Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Absalom

Absalom
Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a pillar for himself, which is in the King's Valley. For he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." He called the pillar after his own name. And to this day it is called Absalom's Monument.   2 Samuel 18:18

Now ...
It is important for each of us to take time to consider 2 things NOW. Each unit of time, whether a moment, an hour, a morning, an afternoon an evening, a night or a season in your life represents a piece of your life which when past can never be retrieved. It may also be the last unit of your time on earth! Therefore you need to wisely and carefully live this precious NOW!!
NOW is WON if it is lived for JESUS!!

In his lifetime...
The direction you set for your life and what you do in this lifetime will not only determine your eternal destiny but also the remembrance that you will leave of yourself on this earth.

As someone said, " There is only one life, and it will soon be past: Only what is done for JESUS will last!"


had taken and set up a pillar for himself...
If you are busy setting up a pillar for yourself, it will not benefit you nor anyone else in this life or in eternity.

The pillar you should set up for yourself is:

P - Prayer   
I - Intimacy with GOD   
L - Learning   
L - Leading   
A - Altar of sacrificial living   
R - Resting in GOD


which is in the King's Valley...
Even if you are a King's Kid, your life will be one of defeat.

For he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance."...
If you have not imparted of yourself to anyone, your life has been unprofitable.

He called the pillar after his own name...
Your name will disappear as a vapour.

And to this day it is called Absalom's Monument...
You will only be remembered for your self-centred life!

Absalom


Now in all Israel there was no one who was praised as much as Absalom for his good looks. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. And when he cut the hair of his head--at the end of every year he cut it because it was heavy on him--when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to the king's standard.  2 Samuel 14:25-26

After this it happened that Absalom provided himself with chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

And so it was, whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand and take him and kiss him. In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. 2 Samuel 15:1,5-6

And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, but did not see the king's face. 2 Samuel 14:28

As the people of Israel praised Absalom for his good looks, he became self-centred, puffed up and self-seeking. He conspired against his own father, King David, to turn the hearts of the people to himself. As he was so consumed with his own motive, not only did he lose his relationship with his father, but worked and fought against him!

To Absalom were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a woman of beautiful appearance.  2 Samuel 14:27

The remembrance of Absalom is his outward beauty which was passed on to his daughter. Although 3 sons were born to him, he said  "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." He probably lost his 3 sons.

Then Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule. The mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth tree, and his head caught in the terebinth; so he was left hanging between heaven and earth. And the mule which was under him went on.  2 Samuel 18:9
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),  Galatians 3:13

Here we see the handsome body of Absalom, carefully maintained without blemish, while battling against his father, hanging on a tree. Centuries later, not far from here, we see another body hanging on a tree - the body of JESUS CHRIST, whipped, bruised, torn and pricked beyond recognition. He had no form or comeliness and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. The former instance is the consequence of sin and selfishness leading to the curse. The latter is when all the curse in the earth is taken on by the Perfect, Selfless Saviour, releasing the Blessing of salvation to all mankind.

Then Joab said, "I cannot linger with you." And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom's heart, while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree. And ten young men who bore Joab's armor surrounded Absalom, and struck and killed him. So Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel. For Joab held back the people. And they took Absalom and cast him into a large pit in the woods, and laid a very large heap of stones over him. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his tent.  2 Samuel 18:14-17  

And they made His grave with the wicked-- But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.  Isaiah 53:9  

The resting place of the body of the handsome prince was a pit in the woods! Although the Prince Of Peace did not even own a tomb, His body was laid by Joseph, in his own tomb in a garden!

GOD'S memorial


Exodus 3:14-15
14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.' "
15 Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.'

Proverbs 18:10
10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.

What will be your memorial?


Proverbs 31:30
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

Genesis 24:60
60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her: "Our sister, may you become The mother of thousands of ten thousands; And may your descendants possess The gates of those who hate them."

Deuteronomy 4:9
9 "Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren,

Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

We All Need GOD!

We All Need GOD!


So bad, very sad
 Such a cad, wrongly clad,
   Poor dad, Mum mad,
     Spoilt lad, off a tad,

We’d all be drowned in Noah’s flood,
Unless, yes, unless we’re washed in JESUS’ Blood,
So let’s all pray and plead the Blood,
The Precious, Powerful, Cleansing Blood,

That is the solution,
To clear the pollution.

JESUS came to save, not to condemn,
 Let’s also save and not condemn,
   We can’t fight FOR GOD; HE IS GOD!
     WE fight FOR people; They need GOD!
             
                   WE ALL NEED GOD!!

Sunday, March 27, 2016

The CROSS - 7

The CROSS - 7


The cross of CHRIST leaves me with nothing to boast  -
Circumcision, good works, preaching the Gospel with words of wisdom, keeping the law etc..

