THE GIFT OF LIVING WATER

PROCLAMATION

“Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.’  ‘Sir,’ the woman said … Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it himself …?’  Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’ ”  John 4:10-14 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, according to the Apostle John and written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Here, John records the conversation between Jesus, The Christ, and a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in the town of Sychar in Samaria. (John 4:1-26)  After He asked the woman for a drink, she questioned Him. (John 4:7-8)  Jesus replied to her that if she knew who He was, she would have asked Him for a drink, and He would have given her “living water.” (John 4:10)  Jesus makes it clear that He is not talking about the water in the well, but about spiritual living water which is linked to eternal life. (John 4:13-14)  When Jesus tells her about her life, her past five husbands and that she was living with a man whom she had not married, she wanted to change the subject and talk about religion. (John 4:16-19)  When Jesus told her that she did not know what she was worshiping, she replied that she knew that the Messiah was coming.  Then Jesus said, “I am He.” (John 4:25-26)  The woman left and brought the men in her life and many others to Jesus. (John 4:39-42)  The chapter ends with the second miracle of Jesus, the healing of the son of the nobleman in Capernaum. (John 4:46-54)  After his son was healed, the nobleman brought his whole family to Christ. (John 4:53)  Both the woman and the nobleman shared the living water.

 

APPLICATION

If we have the “living water” within us, it should spring forth and we would share it with others.  Many people will argue about religion, but they do not want to live it.  There are many people who worship regularly, but they do not know very much about that which they worship.  People all too often are quick to point out the faults and sins of others, but they want to change the subject when their own sins are uncovered.  You cannot come to Jesus, The Christ, hiding your sins and expect to receive eternal life.  We all must confess our sins, ask to be forgiven, and believe that He is who He says that He is. (Romans 10:9-10 and 1 John 1:9)  We must believe and have faith in Him.  Without faith it is impossible to please Him. (Hebrews 11:6)  Jesus responded to the nobleman’s faith when He healed his son.  We must have faith, confess our sins, and believe.  We must also humble ourselves, and pray, and seek His face, and turn from our sinful ways if we want Him to forgive us and to heal our current situation. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

 

REFORM YOUR WAYS AND LIVE

REFORM YOUR WAYS AND LIVE

PROCLAMATION

“This is what The Lord Almighty, The God of Israel, says: ‘Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place.’ ”  Jeremiah 7:3 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  Jeremiah was told to stand at the gates of the temple and proclaim this message. (Jeremiah 7:1-2)  All those who entered the temple, which was filled with idols, were told to reform their ways and actions.  If they reformed, then The Lord God would let them live. (Jeremiah 7:3-7)  Going into The Lord’s temple and worshiping idols in there was detestable to Him. (Jeremiah 7:10-11 and 7:17-20)  He told them that He brought them out of Egypt and gave them commands to obey but they did not pay attention to Him.  They did even more evil than their ancestors. (Jeremiah 7:21-26)  Because of their idol worship and burning their children as sacrifices, He was going to destroy them. (Jeremiah 7:30-33)

APPLICATION

Today we need to understand that just going to the temple regularly will not save us.  If we continue to practice the same sinful activities, then we are still lost.  If we continue to ignore His Holy Word and disobey His commands, then we will also incur His wrath.  However, if we change our behavior and deal with each other justly, then He will let us live. (Jeremiah 7:5-7 and 2 Chronicles 7:14)

WALK IN THE LORD'S WAY

PROCLAMATION

“This is what The Lord says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls…’”  Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  Because the Israelites had turned away from The Lord God and worshiped idols, He said that He would allow the Babylonians attack and destroy them. (Jeremiah 6:2-7)  He warned them to turn away from their sinful ways or He would turn away from them. (Jeremiah 6:8)  He encouraged them to seek out the right way, the good way, and to walk in it. (Jeremiah 6:16 and Matthew 7:13-14)  However, many of them did not listen to Him, and because they did not listen to Him or heed His words, He said that He would bring disaster upon them (Jeremiah 6:19) and both the young and the old would perish. (Jeremiah 6:21)

