Steps Of an Unknown Writer

Extra, Extra…read all about it!

Years ago, in any American city, on the street corner where people were rushing to work, stood a paperboy with a stack of newspapers with the latest headlines! And in order to sell newspapers, he had to shout out with all his voice sensational news stories that usually captured their attention. So here goes.

EXTRA, EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT IT! Jesus of Nazareth Ascended today to heaven!.

Real eyewitnesses saw the whole event with their own eyes, and one of his followers, Peter, reported the story. Read all about it right here! Extra, extra.

They say this man, flesh and bone, Jesus, who just forty days ago was resurrected from the grave with a new, glorified body, they claim, walked through a bolted door and was among them in the Upper Room in Jerusalem, just like that!. They say He had a meal with them and before disappearing, told them He would meet them up in Galilee.

They say He and his disciples walked from Galilee back to Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives…

And as they arrived there on the 40th day, a most incredible thing happened! And you are not going to believE this but this man Jesus, as they were talking and looking at Jesus, why, suddenly He was taken up in the air and out of their sight as He disappeared in the clouds! Read all about it right here! They say He ascended into Heaven and is sitting at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty, who made the heaven and the earth! Whats more, He promised His disciples that because He would ascend, He would send God, the Comfortor, the Holy Spirit to be with them always!

Read all about it how, as they were looking up and trying to see Jesus above the clouds in the sky, two men appeared in radiant white clothes, who, they say, were either two angels or Elijah and Moses? They asked them why they were looking up to heaven? This same Jesus, they said, who you see going up into Heaven wile in the same manner come back as you have seen Him go!

Now this is a most holy day that ought to be proclaimed throughout Christendom that Jesus ascended up into Heaven…and He has made it possible for one day our resurrection from the dead and the translation and catching up to the air with the resurrected saints who have slept in Christ all there centuries, all of us who believe in Jesus Christ the Messiah, who shed His blood and died for out sins, and that, are you ready, by this very act of love the world cannot understand, He, Jesus Christ forgives our sins and we have eternal life with Him forever!

Extra, get your story right here!

This is the celebration and remembrance of the day Jesus ascended into Heaven. It is a most holy day, a very special day of days for in it Jesus set the pattern for our resurrection Rapture and eternal life when, perhaps soon, we shall follow Him to Heaven, and we shall be like Him for we shall see him as He is, face to face!

So look up all you saints of His and be glad, and watch, for your redemption draws near!

Ascension Day, in the Year of our Lord, Thursday, May 21, 2020.

Let us bless the Lord God Almighty in Christ Jesus for what He has done for us.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen.

The road we walk, the hard, narrow road of life.

But how are we to walk this road set before us?

Well, one of the keys is found in Micah 6:8 where it is written:

“He has showed you, O man, what is good.

And what does the LORD require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

The Lord always shows us and reminds us.

For this is of God, and a good and right thing to do: that we act justly and be just.

That we love mercy and show mercy just as God is always  merciful.

And that in all that we are, to always be humble, and walk humbly before the Lord our God.

And this is done by love, because love comes from God, as God commands us to love Him and also our neighbors.

We pick the narrative up in Mark 12:28-31…

“And one of the scribes came and having heard them reasoning together and perceiving He had answered them well, asked Him which is the first commandment of all?

And Jesus answered him: “The first of all the commandments is: Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.  This is the first commandment.

And the second is like, namely this: thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self.  There is none other commandment greater than these.”

This is our life’s work…nothing is greater!

Right now, think about how much you love God.

In your heart.  In your soul.  In your mind.

And now make two fists and squeeze them as hard as you can in loving God with all your strength!

Help us Lord to love you more and more each and every day of our lives in every step we take on ‘The Road We Walk.’

When did our walk with the Lord begin? I don’t know the exact date for me, but I believe things were put in my way that influenced me, things like popular songs of the day, for example, the  lyrics got me to thinking, and though I might not have understood them then, I understand them now.

In 1963, the radios were alive as we listened to the hit song, “I Will Follow Him,” by Peggy March.  This song was later featured in the 1992 movie, “Sister Act,” with Whoppie Goldberg leading the church choir.

