52 Messages of Wisdom: Sermons by Bishop W. C. Hunter

By Dwight A. Swindle

"People pay hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to receive help in handling issues that we all face in our daily lives. However, many people seek help from mankind in dealing with their problems instead of seeking help from the ONE who has all the answers - GOD! This book provides answers to many of the issues that people face daily. Please open the book, then open your mind and allow God's Word, as it is explained in print, open your understanding in dealing with life's issues God's way."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503574052

Dwight A. Swindle

About the Authors Bishop W. C. Hunter began the ministry by teaching children on his porch. Noting a difference in their children’s behavior, the parents became interested in what their children were learning, and they came to hear Bishop Hunter for themselves. Always teaching about Jesus, Bishop Hunter, along with the parents and children, would meet from house to house until the houses became too small to hold the growing congregation. Eventually, the Lord led Bishop Hunter to a storefront building in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which became the church. The church was named Church of the Living God, which was taken from scripture in 1 Timothy 3:15. The church continued to grow, and in 1971, it was incorporated and became the World’s Church of the Living God. At this time, satellite churches were being established throughout the Southeast. Ministers teaching the same gospel—the gospel of Jesus Christ—departed Chattanooga and relocated to other cities. With steady growth, the Lord led Bishop Hunter to an actual church building that was for sale. That church has served as the ministry’s headquarters since 1979. Dwight Swindle was born and raised in Jemison, Alabama. Under the teaching of Bishop W. C. Hunter, he received salvation in Jesus Christ at an early age. Throughout his teenage years, college life, military service, and career as an educator, he has been taught God’s Word by Pastor Elijah Good as well as various pastors within the ministry. He relates his work on this book to the words of a song, “If you can use anything, Lord, You can use me.”

Book preview

52 MESSAGES OF WISDOM

SERMONS BY

BISHOP W. C. HUNTER

Founder and General Overseer

World’s Church of the Living God Ministry

Transcribed by

DWIGHT A. SWINDLE

Chief Warrant Officer 3

USAR - Retired

COPYRIGHT © 2015 BY DWIGHT A. SWINDLE.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CONTROL NUMBER:   2015908586

ISBN:   Hardcover   978-1-5035-7403-8

             Softcover    978-1-5035-7404-5

             eBook         978-1-5035-7405-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Rev. date: 06/02/2015

Xlibris

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www.Xlibris.com

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CONTENTS

Message 1     You Must Be Born Again

Message 2     Redemption

Message 3     Love

Message 4     Apply Thine Heart Unto Wisdom

Message 5     You Are Not Your Own

Message 6     God’s Plan For Increase

Message 7     Forgiveness

Message 8     Honor God

Message 9     The Power Of Words

Message 10   Traditions Of Men

Message 11   Walls

Message 12   Grafted In Love

Message 13   Spiritual War

Message 14   Who’s Got The Power?

Message 15   What Pleases God

Message 16   Elevation In The Spirit

Message 17   The Sower

Message 18   Law Or Grace

Message 19   The Valley Of The Dry Bones

Message 20   A Rich Life

Message 21   Who Hath Believed Our Report

Message 22   Fear Or Love

Message 23   From Jerusalem To Jericho

Message 24   Generation Of Dishonorable Children

Message 25   Keep Your Focus On God

Message 26   The Great Catching Away

Message 27   The 3-L Generation

Message 28   Over Or Under

Message 29   Confidence In The Lord

Message 30   An Awesome God

Message 31   Time And Multiply

Message 32   Blessed Or Cursed

Message 33   Removing The Curse (From Your Money)

Message 34   The Prodigal Son

Message 35   Freedom In God

Message 36   The Two Churches

Message 37   Spiritual House

Message 38   Hope

Message 39   God’s Order

Message 40   What God Did For Mankind

Message 41   Deliverance

Message 42   Whom Do You Trust?