APPLICATION

We have a choice of which path we will take.  Many will choose the wide, well-travelled path which will ultimately lead to destruction.  However Jesus, The Christ, has taught us to choose the straight and narrow, less-travelled path, for it will lead to eternal life. (Matthew 7:13-14)  If we reject The Lord God, and The Word of God, we can expect that disaster will follow and we will spend eternity in hell. (Jeremiah 6:19, Revelation 20:12 and 20:15)

THE WATER I GIVE WILL BECOME A SPRING IN THEM

Proclamation:

“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’”  John 4:13-14 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the Apostle John under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this chapter, John records the conversation between Jesus, The Christ, and a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in the town of Sychar in Samaria. (John 4:1-26)  After He asked the woman for a drink, she questioned Him. (John 4:7-8)  Jesus replied to her that if she knew who He was, she would have asked Him and He would have given her “living water.” (John 4:10)  Here, Jesus makes it clear that He is not talking about the water in the well but about spiritual living water which is linked to eternal life.  When Jesus tells her about her life, her past five husbands and that she was living with a man whom she had not married, she wanted to change the subject and talk about religion. (John 4:16-19)  When Jesus told her that she did not know what she was worshiping, she replied that she knew that the Messiah was coming.  Then Jesus said, “I am He.” (John 4:25-26)  The woman left and brought the men in her life and many others to Jesus. (John 4:39-42)  The chapter ends with the second miracle of Jesus, the healing of the son of the nobleman in Capernaum. (John 4:46-54)  After his son was healed, the nobleman brought his whole family to Christ. (John 4:53)  Both of them shared the living water.

Application:

If we have the “living water” within us, it should spring forth and we should share it with others.  Many people will argue about religion but they do not want to live it.  There are many people who worship regularly but they do not know very much about that which they worship.  People all too often are quick to point out the sins of others but they want to change the subject when their own sins are uncovered.  You cannot come to Jesus, The Christ, hiding your sins and expect to receive eternal life.  We all must confess our sins, ask to be forgiven, and believe that He is who He says that He is. (Romans 10:9-10 and 1 John 1:9)  We must believe and have faith in Him.  Without faith it is impossible to please Him. (Hebrews 11:6)  Jesus responded to the nobleman’s faith when He healed his son.  We must have faith, and we must also turn from our sinful ways if we want Him to heal our situation. (2 Chronicles 7:14)  

STAND IN FEAR AND TREMBLING IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD

Proclamation:

“Tremble, earth, at the presence of The Lord, at the presence of The God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into a spring of water.”  Psalm 114:7-8 (NIV)

Explanation:

The name of the human author of this psalm is unknown, however, it is clear that it was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  This is one the “Hallelujah psalms” (Psalms 112 through 118) which was sung during the feasts of Israel.  This psalm recalls some of the events which occurred when Israel was led out of captivity in Egypt. (Psalm 114:1)  As they wandered through the wilderness, The Lord God provided water for them by causing water to come out of a rock. (Exodus 17:6)

Application:

The Lord God is omnipotent, all powerful.  We should hold Him in reverential awe and stand in fear and trembling in His presence.  He is able to provide for all of the needs of His people.  For all that He has done, is doing, and will do for us, we should be eternally grateful.  He is The Rock of our salvation.  All who drink of the living water which He provides will never again thirst. (John 4:14)

TEACH US TO SERIOUSLY MEDITATE ON THE SHORTNESS OF THIS LIFE

Proclamation:

“All our days pass away under Your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.  Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away…Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:9-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Moses.  This psalm is thought to be his prayer to The Lord God after the people of Israel had sinned in the wilderness.  Ten of the twelve spies that he sent to check out the promised land of Canaan returned with an evil report, and the people murmured and rebelled against Moses and that provoked The Lord God.  Before the flood, men lived hundreds of years, some to eight or nine hundred years.  After the flood men generally lived no more than 120 years. (Genesis 6:3)  After the forty years of wandering in the wilderness, men generally lived to seventy or eighty.  The prayer of Moses was that God would allow man to seriously consider the brief time to be spent on earth as compared to eternity, and then hopefully develop an appreciation for following The Lord and eternal salvation.

