Tuesday 24 February 2015

Some Scriptures Concerning Death, Resurrection, Eternal Life, etc... By E. Burch "Understandest thou what thou readest?" THE PENALTY OF SIN IS DEATH Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

1 Cor 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. James 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Ezek 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. WHAT IS DEATH IN THE BIBLE?
Eccl 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Eccl 9:6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more aportion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
Eccl 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither (where) thou goest.
Eccl 3:19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
Eccl 3:20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

Psa 6:5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?
Psa 49:12 Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.
Psa 49:14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.
Psa 49:20 Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.
Psa 88:11 Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?
 Psa 88:12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

Psa115:17 The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.
Psa 146:3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.

 Psa 146:4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

Job 14:7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
Job 14:8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
 Job 14:9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.

Job 14:10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
 Job 14:11 As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:
 Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.
 Job 14:13 O that Thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that Thou wouldest keep me secret, until Thy wrath be past, that Thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
 Job 14:14 If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.
 Job 14:15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer Thee: Thou wilt have a desire to the work of Thine hands.
Job 17:11 My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.
 Job 17:12 They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness.
Job 17:13 If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.
 Job 17:14 I have said to corruption, thou art my father: to the worm, thou art my mother, and my sister.
 Job 17:15 And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?
 Job 17:16 They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

Isa 38:18 For the grave cannot praise Thee, death can not celebrate Thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy truth. MAN IS NOT IMMORTAL
  Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
 Gen 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
Gen 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
1 Tim 6:16 Who (Christ Jesus) ONLY hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

1 Cor 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Cor 15:54 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.

Rom 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: DEATH IS LIKENED TO SLEEP
John 11:11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
John 11:12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.
John 11:13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
John 11:14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

1 Ki 2:10 So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. 1 Cor 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

Job 14:12 So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. 2 Chr 33:20 So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead. RESURRECTION IS LIKENED TO AWAKENING Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Eph 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. Psa 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

CHRIST IS THE SOLUTION TO DEATH John 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Rom 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

BELIEF IN HIM - LIFE EVERLASTING - NON-BELIEVERS REAP DEATH John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. John 6:48 I am that bread of life. John 6:49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. John 6:50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. 1 John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 1 John 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. 1 Cor 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 1 Cor 15:18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

RESURRECTION John 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. John 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. John 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; John 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. John 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, John 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. Isa 26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Ezek 37:12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Ezek 37:13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, Ezek 37:14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the

LORD. RESURRECTION IS THE BASIS OF THE GOSPEL OF GOD’S GRACE Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Acts 4:2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. Acts 17:18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. Acts 23:6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.

RESURRECTION (NOT DEATH) IS THE EVENT WHICH WILL BRING US INTO THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. Acts 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead LIVED NOT again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. John 7:33 Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. John 7:34 Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come. John 13:36 Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. John 13:37 Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. John 13:38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice. John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 1 Cor 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Cor 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 1 Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 1 Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Cor 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. Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: Job 19:26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Job 19:27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

CHRIST WAS THE FIRST TO HAVE LIFE AFTER DEATH 1 Cor 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, Acts 26:23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. SOUL Job 12:9 Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this? Job 12:10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. Ezek 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. James 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. Rev 16:3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man; and every living soul DIED in the sea. Psa 16:10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Acts 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 1 Cor 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit

Friday 13 February 2015

No man has missed the appointment of death upto this day

It Is Appointed Unto Men Once to Die


Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
2 Samuel 14:14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.
Job 30:23 For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.
Psalms 89:48 What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.
Psalms 90:10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Ecclesiastes 3:18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
Ecclesiastes 8:8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.
Ecclesiastes 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
Ecclesiastes 9:5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
1 Corinthians 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Isaiah 51:6
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished

Psa  102:25-26
Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:[6] The voice said, Cry.


Isa 40:6-8 KJV - 6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: 7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. 8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever

Heb 1 :10-12
10And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: 11They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 12And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail


Paul MwaiTry Jesus Gospel Music


Sunday 8 February 2015

Life in the Spirit


 
Chapter Ten                  
 
 
THE FIRST-BORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN
 
      ... in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren.
 
 
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren.
 
There's hardly one of us who isn't carrying around inside his or her life a hidden volcano. From the outside our lives appear, most of the time, like serene mountains. But inside the mountain is a place where the lava is boiling and churning. Every so often, without any warning, the volcano erupts and out comes a river of things we didn't even know ex­isted inside us - a torrent of venom spewing from our mouths, or we catch ourselves uttering ridiculous exaggerations or far-fetched ex­cuses. Or someone is in trouble and instead of helping, we run away. Or out come compulsive acts of greed, lust, spite. And we say to ourselves afterwards, "How could I ever have done such a thing?"
 
Beneath this boiling cauldron of our inmost hearts are three flames that work together to keep it boiling. The first flame is called sin. Sin is not just something you do that's wrong, sin is a principle of evil within, a disease of the will that perverts our good intentions into deeds that are far short of the mark.
 
For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.
 
I promise myself again and again I'm going to control my tongue. Off it flies. I want to please God yet I end up again and again going to almost any lengths to please myself. Sin is to be wrapped up in self. And the most pitiful sinners of all are the religious sinners who are so sure they're right and are so miserably blind to how vain and barren and arro­gant and evil their spirits are.
 
