SIH’s Think On These Things: Heb 11:22

Heb 11:22  By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.

This verse brings us to an end of a 6 verse section of Hebrews (Heb 11:17-22) that spoke of four generations of patriarchs that had trusted in the Lord. In each generation these men had lived lives that exhibited their great faith in the future fulfillment of the promises of God :

1. Abraham trusted that God would keep the Abrahamic covenant, this faith enabled him  to be willing to sacrifice his son Isaac Vs 17-19


2. Isaac showed his trust in the fulfillment of the promises of God by handing them      down to his sons, Jacob and Esau. Vs 20


3. Jacob’s faith in God’s covenant was shown by blessing his grandsons upon his death      bed. Vs 21


4. Finally, in our text today, we see Joseph’s belief in the future deliverance of Israel from Egyptian captivity, told others of the promise and gave instructions on how his bones   should be delivered back to the promised land following Israel’s release.      Vs 22

Four generations of men who trusted in the promises of God, being handed down from generation to generation.  Are we handing down God’s promises to the future generations?  Are we displaying our faith to our loved ones through our words and actions?

Folks, words are cheap and our children can see through our words.  By living Godly lives we give our faith life, meaning and importance to our loved ones and all those around us. May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

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SIH’s Think On These Things: Heb 11:21

Heb 11:21  By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

The story of Jacob blessing his sons and grandsons followed by his death is found in Gen 48:8-49:33.

Here we are told that Jacob, physically weakened and facing his upcoming death (probably the same day - Gen 49:33), handed down the blessings and prophecies of God to his grandsons and then worshipped Jehovah.

If we knew that our death was approaching, how would we fill our final hours?  Would it be in the enjoyment of a worldly pleasure?  Perhaps spending time with our earthly family?   Or would we be hurrying to have arrangements made for the handling of our physical body and worldly possessions?   Worst of all, would some of us be quickly trying to find peace with God before facing Him in eternity?

How many of us, following the example of Jacob, would confidently know the Lord’s will for our lives and be seeking to fulfill it until we drew our last breath?

We do not know what tomorrow may hold for us.  It is very possible that someone who is reading this may never live another day.  Are we ready to meet our Lord?  If so, are we confident of His will for our lives and are we seeking to follow Him daily?  By actively making both spiritual and temporal preparations for our death now, we will be able to spend our last hours serving Him and experiencing His peace and the love of those around us.

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH’s Think On These Things: Heb 11:20

Heb 11:20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

We can read more about Isaac blessing his sons in Genesis 27:1-46. (Please note… the background to the blessing of Esau and Jacob involves God’s allowance of deceit and corruption to bring about His will.  This subject is much too complicated to do it justice in a daily devotion format. Therefore this aspect of our account will be ignored in this posting.  Thank you for understanding.)

Here in our text, when we see that Isaac “blessed” his sons, he gave three different types of blessings material, immaterial and spiritual:

1. To Jacob, Isaac declared material, immaterial and spiritualblessings from God….
   
   
   
   1. Material - “To Jacob, he promised, Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:” (Gen 27:28)
   
   
   2. Immaterial – “Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee:” (Gen 27:29a)
   
   
   3. Spiritual – “cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.” (Gen 27:29b)
   
   
   4. By doing this, he was passing down the Abrahamic covenant to Jacob
   
   
   
   


2. To Esau, Isaac declared material and immaterialblessings from God….
   
   
   
   1. Material – “And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;” (Gen 27:39)
   
   
   2. Immaterial -  “And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.” (Gen 27:40)
   
   
   
   

 A Godly parent is one that is concerned about all three areas of their children’s lives:

1. Certainly, there is nothing wrong with passing down the Lord’s material blessings to their children.  (2 Cor 12:14)


2. Also, working to meet the child’s immaterial needs in life is honorable as well. Their      education, manners, submission to higher authority, fulfill responsibilities given to them, qualities of leadership, ability to mediate disputes… all the different “morals” that will be needed to be successful in this earthly life are also a parents responsibility to supply to the child. (Titus 2:3-5)


3. But finally, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, parents should be concerned about their children being spiritually blessed of God.  Parents should be teaching them their need of salvation and the precepts of the Word, so they might live lives pleasing to God. (Deut 4:9)

Let’s be sure we are doing our best to meet the future needs of our children.  We can do this by a consistent preparation NOW for the upcoming generation of servants of our Lord.

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH’s Think On These Things: Heb 11:17-19

Heb 11:17-19  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,  (18)  Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:  (19)  Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

The account of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac, his son, is found in Gen 22:1-19.

