Absalom in comparison to the LORD JESUS

• Now in all Israel there was no one who was praised as much as Absalom for his good looks. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. And when he cut the hair of his head--at the end of every year he cut it because it was heavy on him--when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to the king's standard.  2 Samuel 14:25-26

For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground.

He has no form or comeliness;

And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. - Isaiah 53:2

• After this it happened that Absalom provided himself with chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

JESUS chose twelve men to follow Him!

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted.

And they came to Him.

Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him

and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses

and to cast out demons: - Mark 3:13-15

• And so it was, whenever anyone came near to bow down to him, that he would put out his hand and take him and kiss him. In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. 2 Samuel 15:1,5-6

And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, but did not see the king's face. 2 Samuel 14:28

As the people of Israel praised Absalom for his good looks, he became self-centred, puffed up and self-seeking. He conspired against his own father, King David, to turn the hearts of the people to himself. As he was so consumed with his own motive, not only did he lose his relationship with his father, but worked and fought against him! His life contradicted his name, which meant ‘His father’s Peace’.

Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man,

then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself;

but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

- John 8:28-29

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

- Matthew 3:17

As opposed to Absalom, the LORD JESUS always pleased His Father and lived in His Presence. JESUS truly was Absalom - His Father’s Peace!

• To Absalom were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a woman of beautiful appearance.  2 Samuel 14:27

The remembrance of Absalom is his outward beauty which was passed on to his daughter. Although 3 sons were born to him, he said  "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." He probably lost his 3 sons.

The LORD JESUS has many spiritual descendants who faithfully carry His name as Christians.

• Then Absalom met the servants of David. Absalom rode on a mule. The mule went under the thick boughs of a great terebinth tree, and his head caught in the terebinth; so he was left hanging between heaven and earth. And the mule which was under him went on.  2 Samuel 18:9

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us

(for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),  Galatians 3:13

Here we see the handsome body of Absalom, carefully maintained without blemish, while battling against his father, hanging on a tree. Centuries later, not far from here, we see another body hanging on a tree - the body of JESUS CHRIST, whipped, bruised, torn and pricked beyond recognition. He had no form or comeliness and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. The former instance is the consequence of sin and selfishness leading to the curse. The latter is when all the curse on earth is taken on by the Perfect, Selfless Saviour, releasing the Blessing of salvation to all of mankind.

• Then Joab said, "I cannot linger with you." And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom's heart, while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree. And ten young men who bore Joab's armor surrounded Absalom, and struck and killed him. So Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing Israel. For Joab held back the people. And they took Absalom and cast him into a large pit in the woods, and laid a very large heap of stones over him. Then all Israel fled, everyone to his tent.  2 Samuel 18:14-17  

And they made His grave with the wicked-- But with the rich at His death,

Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.  Isaiah 53:9  

The resting place of the body of the handsome prince was a pit in the woods! Although the Prince Of Peace did not even own a tomb, His body was laid by Joseph, in his own tomb in a garden!

GRAVES

graves

Graves depict the power of gravity - grave - ity!

Those in the graves are absolutely helpless
against the power of gravity.

The dead have no hope of overcoming gravity.

Gravity seems to have greater effect on our physical bodies

that are ageing and weak.

Just as physical life enables us to lift ourselves against gravity

spiritual life causes us to look up.

We lift up our eyes, heads, hands and hearts to the LORD.

He gives us spiritual life and strength.

When we so live spiritually,

one day even our physical bodies will defy gravity and rise!

It is the word of GOD that opens our spiritual ears.

It is the voice of the LORD that causes the dead to rise
- spiritually and physically.

As the cloud disappears and vanishes away,

So he who goes down to the grave does not come up.

- Job 7:9  

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might;

for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom
in the grave where you are going.

- Ecclesiastes 9:10  

I was driving past the graveyard where my mother's body
was laid to rest some months ago.
While she was living, she needed suitable food to be cooked for her;
She needed a carer who would bathe her;
Wash her clothes;
We always made sure she was comfortable.

