Bound In Darkness

Darkness, just the sound of the word brings dread.
Darkness can mean without light, but it can also mean something evil.
We can be bound by many things!
Sin is sin, without regards to what type of sin it happens to be!
All sin is rebellion against a holy God!

Prison can just be a state of mind!
Prison can be the place where one resides!
How can we love those who are so deep in darkness?
How can we not?
Were you and I not deep in sin and darkness before God's mercy was poured out on us through the saving blood of Christ?
Are we more deserving of grace than another?
God is the judge of all who sin!
We are here, in the world, to bring the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone!!!
Lives will be changed through the power of the gospel!!

Former lives....
Ephesians 2:2
in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—

Colossians 3:7 
You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.

Prisoners....
Job 3:18
There the prisoners are at ease together; they hear not the voice of the taskmaster.

Ps.79:11
Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!

Ps.107:10-13
10 Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons,
11 for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
12 So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help.
13 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.

Is.42:7
to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.


Is.5:20
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

Yes Lord....
Is.61:1
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

Now is the time Church....
Matt.25:42-42
42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'

Christ.....
John 3:16-21
16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."


The might of the Lord....
Ephesians 6:10-20
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

We typically think that bound means being tied up with something. While that is true to some extent, you also can be bound emotionally, not literally tied up with bindings, but mentally frazzled because of deep wounds that have been inflicted on you. Thoughts come to my mind as I write this of stories told me from people who were abused as children, a time when they were at their most vulnerable, a time when they should have been protected by adults. This abuse often manifest itself in adults as mental issues, physical ailments from pain that can not be defined or withdrawal from people all together. I pray they would come to understand that by giving this abuse reign over their life, the abuser still controls them, that Christ is sovereign and has overcome all things and He alone will give you peace and victory. You are safe in Him and He will lead you! His word says"vengeance is mine, I will repay".

Romans 12:19
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

We Don't Need A Sign

We have God's convicting word, is that enough? Can you believe in someone that you have never seen?

Matt.16:4
An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.

We are the same today as the people of the OT. We want miracles so we can see that God is who He says He is! The better way is to prepare the way for God to show you who He is. You must read His Word. You must pray for help, humbly ask for a Savior to cleanse your sinful nature and create in you a new man, based on faith and God's power that He will do what He says! We are a perverse and hardened generation who thinks of self and to heck with everybody else! The more stuff we can get, the better. Never mind your neighbor being in distress, get more stuff. Never mind the sick person who could use your help, get more stuff.

We who follow Christ believe already because of God's Word.

John 20:29
Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

1  Peter 1:8 

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy

Matt.13:6

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear

Our testimony of faith....

1 John 5:11-12

11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Father, forgive foolish man. Teach us to look to You for answers, to rely on You for what is right and holy before You and to love one another as You first loved us. Amen

God-The All In All

Spirit....
Ex.35:31
and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship

Foolish man, you think you possess knowledge on your own!
God alone has given you knowledge, skill, brains and the gift of craftsmanship.
So when we see a gifted surgeon saving someone’s life, a scientific breakthrough achieved through a gifted scientist's research, a beautifully crafted piece of furniture, or well thought out invention, send praise to God for His marvelous deeds!
All God's creation is subject to Him!
We get a small glimpse of God's unfathomable knowledge when we see the human body and all it's magnificent, intricate parts!
There is no denying God when you look inside the body!
There is no denying God when you look at creation!
There is no denying God when you look at a newborn baby!
There is no denying God when you see someone delivered from the grip of a sinful life to a new life in Christ!

Truth....
Prov.2:6
For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Worship....
Romans 12:1

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

1 Corinthians 6:20 

you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body

1 Peter 2:5 

you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ

All in all....
Col.1:17

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

John 1:1 
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God

John 8:58 

"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"

Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven

Lord God, our all in all, we praise You! Amen

The Lost Soul

All men are lost. Lost is separated from God because of sin. You may be a prostitute, you can be a member of the Rotary Club, you can be a Catholic, a Baptist, a Pentecostal, a Methodist, a Muslim, a President, a Senator, a Sunday school teacher, a school teacher, a bank president, a business mogul, a poor person and so on and so forth. Lost is lost, with no respect to the person's lot in life. We are all born in sin, we all need a Savior, we all need Christ! You can not be saved by being good, doing the  right thing, or attending Church. You must be born again! You must come before Christ with a humble heart, asking for mercy, asking for His cleansing blood to wash you free from sin. You must have the knowledge that Christ alone will save you from hell! That knowledge comes from God's written Word, the bible. The bible is breathed out by God! The words will cut you to your core, showing you sinful man and the wickedness he does. And in contrast, the bible will intimately show you Christ in all His magnificence!

Luke 19:10
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

John 3:17
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

1 Tim.1:15
15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

You must make a choice, to seek God or chase the things of the world! Sin can be satisfying for awhile, during the party time, amidst all the rivalry, but then comes the alone time. You begin to question, is this all there is? You begin to feel all alone. You feel the need to party more often so you will not be alone. You are alive this very moment because God has a plan for you, an unique plan only for you. Don't you want to know what God has planned for you? Don't waste your life on things that will burn away. Trust in Christ, for He alone saves the lost!