I’m sure we all remember that movie, right? How we were captivated and the music made our feet move to the rhythm?

Well, mine did and still do!

All of a sudden the words had meaning: they were singing about following Jesus on the road of life! Following Him everywhere no matter what!

So listen to the words and see if you agree:

“I love Him, I love Him, I love Him…

And where He goes I’ll follow, I’ll follow, I’ll follow…

 He’ll always be my true love,  my true love, my true love…

From now until forever, forever, forever…

I will follow Him, follow Him wherever He may go…

There isn’t an ocean too deep, a mountain so high it can keep, keep me away…

I must follow Him, ever since He touched my hand I knew…

That near Him I always must be, He is my destiny!”

Yes, we love Him, we love Him, we love Him, and we will follow Him for He is our destiny.

Then there was the pop hit song in 1969 by the Hollies called, “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,” also made popular by Neil Diamond in 1971.  Do you remember?

You know, we just don’t walk the hard, narrow road of life and do nothing, do we?

Aren’t we always helping in some way?

Well, for one thing, we help our brother; we help those who are less fortunate and those are hurting and those in need.  And if need be, we carry them.

So listen to the words of that song and think about our journey on the road we walk…

“The road is long, with many a winding turn, that leads to who knows where, who knows when?

But I’m strong, strong enough to carry him…

He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.

So on we go, his welfare is my concern, no burden is he to bear, we’ll get there…

For I know, he would not encumber me…

H ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.

And if I’m laden at all, I’m laden with sadness…

That everyone’s heart isn’t filled with gladness, of love for one another.

It’s a long, long road, from which there is no return…

While we’re on the way to there, why not share?

And the load doesn’t weigh me down at all…

He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.”

Somewhere along the way, in our minds (that precious gift from God called imagination) we have walked the road to Bethlehem to see the newborn baby Jesus lying in the manger in a cold stable…

And we walked the Emmaus Road and participated  In The Breaking of Bread with Jesus, and weren’t our hearts warmed?

Somewhere along the way we walked to Calvary where Christ was crucified  and died on the Cross.  Not even the Cross nor death could prevent us from following Him, for He is alive for evermore.

And sometime on our journey we walled the ‘Romans Road where we found that we are all sinners before God!  That Jesus died for our sins and that believing, our sins are forgiven and we have eternal life.

Yes, we have walked these roads many times in our minds as if we were really there…

And it is a long, hard road, but miraculous that He makes bearable!

For just up ahead is Jesus, our Lord and Savior who leads us, and guides us, and helps us and loves us and carries our burdens, and at the end, leads us home.

God’s blessings to you, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit…

Amen.

Let us pray:

Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, in whom we live, and move, and have our being: We humbly pray Thee so to guide and govern us by Thy Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget Thee, But may remember that we are ever walking in Thy sight through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

May God Bless you as we journey together in our walk with Christ.

just yesterday we celebrated Easter, a holy day of remembrance, and we saw in the Gospel the story about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and how He told Mary to go and tell the disciples to follow Him to Galilee…

It was all about the hard road they walked that led to Jesus!

My friends, what is the road you have taken?

What is the road you and I walk in our life on the journey set before us?

Isn’t it true that we have been walking the hard, narrow road of life?

And whether we sleep in Christ or are awake in Christ, one day (perhaps soon?) He shall come for us…He shall gather us together to Him, in the air, above the clouds, and then, as we meet Him there, we shall follow Him up to Heaven, and so shall we ever be with the Lord…so comfort one another with these words!

Why, that’s called the Rapture of the Church! Stay tuned!

But until that time, we are to walk humbly by faith with thoughts of Heaven and the things not seen…

Listen: “Sometimes the morning comes too soon. Sometimes the day can be too hard; we may falter in our steps, but never beyond His reach.

O, God, you are our God and we will ever praise You.  We will seek You in the morning, and learn to walk in Your ways, and step by step You lead us, and we will follow You all of our days.” 

Imagine we are walking on a road together…there are trees that line the road…a fence…there’s grass and sheep.  You are not following me and I am not following you; but we have taken up our cross and are following Jesus, the Good Shepherd…we don’t see Him yet, but we see the glow of His light…just up ahead, around the bend. And we hear a still, small voice telling us that this is the road that leads home.

