^{"THE RAVEN AND THE DOVE"}

 

 

Genesis 8

 

 

⁴ On the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat [in Armenia].

⁵ And the waters continued to diminish until the tenth month; on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the high hills were seen.

⁶ At the end of [another] forty days Noah opened a window of the ark which he had made

⁷ And sent forth a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters were dried up from the land.

⁸ Then he sent forth a dove to see if the waters had decreased from the surface of the ground.

⁹ But the dove found no resting-place on which to roost, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were [yet] on the face of the whole land. So he put forth his hand and drew her to him into the ark.

¹⁰ He waited another seven days and again sent forth the dove out of the ark.

¹¹ And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a newly sprouted and freshly plucked olive leaf! So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the land.

¹² Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, but she did not return to him any more.

 

 

DEAR BELIEVER; SOME OF GOD'S CHILDREN ARE LIKE THE RAVEN, WE GO ABOUT TO AND FRO, UNTIL EXHAUSTION AND DISCOURAGEMENT CAPTURE OUR FAITH IN HIM. WE THINK THAT IN OUR OWN STRENGTH AND WISDOM, WE WILL ACCOMPLISH, AND SETTLE DOWN IN OUR SELF MADE REST, ONLY TO FIND NONE. THE END RESULT OFTEN TIME, THOUGH GRIEVING TO THE HEART OF GOD, WE DO NOT RETURN TO THE ONE WHO HOLDS OUT HIS HAND.ALWAYS WAITING FOR YOU TO RETURN TO THE ARK OF HIS PRESENCE. IS THAT YOU THIS MORNING? THEN LET THIS VERSE SPEAK TO YOUR HEART.

 

Matthew 11:28
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest.

 

 

THE DOVE FINDING NO RESTING PLACE RETURNS. SHE RETURNS TO HIM WHO IS FAITHFUL AND TRUE. SHE KNOWS THAT HE IS HER HOME, HER RESTING PLACE AND WHEN ALL STRENGHT IS GONE. SHE GOES TO HIM WHO PUTS FORTH HIS HAND FOR HER ARRIVAL. ON HER SECOND JOURNEY WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT SHE IS LOVED, FINDS SUCCESS AND BRINGS BACK  IN HER MOUTH A NEWLY SPOUTED AND FRESHLY PLUCKED OLIVE LEAF. LIFE IS CELEBRATED!  THE DOVE AND MASTER REJOICE TOGETHER IN THE HOPE OF NEW BEGINNINGS.   

 

THE FINAL JOURNEY THE DOVE DOES NOT RETURN, FINDING HER PLACE IN HIS KINGDOM OF PROMISE, WHERE MAN AND BEAST CALL  EARTH  HOME ONCE AGAIN. WHERE THEY WILL MULTIPLY AND BE BLESSED FOREVER BY HIM WHO SITS UPON THE FLOOD.

 

Isaiah 43:1-2  "YOU ARE MINE!"

 

43 But now [in spite of past judgments for Israel’s sins], thus says the Lord, He Who created you, O Jacob, and He Who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you [ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives]; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.

 

 

² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.

 

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON,

ON LORD’S-DAY EVENING, MAY 20, 1883.

“They shall be as though I had not cast them aside.”

Zechariah 10:6.

YOU all know how God did, for a time, cast off His ancient people. Both Israel and Judah, after long provocation of

Jehovah, were carried away captive into the land of their enemies. God forsook His Temple and that glorious sanctuary

was laid in ruins. The whole land was given up to be the prey of the cruel foe and the inhabitants, themselves, were carried

into captivity beyond the rivers of Babylon. And they were sorely afflicted. They had greatly sinned and heavy was

their punishment. But now, by the mouth of the Prophet Zechariah, God talks to them of mercy and, as a choice note in

the message of mercy, He says that He will restore them to their old estate—and they shall be as though He had never

cast them aside. It is a wonderful promise! I pray that it may sound like heavenly music in the ear of many a backslider.

In commencing my sermon, I draw your attention to the preceding clause of the verse—“I will have mercy upon

them.” Learn from this that the only terms upon which God can deal with guilty men are terms of mercy—“I will have

mercy upon them.” Therefore, my Friend, if you would be saved, do not try to deal with God upon the footing of

justice.