Message 43   Know Your Enemy

Message 44   The Two Natures

Message 45   The Last Days

Message 46   The Responsibility Of God’s People

Message 47   Famine For God’s Word

Message 48   One God

Message 49   The Holy Marriage

Message 50   The Feast Days Of The Lord

Message 51   God, His Church, And Marriage

Message 52   The End Time

Purpose of This Book

During the late 1990s, my pastor Elder Elijah Good (World’s Church of the Living God, Clanton, Alabama) advised the congregation to order tapes of the sermons preached by Bishop W. C. Hunter. As a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, I took his advice to heart, realizing that this would be a way to have church while driving to and from duty. I ordered tapes from Elder Ernest Craw (assistant pastor of World’s Church of the Living God) throughout the 2000s. It was during this time that it came upon my heart to transcribe the sermons preached by Bishop Hunter and to compile them in a book. Pastor Good continually advises our congregation to use our talents for the Lord’s purpose, just as we use them for ourselves. I began transcribing messages while on active duty in 2003 and worked throughout the years to fulfill what I felt God had put upon my heart. As I listened to the messages, handwrote them, and typed them, God led me to one particular sermon in this volume that helped me get past a very challenging situation that I faced. It was then that the purpose of this book became clear to me—someone could be delivered from a challenging situation, which he or she is facing, and the only deliverance through that situation is given in God’s Word. It is my desire that those who read this book will come to acknowledge the Almighty God as the Lord of Hosts, that lost souls will accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and that people will come to know Bishop W. C. Hunter as a man of God, whom the Lord has used to deliver his Word for over fifty years. I have no doubt that those who read the messages (or sermons) contained within will come across information that will move them through some circumstance or situation in their lives. Mostly, I hope that someone will read this book and accept Jesus Christ as his or her eternal Savior.

Acknowledgments

I thank my heavenly Father, the Almighty God, for salvation through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I thank God for placing the desire in my heart to transcribe these messages/sermons into a volume of a book. I thank the Lord for the General Overseer of our church ministry, Bishop W. C. Hunter, for delivering God’s Word to me when I was just a youth and for Pastor Elijah Good for giving me the Word throughout my life. I thank Elder Ernest Craw for providing the messages that are given throughout this book and my sisters in the Gospel, Rebecca Cowan and Etta McAfee, for helping ensure that this text is grammatically correct. I thank my mother, Georgia Swindle, for raising me to be a proper man and my siblings for being positive examples that I could emulate. I thank the Lord for my loving family—Madeline, my wife; Jessica, Josiah, and Savannah, my children—for their enduring love and support. Lastly, I thank God for doing something for me that I could not do for myself—provide me eternal salvation through Christ Jesus.

My heart is inditing a good matter:

I speak of the things which I

have made touching the king:

my tongue is the pen of a

ready writer.

Psalms 45:1

YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN

There is only one God. He speaks, and life is given. He speaks, and life is taken away. By Him, worlds have come and gone. The Almighty God has caused nations to rise and cease to exist. Yes, He is God! One day this world will depart, and a new world, which He has determined, will be established. Those that know Him, whom He has redeemed, will reign with Him in the new world—the world that is to come.

I hope as you read these pages, you will do so with an open mind. I desire that you open your heart and be receptive to what God has to tell you. In these pages, you will be introduced to the Word of God, as it has been preached by a man of God, chosen by God, to teach God’s Word. I ask, as you read the transcription of these messages (or sermons), that you take your Bible and follow along as the Word of God is revealed to you.

You will notice that some scriptures will be repeated throughout this text. You will also recognize some familiar quotes, such as As a child of the Lord, you must do things God’s way, which was true in biblical times, and it is true during these days as well. I hope that you understand how precious the gift of God is, which you will be introduced to today.

In this first message, you will receive an invitation to become part of God’s family. Unlike the things that most preachers and religions teach, you cannot join God’s family, you must be born into it, and in these pages, you will learn how this birth, or rebirth, takes place.

God has a plan for everything He created. And he has a plan for mankind. Due to Adam disobeying God in the Garden of Eden, God has a plan of salvation. The Lord knew that man would disobey Him and violate His instructions. Because of man’s disobedience, sin came upon mankind as well as upon every person born through Adam and Eve (which includes everyone but Jesus). Everyone inherited sin! Sin separates man from God. Sin is not allowed in the presence of God; therefore, man is not allowed in the presence of God!