Abraham’s faith in the promises of God was put to the test when he was called upon to sacrifice his son, Isaac.  We had seen previously, that the conception and birth of Isaac was the result of a promise that God had given to Abraham and Sara (Heb 11:11-12).

A part of the original promise given by God was… “thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, [and] with his seed after him” Gen 17:19.  God promised that Abraham would have a son (Isaac), and also, God promised that Isaac would have descendants who would inherit the promises of His covenant.

In our Hebrews text, we read that Abraham’s faith was tried when he was called upon to offer up his son, Isaac.  As a result of his faith, he was compliant to God’s wishes and was prepared to complete the sacrifice.  What was his motivation to make this incredibly difficult decision?  He knew God was faithful in keeping His promises and He had power over physical death.

Basically, Abraham thought along these lines…

1. God has promised me that Isaac would have descendants.


2. As of yet, Isaac has had no children.


3. I know that God will not break His promise, therefore, God is not done with Isaac.


4. If God is not done with Isaac, God will still fulfill His promise and use Isaac, even if I sacrifice him.


5. Therefore, if I sacrifice Isaac, God (having all-power) will raise Isaac from the dead and use Isaac for His glory to fulfill His promises to me (Abraham).

WHAT GREAT FAITH!!!!  Abraham’s faith was blessed, as God supplied the ram as a replacement for Isaac.  God received the ram as a  “figure” (symbolic replacement) of Isaac.

Would to God, when we are called upon to serve will remember His faithfulness to His promises and His all-mighty power to intervene and give us the victory.

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

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SIH’s Think On These Things: Heb 11:14-16

Heb 11:14-16  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.  (15)  And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.  (16)  But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

In our text, we read that those of faith, “declare plainly” that they seek a country.  The meaning of the phrase “to declare plainly” is the idea “to put on exhibit, to uncover, or to reveal publically”.

These Godly men and women did not live their lives for the accumulation of the wealth, comfort and fame that this world has to offer. They knew a “better country awaited them”.  But their testimony did not stop there. Through their actions and voices they “put on exhibit” to everyone that they were on a pilgrimage.  Their travels were taking them THROUGH this fallen world and TO another world yet to come.

The world to come is called “heaven” or the “New Jerusalem” (Rev 21: & 22:), the city that God has prepared for each one of His chosen people of faith.  The existence of heaven proves that we are loved, a part of God’s family, and heirs of wonderful blessings to come (John 14:2-3)

Are we living our lives as if we are on a pilgrimage through this world?  If so, are we verbally explaining to others our motivation, the “great hope” that we possess of eternity with Him?

By God’s grace alone, might we all aspire to be like the faithful servants of Hebrews 11 who, by their voices and actions, “declared plainly that they seek a country.”

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH’s Think On These Things: Heb 11:13

Heb 11:13   These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of [them], and embraced [them], and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

The Lord turns our attention from the faithful characters in the Bible, to what they all had in common during their life of faithful service on earth…

1.  Until the day of their death, they exercised their faith in the Lord.


2.  While serving on earth, they did not experience their promised eternal blessings.


3.  Even though they did not receive their eternal blessings, they still believed God’s promise to receive them.  The process of coming to belief in God’s promises are described in 3 steps:
   
   
   
   1.  Saw them afar off – By the Holy Spirit’s illumination through God’s Word, they were given a very basic understanding of what awaited them. (We will never be able to understand all the future blessings of God this side of heaven – 1 Cor 2:9)
   
   
   2.  Persuaded of them – They became convinced they would receive them.  In their minds, the future blessings of God were not a “possibility”, they had become a certainty… it was only a matter of time.
   
   
   3.  Embraced them – Once convinced of their receipt, these promises became a part of their very existence.  They “hugged” the promises bringing them to themselves and making them a part of their day to day walk with Him.
   
   
   
   


4.  They lived their lives as if this sinful world was not their permanent home. They didn’t live their lives to gain what the world offered them, but they lived their lives to lay up treasures in the world to come. (Matt 6:19-20)

Have we ever trusted in Christ as our Savior?  In doing so, we have become a part of His family and joint heirs of a wonderful eternity with Him in heaven.

If Christ is our Savior, do we simply have a “head-knowledge” of the wonderful eternity that we may enjoy someday?  Or, has the Lord graced us with a certainty that we will receive His promises without doubt?

If we have this certainty within us, have we really embraced this truth and made it a part of our day to day walk with Him?  If so, the truth of our coming eternity will affect EVERY decision we will make in this land through which we are passing through!