Ever walk against the wind? Yeah, it’s a struggle!  It’s hard to get to your destination.

But walking with the wind is not a struggle.

That’s the same way with the Holy Spirit. Resisting Him is like walking against the wind!

But with Him in your life is like walking with the wind at your back- it carries you along the road of life.

You see, we have been walking this long, hard, narrow road for many years now with the Holy Spirit.

It has been full of danger and surprises, sadness and pain and suffering against hope and joy.

There have been many pot holes to avoid, and detours…lots of twists and turns, mountain highs and valley lows.  We have been lifted up to the high mountain, and brought down to the valley below…the highs and lows of life.

Sometimes we have fallen off the road, but somehow we have managed to get back on, as if someone or something got us back on our feet, dusted us off and gently guides us on the way.

And no matter what the elements throw our way in the storms of life, We are not alone! 

For He will never leave us or forsake us…never! Every step we take, the light of  Christ get a little brighter…

Nobody said it would be easy. BUT…

In John 16:33, Jesus said:

“In this world you will have much trouble, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.” 

And now we know we can overcome whatever life throws our way or whatever obstacles are set before us, FOR…

Psalm 23:

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake.”

Look up! Your redemption draws neigh! He has a plan for your life. So rejoice and be glad.

I don’t know about you, but when I go for a walk, I tend to do a lot of thinking.

In the road we walk, think about how much you are going to love the Lord’s appearing.  And think of the things not seen…the things of Heaven…the future and eternity.  That means one day we shall all be with God forever and ever.

Think of the promises of Jesus as we walk the path He has put us on.

And we know we can do all things and endure all things…Why?

Because I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me, that’s why.

Now there are two kinds roads in life: one is narrow, one is broad.

There’s one small gate to enter through, and one wide gate.

Most travel the broad road which is the way of the world; few travel the narrow road.

The broad road leads to destruction; the narrow road leads to life.

Jesus talked about this in Matthew 7:13-14:

“Enter through the 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 two life, and only a few find it.”

Well, I’ve got good news!  That small gate we entered through and that narrow road we’ve been walking all along is none other than Christ Jesus!  So we’ve been walking His road, His narrow, hard road all our life, and it will lead us home to Heaven.

Now if we wander, stray after the things of this world, well, we then we are walking backward for a time…in darkness…  away from the prize set before us!

But we are walking in the light, the light of Christ, which is always walking forward.

There is no darkness, and we have nothing to fear, do we?

For it is written in the 23rd Psalm:

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies. Thou anoint my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

What a heavenly comfort we have knowing Jesus is always with us. We ought to memorize this psalm and say it when we go to sleep at night and when we awake in the morning.

.

And now, May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be alway acceptable in Thy sight, O, Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Jesus said to His followers: Abide in Me.

To set the background of this message, let’s look first in John, chapter 14, where a disciple named Judas asked Jesus why, if He will manifest Himself to the disciples, why not to the world?

Jesus answered (verse 23):

“If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make Our abode with him.”

Abode means “home.”  And so, if we truly love Him and keep His words and hold tightly to them in our heart, soul and mind, He shall live in us!  And that’s what “Abide in Me and I in you” is all about.

Therefore, let’s look at John 15:4…Listen as the Lord speaks to your heart:

“Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can you, except you abide in Me. For I AM the Vine and you are the branches.”

So, what does it mean to abide in the Lord?

Some definitions:

Abide: to wait, to pause, to dwell, to remain.

I am at home with the Lord Jesus.

Fixed in some state or condition.

I am aware of my Lord Jesus…He is in my thoughts all day. I picture Him in my mind.

To watch for, to submit to.

I eagerly look for His return.

To endure, to wait.

I shall always be with my Lord and Savior.

To be still.

I have my special one- on- one quiet time with Jesus.

Many of these definitions apply to our sense of abiding in Christ. And now I add a new word: “Abidement.”

