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In the past week, I was confronted with a choice, my will or God’s Will.
When Jesus prayed
in the garden of Gethsemane, he prayed, Father not my will but your will be
done. He had to lay down his own will before he could go to the cross. This wasn’t
an easy decision, yet he did it without hesitation. Because he saw the bigger
picture. You and me.
To be of two minds
is unacceptable to God. We must choose. This will determine the next step in
our lives.
When we lay down
our lives, we realize how much we have clung to the wrong things. There were so
many things I have believed as truth just to learn that it was lies.
We like to believe
that we are doing everything right. That our opinion matters just to realize
it’s God’s opinion that matters. God always gets my attention in a very
practical way. When He does this, I know God is serious and I better listen,
especially when he confirms the same truth several times through several
avenues.
For those who read
this bible study with me must have realized by now that I post very
irregularly. That’s because, when I write this, I must deal with the things God
shows me first. I cannot speak things but not live it myself. Then I will be a
hypocrite myself.
I stumble and fall,
sometimes lay awake. Becomes angry about things that I don’t understand, but as
I continue to study and let go, God brings His loving grace to heal and restore
me. I trust this will be true in your life as well.
This bible study
illuminated powerful truths this far.
We have discovered
what it truly means to be a disciple. When we study the lives of Jesus’s
disciples, we noticed that the disciples were trained with one goal in mind, to
be an exact representation of Christ. This has never changed in the mind of the
Heavenly Father.
To follow Christ is
to count the cost. This road is expensive. Not in monetary value but in mind,
heart and soul value. Every action, thought and word must be aligned with the
Word of God. If it doesn’t, you must adjust the settings. The quicker you do it,
the less painful it will be. The longer you wait, it becomes costly. It’s then
that it will touch your bank account. Or touch your health, your marriage or
every other area of your life you least expected.
Every action has a
consequence.
We must have a firm
foundation, and the only way to measure it is against Christ. At first, the
vertical beam on the cross was the plumb line in God’s hand. When Christ died
on that cross, he became the plumb line for us to follow. The true line that
cannot be changed.
So, let’s delve
into the next area of importance of this study.
GOLGOTHA
“In three
references (Matthew 27:33; Mark
15:22; John 19:17) it is interpreted to mean kraniou topos, “the
place of a skull.” In Luke
23:33 the King James Version it is called “Calvary,” but in the
Revised Version (British and American) simply “The skull.” From the New
Testament we may gather that it was outside the city (Hebrews
13:12), but close to it (John
19:20), apparently near some public thoroughfare (Matthew
27:39), coming from the country (Mark
15:21). was a spot visible, from some points, from afar (Mark
15:40; Luke 23:49).”
Golgotha Meaning - Bible Definition and References
(biblestudytools.com)
Golgotha played a
significant part until Jesus’s body was removed from the cross. It was never to
be idolized or worshipped. He was removed and put into a grave. Three days
later, He was raised from the confines of the grave and revealed himself to
Mary, then the disciples, etc. This is the reason that we cannot find the exact
location of it any longer. The layers of time have covered it.
Golgotha had a very
small part in the story of Jesus and never played a role in the Bible again.
It has become a
place of dead bones.
I don’t know about
you, but I hardly ever visit a graveyard because there is no life there.
But for many,
Golgotha has become a shrine they have to visit as proof of their devotion to
their Christian faith. But for a genuine believer, it holds nothing dear. Why?
Jesus isn’t there anymore. He is at the righthand of the Father. Hallelujah.
But, this place has
become the new location of a church, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre: The
Church of the Resurrection. It is a pilgrimage site for thousands of Christians
around the world who visit it continually. Hoping to find hope, direction or whatever
quest they are on.
These are all dead
works and cannot change your salvation. Yet, it keeps Christians busy with
mysticism, traditionalism and religious acts.
This brings me to
the next part in this bible study.
Sepulchre means a
place for a dead body, and not resurrection as it implies, either cut in rock
or built of stone.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this church, which is built on this site, is called the Sepulchre Church.
What are the features of a dead church or of a dead believer?
SLEEPING
Being asleep means
you are purposeless in your existence. You have no meaning, no desires, no
passion…no life.
Eph 5:14-21
14Therefore He
says: “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you
light.” 15See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be unwise,
but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not be drunk with wine,
in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19speaking to one
another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in
your heart to the Lord, 20giving thanks always for all things to God the Father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21submitting to one another in the fear
of God. (NKJ)
To awake
means:
· Walk
circumspectly
· Redeem
the time
· Understand
the will of the Lord
· Do not
be drunk with wine, but with the Spirit.
· Give
thanks, always
· Submit
to the Word of God.
EMPTY (NO SPIRIT)
Running on
emptiness destroys you as a person. You have no value and think you are
worthless. Many people commit suicide because of these feelings of emptiness.
Only God can fill you and give you meaning for your life. The more you interact
with Him, the less empty you will feel.
James 2:26
For as the body
without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (NKJ)
METAPHORICALLY, A CHURCH WITHOUT THE SPIRIT IS DEAD.
