Sister Brenda Weds PM 4/27/11

Sister Brenda Weds PM 4/27/11

This story is of a young mother with three children, the oldest , Sarah, was five and had down syndrome.  Sarah stuttered bad and one morning she came out very proud of herself and said, “M-m-mom I-I d-d-dressed m-myself.”  Life had been hard for their family and there was financial stress as her husband was just about to be laid off.  It was evident that if he was they would lose their home.  Sarah had gotten herself dressed and was ready to go to bible school.  When her mother looked, she saw a mess, wool socks, plaid and polka-dots, two socks on one foot, and her shoes on backwards, yet she said, “You look beautiful!”  

The little girl had also packed her backpack: five Lego pieces, a box of paperclips, an undressed Cabbage Patch doll, 3 puzzle pieces, and a crib sheet from the linen closet.  The mother tried to tell her child to leave the backpack home, but she cried, “I n-n-need it!”  Since she was fervent that she needed her backpack, the mother let it be and took her on to vacation bible school.  She dropped her off with a smiling teacher and went on to take care of a few items of business.  

When she came back to pick up Sarah, she thought as she stood in the door and watched Sarah from a distance, “I sure do love her.”  God spoke to her heart, “That is exactly how I feel about you.  I love you; I’m concerned about your situation and what you are going through, and I love you.”  

God spoke to her then, “What is in your backpack?  It is like Sarah’s; it’s full of junk, fears and anxiety: Lego pieces.  Yet you think that you need to pack it.  Give me your backpack.”

What are you packing?  What’s on your back?  God’s speaking to us on what we’re struggling with.  We all want to be free of worry and healthy; give the backpack to God.  Trust him.  Our backpack is full of junk; it’s just weighting us down, and we think that we need it.

Isa 43:1  But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

Isa 43:2  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Isa 43:3  For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

Isa 43:4  Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.

Isa 43:5  Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;

Isa 43:6  I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

Isa 43:7  Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

We are going to go through the waters.  God will help us go through the waters.  I know that some of you are going through some really hard waters.  God wants to take the backpack; He wants to take care of you.

The thought on my heart: 

1Pe 5:7  Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

It is hard for us sometimes to give up the backpack and realize that we are carrying around junk that we think we need to carry.  Cast it on Him, let Him take the backpack.

Cast means to throw upon.  We have a dog that loves for you to throw a stick.  He doesn’t just bring a little stick.  He likes to carry big sticks, logs, around.  My arm is hurt from something and it hurts to throw them for him sometimes.  It is hard to cast the pack off sometimes.

Psa 55:22  Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

The word Cast here means to throw out, down or away.  

God is on our side, He wants everyone to make it.  

Burden means lot or what is given to us.  Sometimes our backpack is full of things that are just our lot.  It is just our life or maybe what someone else has thrown into our pack.  God help us to cast it upon Him and let Him carry that load.

Mat 6:25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Mat 6:26  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Mat 6:27  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

Mat 6:28  And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

Mat 6:29  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Mat 6:30  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Mat 6:31  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

Mat 6:32  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Mat 6:34  Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

God knows what we need.  He already knows.  Our part is to seek God and love Him with all of our heart.  “God help me to love you with all my heart and to focus on serving God.”  

He can carry the backpack, whatever our burden is.

Thought means to be anxious about or full of care.  Take no thought for the morrow.

Mat 10:28  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Mat 10:29  Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

Mat 10:30  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Mat 10:31  Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

God is an amazing God; He knows how many hairs are on our head.  It is amazing what God has done and how mighty He is.  To think that He cares about us!

He cares with interest and affection for us.  This is amazing!

Jer 31:3  The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

We have faith and confidence in the word of God; we believe what it says.  God loves us.

Psa 40:17  But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

Isa 49:15  Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

Isa 49:16  Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

To be graven is more permanent than writing that can be washed off.  We are graven in the palms of His hands.

Psa 71:18  Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.

Even as we get old and grey headed, God has a work for us to do.  We want to show forth the beauty of God.  We don’t want to be old cranks.  God, please help me to have a heart that is right so that when I get older I will be prepared to show forth thy power.”

Heb 10:12, Col 3:1 I Picture God on his thrown and Jesus sitting on the right side.

Act 7:54  When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

Act 7:55  But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

We need to be full of the Holy Ghost.  

Jesus stood up when Stephen was going through the hard time and suffering.  I can picture Him standing and looking out toward Stephen here on earth and watching.  He sees and He cares.  He knows what you are going through; he’s watching.

Give God the backpack.

Song:

Verse 1:
Does Jesus care when your heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth and song
As the burdens press and the thoughts distress
And the way grows weary and long?