Application:

To the very young, seventy years seems like a very long time, but to the rest of us that is not so.  We can shorten or lengthen our life span by our behavior. (Exodus 20:12)  However, regardless of the number of years we live on earth, when we die, our soul will leave our body and spend eternity somewhere. (2 Corinthians 5:6-9)  It is because of our soul that we are alive. (Genesis 2:7)  From the dust of the earth were our bodies formed and when our soul leaves our bodies and returns to The Lord, our physical body will return to dust. (Ecclesiastes 12:7)  Our earthly life is brief but our souls are eternal.  In the end we will hear The Lord God say “Well done good and faithful servant …” and spend eternity with our Lord, (Matthew 25:21) or we will find that our name is not written in Book of Life and spend eternity in the lake of fire, tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10-15)  Pray for a heart of wisdom, for fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Psalm 111:10 and Proverbs 9:10)

WHO CAN WITHSTAND THE WRATH OF GOD

Proclamation:

“It is You alone who are to be feared.  Who can stand before You when You are angry?  From heaven You pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet; when You, God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land.”  Psalm 76:7-9 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of the psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Asaph, a Levite who was an outstanding musician in the days of King David, who was also appointed minister of music or choir leader.  This psalm depicts the awesome power and the wrath of God, and why He is to be feared.  He rose up, judged, and destroyed the Assyrian army to protect Jerusalem for King David’s sake from Sennacherib, King of Assyria. (Psalm 76:5)  The Angel of The Lord destroyed the entire Assyrian army in one night while they slept. (2 Kings 19:34-36 and Isaiah 37:35-37)

Application:

The fear of the wrath of God should be enough to cause all men to praise The Lord. (Psalm 76:10)  However, there will come a day when all mankind will recognize and respect Him for who He is, and everyone will bow down to Him. (Isaiah 45:23 and Romans 14:11)  Some of us will see Him as Lord and Savior and will blessed to be with Him in glory, while others will see Him as judge and will be condemned to spend eternity in the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:12-15)

LET US FOLLOW THE WISE COUNSEL OF THE LORD

Proclamation:

“Yet I am always with You; You hold me by my right hand.  You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory.”  Psalm 73:23-24 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of the psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Asaph, a Levite who was an outstanding musician in the days of King David who was also appointed minister of music, or choir leader, in the center of worship in Jerusalem.  Even though he had been tempted to sin because he envied the prosperity of the wicked (Psalm 73:3) and was angry with God for allowing them to prosper, (Psalm 73:21-22) The Lord God took him by the hand, like we would do a small child, gave him wise counsel and led him to the sanctuary.

Application:

After going through the temptations, trials, and tribulations of our journey in the wilderness of this world, if we would just follow the guidelines from The Word of God, The Lord will lead us to His sanctuary.  We need not concern ourselves with what others have or are doing, we just need to pray and do that which is right in the sight of The Lord.  Then, after this life is over and we have passed through death, He will receive us into His kingdom to enjoy everlasting joy in His presence for eternity.

GOD WILL REDEEM MY SOUL FROM THE POWER OF THE GRAVE

Proclamation:

“But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; He will surely take me to Himself.”  Psalm 49:15 (NIV)  The King James version of The Bible for this verse reads: “But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave; for He shall receive me.”

Explanation:

This psalm was written as a song, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, by an unknown human author for the sons of Korah to sing.  The unknown psalmist herein presents the vanity of trusting in riches, (Psalm 49:6 and 10) the insufficiency of wealth to purchase the redemption of the soul, (Psalm 49:7-8) and the certainty of physical death. (Psalm 49:10-14)  However, he expresses his hope and faith in The Lord God knowing that He will redeem his soul from death and take it to be with Him for eternity.

Application:

There is nothing wrong with money, or with having a lot of it.  The problem comes from a person putting their faith in their wealth. (Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, and Luke 18:25)  It is the love of money which is sinful. (1 Timothy 6:10)  Money cannot buy salvation or influence with The Lord. (Acts 8:18-20)  And, when we die, we cannot take our money or any of our possessions with us. (Ecclesiastes 5:15)  Our soul is eternal, and when we die it will leave our physical body and return to The Lord God who gave it to us and who will determine where our soul will spend eternity. (2 Corinthians 5:6-10)  As believers, we look forward to hearing Him say, well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord. (Matthew 25:21 and 23)

