Bible Study Series: The Presence Of The Lord, Isaiah 41:10

 THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD

ISAIAH 41:10

INTRODUCTION

The Christian must conclude that God is real. Along with that conclusion

God is in control. Those two conclusions are easy when everything is

going your way. No problem praising God when I got a promotion. No

problem when the family is well. No problem when bills are paid. No

problem when I can go buy what I want.

Is it easy when you lose a job? Is it easy when problems show up that you

can't handle? Is it easy when tragedy strikes in my family?

Do you ever have any doubt about the God you serve? Where is my God

when I am in a storm? How do I explain my grief when a family member

dies unexpectedly?

If God is in control how do I explain the storms that start on the west coast

of the US and rage to the east coast, flooding homes and killing

scores of people in its path? How do I explain multiple storms in rapid

succession doing the same damage over and over again?

If God answers prayers, how do I explain my declining health? How do I

explain the pain in my body day and night that no pill, no doctor can

find relief? Why has God left me in this condition? If God answers prayers

there has got to be a reason He has not answered mind. What's wrong with me

that God neglects my prayers?

Has anybody ever been there?

If I am questioning God, there is doubt. If there is doubt. Am I saying God is not

good all the time? When storms show up in my life is He still in control?

James 1:6 says if you doubt, don’t expect anything from God. James leaves

no room for doubt. The Apostle James leaves only room for God's providence.

James leaves room for God's way of doing things.

When the Hebrew boys were facing death in the fiery furnace for defying the

king's orders. They said the God we serve can save us. Then they said if God doesn't save us, we will still serve Him (Daniel 3:16)

All we need to know is that God is in control of everything, and if He doesn’t

answer our prayers the way we want, He has a better plan.

Before I lost my mother, I prayed. Before I lost my father, I prayed. Before I

lost my first wife, I prayed. But God had a better plan. We must have faith that God

knows our situation and works in His time and His way to take care of us. God

is not on your schedule

Our text is what God said to the Israelites 100 years before they faced tough times. It

is what God said would happen if they continued to reject Him and serve idol gods.

It is a prophecy looking back from the future of what God would do for Israel after 70 years in Babylonian captivity

Jerusalem would be destroyed 100 years later and after 70 years of slavery

God would restore them. Slavery would happen because of the nation's disobedience and worship of the Idol God.

Isaiah 41:10-11

10 So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Did your mother ever tell you that she was going to punish you if you were

disobedient? She told you in advance, you did it anyway and she beat you

behind. That’s what God was doing for Israel in this text.

WARNING, THE DISOBEDIENCE, THE PUNISHMENT, YOUR WHY ME LORD

The God we serve knows what you are going to do before you do it and

knows what your punishment will be. But He loves you enough to restore you

to a right relationship with Him.

Can you look at the situation you are in NOW, then look back and see how disobedient,

how sinful you were in the past? Maybe God is punishing you for your past.

What God may be saying to you, I know you have been bad. I know you are trying to

do the right thing. But my plan for you is punishment to draw you to me, so

I can bless you. God’s got a job for you, but until you get foolishness out of your

system, He can’t use you

Isaiah 41:10

10 So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

1. I am with you Do not fear

I have not given you the spirit of fear, but power, love, and a sound mind

2 Timothy 1:7

God is saying I got this. Just hold on

Hold on means, don’t you try to fix the situation. Don’t make make

plans. God’s plan is better than yours.

You have to operate in faith that God is with you, for you and got your back.

So what should you do?

Keep doing the right things

Pray without ceasing

2. Do not be dismayed for I am your God

Dismayed means to be broken, stressed out, anxious

In other words, be at peace. Don't accept the situation

Don’t be blinded by the situation, where you can’t see God working

All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called

according to His purposes Romans 8:28

When God is on your side, He is more than the whole world against you

God sees the end from the beginning. You only see now.

.

3. I will strengthen you.

If God is on your side, why do you need to be strengthened?

Help my unbelief. I am dealing with some faith issues. I see the

situation, but I can't see the outcome.

I know what I am praying for. But I don't how it will work out.