Chorus:
Oh yes He cares, I know He cares
His heart is touched with my grief
when the days are weary the long nights dreary
I know my savior cares.

Verse 2:
Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear
As the day light fades into deep night shades
Does He care enough to be near?

Verse 3:
Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong
When for my deep grief there is no relief
Though my tears flow all night long?

Verse 4:
Does Jesus care when I’ve said good bye
To the dearest on earth to me
And my sad heart aches ‘til it nearly breaks
Is it ought to him does He see?

Bro Gary Sunday PM 4/24/11

Bro Gary Sunday PM 4/24/11

Luke wrote the book of Acts.

Act 1:1  The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

Act 1:2  Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

Act 1:3  To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, there is no new truth, but there are depths of understanding that we haven’t reached yet.

Act 1:4  And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

Act 1:5  For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

The infallible truths of the gospels:  Jesus went back to the truth that John the Baptist had preached.  John preached all he knew and that is all we can do too, is preach all we know.  John said, “There cometh one after me that is mightier than I and He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire.”

The Holy Ghost does many things but one thing that we know He does is burns up dross.  Where ever we are, we can allow things to be dropped on us and allow things to load us down.  We can be loaded down with the dross of perplexities.  We live in perplexing times.  Paul said to the Corinthians that there will be times that they would be perplexed.  Don’t let this load you down and keep you from going forward.  

Jesus emphasized.  (What a great man Jesus was!)  He said, John taught.  (John was short lived but was a man for God.  He stirred up lots of boundaries.)  John baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

Act 1:6  When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

Even in this time People want to know if Jesus is coming back to set up a literal kingdom.  He is not.  His kingdom is not of the world.

Act 1:7  And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

A lot of the necessity of us receiving the power of the Holy Ghost is us recognizing that we need it and that we are willing to pay the price to get it.  

The other day I realized that the battery is going bad in the Karen’s Highlander.  A battery is expensive but  it is either pay the price and have a battery that will start the car or hope that someone will come along with the jumper cables to help her start her car every time that she needs to.  

We cannot be hoping that someone will come along and put the jumper cables on us all the time.  There is all the power in the Holy Ghost that we need.  Whatever it is going to cost you or me to get the Holy Ghost, to keep Him, to have Him, and to use Him, let us pay the price.  Whatever it is going to cost any of us, we’ve seen enough foolish virgins let us not make up anymore.

The Holy Ghost gives us power to be a witness at home and to the uttermost parts of the earth.  We must first have the power right where we are.  We’re not going to have the goods somewhere else if we don’t have it right here where we are.

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

The only way that it is going to happen is through the power of the Holy Ghost.  We need to love each other and God and we do, yet we need to be more than a conqueror.  We need to be filled with the power of the Holy Ghost.

Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

This is past literal vision.  God enlighten the eyes of my understanding.  In the Revelation, Jesus says, “anointing your eyes with eye salve.” (Revelation 3:18)

There is great hope of his calling.  There is great treasure!

Eph 1:19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

All the power of the resurrected Christ, the Holy Ghost, and the word of God is available to us.  We can either position ourselves to receive it or to never have it.

Act 4:31  And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Act 4:32  And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

Act 4:33  And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

The Holy Ghost unites us and gives us power in the Word of God.  We’re not wanting to get on any hobby horses.  There are so many wonderful things in the Word of God there is no reason to get off on any wild goose chases.

I don’t know where we’re headed economically but I want to be headed spiritually so that everything that we have is yielded to God for the furtherance of the gospel.  I want to have the attitude and spirit that everything that I know and learn, I preach and teach.  

We want to have it real that not only do we want to empty our soul and everything that God teaches give back to the saints, but we want to have everything that God gives yielded to Him so that if there is a need we are willing to give to the saints.  Sometimes people have something difficult that they are going through.  If this is the case, then find a saint that is full of the Holy Ghost and lay it all out on the table.  They can help us see it from another angle.

With having power there is the cost of giving, giving of our time and substance.  There will be times when we want to give more than our tithes and offerings.  Also there will be times when we need grace for someone else to help us along.

I know that tomb was empty because I was in a tomb and I couldn’t get myself out.  My parents and friends couldn’t get me out.  Thank God we serve a God that when the saints pray, stones are rolled away.  Lives in sin are convicted and they have an opportunity to choose life.  

The man that wrote the song, “Send the Power Down”, has in one of the verses the thought of unfailing grace.  There is a reason that this is part of his testimony.  Unless we are filled with the Holy Ghost, we’ll going to fail of the grace of God.

Bro Gary Sunday AM 4/24/11

Bro Gary Sunday AM 4/24/11

Mat 28:1  In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

Mat 28:2  And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

Mat 28:3  His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

Mat 28:4  And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

Mat 28:5  And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.