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

SIH’s Think On These Things: Heb 11:11-12

Heb 11:11-12  Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.  (12)  Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

The story of Sara’s faith concerning the conception, and birth, of Isaac is found in Genesis 17:15-17:22, 18:1-15 & 21:1-7.

In Genesis 18:12-15 we are told, “(12) Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?....  (15)  Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.”

Here, we have a clear progression in Sara’s faith:

1. Sara’s original reaction to God’s promise that she would bear a son in her old age (90 yrs old) was one of unbelieving laughter.


2. After being reminded of the Lord’s power and ability, we are told her laughter turned to fear as she realized she doubted Almighty God.


3. In our Hebrews text, we are told that Sara “through faith” conceived and bore Isaac.

How often do we experience the same type of development of faith in our life?

1. The Lord places us in a situation in which we can only be victorious through His intervention.  We begin in unbelief, seeing our circumstances as overwhelming and impossible.


2. But when we are confronted with our Lord’s greatness, we fearfully regret our      doubting attitude, clearly seeing our sin of unbelief.


3. Then slowly, gradually, by His grace alone, His presence in the midst of our trial begins to be seen and our faith begins to strengthen. We begin to see our impossible obstacle as another hurdle we can leap through the ability given to us by our Lord.

The next time we are faced with a river of trials we, seemingly, cannot cross; follow the example of the father of the deaf and dumb child and cry out to the Lord…. “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

And then take heart, remember, the words of the Lord to Peter... “Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not:”

and then to Paul… “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Our Lord is using this time in our lives to strengthen us and build up our struggling faith!

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

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SIH’s Think On These Things: Heb 11:8-10

Heb 11:8-10  By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.  (9)  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:  (10)  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

The events in the life of Abraham are recorded in Gen 11:27 - 25:8.  God’s initial call for Abraham to leave his homeland, and the blessings that would result, are found in Genesis 12:1-5.

“Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:” (Gen 12:1)

As Abraham trusted in his Lord and followed this calling, it brought great personal sacrifice upon himself.  He sacrificed by leaving his home, family and friends behind, as well as sacrificing his own family’s security and comfort.  Abraham’s sacrifice was to result in receipt of a wonderful inheritance: (Gen 12:2-3)

1. I will make of thee a great nation,


2. and I will bless thee,


3. and make thy name great;


4. and thou shalt be a blessing:


5. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee:


6. and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Although a wonderful blessing from God, this temporal inheritance was not the motivating force behind Abraham’s step of faith.  We are told in our text that Abraham was motivated by the eternal blessings that awaited Him.  The earthly land of Caanan could not begin to compare to the New Jerusalem, Heaven his eternal inheritance…

“For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”  (see also Heb 11:13-16).

Is the Lord burdening our heart about making a great temporal sacrifice for Him? Is He asking us to give up something in this world, so that we might be of greater heavenly service to Him?  If so, let’s keep our eyes on our heavenly home and the eternal blessings that await us.  There is nothing on earth that can begin to compare to the value of knowing we are pleasing our Lord and will spend eternity with Him someday.

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

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SIH’s Think On These Things: Heb 11:7

Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

The account of the life of Noah is found in Genesis chapters 6 through 9.

Based upon the wickedness that had engulfed the earth, the Lord had chosen to bring judgment upon mankind through a world-wide flood.  Up to this point in time in history, it had never even rained.  God had sent water to feed the crops by sending dew upon the earth (Gen 2:6).   How difficult it would be for anyone to understand what “rain” or a “flood” would be like!

However, God, solely by His grace (Gen 6:8), warned Noah of the upcoming flood and instructed him on the way to safety… the building of an arc.  If Noah, through God's gracious intervention,  believed God’s message and followed God’s instructions, he would be able to save his family, and himself. If, in a spirit of unbelief, Noah mocked God’s warnings and rejected God’s instructions; death would come upon him and his family, just as the other unbelievers of his day.

In our text, we are told that Noah responded in a spirit of reverence and respect (fear) for God and His Word, accepting it by faith. This reverence and respect motivated Him to believe the flood was coming and prepare for it just as God directed him.  His faithfulness resulted in bringing salvation to himself, and his family.  This salvation was not limited to salvation from the waters of the flood, but also salvation from their sins.

Noah’s acts of belief and preparation of the ark had three results.  They condemned the unbelieving world, giving them a visual testimony of faith, and how to prepare for the coming judgment.  It also was his God-given faith in the Lord and His Word that worked his salvation and righteousness. And it was also through his faithful actions, his family came to a trust in God as well.