If you do, you will first have to say that you have never sinned and that would be a lie. You will not be able to prove that

assertion—your lips, your eyes, your heart, your hands, your whole conduct will all be witnesses against you! You must

admit that you have

sinned. It may be that you will then try to find some excuse for your sin. You say, perhaps, that you

could not help it. But you might have helped it—you ought to have helped it. Or, possibly, you will try to make out that

your sin is very little. But your conscience knows that it is not little. If any one sin has been little—and I do not think

that is possible—you have added so many other evils to these grains of sin that you cannot count them, and your transgressions

are multiplied upon you! No, you will never make out a good case if you appeal to God’s justice, for Justice will

try you, condemn you, and cast you aside. God will not deal with you on those terms. Confess that you are guilty! Ask

Him, for His mercy’s sake, to pass over your guilt. Plead with Him, for His dear Son’s sake, to blot it out and He will

yield to such pleading as that—and He will deal with you in the way of mercy.

From the clause which follows my text I learn another lesson. The Lord says, “They shall be as though I had not cast

them aside: for I am the Lord their God, and will hear them.” From these words I gather that one of the surest tokens

that mercy is about to be received is

prayer—“I am the Lord their God, and will hear them.” But God would not hear

them if they did not pray, so, if you wish to know whether God is about to bless you, answer this question—Do you feel

that you need to pray? Is your heart beginning to cry to God, even now? Then He will hear you and, hearing you, He will

have mercy upon you! I care not what else there is about you that seems hopeful, if it cannot be said of you, “Behold, He

prays,” there is no solid ground for hope. But if, bowing your head in the pew at this moment, or even sitting still just as

you are, you are saying in your heart, “Lord, have mercy upon me! Lord, save me!” this is a blessed token that the angel

of mercy is close at hand! I trust, before this service is over, you will be saved, and have cause to praise and magnify the

Lord for His great mercy toward you!

 

"TESTIMONY OF JESUS"


Revelation 1:9
I, John, your brother and companion (sharer and participator) with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patient endurance [which are] in Jesus Christ, was on the isle called Patmos, [banished] on account of [my witnessing to] the Word of God and the testimony (the proof, the evidence) for Jesus Christ.


Revelation 12:17
So then the dragon was furious (enraged) at the woman, and he went away to wage war on the remainder of her descendants—[on those] who obey God’s commandments and who have the testimony of Jesus Christ [and adhere to it and bear witness to Him].


Revelation 19:10
Then I fell prostrate at his feet to worship (to pay divine honors) to him, but he [restrained me] and said, Refrain! [You must not do that!] I am [only] another servant with you and your brethren who have [accepted and hold] the testimony borne by Jesus. Worship God! For the substance (essence) of the truth revealed by Jesus is the spirit of all prophecy the vital breath, the inspiration of all inspired preaching and interpretation of the divine will and purpose, including both mine and yours].

BELOVED; THE PRECIOUS PEARL OF YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS YOUR TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST. IF SATAN CAN STEAL YOUR TESTIMONY BY YOUR SURRENDER TO INNER DOUBT,TRIALS,TRAGEDY AND CONFLICT, THAN HE WILL BE ABLE TO STEAL, KILL AND DESTROY YOUR STORY. WHEN YOU ACCEPTED CHRIST INTO YOUR LIFE, YOUR LIFE ENTERED INTO GOD'S LARGER STORY. YOUR SMALL STORY NOW ENTERED INTO THE ESSENCE OF REVEALED TRUTH IN JESUS, WHICH IS THE SPIRIT OF ALL PROPHECY,(LARGER STORY).

TESTIMONY OF JESUS IS;

THE VITAL BREATH, THE INSPIRATION OF ALL INSPIRED PREACHING AND INTERPRETATION OF DIVINE WILL AND PURPOSE,FROM ETERNITY'S MORNING UNTIL THIS VERY MOMENT, UNTIL HIS RETURN!

LUKE 24

²⁵ And [Jesus] said to them, O foolish ones [sluggish in mind, dull of perception] and slow of heart to believe (adhere to and trust in and rely on) everything that the prophets have spoken!