Mat 28:6  He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Mat 28:7  And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.

Mat 28:8  And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.

Mat 28:9  And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.

Mat 28:10  Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.

Mat 28:16  Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

Mat 28:17  And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”  God designed that we would know not only intellectually but in a very personal way about the power of God.

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

We are happy to know this morning that the Word of God is God.  All things were made by Him.  “In Him was life and the life was the light of men.”

Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Joh 1:5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Joh 1:6  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

Joh 1:7  The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

Joh 1:8  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

Joh 1:9  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

Joh 1:10  He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

Joh 1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Joh 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Joh 1:13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Each of us was born into a natural family and has a literal father and mother.  Jesus came with the mission of doing the will of God so that we could receive power to become the son of God.

Joh 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

We see that God sent His son which is also the Word of God and is God.  They cannot be separated.  Jesus came in the flesh and brought the Word of God to mankind and we are certainly thankful for that.

God the father, Jesus the son, and the Holy Spirit of God are always in agreement with the Word of God.  They always speak in agreement to His servants.  

We know that there are many voices in the world today.  The voice of Satan came and spoke to Jesus.  (Luke 4)  We have the voice of our flesh that speaks to us.  Our human nature has its own likes and dislikes.  For example, right now we are very happy that the sun is shining today.  It is alright with us if it doesn’t snow again until about thanksgiving 2011.

In life we will have our thoughts and others may try to give us their thoughts.  The question that we need to ask is “Is that what the Bible says?”  When people tell you that God told them something, then they expect you to take it as from God.  There is something that we need to know about God, He never speaks anything to us that does not agree with the Bible.

Psa 138:1  A Psalm of David. I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.

There have always been other gods.

Psa 138:2  I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

He has magnified His word above all His name.  To me and to you when a thought comes if it is in agreement with the Word of God, then it is a word from God and it is true.  If a thought comes contrary to the Word of God then that is a dangerous thought.  It will lead you away from God.

Psa 110:1  A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

I thought of the power of God to change an enemy into a friend.  The thought of a footstool here is as a resting place.  David said that thought 1000 years before Jesus Was born.  This is a prophecy of Jesus.  

Mat 22:42  Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.

Mat 22:43  He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,

Mat 22:44  The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?

Mat 22:45  If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

Here Jesus quotes the same scripture 1000 years later.  David understood about the messiah but the Pharisee’s didn’t understand about the messiah not only coming but being the Lord.  The messiah came to change enemies into being friends and someone that He could rest in.

Paul also understood this.

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

We were all at odds with God and choosing our own way.  But Jesus Christ has the power to change lives.

The power of Christ is shown in the thought of Christ setting at the right hand of God.

Psa 110:1  A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

There are times when we have the thought that our prayer request will stretch the limits of what Jesus can do.  Remember that Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Father because He had accomplished everything that God designed for Him to do.  

He went through the garden, through the tomb and rose triumphant.  He spent 40 days with His disciples after that and then led them out of the city and lifted up His hands and blessed the disciples.  As they watched, Jesus ascended into Heaven and is right now at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us.

David was inspired by the Holy Ghost in the thought that the messiah would come and bring salvation to all mankind and would pay the price so that everyone that believed on Him could experience the power of God changing them on the inside.  

Life is a changing experience.  My grandson has been fascinated with my bald head and has asked me where my hair is.  He said, “Sometime, Grandpa you might get hair.”  We make changes in life, but the power of God is designed to change us on the inside.

David called Him Lord, this Jesus that could handle every situation, and saw Him sitting down at the right hand of the Father until His enemies be made His friends.

All of us that have reached the age of accountability have experienced the feeling of really needing a friend.  Sis Davis wrote the song, “I have a longing in my heart for Jesus.”  David spoke the words, “When can I see God?  I desire to see his power and glory.”  

Jesus said, “blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

We’ve all experienced the common denominator of sin.  “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  Sin has a way of exposing itself.  We wondered when we were a child, “How did my mom and dad know.”  As we got older, sin took its toll and brought darkness to our countenance.  

Jesus said, “All power is given unto me.”  Jesus paid the price to be able to say that.  He is worthy to have all power in heaven and earth.  

He was willing to come to earth to be our savior.  He knew about Adam’s sin.  He was there when God looked down on the face of the earth and said, “My spirit will not always strive with man… I’ll destroy the whole earth.” (Gen 6:3-8)  There was a man Noah that walked with God.  

He knew how bad things were and How God felt about it in heaven.  He knew about the sacrifices that had been made, the plan of butchering a ox or sheep.  He understood about the tabernacle and offering for sin.  He knew that there was only one way that an atonement could be made.  