When God graciously works in our life, calling us to trust in Him and His Word… let’s rely on Him for grace and take that step of faith.  In doing so, we will be setting an example that will glorify God in the eyes of all who see us, encourage other believers, and set the example for lost loved ones to trust in Him as well.

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

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SIH’s Think On These Things: Heb 11:6

Heb 11:6   But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

In our verse, we are clearly told that faith is an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY to please God and have a close walk of communion with Him.  In this verse, the Lord tells us we must possess faith in two basic areas… the PRESENT and the FUTURE:

1. Faith in the PRESENT involves a continual recognition of the Lord’s intervention in our lives.

It is saying, “I believe that He exists and He is actively intervening in my life. He is with me, caring for me, blessing me, leading me and enabling me to fulfill His desires in me.”  In other words, it is believing that “He is”

Just as Abel presented his sacrifice to the Lord, mingled with faith; so, too, our lives should be a lived as a sacrifice of faith presented to Him every day (vs 4).

2. Faith in the FUTURE involves exercising faith in the promises for our future that the Lord has given to us.

It is saying that “I believe the sufferings of this world are only temporary, I am going to a far better place to be with the Lord.  I believe any sacrifice I make is insignificant because, someday, I will be rewarded for my faithfulness”…   this is believing that “He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

We are reminded of this type of faith in the life of Enoch, who faithfully served the Lord and was rewarded by being translated, opening to him an eternity in the Lord’s presence (vs 5).

Let’s all strive to live our lives as a living sacrifice, motivated by these two types of faith in our hearts.

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

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SIH’s Think On These Things: Heb 11:5

Heb 11:5  By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

A short reference to the life of Enoch is recorded in Genesis 5:18-24.  He is also mentioned in Jude 1:14-15.  This is what these verses tell us about Enoch:

1. Heb 11: - Enoch lived a life pleasing to God. He affected others around him by this faithful testimony.


2. Jude 1: - How did he please the Lord?  We are told that he delivered prophecies concerning the Lord’s 2^nd coming in the last days.


3. Gen 5: - He “walked with God”. By this, we know that Enoch had a close relationship centered on communion with the Lord.

In our Hebrews text, we are told that he was “translated” by God.  A result of this “translation” is that Enoch “should not see death”.  The word “translated” carries with it three ideas…

1. To be carried or transported


2. To switch sides or transferred from one to another


3. To be changed or reshaped

Based upon the definition of “translated”, and the fact that Enoch did not face physical death, we can begin to understand what took place in the life of Enoch:

1. God took Enoch immediately from earth to heaven without Enoch experiencing physical death.


2. Since he did not experience death, we can assume that Enoch’s soul did not leave his body.  Apparently, when God “took” him, He took both his soul and his body.  If this is the case, then his body was glorified allowing it to enter into heaven in a sinless condition.


3. (If we remember, this same type of event happened one other time in history when Elijah was glorified and taken to heaven without experiencing death - 2 Kings 2:11).

What a wonderful blessing it would be to “bypass” physical death on the way to spending eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The wonderful truth is each one of us, if we have come to a saving knowledge of Christ, possess the possibility that we will never experience physical death. Our faithful Lord promises us that, if we are living when He comes again, we too, will be glorified and taken to live with Him for an eternity!  Let’s thank Him today knowing that, it is possible, we will never face death! (1 Cor 15:51-57)

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

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SIH’s Think On These Things: Heb 11:4

Heb 11:4  By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

The account of Abel’s and Cain’s offerings can be found in Genesis 4:1-10.

Abel’s sacrifice was a lamb of his flock, while Cain’s sacrifice was that of the crops which he had grown.  Both were valuable personal possessions.  Both were the result of physical labor of the offering’s giver.  Both were given to the Lord.

Why was Abel’s sacrifice “more excellent” than Cain’s sacrifice?  According to our Hebrews verse, it was because Abel offered the sacrifice “by faith”.  During the sacrifice, as the lamb’s blood was being shed, Abel believed that the Messiah would come and be a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin (see Heb 12:24).  In other words, this sacrifice was a display of Abel’s faith.

This same sacrifice declared that Abel had been given righteousness (given to him by God’s grace through faith).  By accepting Abel’s offering, God was publically testifying that Abel had received the saving gifts of faith and righteousness.

Although murdered by his brother, Abel’s testimony is still spoken of throughout the ages.  How can this be?  The public testimony of Abel’s faith was recorded in God’s Word. It is this same Word that is still being read and taught 6000 years later.

Our public testimony, when mixed with faith, is pleasing to God and profitable for man.  It has lasting, eternal value. Little did Abel know that one simple sacrifice would result in an ageless example of saving faith and obedience to the Lord; so, too, our testimony of faith.  We never know how the Lord may choose to use our testimony in His sovereign plan to redeem mankind from their sin.

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH’s Think On These Things: Heb 11:3

Heb 11:3  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

 As we look into God’s Word, in Genesis chapter 1, we find the clear teaching that the Lord simply spoke the world into existence.  “Let there be light” or “let there be a firmament…” the list goes on and on.

Were we there when He spoke the world into existence?  Absolutely not!  How do we understand that He verbally brought everything into existence?   It is by our faith.  It is our faith in our Lord, and in His Word, that gives us an understanding of those things that otherwise could not be understood.

Visible nature was created from nothing.  When our Lord spoke the creative word… creation took place, not just a reforming of what already existed, but a bringing into existence that which previously was nothingness.  From this, we can learn two basic principles:

1. The power of God and His Word is limitless.  To create our world from nothing proves this.


2. It is through God’s gift of faith and the truths of His Word, that many graces are appropriated to our lives.  Along with an understanding of divine truths, spiritual life and Godly decision making, are some of the graces received when we exercise faith in the Lord and the message of His Word.

(Please note: The converse is true as well. If we do not believe His Word it is of no benefit to us. It will only increase our responsibility at the last judgment.  It will be one the standards used to determine the level of our punishment as we stand before Him.)

Let’s all determine in our hearts to approach God’s Word in a spirit of faith.  It is His perfect, powerful, faithful Word.  It does not contain errors, nor does it contain false promises.  We can rest on the knowledge Christ and His Word can be relied upon to meet our every spiritual need.

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

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SIH’s Think On These Things: Heb 11:1-2

Heb 11:1-2  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  (2)  For by it the elders obtained a good report.

Hebrews 11 is commonly called “the faith chapter of the Bible”.  In this chapter, the Lord gives us many different examples of Old Testament individuals who exercised faith in their day to day walk with the Lord.  Based upon the faith they possessed, they were able to do great things for Him.

I trust as we study this chapter, we will find a lot of examples of faith that will help us to do great things for our Lord.

To begin our study, Hebrews 11 gives us an understanding of the meaning of “faith”.  We are told that faith is: “The substance of things hoped for”

"Substance” is the idea of “confidence or absolute assurance”.  It is our faith in what Christ has done for us in the past that gives us assurance of future blessings from Him.  (This principle is found in Rom 8:32.)

This same idea is expressed differently in the phrase… “The evidence of things not seen”

The word “evidence” carries with it the idea of “proof that brings assurance”. Once again, we are told that, based upon our faith in His work, we receive proof that assures us of the promises of God we have yet to receive.

It is by this life changing faith, that the OT saints of the past (elders) pleased God with their lives.

Today, let’s keep in our mind the great sacrifice He has made for us. In doing so, we will be allowing hope in our future to flourish knowing that… “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Rom 8:32)

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

"He Is Not Here..."

Matt 28:6 - "He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay."

Need I Say More?

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

SIH’s Think On These Things: 1 Cor 15:55-58

 

1Cor 15:55-58 (55)  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?  (56)  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.  (57)  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  (58)  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

The resurrection of Christ, along with the future resurrection and glorification of the believer’s body is absolute, irrefutable evidence that our Lord Jesus Christ has overcome sin and it’s product, death.

Based upon the counsels of God, worked through the work of Christ, sin and death were totally defeated and it’s affects entirely reversed through the gracious intervention of God in the life of those who are brought to salvation.

After all that our Lord has done for us, we are to serve Him with all our being in three ways:

1. Stedfast – to be settled, certain, assured


2. Unmoveable – to be immoveable, to be firmly fixed


3. Always Abounding – to increase and overflow


4. Know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord – Be certain your painful labors are of great value due the Lord (His empowering and intervention ) in your work.

On this Easter weekend, what better way is there to honor our Lord for all He has done for us?  As Paul said…

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH’s Think On These Things: 1 Cor 15:53-54

1Cor 15:53-54 (53)  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.  (54)  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 

Our resurrection body will differ from our earthly body in two ways:

1. Our earthly body is capable of aging, becoming sick, physically deteriorating and, eventually, decaying in the grave.  This is all a part of being “corruptible”. But our resurrection body will never feel any effects of sin, aging or death. In other words it is “incorruptible”.