If a man or woman dies in sin, an eternal lake of fire and brimstone will be his or her home forever. But because of God’s precious love for mankind, there is a way of escape, and it is only through salvation in Christ Jesus. Let’s go to God’s Word.

Romans 3:10–11

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

It is essential that everyone realizes that he needs to see himself the way which God does. An individual might notice a person—the way he dresses, his social status, etc.—and think that that person is all right. A person might look at himself and consider certain things like his job, his family, or his career, and feel that he is a pretty good guy.

But how does God see him? What does the Lord of Hosts think about you? His Word says that there is none righteous, no, not one.

There is no one that understands God, and a natural man cannot seek Him. A human being cannot understand the Holy God of Heaven. When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, he and the rest of mankind died spiritually. Someone who is spiritually dead cannot seek a living God. I hope that this makes sense to you.

Romans 3:12

They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Notice that you do not see the word some here. The scripture says that they are all gone out of the way. All means all, and no one is exempt! This includes the entire human race. It does not matter how rich a person is, how well educated he is, or how much moral decency an individual possesses. Due to the sin that was inherited through Adam, everyone is unprofitable to God. Think of some of the leaders or entertainers that you have known. Some ended their lives in misery. This is due to sin. People need to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Only then will a person’s life become profitable. It is then that God will use you, bless you, and will allow people to see Himself through you—by the way in which you live your life.

Romans 3:13–14

Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

Mankind uses deceit to try and get an advantage in situations or to make oneself look good or perhaps to appear to be a victim. Everyone is guilty of this, and sin causes people to use deceit. Folks often say that they do not curse or use profanity. But Jesus said that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. So if you thought damnation, hurt, or if you cursed someone with a thought, it is as if you actually spoke the words. People may be good at refraining from saying certain things, but their actual thoughts would really surprise you if you knew them. Again, there is none righteous, no, not one.

Romans 3:15–16

Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways:

Some folks are quick to take another person’s life and thrive on living a life of violence. You may know someone like this. I have even heard of folks that hunt other people for sport. It may be hard to believe this, but such things are in the heart of men. Destruction and misery lie in the path of folks like this. The end result for these people is not good!

Romans 3:17–18

And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Leaders talk peace and pretend to encourage it, yet they are often ready to start a conflict or war with others. The world is full of people who are against or have an aught against others. This is why people protest and have demonstrations around the world. It is even hard to find peace in some homes these days. Most parents do not have authority over their children, and many husbands and wives do not agree on how to raise their children. God looks down upon mankind and knows that we need help—His help! I hope that you can see and understand what’s being explained to you.

There is no fear of God when folks get on the radio and television and make jokes about the One who created everything—the One who gave them life! People may feel that this is just the way things ought to be, but what does God’s Word say? It should scare a person to even have an awkward thought in his mind about the Lord. Let’s see what another scripture says about the state of mankind.

Isaiah 64:6

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities like the wind, have taken us away.

Understand, this is not being presented to you to judge or condemn you. God inspired this book because He loves you, and those that preach the undefiled Word of God love you! People may read this and think about those who are model citizens, those that volunteer in the community, and those folks with good morals and ethics. Believe me, all of these have their place and are good for society. I thank God for people who do good in the community and toward others, but this does not qualify a person as righteous before God. A person’s sins must be forgiven! Sin can only be forgiven by accepting what God did for mankind through His Son Jesus. This is how salvation is received. Now let’s look into salvation.

St. John 3:1–2

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

A Pharisee was a highly educated person among the religious sect during Jesus’s time. They were interpreters of the law. This person was an expert in the Law of Moses. Folks respected Pharisees so much that they would bow down to them if they met them in the streets. However, these highly educated religious doctors recognized that there was something unique about Jesus. They had heard about Him and had seen His miracles. They evidently sent Nicodemus to find out just who Jesus was and to gather information about Him. The Pharisees recognized that God was in Jesus, and folks today recognize God’s Spirit in His people.

St. John 3:3–4

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb and be born?