This is when we are loving, trusting and living with Him, looking to Him as Lord and Savior of our life, and believing without doubt. This gives us peace and joy and renewal.  But is there a ‘process’ we Christians should be aware of? I believe there is beginning in Matthew 22:37:

“Teacher, what is the great commandment in the law?  And He said unto him: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”

In the process of “Abidement” it could be further stated: “You shall abide in the Lord Jesus, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

Abiding in Him has its foundation within us, our all in all, our very being and future in the  great commandment spoken by Jesus.

But human nature says: “Leave me alone. I’m doing fine…I can do it by myself.

This seems to hold true, even for Christians, until we are at a point where we have no control of the problem: health, rejection, loneliness, loss of a loved one, an accident, the hospital, loss of a job, an operation, stress, addiction, any other life changing event, etc.

When we can’t help ourselves, we look to something or “someone” to help! And that someone is Christ! He is the One who will give us strength; He is the One who heals us, comforts us, listens to our crying and prayers, gives us peace, and never leaves us. He is the One who loves us unconditionally and gave His life for us that we might be forgiven our sins and have eternal life with Him.

For Jesus said:

“These things have I spoken unto you, that in Me, you may have peace.  In the world you have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33

Altough life brings us trials, Christ helps make the unbearable, bearable, if we abide in Him.

In a concentration camp in WW II, a pair of Jewish sisters were facing death.  But they continued their daily prayers and giving thanks to God for all things.

In the camp with its deplorable conditions, their room, clothing and bodies were infested with fleas.  Yet, they kept praying.  Unknown to them, God was working a miracle!  For the fleas were so great that the guards would not come in to take them to the gas chambers!  And so they survived because they trusted in God no matter what!  They abided in God.

Remember the story about Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who would not bow down and worship the golden image?  And how they were brought before king Nebuchadnezzar, and that if they didn’t worship the golden image, they would be thrown into the fire?

And they said to the king, “If it be so, God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and He will deliver us out of thy hand, O king.  But if not, we will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden image.”  

Talk about so great a faith, this is surely an example of abiding in God to the fullest, unwavering!

And the three lads were thrust into the fire…and when the king looked inside, he saw a fourth Person in there with them…One like the Son of God…and the fire did not hurt even a thread of their clothes!  And the three came out alive (Daniel 3:19-27).

In another passage of Scripture, Jesus tells us we will never be alone (John 14:15-16):

“For I will pray to the Father, and He shall give you the Comforter, that He may be with you forever.” 

How frail and miserable are we if we don’t abide in Christ!

The poem, “Footprints in the Sand,” by Margaret Powers illustrates our abiding in Jesus Christ and He in us. It goes like this:

As she dreamed walking with the Lord on a beach, scenes from her life flashed before her.  And as they walked, she noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, her’s and the Lord’s.

Then she asked why, during the lowest and saddest times of her life, there was only one set of footprints. She asked the Lord why during the most difficult times in her. life, He had left her?

It was then she heard this reply: My precious child, I love you and will never leave you.  For during the trials and testings when you saw only one set of footprints, it was then I carried you…

But must we be in the valley to abide in Him?  Can it not be a mountain top also?

That mountain high is the feeling of gladness knowing we abide in Him and He in us.

We live in a world of noise and distractions…can we allow some quiet time somewhere to hear the still, small √once of the One who loves us so dearly?

In the Mitford series by Jan Karon, Father Tim, an Episcopal priest in a small southern town, exhibits his daily communications with the Lord Jesus Christ. Everywhere he goes and anyone he sees he prays and gives thanks in all things through Him that loves us. You could often hear him quote I Thessalonians 5:16 to his parishioners:

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  

And this is truly abiding in Christ.

Jackie was an elderly woman who had recently lost her loved ones.  She lived alone and was very depressed.  She felt lost and empty as her health declined.

One day her Bible opened to Philippians 4:5 and as she looked, four words struck her with force: “The Lord is near.”

If so, thought Jackie, I should be more aware of it.  So Jackie made an effort everyday to use her God-given imagination and visualize how very present the Lord really is.

She prayed: “Help me, Lord Jesus to ever remind myself of the realty of your nearness. Come into my heart and abide with me.”

She invited the Lord to watch her that she might know what to pray for.  She set an extra plate at her table as she thanked the Lord for her food and all the many blessings of the day.  Gradually she was transformed and never felt alone. Jackie was learning how to abide in the presence of the Lord.