As soon as she died her spirit and soul left her body.
Other than to be displayed beautifully in the coffin for the funeral,
that body no more needed any care.
In fact we did not even desire to keep that body in the house!
It was only fit to be buried six feet underground!

O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave;

You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

- Psalm 30:3  

It is the Almighty GOD Who gives us breath and life.
Let us therefore praise Him with every breath!
While we have life, 
let us yield every part of our body to glorify GOD;
to fulfill the purpose for which He made us.
Let us use this body to be a blessing to others;
to bring joy; to relieve pain;
to reach out with love; to comfort and encourage.

Remember, your body is not meant to be an ornament of beauty;
but an instrument of worship to GOD
and an instrument of blessing to others.
It is not meant to be preserved and kept and admired.
It is meant to be used full well!

Jesus said, "Take away the stone."

Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him,

"Lord, by this time there is a stench,
for he has been dead four days."

Jesus said to her,

"Did I not say to you that if you would believe
you would see the glory of God?"

Then they took away the stone
from the place where the dead man was lying.

And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said,
"Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.

"And I know that You always hear Me,

but because of the people who are standing by I said this,

that they may believe that You sent Me."

Now when He had said these things,
He cried with a loud voice,

"Lazarus, come forth!"

And he who had died came out
bound hand and foot with graveclothes,

and his face was wrapped with a cloth.

Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

- John 11:39-44

Lazarus was raised to life
by the LORD JESUS in his mortal body.
He was given another lease in this earthly life.

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

Then, behold,
the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom;

and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,
and the graves were opened;

and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;

- Matthew 27:50-52

At the death of the LORD JESUS on the cross,
graves were opened 
and many bodies of the saints were raised to life!
Such was the power that was released!

"I will ransom them from the power of the grave;
I will redeem them from death.

O Death, I will be your plagues!
O Grave, I will be your destruction!

Pity is hidden from My eyes."

- Hosea 13:14  

 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave,
For He shall receive me.

Selah - Psalm 49:15  

This is the hope we live with,
that one day our bodies will be raised from the grave!
This assurance comes to us from the LORD JESUS Himself
Who is the Resurrection and the Life!

"Most assuredly, I say to you,

he who hears My word
and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life,

and shall not come into judgment,
but has passed from death into life.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is,

when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God;
and those who hear will live.

"For as the Father has life in Himself,
so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,
"and has given Him authority to execute judgment also,
because He is the Son of Man.

"Do not marvel at this;

for the hour is coming
in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice "

and come forth--

those who have done good, to the resurrection of life,

and those who have done evil,
to the resurrection of condemnation.

- John 5:24-29

The LORD JESUS is our First Fruit:
He is our Fore Runner:
He is our Example.

We will be raised with a celestial body!
A body that will be incorruptible,
immortal!

Now this I say, brethren,
that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;

neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Behold, I shew you a mystery;

We shall not all sleep,
but we shall all be changed, In a moment,

in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump:

for the trumpet shall sound,
and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,

and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption,
and this mortal must put on immortality.

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption,

and this mortal shall have put on immortality,

then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,

Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting?

O grave, where is thy victory?

The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God,
which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable,

always abounding in the work of the Lord,

forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

- 1 Corinthians 15:50-58

A beautiful, perfect body is useless without physical life in it!
Even an active, good life lived well on earth, cannot have the hope of eternal life
without the breath of life of the LORD JESUS CHRIST!

If you are spiritually dead, the LORD JESUS is calling you out by name

to come forth out of the grave of spiritual death!

....... COME FORTH!!

Hear the Voice of GOD and LIVE!!

As long as you have breath in your mortal body

Live life to the full
by always abounding in the work of the LORD!!

ABSOLOM

Absalom

Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up a pillar for himself, which is in the King's Valley. For he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." He called the pillar after his own name. And to this day it is called Absalom's Monument.   2 Samuel 18:18

Now ...

