O DEATH WHERE IS THY STING? O GRAVE, WHERE IS THY VICTORY?

Well, praise the Lord everyone! I have another amazing lesson from the Bible. Why do I use the word amazing? Because in the Bible there are treasures that are just sitting there to be discovered, and these treasures are worth more than gold if you ask me. The people that found Gold in California during the Gold Rush, their lives were changed forever. They became rich. Well, believe it or not, the treasures in the Bible once you discover all of God's promises for you, without a doubt, your life will change forever also. Money and earthly goods are a necessity while you are on this earth, but money cannot buy your salvation. Money will bring a temporary peace and satisfaction, but it cannot fill that emptiness in our hearts. Only what God has written and prepared for us in the Bible will give us true peace and satisfaction deep down in our soul. We were made in the image of God. We have a part of God in us that always wants to search for the things of God. We can never be at peace; we need God on the inside to find that satisfaction as I just mentioned. And unfortunately, not too many will ever find out because they refuse to hear and seek truth. They will just be too busy with the kingdoms Satan has offered them and that is what is going to keep them from rising up from the graves in the day when Jesus calls us to meet him in the clouds. The kingdoms I'm talking about is fame, riches, Hugh amount of entertainment and pleasures. All this is called Idolatry. This is when you put all these things before God. All this kingdoms Satan offered Jesus, but Jesus wouldn't budge. Jesus remained steadfast, Luke 4:5 reads: And the devil took him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. and said to him, I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to, so if you worship me, it will all be yours. Jesus answered, it is written; worship the Lord your God and serve him only.

Well, getting down to the lesson, the continuation about Lazarus being raise from the dead, I believe we read on the last lesson was where Jesus told Martha He was the resurrection, and the life and where Martha believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world and those were verses 25-27 of John 11. Today I like to read where Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. On my last lesson we talk about Lazarus being raise but I didn't read the scriptures where Jesus calls out the name of Lazarus to come forth.

Jesus had told his disciples earlier; Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may wake him out of sleep. When we die, we will also sleep until the day when Jesus calls us out of the grave to receive our new glorified body that the Bible talks about in Philippians 3:21 which reads like this: Who will change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. and 11 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Now we will read verses 33 all the way to 45, When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit and was troubled. verse 34, And said, where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord come and see. verse 35 Jesus wept. verse 36 Then the Jews said, behold how he loved him! Verse 37 And some of them said, could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? verse38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave, It was a cave, and a stone laid upon it. Verse39 Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh; for he hath been dead four days. Verse 40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Verse 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth! Verse 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin (or a cloth around his face) Jesus saith unto them, loose him, and let him go. Verse 45 Then many of the Jews which came with Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

Wow! what a miracle and what an event this will be when we will be called out of our graves like Lazarus did. Let's read 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. How plain can this be for us to read what will happen in the last days. If you noticed at the end of the verse it said, and they that hear shall live. What this is saying, is that only the ones that died in Christ will hear the voice of Christ. Only these will rise from their tombs. The ones that refused to hear and accept the truth, will not rise until the day of judgement. That will be the great white throne that I will talk about later on my lessons.

Now John 5:28 reads like this: Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, verse 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. Now we also can read in 1 Corinthians 15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. This is saying by Adam our late father came death, but by Jesus the resurrection of the dead.

verse 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. verse 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

So, this verse is saying, Christ which was the first one to be raised from the dead, then all of those that died in Christ. And these that died in Christ are the ones that were born again. This is when Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of the water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

If you are not too familiar with this passage about being born again, I will most definitely bring you a lesson on the subject. Earlier I mentioned when Jesus said I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. So, Jesus is saying even if we are dead, we will rise in that day. This is most definitely an unbelievable event that only God can perform. Now before I end this message, I want to read to you 1 Cor. 15:50-58 then I will close,

I tell you my brethren, if you read God's it will give you the knowledge you need to prepare for heaven and to teach others. Believe it or not, there's people that don't know anything about the Bible. Satan doesn't want them to discover the truth on how to be saved. So, my fellow listeners it falls on us to tell them about God's Word.

Well I hope and pray my words will not bore you in anyway. I am just trying to teach you many beautiful promises God has for us but at the same time warn you of things that will come to pass. God will put an end to all sin and this world.

Well, my brethren, I will end this lesson, but there's more mysteries and beautiful promises God wants us to have and enjoy. Let us pray, Until next time, your brother in Christ, Cipriano