Picture in your mind you and Christ together in all things of your life…your companion wherever you go, whatever you do, whatever you think and whatever you say.   Do you think that would make a difference in your life?

Think: Jesus in your home; Jesus in your thoughts; Jesus in your speaking; Jesus in your praying; Jesus in all your acts; Jesus in your living; and Jesus in your dying. And when you do that, you abide in Him, and He in you.

Henry Lyte, a pastor in Devonshire, England in 1847 was in declining health, but still worked like an ox for his parish.  After finishing his final sermon, he served Holy Communion to his weeping flock and dismissed them.

That evening, as his life’s work drew to a close. he found comfort in John 15, Abide in Me. and I in you.

As the sun was setting, he walked to the beach and wrote a poem which we recognize as the hymn, “Abide With Me, ” from 1847.

The next day he left for France  and reaching Nice, had a seizure and passed away with the words Joy and Peace on his lips. His poem has become one of the most beloved hymns:

“Abide with me- fast falls the eventide! The darkness deepens- Lord, with me abide;

When other helpers fail and comforts flee, Help of the helpless, O, abide with me!

Swift to its close, ebbs out life’s little day; Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away;

Change and decay in all around I see, O Thou who changes not, abide with me.”

And the last verse is as one who breaths his last breath:

I put these verses in capital letters for effect…

“HOLD THOU THY  CROSS BEFORE MY CLOSING EYES;

SHINE THROUGH THE GLOOM AND POINT ME TO THE SKIES;

HEAVEN’S MORNING BREAKS AND EARTH’S VAIN SHADOWS FLEE;

IN LIFE, IN DEATH, O LORD, ABIDE WITH ME.”

May we ever abide in Him, and He in us!

Christ is calling: O my precious loved ones, ABIDE IN ME, AND I IN YOU, says the Lord and Savior, the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen.

Jesus promised…

And so, next Jesus promised to give us everything we need to make it through this world of troubled times, a world growing worse and worse…

In the Second Letter of Peter, we read:

“His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.”

And…

“Thus He has given us, through these things, His precious and very great PROMISES…”  

Advocate, faithful Friend, Forgiver of sins…and the means to always be forgiven…to live a righteous and godly life in Him…

Yes, these indeed are some of the promises of Jesus!

Do you remember way back in the Old Testament, in Jeremiah, chapter 29, where God promised the plans He has for our life? He said:

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.”

We make promises, don’t we? Yet how many times have we broken a promise? We don’t mean to, but life happens; things get in the way; we forget.

There was a man, who during his elementary school years had a mother who was sick with a heart ailment. One day he prayed to the Lord and asked that if the Lord God would make his mom better, he would become a missionary to Africa. Trouble was he didn’t like snakes and spiders and such, and despite his promise, his mother live to be 96, and he became a school teacher!

What are some of the promises you made but didn’t keep?

But guess what? God knows your heart and the plans He has for you. Nothing gets in the way of God; nothing can break the promises He has given us in Christ Jesus…nothing!

Paul said it best in the 8th chapter of Romans:

“For I an convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, WILL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.”

This is His promise: His love and His very being will always be with us no matter what!

For in Hebrews, chapter 13, it is written:

“Let your conversation be  without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for He has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you.”  

“So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man can do unto me.”

Jesus promised.

Now, what if I were to tell you some incredible, fantastic things that are going to take place in your life in the near future that are hardly talked about let alone believed in the Church, would you believe me?

Things unimaginable that Jesus promised to those who are His, those who believe and love Him?

That one day (perhaps soon?) He’s going to come for us and take us to Heaven to His Father’s house, so as to keep us from the wrath of God which is to come over all the earth?

That we will be with Him in Heaven in brand new immortal, glorified bodies like His?

Would you believe His promises? Would you?

Then let me shed some light with a little background  Scripture:

Let’s go back in time. The year is 33 A.D.  The place is the Upper Room in the city of Jerusalem of Judea, where Jesus and His disciples have gathered for the Passover.

In the Gospel According to John, in chapter 13, Jesus had just dropped a verbal bombshell in their midst, when He said to them that this very night, one of them would betray Him, and one would deny Him three times!