It is important for each of us to take time to consider 2 things NOW. Each unit of time, whether a moment, an hour, a morning, an afternoon and evening, a night or a season in your life represents a piece of your life which when past can never be retrieved. It may also be the last unit of your time on earth! Therefore you need to wisely and carefully live this precious NOW!!

In his lifetime...

The direction you set for your life and what you do in this lifetime will not only determine your eternal destiny but also the remembrance that you will leave of yourself on this earth.

had taken and set up a pillar for himself...

If you are busy setting up a pillar for yourself, it will not benefit you nor anyone else in this life or in eternity.

which is in the King's Valley...

Even if you are a King's Kid, your life will be one of defeat.

For he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance."...

If you have not imparted of yourself to anyone, your life has been unprofitable.

He called the pillar after his own name...

Your name will disappear as a vapour.

And to this day it is called Absalom's Monument...

You will only be remembered for your self-centred life!

Press toward the Mark

Press toward the Mark

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; 

but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended;

 but one thing I do, 

forgetting those things which are behind 

and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

- Philippians 3:12-14 

Imagine an athlete competing in a race.

He does not even glance back.

He looks ahead towards the goal steadily.

He strains to take his body forward as fast as possible.

Life can be compared to a race.

Time is running and we are trying to keep up.

We don't compete with each other.

On the contrary, as Christians, we are asked to help each other win!

Our goal is the LORD JESUS

Who ran ahead of us

and has finished the race.

He is seated at the right hand of GOD

interceding for us.

Many saints have finished well 

as mentioned in Hebrews 11.

The goal is not far away.

He is with us and in us in the form of the Holy Spirit,

Encouraging us with His word and cheering us on.

When you get into a lift,

you need to press the button indicating whether you desire to go up or down.

In life's journey too we need to set the direction - up or down.

By default we go down.

Unlike the lift, we need to constantly keep pressing the 'UP' button!

This we do by focusing and refocusing on spiritual things

and walking in obedience to the Holy Spirit and to the word of GOD.

In the earthly race only one, two or three winners get prizes.

Gold, Silver and Bronze.

All those who finish the race by enduring in the faith

will receive the prize

and enter Heaven through the pearly gates

and walk the streets of Gold!

Let us Keep Pressing On!!

Press toward the Mark

Press toward the Mark

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; 

but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended;

 but one thing I do, 

forgetting those things which are behind 

and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,

 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

- Philippians 3:12-14 

Imagine an athlete competing in a race.

He does not even glance back.

He looks ahead towards the goal steadily.

He strains to take his body forward as fast as possible.

Life can be compared to a race.

Time is running and we are trying to keep up.

We don't compete with each other.

On the contrary, as Christians, we are asked to help each other win!

Our goal is the LORD JESUS

Who ran ahead of us

and has finished the race.

He is seated at the right hand of GOD

interceding for us.

Many saints have finished well 

as mentioned in Hebrews 11.

The goal is not far away.

He is with us and in us in the form of the Holy Spirit,

Encouraging us with His word and cheering us on.

When you get into a lift,

you need to press the button indicating whether you desire to go up or down.

In life's journey too we need to set the direction - up or down.

By default we go down.

Unlike the lift, we need to constantly keep pressing the 'UP' button!

This we do by focusing and refocusing on spiritual things

and walking in obedience to the Holy Spirit and to the word of GOD.

In the earthly race only one, two or three winners get prizes.

Gold, Silver and Bronze.

All those who finish the race by enduring in the faith

will receive the prize

and enter Heaven through the pearly gates

and walk the streets of Gold!

Let us Keep Pressing On!!

Attitude of Gratitude

Attitude of Gratitude

Why are many people who are materially rich so empty inside?

On the other hand some who are poor in this world 

are so full of life and love?

We love because GOD first loved us: 

We give because He has given us His very best.

