

His the Name of which we boast;

Lamb of God! For sinners wounded-

Sacrifice to cancel guilt;

None shall ever be confounded

Who on Thee their hope have built.

     Have you put your hope and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ? He alone is the solid rock to put your faith in. Our sins have separated us from God, but because of His great love for us, Jesus Christ, the Son of God,  came in to this world to suffer, shed His holy, precious, sinless blood, and die to pay the penalty for our sin. He was the sacrificial Lamb of God, and our only means of forgiveness and restoration to God. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6. 

     Jesus, the chief (chosen, honored) cornerstone, is a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence to those who refuse to believe. "Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on." Matthew 21:44. Do not be deceived into thinking there is some other way to gain favor with God. Trusting Jesus is the only way to receive forgiveness of your sins and to be made clean in the sight of God. All the good works that we might try to do can never wash away our sins. "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." Isaiah 64:6 (NIV).

     We are still in the day of grace, the free gift of salvation is still available to you, but none of us are guaranteed of tomorrow. Do not be deceived into thinking this life is all there is, our souls live forever, throughout eternity, our time in this world and in these bodies is next to nothing compared to all of eternity. HELL AND HEAVEN ARE REAL! God can and will forgive any sin, the shed blood of Jesus is sufficient to pay the price for all the sins of the world, the only sin that is unpardonable is the sin of unbelief in the finished work of Jesus on Calvary's cross when He died for YOU! 

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him. 

Hebrews 2:3.

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 

Acts 4:12.

            Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.  

      2 Corinthians 6:2.

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