I need the patience to wait on God’s timing

I need hope that surpasses all understanding.

I need the solid faith of a mustard seed

I need the resolve to stand on God’s Word

4. I will help you

God is your present Help

He is omnipresent. He is everywhere all the time

He loves you so much that you can’t get away from Him

God is omnipotent. He has all the power. Not some power, but all power.

There is nothing that you are going through that He is not ready to help

you with.

Our job is to call on God for everything. God is so aware of your present

conditions that He numbers the hairs on your head

Matthew 10:29-31

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows

There are millions of birds in the sky and none die without God’s knowledge.

You are God’s primary inhabitant of the world. You are the reason He made

the world. He didn’t need a world for Himself.

God took time to design you out of the dust of the earth. Everything else in God's creation was spoken into existence.

If God counts the hairs on my head, He certainly knows every care and need of mine.

God has an intimate relationship with you.

God is the wind underneath the birds in the sky. He is the power that wakes you

up in the morning. Why would an all-powerful God wake you up to let you fail?

God said, I will help you. That is a complete statement. There is no if, there is

no and. There is only His help. That being the case, we must not hesitate to ask

for His help. You cannot breathe the air He controls in the atmosphere without

His help. Has anybody ever seen AIR? It is here, it is everywhere. You look

at it, but you can’t see air.

You are looking at God, but you can’t see Him. You can see His glory

The evidence of God’s presence is what you see all around you.

God is here and everywhere around you. God is so close to you that He is

inside your mind, body, and soul. He indwells you. Before you hurt, God

knows the hurt.

I WILL HELP YOU, God said. Sometimes he helps to let you hurt so

you can call on Him. God will let the believer know He exists. He gives you

access to Himself for your help.

Sometimes God increases your hurt. Sometimes God prolongs your hurt.

WHY? So you want to take HIM for granted. I believe God gives you

different kinds of hurts to increase your testimony about Him.

I WILL HELP YOU GOD SAID.

5. I WILL UP HOLD YOU God said.

Not only will God help you, but He will keep you from falling.

What does that mean when I am in a storm? What does that mean

when everything you can see is going wrong?

It means He will carry you through the storm. People have survived

tornadoes and high winds because God was controlling the storm with

you in the midst of it.

Psalms 18:12-13

12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,

with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

13 The Lord thundered from heaven;

the voice of the Most High resounded.

God upholds you in the storm. He will help you rebuild what you lost

during the storm. Since you survived the storm, it's not time for gloom and doom,

it is Hallelujah time. It is Praise God time

Notice what God said; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

God has two hands. He got the left hand of wrath and the right hand of

grace. Notice He said; HIS RIGHTEOUS RIGHT HAND. Nothing but

your good come out of His right hand.

Well you ask, God why did you let this happen to me? Because His plan is

better than your plan

This Week"s Sunday School Lesson, "Our New Home, The New Heaven", Revelation 22

 REVELATION 22

Revelation 22:1-5

A SCENE FROM THE THRONE OF GOD

22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more nights. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever.

This describes our final eternal Home with Christ in the New Heaven. The old

heaven has passed away. All those who confessed Christ as Lord and Savior

have been resurrected and are placed in the presence of God forever.

God speaks to us through His Word, His prophets, angels, and through

the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. In Chapters 21 and 22 of Revelations, the

Lord uses His angel to remind John of what he had been taught and to reveal

to him new information about the new heaven.

While Jesus was on earth, He taught the Old Testament prophecies of the end

times and His return to receive all beliefs to Himself to reign in Heaven

with Him. The angel of the Lord reveals more details about the new Heaven

and the throne of God to John.

On my grandparent's land in the farms of Alabama in my adolescent years,

I witnessed streams of cold water gushing out from underground reservoirs that were crystal clear and producing new above-ground streams so pure that you see the bottom of the stream 10 to 15 feet deep.

The picture that John describes reminds me of summers on Grandpa's land where

trees bearing different kinds of fruits and wild blackberry vines were plentiful.

