"The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me..."

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 “Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?”  And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.”   [Genesis 4:8-10]

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"The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me.."

As a shepherd Abel sanctified his work to the glory of God, and offered a sacrifice of blood upon his altar, and the Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering. This early type of our Lord is exceedingly clear and distinct. Like the first streak of light which tinges the east at sunrise, it does not reveal everything, but it clearly manifests the great fact that the sun is coming. As we see Abel, a shepherd and yet a priest, offering a sacrifice of sweet smell unto God, we discern our Lord, who brings before His Father a sacrifice to which Jehovah ever hath respect.

Abel was hated by his brother--hated without a cause; and even so was the Savior: the natural and carnal man hated the accepted man in whom the Spirit of grace was found, and rested not until his blood had been shed. Abel fell, and sprinkled his altar and sacrifice with his own blood, and therein sets forth the Lord Jesus slain by the enmity of man while serving as a priest before the Lord. "The good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." Let us weep over Him as we view Him slain by the hatred of mankind, staining the horns of His altar with His own blood. Abel's blood speaks. "The Lord said unto Cain, The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.'"

The blood of Jesus hath a mighty tongue, and the import of its prevailing cry is not vengeance but mercy. It is precious beyond all preciousness to stand at the altar of our good Shepherd! to see Him bleeding there as the slaughtered priest, and then to hear His blood speaking peace to all His flock, peace in our conscience, peace between Jew and Gentile, peace between man and his offended Maker, peace all down the ages of eternity for blood-washed men.

Abel is the first shepherd in order of time, but our hearts shall ever place Jesus first in order of excellence. You great Keeper of the sheep, we the people of Your pasture bless You with our whole hearts when we see You slain for us.


[Delivered By C. H. SPURGEON]








Cain and Abel

 “In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground,  and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,  but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.”  [Genesis 4:3-5]

 

Cain and Abel




BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD!

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 “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.  When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”  When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.”   [John 1:29,36-37]

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BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD!

YOU ALL KNOW the old, old story. The world was lost; God must punish sin; He sent His son to take our sin upon Him that He might honor the law of God, and establish God's government by being obedient to the law, and yielding Himself up to the death-penalty.He became a man, and, as a man, was obedient unto death of the cross. It is He who is called  "the Lamb of God," the one Sacrifice for man's sin.

There is no putting away of sin without sacrifice; there is only one Sacrifice that can put away sin, and that is, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is divine, yet human; Son of God, yet son of Mary. He yielded up His life, "the Just for the unjust," the Sinless for the sinful, "that He might bring us to God," and reconcile us to the great Father. That is the story, and whosoever believes in Him shall live. Any man, the world over, who will trust himself to Christ, God's great Sacrifice, shall be saved, for this is our continual witness, "He that believes on the Son hath everlasting life." "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life."

I want to entreat men, who have looked elsewhere, now to turn their eyes away from the fruitless search after peace and life, and to come and "Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world." May the Spirit of God open their eyes, and incline their hearts, that tonight, even tonight, they may look unto Him and live!

When John saw Jesus on that memorable day, he, first of all, beheld Him himself and then he said to others, "Behold the Lamb of God." "Looking upon Jesus as He walked," steadfastly beholding Him, watching Him, gazing with humble admiration at Him, he said, "behold the Lamb of God!"

"Behold the Lamb of God?" Oh, that each one of you might believe our testimony concerning Jesus and look to Him and live!

The Lamb is always conspicuous; He may be neglected, rejected, refused today, but He will be beheld in eternity, and beheld to your everlasting confusion and unutterable dismay if you refuse to behold Him now. Let it not be so with any of you.


[Delivered By C. H. SPURGEON]








God Himself will provide the Lamb

 “Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the..offering."”  [Genesis 22:8]

 Lamb


 O LAMB OF GOD SWEET LAMB OF GOD
I LOVE THE HOLY LAMB OF GOD
O WASH ME IN YOUR PRECIOUS BLOOD
MY JESUS CHRIST THE LAMB OF GOD

MARY HAS CHOSEN WHAT IS BETTER

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 “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!””   [Luke 10:38-40]

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MARY HAS CHOSEN WHAT IS BETTER

The Lord centers His attention on the word of God and prayer as the two great means of blessing. Mary sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word, while Martha was distracted by her preparations for the Royal Guest.

Martha wanted the Lord to rebuke her sister for failing to help, but Jesus tenderly rebuked Martha for her fretfulness! Our Lord prizes our affection above our service. Service may be tainted with pride and self-importance.

Occupation with the Lord is the one thing needful, that good part which will not be taken away.

The Lord wants to convert us from Marthas into Marys.
While the Master does appreciate all that we undertake for Him, He knows that our first need is to sit  at His feet and learn His will, then in our tasks we shall be calm and peaceful and kindly, and at last our service may attain the perfectness.

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us--yes, establish the work of our hands.
"May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts." [Psalm 119:173]

Are we willing to sit at His feet like Mary did? or Are we busy with lot of other things like Martha?   Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.





One Thing is Needful

 Mary and Martha


  “And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”  [Luke 10:41-42]

New Jerusalem

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 “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”   [Revelation 21:3-4]

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New Jerusalem

John sees the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. The fact that it is never said to land on the earth leads some to see it as hovering over the new earth. The fact that the names of the tribes of Israel are on the gates indicates that redeemed Israel will have access to the city, even if they are not part of the church itself. The distinction between the church (the Bride, the Lamb’s wife, v.9), Israel (v.12), and the Gentile nations(v.24) is maintained throughout.

John hears an announcement from heaven that the tabernacle of God is with men and that He will dwell with them. As His people they will enjoy communion with Him closer than ever dreamed of. God Himself will be with them and be their God in a nearer and dearer relationship.

The expression “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” does not mean that there will be tears in heaven. It is a poetic way of saying that there will not be! Neither will there be death, nor sorrow, nor crying. For God’s people, these will be forever ended.
The One who sits on the throne will make all things new. His words are true and faithful, and will surely come to pass.  The ushering in of the Eternal State marks the conclusion of God’s purposes for the earth on which we live.

It is He who blesses the overcomer with total inheritance and a new intimacy as between Father and son. As mentioned previously, an overcomer is one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God(1 Jn. 5:5). By faith he overcomes the world(1 Jn. 5:4).

Every redeemed person responds to the blessed hope, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”





New Heaven and New Earth

 New Heaven and New Earth
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”  [Rev. 21:1-2]

"How long will you waver between two opinions?"

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 “So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel.  Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”   [1 Kings 18:20-21]

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"How long will you waver between two opinions?"

  King Ahab went to meet Elijah and accused him of being a trouble-maker for Israel, not realizing that the man of God was one of the best friends Israel ever had. Not fearing for his own life, Elijah answered Ahab fearlessly and accusingly. He blamed the king for mixing the worship of Jehovah with Baal-worship and challenged him to assemble his idolatrous prophets for a contest on Mount Carmel to determine who was the true God.

Addressing the assembled representative of Israel, Elijah accused them of wavering between two opinions; they should choose either the Lord or Baal. Then the contest began. Two bulls were to be killed and laid on kindling wood. Elijah would represent the Lord, whereas four hundred and fifty of Ahab’s prophets would represent Baal. The God who answered by fire would be acknowledged as the true God.
The prophets of Baal cried out to their god and hopped around the altar from morning till noon. Elijah mocked them with helpful excuses for Baal’s failure to answer. In desperation they cut themselves with knives and lances and raved on until the time of the evening sacrifice.  But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.

Then Elijah built an altar of twelve stone in the name of the Lord, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Then to eliminate any possibility that the altar might be ignited in any way other than by a miracle, he saturated the oxen and the wood with twelve barrels of water.

At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah prayed that God would reveal himself by sending fire from heaven. Immediately the fire of the Lord fell from heaven, consuming not only the sacrifice but also the wood and the stones and the dust, and the water in the trench around the altar. The people were thus compelled to acknowledge the Lord as the real God.

Only after the people acknowledged that Jehovah was God and executed the prophets of Baal could the rain come. Confession of sin and obedience to the Word of God are the steps to blessing.




The God who answers by Fire

 Elijah on Mount Carmel


  “At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command...Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.  When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The LORD—he is God! The LORD—he is God!”  [1 Kings 18:36-39]

The Day and Hour Unknown

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 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.  It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.”   [Mark 13:32-34]

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The Day and Hour Unknown

  Jesus said, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.  It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.” It is well known that this verse has been used by enemies of the gospel to prove that Jesus was nothing more than a man with limited knowledge like ourselves. It has also been used by sincere but misguided believers to demonstrate that Jesus emptied Himself of the attributes of deity when He came into the World as a man.

Neither of these interpretations is true. Jesus was and is both God and Man. He had all the attributes of deity and all the characteristics of perfect manhood. It is true that His deity was veiled in a body of flesh, but it was there nonetheless. There was never a time when He was not fully God. As a perfect  Servant, it was not given to the Lord Jesus to know the time of His Coming. As God, of course, He does know it. But as Servant, it was not given to Him to know it for the purpose of revealing to others.

The fact that we do not know the appointed time should keep us on the alert. A similar situation is common in everyday life. A man goes away from home on a long trip. He leaves instructions with his servant and tells the watchman also to be on the lookout for his return. Jesus likened Himself to the travelling man. He may come back at any hour of the night. His people, serving as night watchmen, should not be found sleeping. So He left this word for all His people:”Watch!”



Watch!"

 Watchman

“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.  If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.  What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ” [Mark 13:35-37]

Sojourners and Pilgrims

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 “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world,...
Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.”   [1Peter 1:1,17]

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Sojourners and Pilgrims

  Peter reminds believers that they are sojourners and pilgrims in the world and that this fact should leave its stamp on all their behavior. They are sojourners in the sense that they are living in a foreign country where they do not have the rights of citizens. They are pilgrims in the sense that they are obliged to live for a while in a place which is not their permanent home.
The meaning here is, that Christians have no permanent home on earth; their citizenship is not here; they are mere sojourners, and they are passing on to their eternal home in the heavens. They should, therefore, act as become such persons; as sojourners and travelers do. They should not:

•    regard the earth as their home.

•    They should not seek to acquire permanent possessions here, as if they were to remain here, but should act as travelers do, who merely seek a temporary lodging, without expecting permanently to reside in a place.

•    They should not allow any such attachments to be formed, or arrangements to be made, as to impede their journey to their final home, as pilgrims seek only a temporary lodging, and steadily pursue their journey.

•    Even while engaged here in the necessary callings of life - their studies, their farming, their merchandise - their thoughts and affections should be on other things. One in a strange land thinks much of his country and home; a pilgrim, much of the land to which he goes; and even while his time and attention may be necessarily occupied by the arrangements needful for the journey, his thoughts and affections will be far away.

•    We should not encumber ourselves with much of this world's goods. Many professed Christians get so many worldly things around them, that it is impossible for them to make a journey to heaven. They burden themselves as no traveler would, and they make no progress. A traveler takes along as few things as possible; and a staff is often all that a pilgrim has. We make the most rapid progress in our journey to our final home when we are least encumbered with the things of this world.


Foreigners and Strangers on this Earth

 You are foreigners and strangers on this earth!
“Dear friends, you are foreigners and strangers on this earth. So I beg you not to surrender to those desires that fight against you. Always let others see you behaving properly, even though they may still accuse you of doing wrong. Then on the day of judgment, they will honor God by telling the good things they saw you do. ” [1 Peter 2:11-12(CEV)]

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

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 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”   [Matthew 7:7-8]

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The Parable of the Persistent Widow

  Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.  He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought.  And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

   “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think,  yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

  And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says.  And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18 :1-8

  The parable of the praying widow teaches that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. The parable pictures an unrighteous judge who was ordinarily quite unmoved by fear of God or regard for fellow man.  The widow came to the judge persistently, asking him for justice. The unjust judge was unmoved by the validity of her case the fact that she was being treated unjustly did not move him to action. However, the regularity with which she came before him prompted him to act and brought a decision in her favor.

  When an unjust judge would act in behalf of a poor widow because of her persistence, how much more will the just God intervene in behalf of His own people.  Do not give up, but continue in prayer until you see the deliverance.






Persistent Widow & Unjust Judge

 

Persistent Widow & Unjust Judge


  “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought.  And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’     “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think,  yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” [Luke 18:2-5]

"...there is no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness"

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 “As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.”  When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard. ”   [1 Kings 21:15-16]

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"...there is no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness"

The scene is in Jezreel, where Ahab and Jezebel had a palace. Adjoining the palace was a vineyard owned by Naboth. Ahab desired to annex the vineyard so he could plant a vegetable garden there.  Naboth refused to sell or exchange his land, since the law of Israel decreed that property should remain in the family to which it was originally assigned.

When Jezebel found her husband vexed and sullen and learned of Naboth’s refusal to sell his vineyard, she assured Ahab that the vineyard would soon be his. The treacherous Jezebel thus framed Naboth so that it would appear he was being executed for breaking the law of God.

When Ahab was on his way to take possession of the vineyard, Elijah met him and condemned him for murder and theft. Elijah predicted that Ahab himself would be slain, that his male descendants would be slain, ending his dynasty, that the body of Jezebel would be eaten by dogs. The severity of Ahab’s punishment is explained by the extremes to which he went into idolatry—“there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness.”

When Ahab heard his doom, he humbled himself before the Lord. For this, the Lord decreed that the judgments on his wife and family would not take place until after Ahab’s death.

If we learn anything from these verses, it is that God is a God of grace and mercy. ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’ [Ezekiel 33:11].




Elijah brings God's Word to King Ahab

Elijah brings the Word of God to King Ahab


 “Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it.  Say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!” [1 Kings 21: 17-19]

 

A Crown for the King!

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 “The Jewish leaders insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”  When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid,  and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?” he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.  “Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”  Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. ”    [John 19:7-11]

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A Crown for the King!

It was most unjust for Pilate to scourge an innocent Person. Perhaps he hoped that this punishment would satisfy the Jews and that they would not demand the death of Jesus. Scourging was a Roman form of punishment. The prisoner was beaten with a whip or a rod. The whip had pieces of metal or bone in it, and these cut deep gashes in the flesh.

The soldiers mocked Jesus’ claim to be King. A crown for the King! But it was a crown of thorns. This would have caused extreme pain as it was pressed onto His brow. Thorns are a symbol of the curse which sin brought to mankind. Here we have a picture of the Lord Jesus bearing the curse of our sins, so that we might wear a crown of glory. The purple robe was also used in mockery. Purple was the color or royalty. But again it reminds us of how our sins were placed on Jesus in order that we might be clothed with the robe of God’s righteousness. How solemn it is to think of the eternal Son of God being slapped by the hands of His creatures! Mouths which He formed are now being used to mock Him!



Crown of thorns

Crown of thorns


 “Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.  The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe  and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they slapped him in the face.” [John 19:1-3 ]