Post by Les Brewer on Jun 16, 2012 14:36:07 GMT
“THOUGHT FOR THE DAY!” By Pastor Robert Oliver
Luke 23:43 says, “And JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, VERILY I SAY UNTO THEE, 'TODAY' SHALT THOU BE WITH ME 'IN' PARADISE!”
Well Glory to GOD Beloved for those "WORDS IN RED" When JESUS “SPOKE” On Earth! Now 'Here' We Find the BLESSED LORD JESUS “WINNING” A LOST SOUL, Even In His "DEATH!" What a Glorious 'Example' Our Dear LORD Is to Us Beloved Brethren, in Always 'Seeking' to Bring the Lost to Salvation! I Want Us to Consider “6” Amazing 'Truths' from our Verse today Concerning this Event:
First, Notice “WHO” It Is That Makes this Promise: Luke writes~ “AND 'JESUS' SAID!” Oh Glory to GOD, How this 'Thrills' My Soul Saints to 'Know' that JESUS CHRIST “HIMSELF” Makes a Divine 'Proclamation' to a “HOPELESS” Hell-Bound Sinner, and Brings “LIFE & IMMORTALITY” out of Seeming Defeat! You Talk About 'Snatching' a Brand From the "Fire!" Just 'When' the Devil "Thought" he Had 'another' Soul for Hell, "JESUS" Comes along and 'Spoils' his Day Completely! Oh I’m So 'Glad' that JESUS Is the MASTER “SAVIOUR!” Listen to Me: 'Anything' that JESUS CHRIST “PROMISES” IN HIS WORD, 'BY' HIS SPIRIT, You Can 'Bank' On it and 'Depend' On it “ETERNALLY!!!” Listen, 'When' Pilate Asked JESUS CHRIST “What is TRUTH?” He Had 'No' Idea whatsoever that He Was "STARING IT STRAIGHT IN THE EYES!" JESUS is the "EMBODIMENT OF TRUTH!!!"
But Secondly, Notice “WHO” HE Said it to: Luke says~ “AND JESUS SAID 'UNTO' HIM!” Question: "WHO" is the 'HIM' of verse 43? Answer: it’s the “THIEF” of verse 32! Beloved, JESUS is 'Speaking' to a “MALEFACTOR!” Listen, the Word Means “EVIL-DOER!” It’s What They Called “CRIMINALS!” I Mean He was "GUILTY" of Being a "THIEF!" And “THAT” Was "You & Me!" Listen, We Were “DOERS” of EVIL, "Spiritual" Criminals, 'GUILTY' BEFORE GOD, Condemned, 'DEAD' Spiritually, and "On Our Way" to a Devil’s Hell! But "BLESS GOD JESUS CAME ALONG ONE DAY" and SAID “COME UNTO ME” AND I WILL "GIVE THEE LIFE!!!" Oh Beloved, How We 'Need' to Read this Text Humbly, and 'Recognize' Our Own Wicked 'Propensity' Toward Evil, Our 'Natural' Enmity Against GOD, Our Sinful 'Tendency' Toward SIN, and Our Hopeless 'Estrangement' From Our "HOLY MAKER!" Listen to Me, You & I Were "JUST AS GUILTY AS THE THIEF ON THE CROSS, FOR PUTTING JESUS CHRIST ON THAT MIDDLE CROSS!" And I’m Here to 'Tell' You Today, That JESUS CHRIST “SPEAKS” THESE PRECIOUS WORDS TO “EVERY” SINGLE ONE OF 'US' WHO WILL SINCERELY “ADMIT” OUR 'TRUE' CONDITION, AND OUR ABSOLUTE “NEED” OF A "SAVIOUR!" Remember the Pharisees, the 'Religious' Bunch, How They "REJECTED THE DEAR SAVIOUR" and Attempted to "CAST HIM AWAY" From Their Coasts! They Didn’t Want 'JESUS' Stepping on Their "RELIGION!" But Oh This Poor 'Hopeless' THIEF On the Cross 'Next' to JESUS, HE “SAW” HIS DEEPEST "NEED!" And He Didn’t NEED A RELIGION, HE "NEEDED A SAVIOUR!!!"