WHO WILL SPEND ETERNITY WITH THE LORD GOD

Proclamation:

“Who may ascend the mountain of The Lord?  Who may stand in His holy place?  The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.  They will receive blessing from The Lord and vindication from God their Savior.”  Psalm 24:3-5 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  Here David begins by stating that earth and everything in it belongs to The Lord.  He created it and it is His. (Psalm 24:1-2)  After stating that he asks the rhetorical question, who is the proper person to be an inhabitant of Zion, the dwelling place of The Lord God?  Then he goes on to answer the question by describing such a person.  One who has “clean hands” and “a pure heart” and has not worshiped idol gods or provided false witness against his fellow man.  This is the person who will receive this special blessing from The Lord.

Application:

The only people who are “worthy” of spending eternity with The Lord are those who are holy in their thoughts, motives, words, and deeds. (Psalm 26:6, Psalm 51:10, and Matthew 5:8)  Those who have been washed in the blood of Jesus, The Christ, believed in Him and accepted Him as their personal savior. (John 3:16 and Revelation 1:5)  This special blessing of eternal life with The Lord is not something that is earned or worked for, it is a gift from God. (Ephesians 1:4-6 and 2:8-9)  For this we should thank and praise God.

THE LORD GOD IS MY SHEPHERD PROVIDER AND PROTECTOR

Proclamation:

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me besides quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.  He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.”  Psalm 23:1-3 (NIV)

Explanation:

This psalm was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  During one of his distressing circumstances, David comforts himself by remembering that The Lord God is his shepherd.  God has provided for him, and lead and guided him.  He has no need to be afraid, regardless of his situation, because God is with him. (Psalm 23:4)  Even under the gravest of circumstances, The Lord God protects him, provides for him and blesses him abundantly. (Psalm 23:5)  He knows that he has God’s favor, God’s love, and God’s mercy, which he will continue to enjoy for the rest of his life.  He also knows that when his life on earth is over, he will spend eternity with The Lord God. (Psalm 23:6)

Application:

Like David, we are sheep and The Lord God is our shepherd.  He provides all that we need.  In Him we can enjoy peaceful rest and sleep.  He leads us to places which He has carved out where the water is calm because He knows that sheep are fearful creatures who will not drink from running waters.  After we wander away from His word and His way, He forgives us and restores our soul to His good graces.  If we would follow Him, He will lead, guide, and direct us along the right paths of life.  He protects us from all hurt, harm, and danger, during the storms of life and blesses us with much more than we deserve. (Psalm 23:4-5)  We should rejoice and praise His name for all that He has done, is doing, and will do for us.

PUT NOTHING IN LIFE BEFORE GOD

Proclamation:

“Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, 'Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?' ... Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow Me."  When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.  Then Jesus said to His disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven ... it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”  Matthew 19:16-26 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, as recorded by the Apostle Matthew under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Here Jesus answered the questions of a self-declared righteous young man who had asked Him what he must do to inherit eternal life.  When Jesus told him to keep the commandments, his reply was that he had kept the commandments since the days of his youth. (Matthew 19:20)  Then he asked what else he should do.  That was when Jesus told him to sell all that he had, give the proceeds to the poor, and follow Him.  He left Jesus sad because he valued his money and possession more than he valued Jesus.

Application:

Most rich people have more faith in their money than in God, and they value their possessions more than the things of God.  Nothing should be more important to us than God.  We should not put anything ahead of God. (Matthew 8:22 and Luke 9:60)  There is nothing wrong with have lots of money and possessions as long as the money and things are not more important to us than God is.  "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)  Jesus also said that everyone who gave up their worldly possessions to follow Him would receive a hundred times as much and they will inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:29)  Before we start asking God for more blessings, we should make sure that He is first, and the most important thing in our life.

ENJOY THIS LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY

Proclamation:

Jesus said "... I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."  John 10:10 (KJV)

Explanation:

These words of Jesus, The Christ, were recorded by the Apostle John, the disciple who referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved.  Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees, and to the crowd of Jews who had gathered around Him and His disciples.  The Pharisees were questioning Him after He gave sight to the man who was born blind but He did so on the Sabbath.  After He had told them that they were spiritually blind, He told them that He was the gate for the sheep.  He said that He was the gateway to salvation. (John 10:9)  Then Jesus said that He did not come to kill or destroy, He came that men might have life, and have it more abundantly.