Notice that Jesus went directly to the point! He spoke to Nicodemus back then, and His Word is speaking to you right now—Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Notice that Jesus said born again and not join. Joining a church or religion will not get you into God’s kingdom—you must be born again!

Every person that was ever born on earth was conceived with a man’s sperm and a woman’s egg. Jesus is the only exception. When a person is born in the flesh, he is born in sin and shaped in iniquity. This is the first birth, and left undone, it will lead a person straight to hell. So there must be a second birth. You must be born again!

St. John 3:5–7

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

When a man is born again, he is born into the wonderful kingdom of God. This person is taken out of the world of sin and darkness and given the marvelous light of the Lord. This is spiritual, and only those that are born again and have tasted that the Lord is good can comprehend it. Jesus said that a person must be born of water and of the Spirit. Just as a natural birth requires sperm and seed, the heavenly birth requires both the water and Spirit. Let’s look and see what the water and Spirit are that Jesus is referring to.

St. John 4:7–9

There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

This woman was destined to meet Jesus. Notice that His disciples were gone; therefore, Jesus could talk to this woman one-on-one. Jesus did something here of which many people are unaware—He broke a racial barrier. During these times, Jews and Samaritans held no relationship with each other because Samaritans were a mixed-bred nationality. Folks look down upon and separate themselves from people, even today, because of racial differences. Jesus broke the racial barrier, so why can’t we? Should we not follow the Savior’s example?

St. John 4:10

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Jesus spoke of the gift of God. Salvation is a gift. There is nothing that anyone can do to earn or deserve salvation. A person cannot send off for it. Salvation cannot be purchased, nor can it be obtained naturally. This living water is not natural water; therefore, salvation cannot be obtained through natural water baptism. You cannot get that which is spiritual from a natural source. Keep reading—you will see shortly what this water is.

St. John 4:11–14

The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

The woman whom Jesus spoke to had her mind on the well water—the natural water. But Jesus informed her that folks who drink the well water would continue to thirst. Jesus made a distinction here when He said, The water that I shall give shall be … water springing up into everlasting life. This water must be spiritual in order to give a person everlasting life.

St. John 4:15–18

The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

Notice here that Jesus told this woman that not only had she five previous husbands, but that she was also not married to the man that she was with presently. This put her on the spot. It showed her who she really was. What Jesus said convicted her. Before a person can be born again, he must acknowledge that he is a sinner. You can only receive forgiveness of your sin by admitting that you are a sinner. You must ask God to forgive you of your sins, to come into your heart and be your Lord and Savior. This is how a person receives salvation.

Now that you have seen this, let’s go and see what the water is that Jesus discussed with the woman.

Ephesians 5:26

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.

This is the water that Jesus spoke of, which will spring up into everlasting life. The water is the Word of God. God’s Word enters into a person’s mind and cleans him. It washes one’s conscience. This same water—the Word—continues to wash you each time you hear it and receive it. This is why it is so important to go to church so your mind and conscience will be cleaned. Just think of all the trash talk that you hear, the profanity and the bad thoughts that go through your mind throughout the week. You need something to clean all that filth from your mind, and God’s Word—the water—does just that!

St. John 15:3

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

This scripture confirms what you just read in Ephesians. Only the Word of God can clean a person’s mind and soul. People visit psychiatrists, psychologists, attend lectures and similar types of gatherings to try and get their thinking in order. Believe this, only the power of God’s Word can clean your mind and renew your thinking. I hope that you have learned something here.

Now you should understand that the water is God’s Word, which is one part that’s needed for a person to be born again. Now let’s look at the second requirement.

St. John 6:63

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

The word quickeneth means life-giving. It is God’s Holy Spirit that gives you eternal life. So when a person hears the Word of God (the water), which washes his mind and soul, then and only then will God’s Spirit come into that person, abide in him, and make him alive spiritually. This is how a lost man or woman receives eternal life—there is no other way! People talk about life and death situations; believe me, accepting or rejecting God’s gift of salvation determines eternal life or death. Let’s look at a few more scriptures.