The land during the 1950s had no development other than farms. It was hard

work but there were beautiful quiet times. I was living in paradise and couldn’t

see it because my mind was focused on getting back to the city where all my

stuff was.

All things flow from God. John was given a picture of the source. The clear and

pure water flowing from the throne of God and trees planted by the rivers

bearing fruit all year long. The tree of life was planted on each side of the river.

I assume this is the same tree of life that was in the Garden of Eden

Our eternal life with Christ begins in His glory, with no sin, no pain, no

worries, and no tomorrow because every day will be eternity. There will not

be a Sun, because God will be our light. This indicates to me that the universe

as we know it today will not exist because the spirit of believers has returned

to the Lord from which they came.

Revelation 22:6-9

THE FINAL REVELATION OF HIS SECOND COMING

V:6 The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."

7 "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."

8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!"

The Apostle John, isolated on the Island of Patmos was given a vision of the throne of God in the end times. Meditation on the Word of God in quiet times is

important to communicate with the Lord. When there are no distractions is the

time to focus on the Lord.

We are blessed when we keep God's commands and look forward to hope for His

second coming. Notice every messenger of God, every preacher of God, every

teacher of God is just a servant of God. No minister or angel is to be worshiped.

We are not to bow down to anyone but God. We should respect all ministers

of God but never reverence them.

Revelation 22:10-13

THE FINAL REWARD OF THE LORD

V:10 Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. 11 Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."

12 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give it to every one according to what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

The Word of the Lord is true. You can expect to do exactly what He said

He will do. It is our job as believers to proclaim the truth. It is our job as believers

to spend time getting and understanding so that it can be part of our acting

thinking. We know Jesus is coming back to get His Church. But do we know

enough to excite people about the details of our heavenly home? Are we excited

enough to see it in a vision that John described? I can look outside and see a

tree, but can I look in my mind and see heaven and all God’s glory?

God has a reward in heaven for each believer based on His service on earth.

God knows our beginning and our end because He has always been there.

The time for Christ's return is now. It could be today, tomorrow someday

soon. our job is to be watchful and ready for our eternal union with Him'

Revelation 22:14-17

BLESSED IN THE KINGDOM BY JESUS

14 "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."

17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

We were chosen by the Lord Jesus, justified, and sanctified and our sins atone for

By Him. God’s grace flowed to every believer before the foundation of the World

(Ephesians 1:4).

By the mercy of our Lord and Savior, we have the right to the Tree of Life. God

gave us a get-out-of-jail-free card because of His divine love. God knew from

the beginning who would reject His love and who would accept. Those who

reject Jesus are unredeemed and doomed to eternity in hell. They will stay

in sin to the day of judgment. There will come a time soon when the opportunity

to repent is past and the door to the kingdom is closed. As in the days of Noah,

the door to the ark was closed and all left outside perished in the flood.

The time to come to Jesus is now. The free gift of eternal life has been extended

for all to accept or reject. The Word of God has been printed and preserved for

all mankind to taste and see. Man is without an excuse for God’s glory is

seen in what He has and still does.

Revelation 22:18-21

THE PROOF IS JESUS HIMSELF

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which is described in this book.

20 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.

Some claim that there is no God and everything came into being by a big BANG.

Some believe in evolution, that all mankind and every creature came into being

by a single-cell substance. The Bible, the Word of God, the Word of Jesus does

not support anything but the creation story in Genesis chapters one and two.

If there is no God, then there is no life after death. As believers of the Word of

God, we must believe the entire body of truth from Genesis to Revelation

without exception. According to Revelation if we add or take anything away

from the Bible we will suffer a curse.

Jesus. Our Lord and Savior is His own testimony. He needs no proof by

any other than Himself. He said He is coming again, we must believe

it by the measure of faith He has given us.

Rev. M. Mitchell

A Tribute To Mothers

 HOW DO YOU DEFINE A MOTHER?

A WOMAN WHO BEARS CHILDREN

ONE WHO RAISES CHILDREN TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS

ONE WHO DISCIPLINES WHEN NECESSARY, BUT HATES TO DO IT

BUT MORE THAN THAT

ONE WHO RISES EARLY AND GOES TO BED LATE

ONE WHO WORKS TIRELESSLY NEVER GETTING ENOUGH REST

ONE WHO PREPARES MEALS FOR THE FAMILY, BUT EATS LAST

BUT MORE THAN THAT

ONE WHO WASHES AND CLEANS BUT IS NEVER DONE

ONE WHO PLANS HER DAY AROUND THE CHILDREN

BUT THE PLANS ARE NEVER DONE FOR THERE IS ANOTHER DAY

BUT MORE THAN THAT

ONE WHO LOVES UNCONDITIONALLY BUT DOESN’T RECEIVE THE SAME

ONE WHO’S COMPASSION SEES A NEED BUT DOES MORE

ONE WHO FORGIVES BUT HER FORGIVENESS NEVER ENDS

BUT MORE THAN THAT

ONE WHO CONTINUES TO BE A MOTHER AFTER THE CHILDREN ARE GROWN

ONE WHO GIVES ADVICE NEVER LEAVING THE CHILDREN ALONG

ONE WHO IS HAPPY TO SEE THEM WHEN THEY COME HOME

BUT IT IS MORE THAN THAT

ONE WHO GOES SHOPPING WITH THE CHILDREN IN MIND

COMES HOME WITH CLOTHES BUT NOT FOR HER

CLOTHES SIT IN THE CLOSET AWAITING AN OVERNIGHT STAY

BUT IT IS MORE THAN THAT

PRAYS ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT FOR THE WELFARE OF THE FAMILY

FAMILY IS NEVER TO FAR AWAY FROM HER THOUGHTS

SHE WAITS BY THE PHONE AND GLAD WHEN THEY CALL

BUT IT IS MORE THAN THAT

HER LOVE IS SO WIDE AND SO BROAD FOR IT IS OF GOD

NEVER SAYS I TOLD YOU SO, BUT MY LOVE IT’S ALRIGHT

HER CONSOLING VOICE IS NEVER SILENT

BUT IT IS MORE THAN THAT

HER FAITH IN JESUS SEES EVERYTHING POSSIBLE

SHE TRAINS HER CHILDREN THAT ALL THINGS GOOD COME FROM GOD

SHE TELLS HER CHILDREN THAT EVEN WHEN THEY FAIL IT’S TRAINING

FOR TOMORROW

BUT IT’S MORE THAN THAT

WHEN ASKED SHE GIVES WISE COUNCIL

WHEN ASKED SHE SHOWS A BETTER WAY

SHE IS QUICK TO SAY TRUST GOD IN ALL THINGS

BUT IT’S MORE THAN THAT

HER MOTTO IS DO GOOD TO EVERYONE

LOOK FOR THE BEST IN EVERYTHING

TREAT OTHERS THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED

BUT IT’S MORE THAN THAT

SHE LIVES BY GOD’S GREATEST COMMANDS

LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL YOU HEART, MIND AND SOUL

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

MY LOVE, YOU ARE THE IDEAL MOTHER

BUT YOU ARE THAN THAT

YOU ARE THE LOVE OF MY LIFE, THE APPLE OF MY EYE

AND MY PIE IN THE SKY

WHILE YOU ARE MY WIFE, YOU MOTHER ME WITH YOUR LOVE

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

YOU ARE MUCH MORE THAN THAT

Bible Study Series: On My Way Home, Genesis 31:3

 ON MY WAY HOME

Genesis 31:3

Genesis 31:3

3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, "Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you."

NIV

INTRODUCTION

Whether you know it or not we are all on our way home. We are passing through

the earth to get to heaven. From the day Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden

God put into action a plan for us to get back into the right relationship with Him

YOUR LIFE IS A STORY IN GOD'S PLAN

This is the story of Jacob, the 3^rd in the patriarchs of Israel; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

The story is told from Genesis 26-32. Let me give a summary to get into the

lesson. Isaac and his wife Rebekah had twin sons, Esau and Jacob. Esau was

born first and Jacob was born holding on to the foot of Esau.

Esau was a hunter and married two Hittite women who were a source of grief

for Isaac and Rebekah. Jacob was a mamma's boy and stayed around the house.