Aren’t you glad that Jesus was willing to come?  He came and lived holy in an unholy world.  We’ve all been misunderstood and Jesus was misunderstood.  We must be willing to be misunderstood; it is not easy but it was a part of life.

He was called everything from a man of God to a devil; He went on and did that which was right.  He had cruel mocking and injustices done to Him, but He went through it all.  He was mocked with a crown of thorns.  He who knew no sin died on a cross.  His own disciples and friends forsook him and fled.  He was crucified.

While on that cross a soldier took a spear and thrust it into His side and out came water and blood.  In that day a fountain was opened for sin.  It is only through the Blood of Christ that our sins can be forgiven.  You cannot bury them any other way.  Jesus has all power in heaven and earth.

He was crucified; he was taken from the cross to the new tomb.  He was anointed for the burial; He was wrapped in the grave clothes.  Those that were taking care of His body came out and placed the big stone in front of the tomb.  

The soldiers were there to guard so that no one could steal Him away.  God had a better way.  Very early that Sunday Morning, the stone rolled away.

I’d like to leave the thought that if there would be something standing in your way, God still moves stones.  Each of us has challenges, some are in our mind and they are stopping us.  

One of the verses in the hymn that Jesus and the disciples sang after the ordinances is of God causing the mountains to skip.  He is a powerful God, He moves mountains.

Jesus arose!  God did something more powerful than move mountains.  When some of the disciples went to look in, the tomb was empty and there were two in shining clothes that asked, “Why seek ye the living among the dead, he is not here for He is risen.”  

Jesus spent 40 days with His disciples after this.

Joh 20:19  Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

Joh 20:20  And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

It is part of our natural makeup to have fear.  It is important to consider what we are visited by when fears come.  Little children have fears:  “Is it going to be dark in there?  Is it going to be scary?  You and I aren’t afraid of the cellar; we pretty much know what is in the cellar or in the wood-room.  We have different fears. 

How’s it going to be in a month or two?  Sometimes when we get a pain, we think that no one else has ever had a pain like it.  We wonder if the doctor had ever diagnosed a pain like that before. We worry that he wasn’t as concerned as we were and we become fearful.  Economics of Montana can cause people to become fearful.  

The scripture says before Jesus comes “men’s hearts would fail them because of fear.”(Luke 21:26)   Whatever your fears are, it is vital that you get someplace where Jesus can come.

When Jesus comes to us, it is awesome.  He doesn’t come with the thought that there are a lot of people that have died that had a pain in that place, no he says, “Peace.”

There are a lot of differences between coming to terms with something and Jesus saying, “Peace.”  After He’d said, “Peace,” He showed them His nail pierced hands and His side.  

You’ll know when it is Jesus because the words He speaks will always agree with the Word of God.  

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

Forty days later:

Luk 24:50  And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

Luk 24:51  And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

Luk 24:52  And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:

Luk 24:53  And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

God wants to bless His people.  Life is life and it is about the same for everyone.  It is what our attitude is toward it that matters.  “God has allowed me to be here so that He might show Himself strong.”  God wants you to really be blessed.  

You say “Preacher, you don’t know about the dilemma I’m in.”  God wants us to separate our literal life from our spiritual life; as the song says, “No matter what happens He will care for me.”

I can almost sense how the disciples felt when he was blessing them. While he blessed them He was being lifted up from them.  He was parted form them and He was lifted up to heaven and they stood there worshiping Him and praising and blessing God.

Christ is setting at the right hand of the father making intercession for us.  This morning He is alive.  

I want to show you another place where Jesus changed positions:  Stephen, filled with the Holy Ghost, had a job waiting on tables and serving food.  Every once in a while the Spirit of God would move on him and he’d preach and teach.  As he was preaching and teaching one time, conviction began to fall.  The Bible said that they gnashed on him with their teeth.   I’m not sure what that means, but it wasn’t too long until they wanted to do more than that.  Before they picked up the first stone, Stephen said, “Behold I see the heaven opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.”  (Acts 7:56)

Every one of us in this audience is challenged.  But we are blessed because Jesus said, “All power is given unto me.”  

Our spiritual needs can only be met by the power of God.  Never be embarrassed if you have a spiritual need, only be embarrassed if you don’t get it met.  Jesus has power to deal with those needs.  There is only one way to be rid of your sins and that is to confess and turn from them.  Jesus Christ can keep us every day of our life. He has all power.  He is sitting or standing at the right hand of the Father.  He is the same yesterday and today and forevermore.  

We are blessed to have experienced this Easter season of 2011.  What Jesus has done is so marvelous that we cannot preach about it enough or exalt him enough; all we can do is worship him.