St. Luke 18:9–14

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Note the difference between these two men and understand that Jesus is speaking so it fits people. The Pharisee, a highly religious, highly educated man like Nicodemus, told God how good he was. Remember that scripture shows that there is none good, but this Pharisee was righteous in his own mind. He probably felt that his fasting, good deeds, or what he knew in the law justified him, but it is not what you know but who you know—the Savior Jesus.

However, the publican was ashamed to even raise his eyes to God. He knew that he was a wretched sinner. He did this—he acknowledged that he was a sinner and asked God to be merciful unto him. Jesus said that the publican left justified. The man received salvation because he admitted that he was a sinner. Every man and woman, young or old, who walks the face of the earth must follow this same example and do it God’s way!

You must realize that your good deeds—help in the community, volunteering, etc.—although good for society, is not a substitute for God’s righteousness. The only way to receive His righteousness is to acknowledge that you are a sinner; ask God to come into your heart, save your soul, and be Lord of your life.

My sincere desire is, after reading this message, you realize that if you do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and if you have never asked for the gift of salvation, you need to do so now before it is too late. You must be born again!

REDEMPTION

Mankind has an enemy, and that enemy is the devil. He seeks to destroy whoever he can. He is on the warpath even now. He desires to capture the minds of people, especially young people. If he can gain the control of young folks’ minds, then he will have power over their lives. It is all about who controls the mind. The devil can gain control of one’s mind by using other people. Lives are often destroyed this way. People can be led by the devil to help gain control of the lives of others and lead those individuals to destruction.

No one should have control over your life and mind but you and God’s anointing. God’s anointing is the power of His spirit. Money, positions in life, fame, or things like that should not have power over anyone. Allow God to have control over your life. When He has control and rules over you, you will have peace and liberty. If the devil has control over you and your mind, you will be in bondage and live a life of misery. So who is in control of your mind and life?

I am sure that you realize that mankind needs God. Some may ask, why? Why did Jesus need to come here on earth? Why did the Savior need to suffer persecution, get beaten, die, and rise again? God’s Word will give the answer.

Romans 3:10–11

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is no that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

Mankind, in his natural state, cannot know or understand God. Because of sin, mankind is spiritually separated from God. Man cannot know the Lord and be separated from Him simultaneously. Mankind has to be brought back to God, and it takes Jesus to make this happen. The Word says, There is none that understandeth … The only way to understand God is when He reveals Himself to a person. This is the only way a man or woman can understand God or His Word. This is not obtained through formal education but through the teaching of God’s Word.

Romans 3:12

They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

The entire human race, regardless of gender, social status, or ethnic background, lives their lives by the mercy of God. The only way that man can return to his rightful place with the Lord is when God gives him eternal life. A man’s worth in this world and its system are worthless to the Lord. Everything that a person does, without being in God’s will, is vanity. Mankind, in his natural state, is deceitful and leads a life of misery. For example, a woman whose husband has cheated on her will often try to convince other women not to trust their husbands because misery loves company. People affect others with lies and deceit so that others will become just like them. If you take note of some of the conversations you hear on a daily basis, you will realize that this is true. If God’s mercy is not extended to such people, they will only get worse.

1 Thessalonians 5:1–2

But of the times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that they day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

God’s people may not know the minute or hour that Jesus will return, but the Word says that we know the time and season. Jesus’s return, to catch away His church, will come upon the earth like a thief in the night and catch the world off guard.

1 Thessalonians 5:3–4

For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

People speak and desire peace all over the world. Every nation is working for what it considers to be peace and safety. The truth is that Jesus did not come to bring peace to this world in its lost state. He came to give peace to those who love and trust Him. The world does not know the way of peace. Peace can only be obtained through the Spirit of the Lord.

1Thessalonians 5:5

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

Understand that there are two types of people in the world: those of the light who are God’s people, and those of darkness who are in sin. It is like a blind person in a kitchen who knows that food is present because he can smell it but cannot get to it because he keeps stumbling and falling while trying to reach it. This is the way that some individuals live their lives. They are without Christ; however, they know that there is something better for them, but they do not know how to find it. This is certainly not something to feel good about, but it is true. Only God can provide spiritual light, but a person must receive that light.