Application:

Jesus, The Christ, is the only gateway, door, or entry way to salvation.  He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. (John 14:6)  No man can enter heaven or gain access to God, The Father, except through Him.  He came to earth to give us life, eternal life, not to kill and destroy.  The moment that we accept Christ as our personal savior, He gives us the gift of eternal life. (John 3:16 and Ephesians 2:8-9)  The more that we turn our lives over to The Holy Spirit of God, and follow His guidance and direction, the more fully we will enjoy this life. (1 Timothy 6:17)  As believers we will enjoy eternal life later on, and we will enjoy this life more abundantly the more obedient we are to His Word.

THE NARROW LESS TRAVELED DIFFICULT ROAD

Proclamation:

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words which were spoken by Jesus, The Christ, near the end of The Sermon on The Mount.  Jesus taught His disciples and the surrounding crowd that the wide and well traveled road that most people take is not the way to go because that road leads to bad outcomes.  The better choice is the narrow, less traveled, more difficult road which will lead to a better life. 

Application:

The easy way is often not the best way.  Following the crowd will usually lead you to trouble.  The popular choice, entering the wide gate, includes the worldly way of non-believers and many popular religions which teach self-righteousness and rituals not based upon biblical principals.  Following Jesus, entering the narrow gate, is often difficult because we must make choices that are unpopular and that go against our sinful nature.  The wide gate will eventually lead to eternal damnation in the lake of fire. (Revelation 19:20 and 20:15)  The narrow gate will lead to eternal life with Christ.  There are many false prophets and false teachers who will lead people astray. (Matthew 7:21-23)  Choose very carefully the road you take and who you will follow, your life on earth and in eternity will depend upon it.

WE ARE IN GOD'S HANDS

Proclamation:

"My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow me.  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." John 10:27-30 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, as He answered the Jews who had gathered around Him in the temple courtyard when they asked Him if He was The Messiah.   Jesus told them that they did not believe Him because they were not His followers. (John 10:25-26)  After He said that He and God, The Father, were one, they picked up stones in order to stone Him for claiming to be God.

Application:

There is safety for us by being in God and having God in us.  We may feel the ill wind as it blows past us, but we still have God's protection constantly.  Once we are in the hand of God we are protected and no one can take us out of His hand.  No matter what is happening in our life, once we are in God's hand, no real harm can come to us.  God’s permissive will may allow for us to be tested by the devil but no real harm will happen.  "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)  So when the storms of life are raging, don't worry, God's got us.

"YOU SHALL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE"

Proclamation:

"One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: 'Aren't You The Christ?  Save Yourself and us!'  But the other criminal rebuked him.  'Don't you fear God,' he said, 'since you are under the same sentence?  We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.  But this man has done nothing wrong.'  Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.'  Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise.' "  Luke 23:39-43 (NIV)

Explanation:

Under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God Luke, the physician and traveling companion of the Apostle Paul, recorded that there were two criminals who were crucified along with Jesus, The Christ. (Luke 23:32-33)  One of the criminals insulted Christ.  The second one rebuked the first one and spoke up for Christ and then he asked Jesus to remember him when He enters His kingdom.  Jesus told him that he would be with Him in paradise that day.  These words which Jesus spoke are considered to be the second of the last seven saying of Christ on the cross. 

Application:

On that fateful day there were three crosses on the hill called Golgotha.  The criminals on either side of Jesus responded completely differently to Him.  They have been described as representing the choices we have in responding to Christ.  When all was said and done symbolically, the cross in the center, upon which Jesus hung, represented salvation.  The cross on one side of Him represented rejection of Christ, and the cross on the other side of Him represented belief and acceptance.  The two crosses represent the choices which we all have with respect to what Jesus has to offer.  Either we will accept Him and receive salvation and eternal life, or we will reject Him and spend eternity in torment. (John 3:16 and 1 John 5:13)  We each have a decision to make, to either be with Christ or not, please choose wisely.

As We Sow So Shall We Reap

"Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please The Spirit, from The Spirit will reap eternal life."  Galatians 6:7-8 (NIV)

When he wrote to the believers in Galatia, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, the Apostle Paul told them that The Lord God is not to be played with.  He said that a man will receive the same thing as he gives out to others.  He who lives to please his sinful fleshly desires, will be destroyed by them.  However, he who lives to please The Holy Spirit of God which is within him, will receive eternal life.

God sees all that man does. (Job 34:21)  He can judge the heart of man and his intentions. (1 Samuel 16:7)  We need to understand that we will reap only if we sow.  He who does nothing, will receive nothing. (James 2:26)  We also need to understand that what we sow is what we will receive.  We will get back the same thing that we give out. (Matthew 7:17-18 and Luke 6:43-44)  We will reap more than the amount which we sow.  A seed will produce more than just one seed, it will produce a ten, twenty, forty, or a hundred fold increase.  That which we receive will be a multiple of that which we gave out. (Luke 6:38)  If we live to please our sinful flesh nature, we condemn ourselves. (Romans 8:1 and 8::4-5)

Enjoy This Life More Abundantly

Jesus said "... I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."  John 10:10 (KJV)

These words of Jesus, The Christ, were recorded by the Apostle John, the disciple who referred to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved.  Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees, and to the crowd of Jews who had gathered around Him and His disciples, after He had told them that He was the door.  He said that He was the door to salvation. (John 10:9)  Jesus said that He did not come to kill or destroy, He came that men might have life, and have it more abundantly.

Jesus, The Christ, is the only door to salvation.  He is The Way, The Truth, and The Life. (John 14:6)  He came to earth to give us life, eternal life, not to kill and destroy.  The moment that we accept  Christ as our personal savior, He gives us the gift of eternal life. (John 3:16 and Ephesians 2:8-9)  The more that we turn our lives over to The Holy Spirit, and follow His guidance and direction, the more fully we will enjoy this life. (1 Timothy 6:17)  We will enjoy eternal life later on, and we will enjoy this life more abundantly.

The Last Blessing In The Bible

"Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."  Revelation 22:14 (KJV)

This is the last blessing mentioned in The Holy Bible.  It was recorded by the Apostle John, the disciple who referred to himself five times as the disciple whom Jesus loved. (John 13:23, 19:26, 20:2, 21:7, and 21:20)  He was inspired and directed to write this by The Holy Spirit of God.  Blessed are all those who believe, confess their sins, obey His Word, and have been forgiven of their sins because they will have been washed and cleansed by the blood of The Lamb of God.  They will have eternal life and continual blessings because they will have been granted entrance into heaven.  

The Bible basically come to a close saying that believers, those who follow Jesus, The Christ, will be allowed to enter heaven and be blessed with eternal life.  The Lord God said the He was the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. (Revelation 22:13)  He will reward every man according to their works. (Revelation 22:12)

Death Is A Temporary Process Life Is Eternal

"So then, death is at work in us, but ... because we know that The One who raised The Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus ... Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day ... For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  2 Corinthians 4:12-18 (NIV)

This message was written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in The Church in Corinth to encourage them to keep the faith and not be led astray by false prophets. (2 Corinthians 4:13)  He told them that although they were dying a little each day, and would eventually see physical death, their spirit was being renewed each day, and it is eternal.

From the day that we are born we began to die.  It is just that, while we are young, we were growing at a faster rate than we were dying, so the net result was that we grew.  However, at some point in our life the rate at which we were dying exceeded the rate of growth and we began to notice that we were aging, decaying, wasting away, and slowing dying.  As Paul put it, "...death is at work in us..." from the very beginning.  But when the process is complete and death overtakes us, as believers we know that The God who raised up our Lord and Savior Jesus, The Christ, will also raise us up from the dead.  Christ said that, "he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." (John 11:25)  We know that when the body dies physically, the spirit returns to God, for when we are absent from the body, we are present with The Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)  We know that the dead in Christ shall rise, and they will meet The Lord God first. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)  Our spiritual selves will live throughout eternity. (Matthew 25:46, John 3:15, Romans 6:23, and 1 John 5:11)  Death and dying is a temporary process, but spiritual life is eternal.  In this we can find comfort at the death of a loved one.