But Thirdly, Notice “WHAT” JESUS SAYS TO HIM: Luke writes~ “AND JESUS 'SAID' UNTO HIM, 'VERILY' I SAY UNTO THEE!” Wow! Did You 'Catch' That? Oh How 'Precious' Are These "WORDS FROM THE LIPS OF THE DEAR SAVIOUR!" HE Says~ “I HAVE 'GOOD NEWS' BROTHER!” And JESUS Uses the Word “VERILY!” That Means “TRULY” I SAY UNTO YOU! Oh Church I’m So 'Glad' that JESUS “TELLS US THE TRUTH!” Beloved Believers I’m So 'Thankful' today That "OUR GOD CANNOT LIE!!!" And 'Everything' That "HE PROMISES US IN HIS 'WORD' HE WILL FULFILL!" Listen, in John 8:40 JESUS Said~ “BUT NOW YE SEEK TO 'KILL' ME, A MAN THAT HATH TOLD YOU THE 'TRUTH', WHICH I HAVE HEARD OF GOD!” Listen, JESUS 'TOLD' THE TRUTH, EVEN WHEN HE “KNEW” THAT “HE WOULD BE REJECTED” BECAUSE OF THE TRUTH! JESUS Says to the Thief here, "I AM GOING TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, BUT YOU MUST 'DECIDE' IF YOU WILL RECEIVE IT!!!"
But Fourthly, Notice the “IMMEDIATE” Transformation: Luke writes~ “AND JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, VERILY I SAY UNTO THEE, 'TODAY' SHALT THOU BE!” Oh Me Oh My Beloved, Did You 'Hear' That? Listen, JESUS Didn’t Say “AFTER” a thousand years of “Soul-Sleep!” And HE Didn’t Say “AFTER” a thousand years in purgatory! And HE Didn't Say "AFTER" We BAPTIZE You in the Jordan River! And HE Didn't Say "AFTER" You Join the Church, Sign up for Sunday School, Hit the Altar, and Go through a Box of Kleenex! No, JESUS SAID “TODAY!!!” HE Said "You Will DIE TODAY AND YOU WILL GO TO HEAVEN TODAY!" Now, He Didn’t Actually Go to HEAVEN Itself Yet, Because 'PARADISE' (Abraham’s Bosom) Was NOT YET ASCENDED, But the TRUTH STILL APPLIES! When We Take our 'Final' Breath Beloved Paul said in II Corinthians 5:8~ “TO BE ABSENT FROM THE BODY, IS TO BE 'PRESENT' WITH THE LORD!” Listen Believers, YOU WILL BE “IMMEDIATELY” USHERED INTO THE "PRESENCE OF JESUS CHRIST" IN HEAVEN ABOVE, 'WHEN' YOU TAKE YOUR FINAL BREATH! Don’t Listen to the JW’s who Teach “ANNIHILATION” of the SOUL! The SOUL “CANNOT” CEASE TO 'EXIST', it is ETERNAL, AND WILL EXIST “SOMEWHERE” FOREVER! Paul said in Philippians 1:23~ “HAVING A DESIRE TO DEPART, AND TO BE 'WITH' CHRIST, WHICH IS FAR BETTER!” It’s "INSTANTANEOUS, NOT GRADUAL!!!"
Ok But Fifthly, Notice “WHO” WE’LL BE WITH: Luke writes~ “AND JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, VERILY I SAY UNTO THEE, TODAY SHALT THOU BE 'WITH' ME!” Oh Glory Hallelu-Yah Beloved, This is the 'GREATEST THING' ABOUT HEAVEN OF ALL: “JESUS CHRIST” WILL BE THERE “WITH” US!!! JESUS 'Says' to the Poor Dying Thief, “DON’T WORRY ABOUT A THING, BECAUSE 'TODAY', YOU & ME, WE’LL BE 'TOGETHER' IN HEAVEN (PARADISE)!” Oh Think of it Dear One, No Matter 'What' You May Be Going Through Today, "YOU WILL BE WITH 'JESUS' ONE DAY IN HEAVEN!" And I Say Unto You, that “JESUS” IS WHAT "MAKES HEAVEN HEAVEN!!!"