You can just picture the confusion  and uproar among them when they heard this!

But Jesus calmed them down and gave them (and us) His eternal promise…

For right there in John, chapter 14 was the very first time in all the history of the world that the “Rapture” is mentioned, because Jesus said:

“Let not your hearts be troubled.

You believe in God, believe also in Me.

In My Father’s house are many mansions. 

If it were not so I would have told you.

I Go To Prepare A Place For You; And If I Go To Prepare A Place For You,

I WILL COME AGAIN AND RECEIVE YOU UNTO MYSELF,

SO THAT WHERE I AM, THERE YOU MAY BE ALSO.”

Jesus Promised.

Furthermore, He said:

“You know the way to the place where I am going.

Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know the way?

Jesus answered, “I AM THE WAY AND THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE.  NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME.”

Jesus Promised. And Jesus keeps His promises, all His promises no matter what!

One day He will come to take us home.

In the sixth chapter of John, Jesus talked about eternal life. He said:

“I Am the Bread of Life.  Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and who ever believes in Me will never thirst.”

Everyone the Father gives to Jesus will be satisfied…He will keep us forever and never lose one!

“This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in Him may have eternal life; AND I WILL RAISE THEM UP ON THE LAST DAY.”

“NO ONE CAN COME TO ME UNLESS DRAWN BY THE FATHER WHO SENT ME; AND I WILL RAISE THAT PERSON UP ON THE LAST DAY.”

Jesus talks about the resurrection of believers and eternal life with Him…FOREVER!

He is the BREAD OF LIFE, the Bread that came down from Heaven.

Many did not want to hear it or believe it!  They were not interested in what Jesus Promised!

But we believe now, don’t we?

He said:

“I am the Bread of Life…this is the Bread that comes down from Heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.

Whoever eats of this Bread will live forever: and the Bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

Listen then to the words of two hymns that capture the essence of what has been said here.  First, “Blessed Assurance.” by Fanny Crosby:

“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. O what a foretaste of glory divine.

Heir of salvation, purchase of God.  Born of his Spirit, washed in His blood.”

Secondly, “Standing on the Promises,” by R. Kelso Carter:

“Standing on the promises of Christ my King, through eternal ages let His praises ring;

Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing, standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail, When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail, 

By the living Word of God I shall prevail, standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God my Savior,

Standing, standing, standing on the promises of God.”

May you believe and stand firm on the promises of God…

Jesus Promised.

May these be a blessed assurance for life and joy and peace in your life through Jesus Christ, the “Promise Keeper.”

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen.

And there had been prayer after prayer; and sermon after sermon about deliverance from the deadly, dreaded coronavirus plaguing our nation. And, after all was silent, one stood up in the midst of the congregation and boldly said:

In the dark, early morning hours of this day, I awoke from sleep to the sound of thunder and the crack of lightening and rain pelting the roof. Aa I peered out the window, all around as far as I could see was a brilliant light, lighting the darkness in intervals between great thunder and lightening from heaven. And I thought: was this the voice of Almighty God in Heaven, and was this majestic array of lightning a glimpse of His almighty power?

And then thoughts flooded my mind: was this indeed God speaking from heaven to command the virus to stop right there and go no further in this part of our state, our county, our town, and our home?

And was His powerful lightening His agent to sterilize and destroy this creature which was destroying His created ones?

With GOD, nothing is impossible. And I fell back to sleep.

It has been nearly 2000 years ago since our Lord Jesus walked the earth.  Think about it…today, 2020 I calculate 1, 987 years have passed since He died for us on the cross, was buried, rose from the grave on the third day, and then was taken up to Heaven in glory from where He will come again.  We know and believe all as the Holy Scriptures tell us, for the Holy Bible is the written Word of God to all mankind.  And those who will come to Christ and believe, BELIEVE with all your heart and soul and mind and strength and in asking forgiveness for your sins in true repentance in the blood of Jesus, why, your sins are forgiven and you have eternal life with Him.  Where He goes, you go; where He is there you will be also.  Picture Jesus in your mind and ponder this in the time you have, and think of the things unseen and the things of Heaven and eternity? That’s your next destination.