St. John 6:61–62

When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

Jesus referred to Himself as the bread of life. The people who heard Him did not comprehend that He spoke in a spiritual sense. The people understood what Jesus said only in a natural sense and were offended due to a lack of understanding.

St. John 6:63

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Only the Spirit of God can quicken or make a person alive. Man has natural life because of the breath that God gave him. But if a person has not been quickened or made alive spiritually, then that person will only think on natural things that are here on earth and never consider the things of God. A person will never see things God’s way without the Holy Spirit abiding within him. God will never order a man’s steps if His spirit is not in him. If a person receives, believes, and obeys what the Word of God tells him, it will mean life to him. If the Word is rejected and disobeyed, it will lead to death.

Deuteronomy 30:14

But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

This is the same Word that you have been reading throughout these pages. This scripture precedes a very similar scripture in Romans 10. The Word says to hear it and do it. By doing it, one must operate in what the Word says. You may have never considered that the same thing that can bring good to you can also cause your hurt. Consider water. Water can revive a person who is thirsty, but that same water, if swallowed incorrectly, can cause a person to choke.

Deuteronomy 30:15

See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

After a person hears God’s word, one of two events will take place in his life: he will receive a combination of life and good, or he will receive death and evil. No one is exempt from one of these two things taking place. Those that reject God’s Word will receive death and evil. For that person who receives the Word as true, this person can receive real life through the shed blood of Jesus. Again, those who receive the Word receive life; those that reject the Word receive spiritual death.

Deuteronomy 30:16

In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

This was true for God’s people, Israel then, and it is true for the born-again believers today. God said that He would bless you wherever you go. God is not a man that He should tell a lie! This is true for the young and the old who put their faith in God. God can keep the youth who are pressured and influenced by society. Just keep your mind on Him, and He will keep you in peace, perfect peace.

St. Luke confirms that there is eternal life, or death, in accepting God’s Word.

St. Luke 16:19–21

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

This is not a scripture that I enjoy reading, but I will obey the Lord and give His Word as He leads me. Notice that this rich man had good things in this life. There is nothing wrong in having good things. He was rich and had abundance. Being rich does not necessarily mean having an abundance of money. A person can be rich in many things —pride, folly, glamour, excessive living, and the like. Surely, this rich man noticed Lazarus as he went in and out of his gate, but he chose to ignore him. If this rich man had had the love of God in his heart, he would not have left Lazarus in that condition day after day.

St. Luke 16:22

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died and was buried;

It came to pass that the beggar died and was taken home to be with the Lord. This is the end result for all who die in Christ. Abraham’s bosom represents the place of eternal rest and peace with the Lord. Notice also that the rich man died. He probably had never considered death, just the life that he had here on earth. Yet he died. It is not the death that is important but where you will spend eternity after you die. Everyone ever born of a man and woman will face God one day in judgment. Are you ready to face the Almighty God once you leave here?

St. Luke 16:23–24

And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

Notice that this man could see in hell. In hell, the fire will never cease and a person’s soul will be in eternal torment. From a far distance, this man saw Father Abraham, who represents God, and Lazarus in paradise. The man could actually see what he had missed. Just seeing what he missed was a torment all by itself. He cried out for mercy once he was in hell. You must understand that a person must repent and ask for mercy and forgiveness of sin on this side of eternity. Notice too that he recognized Lazarus, the same man he had ignored when he was living lavishly here on earth, and desired comfort from him.

St. Luke 16:25–26

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

What mattered was what this rich man had done during his lifetime while here on earth. He had possessions and lived comfortably and probably never acknowledged God for what he had acquired. This man’s cry of repentance was not accepted in hell. Thus, there is no salvation beyond the grave. The Word says that there is a great gulf fixed. Therefore, it cannot be true that hell is in the center of the earth, as some religious leaders have said.

St. Luke 16:27–29

Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

When it was too late, the rich man began to consider others. He wanted Lazarus to go to his family and tell them about hell. He may have heard a minister preach about hell at some point during his time on earth, but he blew it off. That rich man was told that there are prophets and men of God who are preaching the truth about hell, so his family already had someone to warn them about this place of doom.