What is your reaction to the message of the cross?
Does it cause you shame?
Is it making you stumble?
Does it sound foolish?
Are you offended and angry?
It would be wise to check your own heart and change your attitude.
It is the only way to your salvation.

O LORD, open my eyes to see the unimaginable magnificence of the old rugged, ugly, cruel cross of my Saviour.
When my mind starts to comprehend the glory of the cross of CHRIST,
The making of the glorious crown of life for my head will also start!

NO CROSS
NO CROWN

What did the LORD JESUS do on the cross for me?

  1. The punishment of GOD that I had to bear for my sin, He took upon Himself.

  • The crown of thorns for my sinful thoughts.
  • The nails on the hands for my sinful works and for the omission of good works
  • The nails on the feet for the wrong path I walk and the right path I refuse to walk.
  • The humiliation for my  pride.
  • Died to give me eternal life through the sacrificial shedding of His blood.
  • The vertical beam reminds me that He bridged the gap between me and GOD.
  • The horizontal beam reminds me that the walls of separation have broken, connecting me with all of mankind in love.
  • He set the example for me to follow - To live selflessly in Him for others.
  • The inscription on that cross tells me that the Man called JESUS of Nazareth is the eternal KING of kings and LORD of lords!
  • If I serve Him, I will reign with Him eternally!

The CROSS - 6

The CROSS - 6

And when they had come to the place called Calvary,
there they crucified Him,
and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.
Luke 23:33  


And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull,
which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha,
where they crucified Him,
and two others with Him,
one on either side, and Jesus in the center.
John 19:17-18

The criminals were crucified for their own sins. the LORD was crucified for their sins and for the sin of all mankind.
One repentant criminal had the revelation of the Saviour in the Man on the cross next to him and received eternal salvation.
The other criminal only sought to be saved from the cross.


knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him,
that the body of sin might be done away with,
that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
Romans 6:6  

"I have been crucified with Christ;
it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;
and the life which I now live in the flesh
I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:20  

Is Christ divided?
Was Paul crucified for you?
Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
1 Corinthians 1:13

Only the LORD JESUS was crucified for us.
Only the sinless Son of GOD could take the punishment of the sin of mankind by being crucified.

For I determined not to know anything among you
except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
1 Corinthians 2:2

For Christ did not send me to baptize,
but to preach the gospel,
not with wisdom of words,
lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:17-18  

When we preach the Gospel from the heart and not from the mind, then the message of the cross becomes effective.

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery,
the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,
which none of the rulers of this age knew;
for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
1 Corinthians 2:7-8  

For though He was crucified in weakness,
yet He lives by the power of God.
For we also are weak in Him,
but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.
2 Corinthians 13:4  

The CROSS - 5

The CROSS - 5


Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh
--who are called Uncircumcision
by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands
-- that at that time you were without Christ,
being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel
and strangers from the covenants of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world.
But now in Christ Jesus
you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one,
and has broken down the middle wall of separation,
having abolished in His flesh the enmity,
that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances,
so as to create in Himself one new man from the two,
thus making peace,
and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross,
thereby putting to death the enmity.
And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off
and to those who were near.
For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
Ephesians 2:11-18

The cross of the LORD reminds us that the middle wall of separation between Jew and gentile and all mankind has been broken down.  

For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping,
that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Philippians 3:18  

looking unto Jesus,
the author and finisher of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
"that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:14-15  

The cross is not the end but is the beginning and the end of our faith and is the path to victory, joy, glory and eternal life.

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree,
that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness
--by whose stripes you were healed.
1 Peter 2:24

The cross reminds me that even as the LORD took away my sins on His own body on the cross, I should die to sin and live for righteousness in Him.

Then Pilate said to Him,
"Are You not speaking to me?
Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?"
Jesus answered,
"You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin."
From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying,
"If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar's friend.
Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar."
When Pilate therefore heard that saying,
he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat
in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover,
and about the sixth hour.
And he said to the Jews,
"Behold your King!"
But they cried out, "Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!"
Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?"
The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!"
Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified.
So they took Jesus and led Him away.
John 19:10-16

Pilate said to them,
"What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"
They all said to him,
"Let Him be crucified!"
Matthew 27:22

So they cried out again,
"Crucify Him!"
Mark 15:13

"Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God,
you have taken by lawless hands,
have crucified, and put to death;
Acts 2:23  

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened,
and have tasted the heavenly gift,
and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance,
since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God,
and put Him to an open shame.
Hebrews 6:4-6
Once we have experienced the gift of salvation,  the power of the Holy Spirit and the revelation of the word, we should not fall away. If we do, we will be crucifying the LORD for ourselves and putting Him to shame. We should steadfastly follow the cross.
We should put to death the self in us and let the LORD live through us.