We know where Jesus is right now, don’t we? That’s right, He is in Heaven seated at the right hand of God, the Father.  There, He his our great High Priest who makes intercessions for us against “the railing accusations of Satan,” who calls you worthless. no good, and will never believe!

When Jesus was here the first time, His ministry lasted about three years…just three years! and look at all he did and said for the people as recorded in the Gospels.  All of the Old Testament prophecies about His First Advent were fulfilled to the letter!  And that was the year 33 A.D.

But what I want to talk to you about is what Jesus Promised?

In the Gospels of our Lord Jesus Christ, each writer, His disciples, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote different accounts of His life and promises from their specific point of view as guided by God, the Holy Spirit.  Jesus did much during His ministry where forgiveness and salvation where spoken of, and much of it was written, but not all!

The Apostle John summed it up best when he wrote at the conclusion of the Gospel According to John, chapter 21, where it is written:

“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.”

Can you imagine? I can’t.  But the things that were written included the ‘Promises of Jesus.’

Consider: I know I did my best work when I knew I had an advocate: someone who had my back; someone who believed in me; someone who was for me and spoke good of me, someone who believed in second chances and could help if I made a mistake! And someone who I could talk to-who would listen and get me back on my feet along the hard road of life.

Well, what about Someone who his far, far greater than any man?  Someone who loves you unconditionally, Who has your back every step of the way?  and even carry you.  That someone is Jesus and always was Jesus!  He was there when you were born!  He will be there when you die!  Without your knowing, He has been with you every step of the way!

He is God, the Son of God.  He has many names and titles too.  Yeshua-Jesus-Messiah-Christ.  Lord-Savior-Lamb of God.

He is Wonderful…our Counselor…the Almighty God…the Everlasting Father…the true and only Prince of Peace!  He is Lord of all, the Creator of all things who holds them  together by the power of His Word!  This is Jesus Christ your Advocate who will never forsake you!  And He has your back!

Think about how awesome and mind boggling that is!  That the very Creator and sustainer and planner and executer of all things, that in the very beginning, the One who created time and history, people, places and events, would even care for little old me and you!  But He does!

In 1 John, chapter 2, we read:

“If anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins…”

You see, dear friends, we are able to walk in light and not darkness, and have fellowship with one another, why?

Because in 1 John, chapter 1, it is written:

“The Blood of Jesus the Son cleanses us from all sin…”

For…

“He who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

“This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.”

The promise of Jesus.

The reality of always having an Advocate mighty to save, even in our lifetime here on earth is further stated by Jesus Himself in John, chapter 14:

“I have said these things to you while I am still with you. BUT THE ADVOCATE, THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHOM THE FATHER WILL SEND IN MY NAME, WILL TEACH YOU EVERYTHING, AND REMIND YOU OF ALL THAT I HAVE SAID TO YOU.”

This is the promise from Jesus Himself that God is our advocate-your advocate, my advocate, our advocate…today…tomorrow…always!

Don’t you see? The Advocate is God, the Holy Spirit.  He is in the world today, and He is in the heart of everyone who believes in Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, the Son of God…it is He who stirs our hearts of longing to attaining that something that is missing in our lives…and reminds us and helps us.

As we are forgiven our sins, and pray each day for forgiveness, even though they are already forgiven once and for all when Jesus went to the cross and died for the sins of the whole world, my sins and yours…and so we are to forgive others.

After Jesus taught them the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew, chapter six, He concluded with these words:

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

We are hung up with numbers even if we have really forgiven at all!  For example, “Well, that’s it! I have forgiven him six times already, but no more!

But what did our Lord Jesus say? The answer is found in Matthew, chapter 18:

“Then Peter came and said to Him, Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?  

Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.”‘

We are to forgive often and much, and not keep a record.

It’s me, Brother Monk. After I write I will roll it up, put it inside a bottle, seal it and throw it as far as I can out into the sea!

Today, in the year of our Lord+April 5th, 2020, we celebrate Palm Sunday Jesus Christ was proclaimed King as he rode on the back of a donkey through the streets of Jerusalem upon which were thrown ‘palm leaves.’ And it is this Sunday we proclaim as “Palm Sunday” in remembrance and celebration of the beginning day of that week that Christ went to the cross of crucifixion to die for the sins of the world!