²⁶ Was it not necessary and essentially fitting that the Christ (the Messiah) should suffer all these things before entering into His glory (His majesty and splendor)?

²⁷ Then beginning with Moses and [throughout] all the Prophets, He went on explaining and interpreting to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning and referring to Himself.

^{"THORNS AND THISTLES"}
 

Genesis 3

 

  And to Adam He said, Because you have listened and given heed to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it, the ground is under a curse because of you; in sorrow and toil shall you eat [of the fruits] of it all the days of your life.

What voice have you listen too, and what have you eaten of the world?

 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth for you, and you shall eat the plants of the field.

The ground once blessed where we walked with God, yields the crop of sorrow, toil and sin.

 

 

 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her ^[Offspring; He will bruise and tread your head underfoot, and you will lie in wait and bruise His heel.

The Father's rescue plan is woven into the tapestry of the story of man and his Creator.

 

 

And the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become like one of Us [the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit], to know [how to distinguish between] good and evil and blessing and calamity; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever

Made in the image of our Creator,  the gift of eternal life was removed and paradise was lost.

 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.

The Garden of fellowship, became a hiding place. God said; "where are you ?"

 So [God] drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the Garden of Eden the cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep and guard the way to the tree of life.

Evicted by cherubim, the first Adam never to return.

 

 

 

 

Genesis 3:15 Christ fulfills through his victory over Satan the wonderful promise here spoken. See also Isa. 9:6; Matt. 1:23; Luke 1:31; Rom. 16:20; Gal. 4:4; Rev. 12:17.

The prophecy of promise. The second Adam will come and redeem us from the curse of the garden of sorrow and sin.

 

Isaiah 9:6

⁶ For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace.

 

Matthew 1:23

³ Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel—which, when translated, means, God with us.

 

Luke 1:31

³¹ And listen! You will become pregnant and will give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus.

 

Romans 16:20

²⁰ And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) be with you.

 

Galatians 4:4

⁴ But when the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to [the regulations of] the Law,

 

Revelation 12:17

¹⁷ So then the dragon was furious (enraged) at the woman, and he went away to wage war on the remainder of her descendants—[on those] who obey God’s commandments and who have the testimony of Jesus Christ [and adhere to it and ^[a]bear witness to Him].

Genesis 3:22 This sentence is left unfinished, as if to hasten to avert the tragedy suggested of men living on forever in their now fallen state.

The hope of eternal life, and fellowship with God now rest in those who have the testimony of Jesus Christ in them.

 

Matthew 16:25

For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting].

 

Genesis 3:24 Cherubim are ministering spirits manifesting God’s invisible presence and symbolizing His action.

REVELATION 18 

"CHERUBIM"

³ And again they shouted, Hallelujah (praise the Lord)! The smoke of her [burning] shall continue to ascend forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities).

 
⁴ Then the twenty-four elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] and the four living creatures fell prostrate and worshiped [paying divine honors to] God, Who sits on the throne, saying, Amen! Hallelujah (praise the Lord)!

⁵ Then from the throne there came a voice, saying, Praise our God, all you servants of His, you who reverence Him, both small and great!

⁶ After that I heard what sounded like the shout of a vast throng, like the boom of many pounding waves, and like the roar of terrific and mighty peals of thunder, exclaiming, Hallelujah (praise the Lord)! For now the Lord our God the Omnipotent (the All-Ruler) reigns!

⁷ Let us rejoice and shout for joy [exulting and triumphant]! Let us celebrate and ascribe to Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb [at last] has come, and His bride has prepared herself.

⁸ She has been permitted to dress in fine (radiant) linen, dazzling and white—for the fine linen is (signifies, represents) the righteousness (the upright, just, and godly living, deeds, and conduct, and right standing with God) of the saints (God’s holy people).

REVELATION 4

⁸ And the four living creatures, individually having six wings, were full of eyes all over and within [underneath their wings]; and day and night they never stop saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty (Omnipotent), Who was and Who is and Who is to come.

⁹ And whenever the living creatures offer glory and honor and thanksgiving to Him Who sits on the throne, Who lives forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities),

¹⁰ The twenty-four elders (^]the members of the heavenly Sanhedrin) fall prostrate before Him Who is sitting on the throne, and they worship Him Who lives forever and ever; and they throw down their crowns before the throne, crying out,

¹¹ Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and dominion, for You created all things; by Your will they were [brought into being] and were created.

