Animal Awareness Of And Obedience To GOD

Job 12:7-10, "But ask now the beasts of the field, and they shall teach thee...

"...and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: or speak to the earth and it shall teach thee...

"...and the fish of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these (animals) that the hand of GOD hath worked this? In Whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind."

Romans 8:21, "All creation anticipates the day when it will join GOD's children in glorious freedom from death and decay."

As previous quoted, "all living things have souls." It is man who has the spirit of GOD breathed into him. Unrepentant man's spirit is dead until he comes to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Let your spirit come alive in Christ Jesus, "Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)

Jesus Appears to the Disciples Including Thomas

John 20:24-31, "Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the LORD!' But he said to them, 'Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my fingers where the nails were and put my hand in His side, I will not believe it.' A week later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' Then He said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe!' 

"Thomas said to Him, 'My LORD and my GOD!' Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen (Me) and yet have believed.'
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book (Book of John). But these are written that you (we of today) may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of GOD, and that by believing you may have life in His Name."

Some miracles of Jesus.

 1. Jesus heals the blind. (Mark 8:25)

2. Jesus heals the lame man. (Matthew 21:14)

3. Jesus heals the leper. (Luke 5:12-13)

4. Jesus raises the girl, Tabitha, from the dead.

(Mark 5:35-42)

We too shall be raised from the dead at the last trumpet sound and receive our eternal bodies and be forevermore in eternity with our Awesome, Almighty, Creator, Savior, Holy Father GOD in the New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem! Hallelujah to His Holy Name! (I Corinthians 15:52-54) If you don't know the salvation of Jesus Christ, all you need do to receive Him is humble yourself as a lost sinner. Ask Him for His forgiveness of your sin and become your Savior. He will and His Holy Spirit will come into you confirming your eternal salvation! The glories He has in store for His chosen in salvation goes beyond our imagination! His glories are yet to be revealed to all who are saved in Christ Jesus!

Lion of the Tribe of Judah

Revelation 5:5, "Behold, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals."

Christ Jesus is the ONLY one worthy to open it.

Why is Jesus referred to as a Lion? Jesus is the King of kings and the LORD of lords. Let's look at the king of beasts.

Some time back, a story was shared of a lion caring for a baby deer (that is usually their food source.) The lion would treat the doe as it's own baby by not allowing any other lions to come near it. The baby was so young, it finally perished from lack of nourishment, but the lion protected it to the end and never harmed it.

Several stories have been documented over the years of this phenomenon.

The Bible teaches there is coming a time when Christ rules in His Millennial Reign, "The lion will lie down with the yearling." (Isaiah 11:6) 

     
"...and the lion will eat straw like the ox." (Isaiah 11:7) 

Even today (with great care) man can be at peace with a lion. 

But in the New Heaven and New Earth this will be the norm! "Let all creatures praise His Holy Name forever and ever." Psalm 145:21 

Jesus Suddenly Appears Behind Locked Doors

John 29:19-23 (Luke 24:36-43), "On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' After He said this, He showed them His hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the LORD. Again Jesus said, Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, I Am sending you.' And with that He breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.'"

Jesus appeared through locked doors! He was no longer bound by this universe's Laws of Thermal Dynamics. Appearing, disappearing, yet He was not a "ghost." He had Thomas to touch His hands where the nails were driven into them to hang Him upon the cross and see His pierced side. (John 20:25) More on this next week!

Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into the Disciples. The Holy Spirit did not come into the other believers and followers of Jesus until at Pentecost, "Suddenly a sound like a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit..." (Acts 2:2-4) Now, today when each person asks for Jesus' forgiveness, His Holy Spirit enters and verifies His salvation of them! His Word tells us in Hebrews 13:5, "GOD has said, 'I will never leave you, never will I forsake you.' " 

One day we too will have these imperishable bodies. (I Corinthians 15:52-58)

"In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, the trumpet will sound, the dead in Christ will be raised imperishable, and we (who are still alive) will be changed. For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O grave, is your sting?' The sting of death is sin...but thanks be to GOD! He gives us (eternal) victory through our LORD Jesus Christ!' (In the now) Know your labor is not in vain!"    One Day you will receive a new body. One that will live forevermore, never knowing sorrow, pain, sickness again; or one that will, with all these things plus more that we can't now comprehend. An agony that will forever withstand the punishment of sin in the eternal Lake of Fire where the Laws of Thermal Dynamics will never apply. How can anyone reject so great a salvation in Jesus Christ! Choose Life in Christ forever! Don't reject Him and be separated in an agony of punishment that He has already paid for you. But you must repent and receive Him to receive your eternal heavenly body. Do so now if you haven't already! And be ready to hear that Trumpet sound and be changed in the blink of an eye!

The Armies of Heaven Riding on White Horses

Revelation 19:11-16, "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war. His eyes were like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a Name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. 

"He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His Name is the Word of GOD.

"The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.

"He will rule them with an iron scepter. He tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of GOD Almighty. On His robe and His thigh He has this Name written: 

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

There is a coming time when Christ Jesus will return as the King of Kings and LORD of Lords! If you belong to His salvation you too will return with Him riding on a White Horse. Scriptures, as you have read, includes white horses, defying the "Laws of Gravity" for we will be returning in the air on them. GOD's created animals are going to be in heaven!!! As Psalm 145:21 says, "Let all CREATURES praise His Holy Name forever and ever!" Hallelujah!

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

John 20:10-18, "The disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 

They asked her, 'Woman, why are you crying?' She said, 'They have taken away my LORD and I don't know where they put Him.' 

At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize that it was Jesus. 'Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?' Thinking He was the gardener, she said, 'Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have put Him.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary.' She cried out, 'Rabboni!' (Which means Teacher.) Jesus said, 'Do not hold on to Me, for I have not returned to the Father. Go instead to My brothers. I Am going to return to My Father and your Father, to My GOD and your GOD.' 

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: 'I have seen the LORD!' And she told them that He had said these things to her."

The Bible teaches that Jesus was seen by Mary, the Disciples, and 500 other people. I Corinthians 15:6 says, "He (Jesus) appeared to more than 500 sisters and brothers at one time." The Bible is a historical record of this eye witness account of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ!  It amazes me that belief in the historical records of a country written by their countrymen are accepted, but so many don't want to accept these historical records of Almighty GOD's salvation for mankind! The Bible is written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit which every believer in Christ has. Those who reject Him do not have this gift from Almighty GOD! Satan influences their thinking to reject anything having to do with our Creator and Savior GOD. Rejection will be no excuse when each person created stands before Almighty GOD's judgment seat. Accept Christ as your Savior and have eternal life, reject Him and have eternal damnation. There are no other choices! There is no chance to change your mind after you die! For the Bible says of the unbelievers in Revelation 20:12-15, "the dead, great and small, standing before the Throne (of Christ), and the books were opened. Another Book was opened which was the Book of Life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead, death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them and EACH PERSON WAS JUDGED according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life, he/she was thrown into the Lake of Fire." Remember, death doesn't mean a going out of existence. Death is a separation. When a person "dies" in this world, they either are met by Christ if they are saved, or they are awaiting judgment in a place of holding that is a "preview" of what eternal punishment will be. Once the Great White Throne Judgment is made on each individual who rejected so great a salvation in Jesus Christ, he/she will spend eternity paying for their sin. Believers in Christ have been saved from this because Jesus paid our penalty upon the Cross. He has paid for yours too, but you have to claim His salvation in accepting that you are a sinner. Humble yourself, ask for His forgiveness and He will enter you by the Holy Spirit and you will never be apart of the Great White Throne Judgment! You will spend eternity with our Almighty, Awesome, Creator, Savior, Holy Father GOD! What He has in store for us, our finite minds cannot comprehend. But, one day our minds will be made infinite and we will see, experience, and participate forever in His glory! Hallelujah to His Name!

Sparrows and Swallows Around the Altar of GOD

Psalm 84:3-4, "Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young - a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my GOD. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising You!"

The LORD's creation is so amazing! His Word also shares in Matthew 10:29, "Yet not one sparrow will fall to the ground apart from the will of the Father."

GOD provides for His animal kingdom now and will in the hereafter. Psalm 145:21, "Let all creatures praise His Holy Name forever and ever!" That's eternity to me! If you don't know the salvation Jesus paid for you, come to His altar of grace and mercy professing your sins to Him and asking forgiveness of Him and He will give you eternal salvation! His Holy Spirit will enter and confirm to you your salvation! Allow Him to lead, guide, and direct your life, concerns, and choices. Know the peace He gives to you now and forevermore!

Jesus Rises From the Dead

John 20:1-9, "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus Loved, and said, 'They have taken the LORD out of the tomb and we don't know where they have put  him!' Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. They bent over and looked in the tomb.

They saw the strips of linen lying there, but they did not go in. Peter went into the tomb. He saw the linen strips lying there as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The other disciple went in, saw and believed. They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead."

We will see later as the Angel says, "He is not here, but has risen!"

He has risen indeed, for all who accept His death for their sins, they too will rise from the death on that day of Christ's Rapture of His Church, Hallelujah!

Sheep Know Their Shepherd

A flock of sheep will follow their shepherd. He leads them and they follow him. If he turns to the left, they will turn to the left. If he stops they will stop. 

Sheep trust their shepherd because he leads them to food and water. He protects them from the dangers around them.

The sheep knows his voice and will follow him and not those they are not familiar with.

Jesus said of His followers in John 10:27-30, "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 can 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." Those who have accepted Jesus' salvation (by Him taking our sins upon Himself while on the Cross) belong to Him and no one can take that away from us. Even in death we are transported to be in His very Presence forevermore!

While upon this present earth, we follow His teaching to become closer to His will for our lives. Jesus is spoken of many times as being the Shepherd of His flock, the Church.  By His Holy Spirit in us He leads, directs, and guides ours lives in what we think, do and say to be to His glory, honor, and praise. "It will be worth it all when we see Jesus!" You can know Him too! Humble your heart, ask Him to forgive you of your sins, and invite Him to come into your heart. HE WILL! 

"Jesus Loves you this I know, for the Bible tells me so." In the arms of Jesus we are protected, provided for, and His promises are true!