Yet amidst this time of darkness and evil the innocent ‘Lamb of God’ the Light of the world overcame death and gave us forgiveness and eternal life with Him. Amidst this season of the deadly coronavirus that cast its ugly shadow and spreads darkness and death, there is light and hope, just like the glorious day the Lord God has given us today, so He will let this thing run its course and be no more.

He has given us the way to overcome. Faith in God has grown stronger; love of God has grown stronger; the Light shines brighter; and many thousands of people are coming to Christ Jesus as the Father draws them by the Holy Spirit.  Many of the. departed are now in heaven with God; sadly, many are not.

We will endure and be the stronger for it.

May God, the Almighty Father, Son, and Holy Spirit keep you in His care now and forevermore.

Amen

Song writer and singer, John Michael Talbot composed the following words of our Lord Jesus Christ reflecting forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Jesus Christ alone:

“I Am the Bread of Life, all who eat this Bread will never die…

I Am God’s love revealed, I Am broken that you might believe…

All who eat of this Heavenly Bread, all who drink this Cup of the Covenant…

You will live forever, for I will raise you up…

I Am the Bread of Life, all who eat this Bread will never die…

No one who comes to Me shall hunger again; no one who believes shall ever thirst…

All that the Father draws, shall come to Me, and I shall give them Bread…

I Am the Bread of Life, all who eat this Bread will never die…”

Now, my precious saints of God, believers in Jesus Christ, Savior and Lord, God, the Son of God, in the power of the Holy Spirit…

Take a piece of bread, bless it and give thanks, break off a small piece, take and eat, saying the prayer: the Body of Christ, the Bread of Heaven…Amen

In the same way, take a cup of red wine or grape juice. bless it and give thanks, drink it, and say the prayer: the Blood of Christ, the Cup of Salvation, keep us in eternal life…Amen

And then the prayer:

“Our blessing cup is a communion with the Blood of the Lamb…

What return shall I make to the Lord, for all the good He has done for me?

I will take  the cup of salvation, I will call upon the name of the Lord…

Our blessing cup is a communion with the Blood of the Lamb…

How precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His children…

Your servant am I, Your hand made son, and You have loosed my vows,..

Our blessing cup is a communion with the Blood of the Lamb…

I offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, I will call upon the name of the Lord..

My vows to the Lord I will fulfill in the presence of the people of our  God…

Our blessing cup is a communion with the Blood of the Lamb..,

Our blessing cup is a communion with the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, He is the Lamb of God…”

In the mystery of Holy Communion, believe and take in to your life, your very heart, soul and mind, again and again the Lord Jesus Christ, as your personal Lord and Savior, the Son of God, our Lord and God…

Take this in remembrance of what He did for us, and be thankful.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen.

Why should I be afraid? Why should I worry?

Yes, the coronavirus is striking every part of the world and will do what it will do! It has a time and a season to do it’s worst!

But, fear not and trust in the Lord God…the Lord and Savior of the whole world He created and sustains and holds together and controls. He is our Lord and God, the Son of God, the Father Almighty, creator of Heaven and earth…He is Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

He created everything and everything must answer to Him…He is greater than the microscopic organisms He created that were good, but sin and rebellion against the One True and Holy GOD, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit brings on plagues against all nature and mankind because they will not believe and be healed!

Listen, and be still…the Lord is near.  Put your trust in the Lord God, and Him only and you will survive all that confronts us.  Only Jesus is the answer! And He will surly give man the ability to work on a cure if only they will cry to the Lord and His great. great mercy…for nothing is too hard for the Lord Jesus, nothing is impossible…in Him we can overcome because He overcame the world, in him we have the victory because he conquered death and the grave…because He can cure all illnesses and diseases and plagues like those today!

But the world will not believe…but those who do, He gave them the power to become the children of God, and, like any good father, our Father in Heaven protects us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

For whosoever shall ca;; on the name of the Lord shall be saved! Saved from their sins, saved to life everlasting, saved from the ills and hurts and diseases and plagues and any virus such as flu or the COVID-19!

Jesus is the only answer.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen