Take Heed

Matthew 27:45-54 (NKJV)

Jesus Dies on the Cross

45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” 48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.

49 The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

It wasn't until these people heard Christ's last cry - the supernatural take place, and the fact that He loved others to the death that they finally realized He was truly the Son of God...what has to take place in your life in order for you to draw the same truthful conclusion?

So many in our generation, and even before us, sought after some sort of physical sign that Jesus Christ is who He said He was...Jesus however, said that the only sign we were gonna get was that of  Jonah - Jonah's sign, was a divine warning!

Folks, we've been warned of Christ's return...we've seen the handwriting on the wall, but very little do anything about it...if these signs are so catastrophic and powerful, why aren't people changing? We know the truth, but we suppress the truth in our own unrighteousness.  It's high time for us to wake up; judgment is coming, and according to God's word, it's gonna start in the house of the Lord, first.

Take heed - Jesus is coming back, and His reward is with Him!

Watch Out!

Psalms 140: 3 - 'They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; the poison of cobras is under their lips.'

James 3: 8 - 'But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.'

In the forest of Costa Rica, there is a sinister wasp, and what it does it it will hijack the mind of the local spiders in the forest. This spider is larger than the wasp 10 times over, and constructs these webs that can stretch from tree to tree; in fact, its livelihood is in the web it constructs for food and survival. However, when this wasp stings the spider, it renders it paralyzed for a span of time...just long enough to lay its eggs on the spider's abdomen.

Once the paralysis wears off, the spider goes back to work, but that's when things get really bizarre. For the next 2 weeks, the spider begins to construct the web differently than before...it is now designing a place for the eggs (soon to be larvae) to cocoon and grow. Once the spider does this, it crawls to the center of the web, and dies.  It's amazing how the wasp can manipulate and control the spider for its own purposes.

I've seen this happen to God's people...they get 'Stung' if you will, and all of a sudden, their spiritual DNA has been altered; consequently, they begin to construct their own demise. Of course, we as people of God are not stung by a wasp - but we are mentally assaulted by the SERPENT...

Understand first of all, the bible associates the serpent with its ability to strike.

Job 20: 16 - 'He will suck the poison of cobras; the viper's tongue will slay him.'

Ps. 58: 4 - Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; they are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,'

This is the nature of the serpent; in striking, it releases its venom. In the bible, you find the serpent at the beginning and at the end...

Genesis speaks of the serpent beguiling Eve...then you find him in Revelation as the dragon, or that serpent of old who was cast down...the serpent's strike is not only painful, but many times...fatal.

Moses deals with the serpent at the beginning of his ministry. God tells him to throw down his rod, and it turned into a snake...then He commanded him to pick it up again...the rod is a symbol of AUTHORITY...whenever you throw it down...it becomes a serpent!!

I say Woe to God's people who defy, and / or challenge the authority that God has placed in their lives...you're asking for the spirit of the serpent (The literal translation is Divination)

Even the New Testament elaborates on the serpent...Jesus tells us in Luke 10: 17-21 that He beheld Satan fall like lightning from heaven...He also cautioned us to be grateful that our names are in the Book of Life because of the victory we can have over the serpent...

So how does this serpent strike? He strikes with words...

Proverbs 12: 18 - 'There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health.'

Just like the wasp, the serpent injects his venom and leaves you to deal with the effects...many Christians are rendered paralyzed because of his venom...this venom is the words spoken by him to us...this venom comes through people! It can even come through people we love...they speak something into your life, and before you know it - you begin to question your own faith...

Things like: 'Well, I don't know about that church...' or 

'How much do you know about that Pastor?'

Ephesians 5: 6 - 'Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.'

When the serpent, (Even through people you trust) speaks, it's far more than words - they are communicating who they are! Do you wanna know who you are, and what you will become? Take inventory of your friends...YOU WILL ALWAYS BECOME WHO YOU LISTEN TO...

Think with me for a moment - When God confronts Adam and Eve about their sin; what He asked was amazing...He asked them, 'WHO TOLD YOU' you were naked? In other words, WHO HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO??

Listen Christian, you were building for the glory of God, much like this spider was building for survival, but somewhere along the way - you were stung, and now you're building things that will eventually destroy you! What's tragic about this is, the spider never saw it coming...and Christian, without leadership having a voice in your life, you won't see it coming either!

Believe it or not, the spider can be healed of the wasps' afflictions...scientists have discovered that if you remove the larvae from the spider within the 2 week period, the venom will lose its potency, and the spider will survive...

Listen Christian, if you allow Jesus to remove things you haven't judged - it will lead to your survival...you do this through the Blood of Jesus, and you also do this by cutting off people of influence in your life.  If I've said it once, I've said a million times - if you must choose between righteousness and relationship - YOU BETTER CHOOSE RIGHTEOUSNESS!

Friends, we must watch for the wasp, if you will; we must be honest with ourselves, and humble before God and the Authority He's placed in our lives; that way, we can remain spiritually healthy and stable.