But Sixthly, Finally, Notice “WHERE” HE TELLS HIM He Will Go: Luke writes~ “AND JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, VERILY I SAY UNTO THEE, TODAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME 'IN' PARADISE!” Oh Glory! Listen Carefully in Closing Today Beloved! 'Paradise' is Now “VACANT!” Paradise "Was" the Place of Abraham’s Bosom, Where All the 'Old Testament' Saints Went “PRIOR” to THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST! Now, You 'Remember' the Rich Man & Lazarus in Luke 16? Well, 'Lazarus' was a True Believer, but He Could 'Not' Go to HEAVEN "YET" Because JESUS Had Not 'YET' RISEN FROM THE DEAD, So he 'Went' to Paradise, Abraham’s Bosom, Which was a "Perfect Place of Glorious Peace & Joy & Rest!" And Ephesians 4:9 says~ “NOW THAT HE ASCENDED, WHAT IS IT BUT THAT HE ALSO 'DESCENDED' FIRST, INTO THE 'LOWER' PARTS OF THE EARTH? HE THAT 'DESCENDED' IS THE SAME ALSO THAT 'ASCENDED' UP FAR ABOVE ALL HEAVENS, THAT HE MIGHT 'FILL' ALL THINGS!” Listen, JESUS CHRIST 'Had' to Go to PARADISE, Abraham’s Bosom, in Order to LEAD 'CAPTIVITY' CAPTIVE, and "TAKE ALL THE OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS WITH HIM TO HEAVEN!" So, Paradise 'Itself' Has Now Been 'Translated' Into "HEAVEN!" And that's 'WHY' We Go Directly to HEAVEN today When we take our 'Final' Breath! Revelation 2:7 says~ “HE THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH UNTO THE CHURCHES: TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH WILL I GIVE TO EAT OF THE TREE OF LIFE, WHICH IS IN THE 'MIDST' OF THE 'PARADISE' OF GOD!” Did You 'Catch' That? 'Paradise' is "NOW IN HEAVEN, AND WE’RE GOING THERE!!!" So, My 'Word' to You Today Church: 'Realize' Dearly Beloved, that Just 'Like' that Thief On the Cross, We too, "WILL BE 'WITH' JESUS IN HEAVEN ONE DAY, PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME!!!" Blessings to All, and Shalom...
Luke 23:43 says, “And JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, VERILY I SAY UNTO THEE, 'TODAY' SHALT THOU BE WITH ME 'IN' PARADISE!”
Well Glory to GOD Beloved for those "WORDS IN RED" When JESUS “SPOKE” On Earth! Now 'Here' We Find the BLESSED LORD JESUS “WINNING” A LOST SOUL, Even In His "DEATH!" What a Glorious 'Example' Our Dear LORD Is to Us Beloved Brethren, in Always 'Seeking' to Bring the Lost to Salvation! I Want Us to Consider “6” Amazing 'Truths' from our Verse today Concerning this Event:
First, Notice “WHO” It Is That Makes this Promise: Luke writes~ “AND 'JESUS' SAID!” Oh Glory to GOD, How this 'Thrills' My Soul Saints to 'Know' that JESUS CHRIST “HIMSELF” Makes a Divine 'Proclamation' to a “HOPELESS” Hell-Bound Sinner, and Brings “LIFE & IMMORTALITY” out of Seeming Defeat! You Talk About 'Snatching' a Brand From the "Fire!" Just 'When' the Devil "Thought" he Had 'another' Soul for Hell, "JESUS" Comes along and 'Spoils' his Day Completely! Oh I’m So 'Glad' that JESUS Is the MASTER “SAVIOUR!” Listen to Me: 'Anything' that JESUS CHRIST “PROMISES” IN HIS WORD, 'BY' HIS SPIRIT, You Can 'Bank' On it and 'Depend' On it “ETERNALLY!!!” Listen, 'When' Pilate Asked JESUS CHRIST “What is TRUTH?” He Had 'No' Idea whatsoever that He Was "STARING IT STRAIGHT IN THE EYES!" JESUS is the "EMBODIMENT OF TRUTH!!!"
But Secondly, Notice “WHO” HE Said it to: Luke says~ “AND JESUS SAID 'UNTO' HIM!” Question: "WHO" is the 'HIM' of verse 43? Answer: it’s the “THIEF” of verse 32! Beloved, JESUS is 'Speaking' to a “MALEFACTOR!” Listen, the Word Means “EVIL-DOER!” It’s What They Called “CRIMINALS!” I Mean He was "GUILTY" of Being a "THIEF!" And “THAT” Was "You & Me!" Listen, We Were “DOERS” of EVIL, "Spiritual" Criminals, 'GUILTY' BEFORE GOD, Condemned, 'DEAD' Spiritually, and "On Our Way" to a Devil’s Hell! But "BLESS GOD JESUS CAME ALONG ONE DAY" and SAID “COME UNTO ME” AND I WILL "GIVE THEE LIFE!!!" Oh Beloved, How We 'Need' to Read this Text Humbly, and 'Recognize' Our Own Wicked 'Propensity' Toward Evil, Our 'Natural' Enmity Against GOD, Our Sinful 'Tendency' Toward SIN, and Our Hopeless 'Estrangement' From Our "HOLY MAKER!" Listen to Me, You & I Were "JUST AS GUILTY AS THE THIEF ON THE CROSS, FOR PUTTING JESUS CHRIST ON THAT MIDDLE CROSS!" And I’m Here to 'Tell' You Today, That JESUS CHRIST “SPEAKS” THESE PRECIOUS WORDS TO “EVERY” SINGLE ONE OF 'US' WHO WILL SINCERELY “ADMIT” OUR 'TRUE' CONDITION, AND OUR ABSOLUTE “NEED” OF A "SAVIOUR!" Remember the Pharisees, the 'Religious' Bunch, How They "REJECTED THE DEAR SAVIOUR" and Attempted to "CAST HIM AWAY" From Their Coasts! They Didn’t Want 'JESUS' Stepping on Their "RELIGION!" But Oh This Poor 'Hopeless' THIEF On the Cross 'Next' to JESUS, HE “SAW” HIS DEEPEST "NEED!" And He Didn’t NEED A RELIGION, HE "NEEDED A SAVIOUR!!!"
But Thirdly, Notice “WHAT” JESUS SAYS TO HIM: Luke writes~ “AND JESUS 'SAID' UNTO HIM, 'VERILY' I SAY UNTO THEE!” Wow! Did You 'Catch' That? Oh How 'Precious' Are These "WORDS FROM THE LIPS OF THE DEAR SAVIOUR!" HE Says~ “I HAVE 'GOOD NEWS' BROTHER!” And JESUS Uses the Word “VERILY!” That Means “TRULY” I SAY UNTO YOU! Oh Church I’m So 'Glad' that JESUS “TELLS US THE TRUTH!” Beloved Believers I’m So 'Thankful' today That "OUR GOD CANNOT LIE!!!" And 'Everything' That "HE PROMISES US IN HIS 'WORD' HE WILL FULFILL!" Listen, in John 8:40 JESUS Said~ “BUT NOW YE SEEK TO 'KILL' ME, A MAN THAT HATH TOLD YOU THE 'TRUTH', WHICH I HAVE HEARD OF GOD!” Listen, JESUS 'TOLD' THE TRUTH, EVEN WHEN HE “KNEW” THAT “HE WOULD BE REJECTED” BECAUSE OF THE TRUTH! JESUS Says to the Thief here, "I AM GOING TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, BUT YOU MUST 'DECIDE' IF YOU WILL RECEIVE IT!!!"
But Fourthly, Notice the “IMMEDIATE” Transformation: Luke writes~ “AND JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, VERILY I SAY UNTO THEE, 'TODAY' SHALT THOU BE!” Oh Me Oh My Beloved, Did You 'Hear' That? Listen, JESUS Didn’t Say “AFTER” a thousand years of “Soul-Sleep!” And HE Didn’t Say “AFTER” a thousand years in purgatory! And HE Didn't Say "AFTER" We BAPTIZE You in the Jordan River! And HE Didn't Say "AFTER" You Join the Church, Sign up for Sunday School, Hit the Altar, and Go through a Box of Kleenex! No, JESUS SAID “TODAY!!!” HE Said "You Will DIE TODAY AND YOU WILL GO TO HEAVEN TODAY!" Now, He Didn’t Actually Go to HEAVEN Itself Yet, Because 'PARADISE' (Abraham’s Bosom) Was NOT YET ASCENDED, But the TRUTH STILL APPLIES! When We Take our 'Final' Breath Beloved Paul said in II Corinthians 5:8~ “TO BE ABSENT FROM THE BODY, IS TO BE 'PRESENT' WITH THE LORD!” Listen Believers, YOU WILL BE “IMMEDIATELY” USHERED INTO THE "PRESENCE OF JESUS CHRIST" IN HEAVEN ABOVE, 'WHEN' YOU TAKE YOUR FINAL BREATH! Don’t Listen to the JW’s who Teach “ANNIHILATION” of the SOUL! The SOUL “CANNOT” CEASE TO 'EXIST', it is ETERNAL, AND WILL EXIST “SOMEWHERE” FOREVER! Paul said in Philippians 1:23~ “HAVING A DESIRE TO DEPART, AND TO BE 'WITH' CHRIST, WHICH IS FAR BETTER!” It’s "INSTANTANEOUS, NOT GRADUAL!!!"
Ok But Fifthly, Notice “WHO” WE’LL BE WITH: Luke writes~ “AND JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, VERILY I SAY UNTO THEE, TODAY SHALT THOU BE 'WITH' ME!” Oh Glory Hallelu-Yah Beloved, This is the 'GREATEST THING' ABOUT HEAVEN OF ALL: “JESUS CHRIST” WILL BE THERE “WITH” US!!! JESUS 'Says' to the Poor Dying Thief, “DON’T WORRY ABOUT A THING, BECAUSE 'TODAY', YOU & ME, WE’LL BE 'TOGETHER' IN HEAVEN (PARADISE)!” Oh Think of it Dear One, No Matter 'What' You May Be Going Through Today, "YOU WILL BE WITH 'JESUS' ONE DAY IN HEAVEN!" And I Say Unto You, that “JESUS” IS WHAT "MAKES HEAVEN HEAVEN!!!"
But Sixthly, Finally, Notice “WHERE” HE TELLS HIM He Will Go: Luke writes~ “AND JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, VERILY I SAY UNTO THEE, TODAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME 'IN' PARADISE!” Oh Glory! Listen Carefully in Closing Today Beloved! 'Paradise' is Now “VACANT!” Paradise "Was" the Place of Abraham’s Bosom, Where All the 'Old Testament' Saints Went “PRIOR” to THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST! Now, You 'Remember' the Rich Man & Lazarus in Luke 16? Well, 'Lazarus' was a True Believer, but He Could 'Not' Go to HEAVEN "YET" Because JESUS Had Not 'YET' RISEN FROM THE DEAD, So he 'Went' to Paradise, Abraham’s Bosom, Which was a "Perfect Place of Glorious Peace & Joy & Rest!" And Ephesians 4:9 says~ “NOW THAT HE ASCENDED, WHAT IS IT BUT THAT HE ALSO 'DESCENDED' FIRST, INTO THE 'LOWER' PARTS OF THE EARTH? HE THAT 'DESCENDED' IS THE SAME ALSO THAT 'ASCENDED' UP FAR ABOVE ALL HEAVENS, THAT HE MIGHT 'FILL' ALL THINGS!” Listen, JESUS CHRIST 'Had' to Go to PARADISE, Abraham’s Bosom, in Order to LEAD 'CAPTIVITY' CAPTIVE, and "TAKE ALL THE OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS WITH HIM TO HEAVEN!" So, Paradise 'Itself' Has Now Been 'Translated' Into "HEAVEN!" And that's 'WHY' We Go Directly to HEAVEN today When we take our 'Final' Breath! Revelation 2:7 says~ “HE THAT HATH AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH UNTO THE CHURCHES: TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH WILL I GIVE TO EAT OF THE TREE OF LIFE, WHICH IS IN THE 'MIDST' OF THE 'PARADISE' OF GOD!” Did You 'Catch' That? 'Paradise' is "NOW IN HEAVEN, AND WE’RE GOING THERE!!!" So, My 'Word' to You Today Church: 'Realize' Dearly Beloved, that Just 'Like' that Thief On the Cross, We too, "WILL BE 'WITH' JESUS IN HEAVEN ONE DAY, PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME!!!" Blessings to All, and Shalom...