St. Luke 16:30–31

And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

The rich man went one step further and asked that someone from the dead be sent to his family to warn them about hell … He probably still had Lazarus in mind. However, he was told that his family would not believe, even if someone like Lazarus returned from the dead and told them about hell. Just think about this: Jesus returned from the dead and also gave the scriptures that you just read. Jesus had informed mankind about hell through His Word, but many still take it lightly and do not believe. If Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection and His Word do not convince people that they need a Savior, nothing will!

It was recorded hundreds of years before Jesus appeared that He would come, as well as what He would do for mankind.

Isaiah 53:1

Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

A report is given each time a minister sent by God preaches God’s Word to people. Who will believe it? God has revealed His arm of mercy and love to people throughout centuries, but who has reached out and accepted it?

Isaiah 53:2–3

For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

God brought Jesus up as a tender plant. Jesus had heavenly blood because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Jesus could not have had Mary’s blood; if so, His blood would have been contaminated with sin. It was not. That is why He bled the way He did when He was pierced through the side at Calvary. Jesus came through the Jewish nation. He was made kin to man. Jesus was not a pretty boy as He is portrayed in some man-made portraits that we see. A person would have to love Jesus because he recognized that God was in Him. True love sees what is on the inside of a person. Jesus was not loved by everyone either. He was despised and rejected by men when He was here on earth. His people are rejected even today. Some religious individuals are ashamed to speak aloud the name Jesus. People will identify with a particular religion before they claim the name of Jesus.

Isaiah 53:4–5

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

The sin of man had to be punished … the same punishment that was shown to the rich man in the Gospel of Luke. The ultimate penalty for unforgiven sin is torment in hell. However, Jesus came and gave His life so that mankind could escape such punishment purely because God so loved the world … If a person receives and truly believes this and asks forgiveness for his sin, then that person will be saved and will escape eternal damnation.

Jesus took our grief and sorrow upon Himself. We do not need to bear them because He took the burdens for us. We can cast our grief and sorrow on Him through prayer. Since Jesus did all this for us, all we need to do is cast these off. Notice that He was stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God. You probably never realized this before. Yes, the soldiers performed the duty and carried out the acts, fulfilling God’s will for mankind. Jesus was wounded for our transgressions. He did not go through all this because of what He had done but because of who we are … sinners! God chastised Jesus for all our sins … past, present, and future. Jesus was punished and died so that we could have life, eternal life. This is the redemption story!

Psalms 22:1–2

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

David prophesied about the sufferings Jesus would endure years before He was born of the virgin in Bethlehem. God had to reveal this to David. My God, my God …, the same words that Jesus cried out are recorded in the New Testament. He cried out that God had left Him because the Spirit had departed His body when sin came upon it. Jesus was beaten, humiliated, and crucified all because God so loved the world. Jesus desired to please His Father, and He did.

Psalms 22:3–4

But thou are holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

Scripture says that God is holy. Even though it was predicted what Jesus would endure, it is also recorded that God is holy. A holy God cannot look on sin, for His eyes are holy. Since Jesus became sin for mankind, God could not deliver Him. God delivered the three Hebrew boys who were cast in the fiery furnace as well as preserved Daniel in the lion’s den. But for mankind’s sake, He did not deliver Jesus. God did not deliver His precious, only begotten, beloved Son because He loved mankind so much.

Psalms 22:5–10

They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake their head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. But thou art he that took me out of the wound: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.

Jesus was totally defenseless while He was on the cross. People laughed at Him and mocked Him saying that He could not be delivered from that cross (St. Matthew 27:41–43). Despite the people’s laughing and mocking, God was in total control of what was going to happen to Jesus from the time Mary began to carry Him during her pregnancy.

St. Matthew 27:26

Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

During this time, leaders, like Pilate, would release a prisoner from jail just as some mayors and governors pardon folks of crime these days. Pilate asked the crowd if they preferred that he would release a notorious criminal, Barabbas, unto them or Jesus. The priests, stirring up the people, convinced them to request the release of Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. Pilate, recognizing that the priests were behind this, publicly washed his hands before the people because he knew