Lord, we tell of Your goodness. We praise You for who You are. Your word says, we have not because we ask not. Lord, I am asking for the lost souls that You have promised. I am asking that as we teach, You bring in the harvest. Change lives so that they may change lives, in Your name! Amen

Jesus Wept

John 11:35
Jesus wept.

Luke 19:41
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it

John 11:33
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

The Son of God wept, He who has been given all authority wept.
We are made in God's image, we weep.
Created in God's image, not just the way His image appears but maybe something more, something deeper!
I am reminded of the argumentative conversation between God and Abraham about the destruction of Sodom.
Abraham asked God "shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?"
Abraham knew from the study of God's word and his relationship with God that God demands justice.
He was secure enough in that relationship to, in reverence, to intercede for the few righteous people of Sodom.

Genesis 18:22-33
22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33 And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

Gracious God, how marvelous are your deeds! I see You working in lives and know that You alone are sovereign God and hold the power to save  and change hearts. I see You placing people where they need to be carry out Your good will. You do these things so as there is no doubt that You have done it by Your power and might. You give courage when we think we have none, You give peace when we are about to come apart, You give unspeakable joy in the midst of heartache, You give us the need to love the unlovable and know that they just need love and care. Lord, as long as we have breath we will praise You, for You alone are worthy. Amen

Let God Reveal It

Let God reveal it, let grace remove it, let good replace it

Bitterness is always wrong! It does not matter what wrong has been done to you.

Justice....
God giving what we deserve
Grace....
God forgives
Mercy....
God not giving us what we deserve

Pursue peace, forgive one another. When there is a need to forgive someone, forgiveness benefits the person that has been wronged as well as the one who did wrong.

THE GERMINATION OF BITTERNESS

The seed of bitterness is a hurt.
The hurt may be intentional.
The hurt may be unintentional.
The hurt may be imagined.
The hurt may be God’s chastisement.

Hebrews 12:5-11
5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

The soil of bitterness is a heart that harbors hostility.

THE DEVASTATION OF BITTERNESS
Hebrews 12:15
15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled

The root of bitterness is underground and easy to hide.

Characteristics of a bitter person….
Very sensitive
Has little or no gratitude
Will harshly criticize or vainly flatter
Holds grudges
Mood swings

Hebrews 12:15
15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled

The fruit of bitterness....
It will affect you physically.
It will affect you emotionally.

Proverbs 15:17
17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.

It will affect you spiritually.

Hebrews 12:14
14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Bitterness has a chain reaction.
Ephesians 4:26
26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger
Ephesians 4:30-31
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
Bitterness….
Harboring hurt
Wrath….
Bitter and hurt smoldering
Anger….
Outward hurt
Clamor….
Loud speaking

James 3:6
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

Evil speaking….
Speak hateful
Malice….
Desiring to hurt someone


THE ERADICATION OF BITTERNESS

Let God reveal it.

Psalm 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

Jeremiah 17:9
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Let grace remove it.

Hebrews 12:15
15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled

Let good replace it.

Hebrews 12:14
14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Ephesians 2:8
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Col.3:13
13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.


Thanks to Adrian Rogers for this wonderful teaching!

Testimony Of Faith

I speak to you today with a true knowledge that God is sovereign over all!
I have been delivered from sin, it no longer has a hold on me.
No, I am not perfect but Christ promises one day I will truly be like Him.
Be aware as you stand for Christ, you will be persecuted.
Stand strong in your faith, God is able!

Persecution....
1 Peter 5:8

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

1 Peter 4:14 
If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you

Philippians 1:29 
For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him

Matt.5:11

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Order of holy things....

1 Corinthians 3:23 and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God 

God is able....

Romans 4:21 
being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

Through Christ....

Hebrews 7:25

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

Glorified....

Philippians 3:21
who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

1 Corinthians 12:27 

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

God's power....

1 Peter 2:5

you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Our living sacrifice....

Romans 12:1 

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.

God's people....

1 Corinthians 3:9 

For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.

Our song of praise....

Hebrews 13:15 

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name.

To completion....

1 Corinthians 15:28

When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

I have never been physically in prison, although I was in a prison of the worst sort, the bondage of a sinful life. I was deep in all that, that life entails, drinking, cussing, spiritual darkness, thinking only of myself, wanting and having the things of this world. I have been in church my whole life, but it was not until I went to a revival that God called to me with His invitation. An invitation that was bound by blood, through Christ, that covered over my sin for eternity. I don't deserve it but God, rich His mercy and forgiveness, offered, and I ran to the cross! I was a grown woman, with kids and a husband, but before that, my whole life, sitting in church, I did not really hear God's sweet gospel message. But God was preparing me to hear, really hear and understand that I could do nothing to bring about salvation. But, there was a Redeemer, who paid that price and gave freely as a gift to all who would receive that gift of eternal life. I am still a work in progress, God still is teaching, I am still learning but I am also teaching as God gives me His wisdom to share the gospel.

Lord, as I pray and teach today, let the power of Your Word reach those ears that have been deaf. Open their hearts to the all encompassing power that is You. Lord, thank You for Your mercy. Amen