Isaac favored Esau because he loved the food from the game he killed.

When Isaac was old, blind, and near death, the time came to bless the oldest son

with family inheritance. Since Esau was hairy and an outdoorsman Isaac knew

him by smell and touch. Rebekah instructed Jacob in a plan to deceive Isaac

that he was Esau. She dressed Jacob in Esau clothes and put goat hair on his

arms and neck.

Isaac being deceived blessed Jacob with the inheritance. When Esau came in from

the hunt and found out about the deception, he planned to kill Jacob after the death

of the father Isaac.

Rebekah with the consent of Isaac sent Jacob to her brother Laban some 400

miles away in Haran. There Jacob met Rachel and fell in love at first sight

at a watering well. Jacob made a deal with Laban to work for seven years for

Rachel. After seven years on his wedding night, Laban slipped Leah,

his older

daughter into the tent and the marriage was consummated with sex. Being deceived

Jacob worked another seven years for Rachel.

In the end, Jacob spent 20 years in Haran with Laban being deceived and cheated

out of his wages ten times. With Rachel and Leah came two maidens. Jacob

had sex with four women which resulted in 12 sons

ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES

Because Jacob deceived his father, he was deceived by his uncle and spent

20 years of unnecessary labor away from his home.

Isaac was a wealthy man in livestock and servants. Had Jacob stayed faithful to

the God he was trained to serve the inheritance would have come to him in some

way. Jacob was a willing participant in the deception of his father. While Jacob was obedient to his mother he lied to his father four times that he was Esau.

Before the deception Esau had earlier sold his inheritance to Jacob for a bowl of stew,

He despised his inheritance. I supposed Esau would rather hunt game than work

the herd of animals. The deception was unnecessary. Jacob could have gone to

Haran paid for the diary for Rachel. (Genesis 25:31-34)

YOUR FOOLISHNESS IS IN GOD’S PLAN.

God allows us to make foolish choices to grow us into the servants He wants.

Jacob grew from being a mamma's boy to a man of integrity. He had been trained to

love God and followed Him throughout his twenty years away from home. He

learned to trust God during the 20 years. He had an encounter with God on the

way to Haran who promised to look after him. Jacob made a covenant with God

to serve Him and give a tenth of his earnings (Jacob's Ladder 28:10-17 )

God was with Jacob throughout his 20 years of labor. No matter what you are

going through, God is with you. He did it for Jacob, He is doing it for you.

THE GOOD FROM HIS FOOLISHNESS

He learned to be responsible for the livestock of Laban and provide for

his family.

From the road of hard knocks, Jacob learned wisdom. He learned to recognize deception

and how to deal with his evil-minded uncle. Because God was with Jacob

he was a good steward and made his uncle rich.

He devised a method to increase his wealth under God’s guidance (Genesis 31:10)

Jacob made a deal with Laban that every non-spotted animal would belong to him. The spotted animals would belong to Jacob. He placed almond bark before the animals when

they mated thus increasing the spotted animals. At the end of the 20 years

Jacob was wealthy with livestock and servants.

From the four wives came 12 sons who became the 12 tribes of Israel

There was a competition between Rachel and Leah to see who give

Jacob the most son. The two maidens became wives to Jacob for

the purpose of conceiving more sons.

God used the evil-minded, cheating Laban to keep Jacob in Haran

for 20 years. The 20 years enabled Jacob to leave a wealthy man

THERE IS A TIME WHEN YOU NEED TO RETURN HOME

Everything has a season. For Jacob, there was a season to be trained

by his father and mother. There was a season to grow up and learn

responsibility. Sometimes real growth doesn't come until you are on

your own.

Then there was a season to take on the mission of

being the matriarch of the family.

Laban and his sons became hostile to Jacob because of his wealth. God

instructed Jacob to return home. God knows when we have learned our

lessons and the time to move to the next step in His plan. ( Genesis 31:3)

There is a time for you and me to quit straddling the fence and trust God.

It is easy to say you trust God, but difficult to put into practice.