The attitude of gratitude is what enables you to bring forth

 the fruit of the spirit from within you.

If you have a problem with giving to GOD and the work of His Kingdom, you probably haven't received from the LORD!

Imagine your friend giving you a gift.

You would say "Thank You" as you receive the gift.

One of the first things we teach our little ones is to say 

'Thank You'.

Then you open up the bronze coloured wrapping paper.

You find a silver box.

You open the silver box and find a beautiful gold coloured 

winter jacket!

You say to yourself, "This will surely keep my body warm this cold winter season".

Your mind goes to your friend who gave you the gift. 

You contact her and thank her again for the lovely useful gift.

when you meet her you embrace her and look for an opportunity to give her a gift. Your loving relationship is being built up.

Then you remember that every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from the Father of Lights with Whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

GOD is the source Who resources you through people.

When you recognise, this you start thanking the LORD for the gift.

Your Heavenly Father knows your every need

and the desires of your  heart. 

It is GOD Who led your friend to purchase that particular jacket.

He guided her to that exact colour which is your favourite.

As you take time to thank your loving Heavenly Father, your heart starts filling up with the love of GOD.

Your eyes open to the ways of GOD. 

By faith you see His loving hand guiding others on your behalf.

Your relationship with GOD is built up and your faith strengthened.

Only now are you completely receiving that gift 

and totally benefiting by it, body, soul and spirit.

When you wore that jacket, your body benefited.

When you showed gratitude to your friend 

and your relationship of love was built up, 

your soul was nourished.

When you acknowledged GOD in this blessing 

and were grateful to Him

Your spirit was strengthened.

Once the LORD JESUS healed ten lepers

 who came to Him desperately.

JESUS asked them to go their way and show themselves to the high priest, so that he could pronounce them healed.

On their way they realised that they were healed.

While nine of them continued on their way happily,

one returned to JESUS to thank Him.

He not only received physical healing,

but also received the spiritual blessing of the love of GOD

and went with joy!

Taking the jacket and making use of it is like

just opening the bronze wrapping paper.

Showing gratitude to your friend is like

opening the silver box.

Showing gratitude to the LORD is like 

going to the extent of putting on the golden jacket!

Now you are in a position to give to GOD a wholesome gift!

As your heart wells up with gratitude to GOD, your mouth opens with the offering of thanksgiving. This is the first and most important part of your offering to GOD.

I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving, 

And will call upon the name of the LORD. 

 Psalm 116:17 

As you receive GOD'S wonderful grace and forgiveness, 

and your heart is filled with His love,

you are able to extend grace to others,

release forgiveness and show love.

This is the second part of your offering to GOD.

"Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

 "leave your gift there before the altar,

 and go your way. 

First be reconciled to your brother, 

and then come and offer your gift. 

 Matthew 5:23-24 

You also surrender your life to your Saviour

and give of your time, energy, skills and talents

to serve Him and live for Him.

You would desire to seek His will

and do His will each moment of your life.

This is the next part of your offering.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,

 that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,

 holy, acceptable to God, 

which is your reasonable service. 

 Romans 12:1 

Then lastly, you bring your offering in your hand,

as money or in kind to the Church.

Such giving is a wholesome offering to the LORD

with which He is pleased.

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart,

 not grudgingly or of necessity;

 for God loves a cheerful giver. 

 2 Corinthians 9:7 

GOD loves all people.

Some people receive GOD'S love into their hearts more than others.

One way of receiving GOD'S love is to give to GOD

a wholesome gift from your heart.

Then your heart is in a position to receive His love.

We receive gifts from the outside in.

GOD values our offerings from the inside out.

As your heart fills with His love, once again you are filled with gratitude to Him for each and every little gift of GOD...

and so the precious cycle continues...

of receiving and giving!

You don't need riches to enjoy life.

You need to develop an attitude of gratitude 

to richly enjoy

 every little blessing that you already have!