The Valley of the Shadow of Death

Ps.23
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 
3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. 

The dying are often surrounded by family and friends.
However, when you actually die, you seemingly go alone.
Although it appears you are alone at the moment you die, this psalm assures Christ followers that we are not alone.
Our great and wonderful comforter walks by our side.
He is there to lead us home!

Those who deny the sovereignty of Christ and are eternally separated from him and go to hell.

Luke 16:26
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.'

God made heaven and hell eternal!
The soul is eternal!

Is.55:8-9
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. 
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

Ps.103:8-14
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 
9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 
13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. 
14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

It Is Finished

Today my sweet brother died.
Hebrews 9:27
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
He had cancer but what really killed him was sin.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God created man in His own image.
His intent was for man to live in the garden with everything provided for him by God.
Ecc.3:11
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.

Sin entered through one man and went to all men.
Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned-

People often ask "how could God do this" when someone dies, or a tragedy occurs.
The simple truth is, we sinned against God!
We alone, brought the wrath of God on ourselves!
Romans 8:6
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

Romans 8:1-4
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

As I watched my brother die a little each day, I was very aware that sin has a cost!
What God meant for joy in His creation was marred by sin.

Satan is the author of lies, the tempter who entices man to rebel against holy God!
1 John 3:8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.
John 8:44
You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

God's beautiful creation dies and decays and his soul returns to his Maker.
Ecc. 12:7
and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

You will die, you are accountable before God, He will judge you and your soul will live for eternity in heaven or hell!
Romans 3:10-12
10 as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; 
11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."

God, who is rich in mercy, made an acceptable sacrifice through the blood of Christ for all who believe. Christ was wholly man and wholly God and by the power of God, He alone saves man from hell!
This last Sunday my pastor preached on weaving threads.
He told of how each little word or verse about Christ is used to weave the gospel message in the unbeliever's heart.
It is our command to preach the gospel and God alone will bring in the harvest of souls.
I pray that each and every one of you will listen to the gospel and be convicted by your sinful rebellion.

There is not one lust of this world that can compare with the hope and joy Christ brings to you when the burden of sin has been washed away from your soul.
Romans 8:22-25
22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.
23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?
25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

God is holy....
Is.43:15
I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King." 

Man rebelled....
Romans 3:12
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." 

We are separated from God....
Romans 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Just....
Prov.17:15
He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD.

We are dead....
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gracious God....
Titus 2:11
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,

Life in Christ....
1 John 3:5
You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

Christ death....
1 Peter 2:24
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Christ has risen....
Rev.1:18
and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

Turn from sin....
Mark 1:15
and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

Trust....
Romans 10:9
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Eternity
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Hell, a dreadful reality who deny Christ....
2 Thess.1:8-9
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

Heaven, a glorious reality for those trusting Christ....
Phil.3:20
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Lord, without repentance, there will no forgiveness. Open hearts to the good news of the gospel. Amen

Under Divine Grace

Grace - God's unmerited favor

Romans 6:14
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

Romans 6:22
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

Romans 7:6
But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

Romans 3:19
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

Romans 2:12
For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.

James 2:8-13
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well.
9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.
11 For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.
13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Romans 6:1-4
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Titus 2:11-15

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 
12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 
13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 
14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. 
15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. 

Ephesians 2:8-10

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Hebrews 13:6-9

6 So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" 

7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. 

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 

9 Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them.

2 Peter 3:18

18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

It's A Hard Thing

Why do bad things happen to good people?
Why does God let people suffer?
Why do people die way too young?
The root cause of all these things is sin!
God did not sin, man did.
God wanted a relationship with His creation.
We are made in His image.
Adam and Eve were put in a garden that could only be described as a paradise. They were given everything they would need to lead a life of pleasure and live forever. They were told certain things not to do but Satan tempted them and sin entered paradise and forever changed the course of all human life.
As I watch my brother dying, I am very aware of the cost of sin! It is responsible for taking away the life of my brother, who also is a husband, a father, a grandfather, a friend and a person who knows he is saved by grace through faith and will be reconciled to God through Christ! So when you ask these questions and want to place blame, you can be assured that through our rebellion, you and I are responsible! For man did indeed sin!

Where is God when everything falls apart? He is waiting for you to turn from sin and follow Christ!

Job 42:1-6

1 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
2 "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 
3 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 
4 'Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.' 
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; 
6 therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes." 

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