Calling on God to do something and then worrying about it is not trust

Selective obedience to the Word of God is not trust. You cannot quote

scripture you agree with and ignore others that you don’t agree with.

Scripture is the Word of God whether you agree or not. You will never

trust God until you trust His Word. You will know the truth and truth

will set you free.

The time is now to be in God’s sanctuary at all times. Do you realize that

we are in the end times? Jesus could appear today. Are you ready?

He said He was coming back to take us Home to heaven.

THE COURAGE TO MOVE FORWARD

Listen to God and follow his directions. Haran was the home of Jacob’s wives and children. He had to decide to get out of a hostile bondage situation

with his uncle.

Jacob was observant of the change in circumstances which God confirmed

with a message, a command, and a promise of protection. Genesis 31:3

Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and relatives

and I will be with you.

God is saying that to us today!!!

RECOGNIZE AND DEAL WITH YOUR BAGGAGE

All of us have some baggage we carry. The baggage keeps us straddling the

fence. One foot with God and one foot in the world. One foot standing on faith

and one foot on the slippery slope of doubt.

Jacob may have been carrying the anger and disappointment of being deceived and cheated out of his wages by His uncle.

He was carrying the fear of retribution for his brother Esau

for what he had done to him (Genesis 32:7)

He may have been carrying the guilt of His deception of Isaac,

his father. He didn’t get the chance to be with his mother during her

grief. Nowhere do I find Jacob asking for forgiveness.

That excess baggage is mental if dwelled on can affect your physical health.

It can drain the joy out of your life.

We have to learn to trust God with our baggage

Don't take your baggage into your mission for God.

The Apostle Paul said this one thing I do

Philippians 3:13-14

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

It’s useless to hold on to the past. You cannot change it. The past can be a bondage

that keep you from the abundant life God intends.

WRESTLE WITH GOD FOR A BLESSING

What was the 20 years away from home for?

What was the deception by his uncle for?

What is your purpose me?

What do you want me to do next?

Lord, why has all this bad stuff happened to me?

On his way back home when he was along, Jacob wrestled with an angel

all night long and prevailed Genesis 32:22-26

The angel wanted to stop, but Jacob said not until you bless me.

Sometimes you and I need to wrestle with God in prayer until we get

an answer to our situation. Just because you don’t hear from God. Keep

on praying. Be ready to listen when He answers.

Like Jacob, you may limp to your new mission. An encounter with God ought to

bring about a change.

Jacob’s name was changed to Israel. This was a sign of his new mission

His 12 sons would become the 12 tribes of the nation of Israel that would

develop into slavery in Egypt. Jacob's job was to train His sons to love the Lord.

Jacob was given a new mission as the third patriarch of the nation of Israel

This promise was given first to his grandfather Abraham. Genesis 22:17,

75 to 100 years earlier.

The plan started in the Garden of Eden

Your life is a story in God’s Plan of Redemption. The plan for your life

started before the foundation of the earth (Ephesians 1:4).

THANK GOD FOR CHOOSING YOU

This Week's Sunday School Lesson,"Jesus Is Worthy", Revelation 5

 JESUS IS WORTHY

Revelations 5:1-14

The scene is in the throne room of God, just prior to the great tribulation

described in Daniel 12. The apostle John is given a revelation of

the Father holding a scroll with seven seals. Around the throne are four

beasts and 24 elders giving continuous praise to the Father.

The scroll the Father is holding in His right-hand peaks the interest of John

He is distressed because there is no one worthy to open the scroll.

Revelation 5:1-6:5

V:1. Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."

Notice, that the text gives us the genealogy of Jesus. He is from the tribe of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob and Leah. He is a descendant of David. Jesus the Second in the Holy Trinity

chose to be clothed in human flesh through the descendants of man starting with Abraham. He was born in a line of kings to be king of kings to humble Himself before

God and man to be our savior.

John elevated in the spirit, found himself in the company of a mighty angel, perhaps an

archangel who had the answer of the one qualified to open the scroll. The scroll has seven seals with writings on both sides. Seven is the number of completions. Some say the number has two sections. Four of the numbers represent the world. Three of the

numbers represent the Holy Trinity. If so the document contains what will happen to

the world during the Lord's final battle with the Anti-Christ.