2. Our earthly body is able to be separated from our spirit, this takes place at physical death. The ability to experience physical death is called being mortal. Once received, our resurrection body will never be separated from our spirit.  It will never      experience death.  This is taught by the phrase to “put on immortality”.

When our physical, fleshly bodies take upon themselves immortality and incorruption, we can clearly see that death is now defeated. Its grasp on us has come to an end.  Sin, sickness, loss of strength, death and eventual decay will no longer take place in our lives.

How can this be?  It is only because our Lord Jesus Christ has gotten the victory over sin (and sin’s results: spiritual and physical death) that all these will come to an end.  He is the ultimate victor over sin and its many gruesome effects in our lives….

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH Text Blog: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/

SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

SIH’s Think On These Things: 1 Cor 15:52

1Cor 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 

Our attention is now turned to the event that will bring about the receipt of our glorified bodies… the resurrection (which takes place at the return of Christ to the earth at His second coming).

Several truths about the second coming are presented to us:

1. The 2^nd coming and resurrection of the dead will take place suddenly “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye”


2. The bodies of the dead will be called forth from the graves much like the trumpets being blown in the Old Testament times calling soldiers, or townspeople, to gather.  It is possible this is literal trumpets being blown by the angels accompanying Christ at His coming. “At the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound”.


3. All bodies will be resurrected from the graves and given the ability to exist eternally.       (For the saved, their bodies are glorified.  For the lost their bodies are enabled to      exist eternally in the Lake of Fire.) “The dead shall be raised incorruptible”


4. The bodies of the saved will receive additional changes to them: All the effects of sin will be eradicated from the believer’s body, etc.  “and we shall be changed”

For the believer, what a wonderful blessing awaits at the 2^nd coming of Christ!  Let us all be faithful in service waiting for that wonderful day!

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH Text Blog: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/

SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

SIH’s Think On These Things: 1 Cor 15:51

1Cor 15:51 (51)  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed…

Our attention is now turned to the event that will bring about the glorification of the believer’s body… the resurrection (which takes place at the second coming of Christ).

Paul begins by saying that these things are a “mystery”.  The Greek word for “mystery” means “to shut the mouth”. In other words, it cannot be fully explained, and when we learn of it, we are shocked and speechless.

When Christ comes back, the bodies of the vast majority of believers will be dead in the graves, however, some will still be alive on earth.  In this verse, Paul describes the believer’s body that has entered the grave as being at rest or “asleep”.

The reason why Paul describes the Christian’s body after death as “sleeping” is because:

1. Like sleep, death does not harm the body of a Christian, it actually aids the body (the body is changed at the resurrection). Vs 51


2. Like sleep, the bodies of Christians will arise again. Vs 52


3. Like sleep, no labor, nor work, is done by the physical body at death.  It lies in      the grave awaiting for the coming resurrection.  (Eccl 9:10)

Please note: The Bible NOWHERE speaks of “soul sleep”.  Whenever the Bible speaks of death as “sleeping” it is referring to the condition of the body in the grave, not the soul of the one who has passed away.)

What a wonderful blessing it is to know that, when we die, our spirit will go home to be with the Lord in heaven, while our bodies will sleep in the grave to be awakened at His 2^nd coming!

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org

SIH Text Blog: http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/all-about-salvation/

SIH Video Blog: http://youtube.com/settledinheaven/

SIH Email: settledinheaven@gmail.com

SIH’s Think On These Things: 1 Cor 15:48-50

 

1Cor 15:48-50  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.  (49)  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.  (50)  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Paul now addresses one of the reasons why we need our resurrected body…

Our bodies are reflections of the bodies of those from which we proceed:

1. Our human bodies of dust reflect the body of the one through which has been passed our physical life (the first Adam).


2. Likewise, our resurrection glorified body will take upon itself the image of the body of the One through which we receive our spiritual life (the second Adam – Christ).

What a blessing it is to know that, if we possess spiritual life through Christ, we will receive new bodies at our resurrection.  Our temporal, fallen bodies which have been touched by sin, sickness and eventual death will be replaced with glorified bodies made in the image of Christ’s post resurrection body.   This is an absolute necessity for the believer because without remade bodies we could not enter into the presence of a Holy God and live eternally with Him.

Let’s make a concerted effort to serve Him today our of appreciation for the new bodies we are promised to receive at our resurrection.

May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.

SIH Homepage: http://www.settledinheaven.org