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit
of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from
the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who
dwells in you. (NKJ)
Acts 1:8
“But you shall
receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be
witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of
the earth. (NKJ)
2 Corinthians 3:6
Who also made us
sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the
Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (NKJ)
Galatians 5:25
If we live in the
Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (NKJ)
1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also
suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, (NKJ)
POWERLESS (DARKNESS)
Psalms 143:3
For the enemy has
persecuted my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me dwell
in darkness, like those who have long been dead. (NKJ)
As long as the
enemy can have you helpless, you will be powerless to overcome and rule. He
will crush you under the weight of sin and keep you captive while keeping you
busy with religious acts. Like visiting this church in the hopes of finding
Christ.
He is a master
manipulator and the father of lies and deceit. As long as he can keep you busy
with dead works, you are no threat to him.
UNCLEAN
Eph 2:1-3
1And you He made
alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2in which you once walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of
the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3among whom also
we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the
desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath,
just as the others. (NKJ)
1 Tim 5:6
But she who lives
in pleasure is dead while she lives. (NKJ)
The word course is
“aion” which means unbroken age (of constant duration). It implies that the
pattern of behaviour of the world is in the same state through successive
generations. It is continuous disobedience. The world system is in a continuous
system of disobedience. Those who are dead in trespasses are in that system.
Those who walk in
the world and the flesh are dead.
As a believer, you
must migrate from the system of dead works into the kingdom of God.
LACK OF UNDERSTANDING (IGNORANT)
Eccl 9:5
For the living know
that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward,
for the memory of them is forgotten. (NKJ)
When you are dead,
you cannot understand the things of God and will make the wrong assumptions
about God. This will become your gospel, but it’s not the truth.
The Holy Spirit
leads us in all truth.
CLOUD WITHOUT WATER
Jude 1:12-13
12These are spots in
your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only
themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late
autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13raging waves
of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved
the blackness of darkness forever. (NKJ)
THESE TERMS
DECLARE WHO A DEAD PERSON IS:
· SPOTS
is like rocks in the sea. They have been responsible for many shipwrecks. They
shipwreck the innocent in fellowship.
· FEAST
WITHOUT FEAR—they are bold after sinning. Using scripture to validate their
sin.
· SERVING
ONLY THEMSELVES—SELFISH
· CLOUDS
WITHOUT WATER—theory without practice. You need to understand the Word and be
able to apply it practically in your life and ministry (whatever that might
be).
· AUTUMN
TREES WITHOUT FRUIT—no leaves and fruit.
· TWICE
DEAD—they were once dead in sins, responded to the gospel, and now have gone
back to apostasy.
· PULLED
BY THE ROOTS—no longer rooted in Christ.
· RAGING
WAVES OF THE SEA. People are tossed around by every false doctrine and
faithless.
· WANDERING
STARS are those who wander around on their own. They have no anchor, no
foundation, and no resources. Many of them claim to be independent but lack any
steadfastness. They have no light and remain in the darkness.
HUSHED
Psalms 88:10
Will You work
wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? Selah (NKJ)
Psalms 115:17
The dead do not
praise the LORD, nor any who go down into silence. (NKJ)
PRAISE SPRINGS OUT
OF GRATITUDE. When you lose your gratitude, you have been silenced by the
blacksmith. You must shout for jou because your Redeemer lives.
Luke 19:38-40
38saying: “‘Blessed
is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in
the highest!” 39And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd,
“Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40But He answered and said to them, “I tell
you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”
(NKJ)
RELIGIOUS
Matt 23:27-28
27“Woe to you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which
indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and
all uncleanness. 28“Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but
inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. (NKJ)
I once heard
someone said (and scoffed at Christians as he stated it proudly) “I grew up in
a religious house, you can tell me nothing. I know everything”. That is a lie
from the pits of death. This in itself is a hypocrite that spreads a different
gospel, and many believes this as truth. Woe to this person.
You must migrate
from a dead system to the Pool of Siloam. To the Temple of God. You must
migrate to Christ. He is the true plumb line of God. Nothing else will suffice.
EVIL SPIRITS
Jer 34:20
‘I will give them
into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life.
Their dead bodies shall be for meat for the birds of the heaven and the beasts
of the earth. (NKJ)
Birds and beasts
are symbols of demons. When you play on his doorstep, he will devour you. He
will send his beasts to tare you apart. Your focus must be on Christ, nothing
else. God has called us to overcome these demonic activities in our lives.
He has sent Jesus
to break the hedge of confusion and failure to bring us to a place of rest and
fresh water.
You don’t have to
know about the devil and his works. You must know Christ.
STAGNATION (NO MOTION)
Eccl 11:3
If the clouds are
full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; and if a tree falls to the
south or the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie.
(NKJ)
When you position
yourself under a cloud that empties fresh water on you, you cannot stagnate. If
you remain in the Pool of Bethesda, you will stagnate.
At the pool of
Bethesda, the angel (messenger) had to come and stir the water. There was no
fresh water added. It wasn’t connected to a spring. The reason he had to stir
it.
In this
environment, the sick are left helpless. The healed; those who can see, hear
and walk can receive a fresh word. The rest stay on the side and are dependent
on others to help them. If no one helps them, they remain blind, lame, and deaf
to God’s word.
Part of counting the cost and laying down your will is to examine your life.
Here are some question you might want to
consider.
· Are you
busy with dead works?
· Are you
trying to manufacture God’s touch or are you truly pressing in to enter the
Kingdom?
· Is He
your first priority?
As we embark on
this journey of life, let us remain steadfast in the Word, with fellowship, the
breaking of bread and prayer.
Till we speak
again.
Grace and peace to
you.
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