It is a legal document that can only be opened by an authorized individual. There is no

one qualified in heaven, on earth, or under the earth. All the world has sinned. None is

pure in themselves. The qualified one is of eternal righteousness. The one qualified

is the writer of the document.

V:6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb.

Often my dreams, are mixed with sights I have seen and words I have heard along with things I have imagined but couldn't put into words. I know that God has a way of collecting my random thoughts and putting them together in a message He wants me to hear.

John saw a picture of the crucified Christ. I wonder If his mind was filled with thoughts

of the crucifixion of His Savior that he witnessed one Friday evening. I wonder If

the angel was bringing to John’s mind the words of Jesus that He would be raised on

the third day and come again to judge the living and the dead (John 14:1-3. Matthew

24, 1 Corinthians 15:52).

In his mind, John saw Jesus in the crucified state with nail holes in his hands and feet

and perhaps blood stains on His garment. He knew that one qualified to open the seals

was his Lord and Savior. He may have remembered Jesus saying that the Son Of Man has

the authority to forgive sin. On the Island of Patmos off the Aegean Sea by himself, he had time to reflect on his life with Jesus and all His teachings. He may have remembered

the teaching of the end times in Daniel chapter 12. Christ, the only sacrificial offering for the sin of man qualified Himself to open the seals.

The seven horns represent power and perfect might. Jesus is seen as a lamb in His

crucifixion, but Lion in His second coming.

Some think the seven spirits represent, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Wisdom, the spirit of understanding, the spirit of counsel, the spirit of knowledge, the spirit of fear

, and the spirit of might. The spirit of the Lord indwells every believer throughout the

universe.

The seven eyes represent His watchful providence of the church. He said I will

never leave you or forsake you.

The four living creatures and the 24 elders represent the worship of the Church.

Sunday morning is our scheduled time of worship. It ought to be all day every day.

V:8b Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song:

"You are worthy to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

because you were slain,

and with your blood, you purchased men for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation.

10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,

and they will reign on the earth."

The Lord commands us to worship Him with string instruments in song and praise.

The soul of John was filled with praise and worship (John 1). The burning of incense

was established in the Tabernacle designed by God in the desert for the nation of

Israel to worship Him. It was the job of the high priest. (Exodus 25:5-8) The High

priest was to ensure that his mind and thoughts were pure before entering the

Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle which represented the presence of God.

Every day is a new day with new mercies and grace from the Father. Because He

gives a fresh start each day, our hearts ought to be fresh with praise and worship.

It is sad for us to bring the worries of yesterday to a new day of God. Yesterday

is gone and today with take care of itself under the guidance of the Lord.

V:11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne the living creatures and the elders. 12 In a loud voice they sang:

"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength

and honor and glory and praise!"

Praise starts in heaven with God's angels whose number we can not count. And everything that has breath ought to start their day with praise and worship. We ought

to imagine each day of our lives with Christ worshipping Him around His throne. If

praise and worship are our hearts Satan's songs of doom and gloom can’t get in.

We ought to sing ourselves happy, knowing that the Lord has defeated the enemy and

given us victory over the world.

V:13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:

"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be praise and honor and glory and power,

forever and ever!"

14 The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell and worshiped.

We owe the Lord our praise and worship. The conduct and position of the angels

around the throne of God ought to be the holy example to follow. There should be

no dissension, disagreement, or reluctance in praise and worship. In unison, all

the angels worship the Lord. Jesus did not die for the sins of the angel. Those who

fell are condemned to hell. There is no redemption for them. But for us, who were

enemies of the cross, Christ sacrificed himself for our sins.

Each day is a day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

The four living creatures and the elders fell and worshiped the Lord.

They are an example for us to follow. We must remember the elders had gone

through hell on earth and survived. Their reward was praise and worship

around the throne of God. We ought to be looking forward to the second

coming of the Lord Jesus

JESUS IS WORTHY TO BE PRAISED

Rev. M. Mitchell