The second flame under this volcano is called Satan. Satan is evil that comes from outside us, like sin is evil that comes from inside us. And Satan uses lies to lure us into believing all the things our vanity wants to believe anyway. "You're such a wonderful person." "You're brilliant!" "God understands, go ahead and indulge yourself." Then when our dreams are smashed Satan comes along with more lies. "You're hopeless!" "Nobody cares about you." "God despises you!" "Why don't you give up?" Satan has one objective: to sidetrack you from reality so that he may have the satisfaction of being served by you in the Kingdom of the Unreal. It doesn't matter to Satan whether your delusion is that everyone is your enemy, or whether your delusion is that everyone is your friend, whether you believe God is your sugar daddy, or whether you believe God wants to torture you, as long as you don't believe the truth.
 
The third flame under this inner volcano is called death. There isn't a nerve in our bodies which isn't forever on the alert against death. Our own death haunts us, hangs over us, mocks us, laughs at us, eats at our hearts from the days of our childhood. We know in the marrow of our bones that one day we will open the door and there death will stand. And when he says, "Come," there's not a thing we can do but comply.
 
Sin, Satan, Death. Any view of life which fails to take into account these three realities may be beautiful, popular, but it isn't worth a dime. And any form of Christianity which fails to manifest power over these three things in daily life is a fraud. We can go to meetings, bible studies, seminars, and prayer groups till doomsday. We can think we're ministering in Jesus' name. We can be occupied seven days a week teaching others about scripture. If these three flames are still making the volcano within us boil, if we're not making any progress toward changing the volcano into a spring of living, water, there's got to be something wrong in our relationship with Jesus because Jesus promises to deliver us from these flames and replace them with His own life. The whole purpose of Jesus' coming was to conquer these three things.
 
When He began His ministry, the first thing He did was submit to baptism which means He identified with human sin. Though He never sinned He came down into the same waters of cleansing we enter and became sin for us. The second thing He did was to be led by the Spirit into the wilder­ness to be tempted by the devil. There He took on flame number two, Satan, and engaged in battle with him from that day. And the third thing Jesus did was to go forth to preach and heal. And with His words and His signs He entered into warfare with Death. Sin, Satan, Death.
 
Throughout His ministry Jesus battled these three flames of evil until finally He came to the cross. And at the cross these three flames, that usually operate beneath the surface, hidden under the volcano, came out into the open and literally piled themselves on top of Him.
 
Sin -
 
Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
 
But he was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
Upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, And with his stripes we are healed.
 
It was not merely the weight of His marred, beaten body that bore down on those nails, it was the weight of human sin under judgment of a Holy God that tore His flesh and squeezed the breath out of Him.
 
Satan -
 
If we had had eyes to see we would have spotted nearby, gloating over Jesus' torture, the twisted face of the Father of Lies who had entered Judas, inspired the chief priests, transformed those Passover pilgrims into a vicious mob, added strength to the Roman soldiers as they threw the lashes across His flesh and beat Him until His face was a bloody pulp.
 
And death -
 
Soon it was all over. His head sank to His chest, His bloodshot eyes rolled back into His head, He was dead. But when He died, Jesus of Nazareth took Sin, Satan, and Death with Him into the grave. Like Samson pulling the Philistines with him in his death, Jesus in His death became master over these three enemies for all time. And the proof came two days later when the earth shook and the stone rolled away and this man stepped forth. For the first time since Adam fell a man was walking this earth who was absolutely invulnerable to these three curses. Sin couldn't touch Him. Satan couldn't touch Him. Death couldn't touch Him.
 
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren.
 
The first-born from the dead - of the new creation. But praise God Jesus is more than that. He is the first-born among many brethren. He is to be followed into this glorious supernatural life by others. By you and me, if we will. And the proof that we can follow Jesus out of bondage to these three curses does not come after we die. It comes now! If Jesus is, in fact, Master and Lord over these enemies, if Jesus can transform the volcano within us into a spring of living water, you have every reason to expect some evidence, some experience of this in this present life of flesh and blood.
 
You want to know for sure that Jesus rose from the dead, the first-born among many brethren? You want to be among those brethren? Step number one is to admit the truth of your present condition. Perhaps you've been following Jesus for some time. But if these three fires are still burning inside you, and the volcano still keeps erupting, don't deny it, admit it.
 
It's not just those outside the Kingdom who need to meet Jesus today in the power of His resurrection. It's also His followers who have been living low grade, deceitful, vain, self-righteous lives. His followers who have been laying on other men burdens hard to bear and never even touch those burdens with one of their fingers. His followers who keep saying, "Lord, Lord," but won't forgive their brother and sister though the Lord Himself tells them to.
 
Once you've admitted the truth of your present condition before God and man there are three things you can do. First, come to Jesus for for­giveness.
 
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
 
Lord, forgive! Are you too proud to ask? Are you too proud to get down on your knees and receive? There's not a soul who turns from his sin and cries for forgiveness whose cry will be unheeded.
 
Second, come to Jesus and let Him be Lord within you instead of the Father of Lies who has been leading you around by your vanity. Come out of the unreal into the real. Come out of that web of lies that has been your home for so long with its fears and its fantasies, and submit your heart to the Spirit of Truth who is Jesus.
 
Don't say you haven't been listening to voices, you have. Voices that were clear enough to tell you the very things that would suck you into the darkness. Now listen to the voice of the Shepherd.
 
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.
 
Third, come to Jesus and ask Him to pour out on you right now the life of His Holy Spirit.
It is the Spirit that gives life... the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
 
But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Lord, give us the power to live as sons of God. Lord, pour out upon us
your life.
There are enough Christians who can quote their Bibles and talk about Jesus and make each other feel guilty. The need is for men and women who, by their living, manifest that they are truly Jesus' brethren, that Jesus has in fact overcome that triple death within them and made them springs of living water who bring life instead of death to those around them. Only when we are such people will any one believe us when we tell them that Jesus is Lord