 

BELOVED; THORNS AND THISTLES WERE NOT GOD'S PLAN FOR HIS SONS AND DAUGTHERS, BUT A CROWN. YOU WERE CREATED TO SIT IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS TO WALK IN THE GARDEN OF GOD, "A VAST THRONG", A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE OF GOD'S OWN POSSESSION.      Hallelujah!!!!!!!!

 

"THE BRIDE AND BRIDEGROOM"

Song of Solomon 8:14

Joyfully the radiant bride turned to him, the one altogether lovely, the chief among ten thousand to her soul, and with unconcealed eagerness to begin her life of sweet companionship with him, she answered Make haste, my beloved, and come quickly, like a gazelle or a young hart and take me to our waiting home upon the mountains of spices!

 

Psalm 19:5

 Bridegroom coming out of his chamber; and it rejoices as a strong man to run his course.

Matthew 25:1

Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

 

 

REVELATION

 

⁷ Let us rejoice and shout for joy [exulting and triumphant! Let us celebrate and ascribe to Him glory and honor, for the marriage of the Lamb [at last] has come, and His bride has prepared herself.

⁸ She has been permitted to dress in fine (radiant) linen, dazzling and white—for the fine linen is (signifies, represents) the righteousness (the upright, just, and godly living, deeds, and conduct, and right standing with God) of the saints (God’s holy people).

⁹ Then [the angel] said to me, Write this down: Blessed (happy, to be envied) are those who are summoned (invited, called) to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me [further], These are the true words (the genuine and exact declarations) of God.

¹⁰ Then I fell prostrate at his feet to worship (to pay divine honors) to him, but he [restrained me] and said, Refrain! [You must not do that!] I am [only] another servant with you and your brethren who have [accepted and hold] the testimony borne by Jesus. Worship God! For the substance (essence) of the truth revealed by Jesus is the spirit of all prophecy [the vital breath, the inspiration of all inspired preaching and interpretation of the divine will and purpose, including both mine and yours].

¹¹ After that I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse [appeared]! The One Who was riding it is called Faithful (Trustworthy, Loyal, Incorruptible, Steady) and True, and He passes judgment and wages war in righteousness (holiness, justice, and uprightness).

¹² His eyes [blaze] like a flame of fire, and on His head are many kingly crowns (diadems); and He has a title (name) inscribed which He alone knows or can understand.

¹³ He is dressed in a robe dyed by dipping in blood, and the title by which He is called is The Word of God.

 

 

 

John 3:16

 "GOD LOVED YOU FIRST"

 

¹⁶ For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

EPHESIANS 1

⁷ In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor,

⁸ Which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence),

⁹ Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose). [And it is this:] In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in ^[c]Him,

¹⁰ [He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth.

 

EPHESIANS 3

 

¹⁴ For this reason seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in Christ], I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁵ For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named [that Father from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name].

¹⁶ May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].

¹⁷ May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

¹⁸ That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];

¹⁹ [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

 

 

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!  YOU ARE LOVED WITH DIVINE LOVE!

Colossians 3

"SET YOUR MINDS"

 

 

3 If then you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

 

² And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.

 

³ For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God.

 

⁴ When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in [the splendor of His] glory.

 

⁵ So kill (deaden, ^[a]deprive of power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God).

 

EPHESIANS 1

 

 

⁵ For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [^[b]because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]—

⁶ [So that we might be] to the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace (favor and mercy), which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

⁷ In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor,

⁸ Which He lavished upon us in every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence),

⁹ Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose). [And it is this:] In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in ^[c]Him,

¹⁰ [He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth.

¹¹ In Him we also were made [God’s] heritage (portion) and we obtained an inheritance; for we had been foreordained (chosen and appointed beforehand) in accordance with His purpose, Who works out everything in agreement with the counsel and design of His [own] will,

¹² So that we who first hoped in Christ [who first put our confidence in Him have been destined and appointed to] live for the praise of His glory!

 

 

Beloved; set your minds and keep them set on what is above. He has a plan and purpose for your life. Amen!