This Do In Remembrance Of Me

After Jesus' entry into Jerusalem riding upon the donkey, He and the disciples stayed in the city and the surrounding area during this week to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, or the Passover. During this time is when He cleansed the Temple of the moneychangers that had turned God's house into a "den of thieves" Mark 11:17, and He preached several sermons, including the Olivet discourse. "Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed." Luke 22:7. Jesus instructed Peter and John to "Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat." Luke 22:8. He told them that as they entered the city, that there would be a man that would meet them, bearing a pitcher of water. They were to follow him into the house he entered and say to the goodman, "THE MASTER saith, My time is at hand;I will keep the passover AT THY HOUSE with my disciples." Matthew 26:18.. The goodman then showed them a large upper room furnished, and there they made ready the Passover.

It was by God's divine appointment that the servant who was bearing the pitcher of water be where He wanted him AT THE TIME HE wanted him there. He prepared this meeting to take place in order to provide for the need of having a place to keep the Passover. What would have happened if the servant had not obeyed the goodman of the house in going when asked to get the water from the well, or delayed in doing so? Jesus would still have kept the Passover, but it may have been at another place. HE WILL ALWAYS accomplish His Will, but He uses those who are already serving, in obedience, to do so. He gives us the blessing of being able to serve Him, and also blesses us for obedience. If this servant had not obeyed, HE WOULD HAVE MISSED OUT ON THE BLESSING! God had chosen this home to be honored with THE PASSOVER LAMB HIMSELF! How many times have we missed out on the blessing of the Lord simply because we either did not do His command, or delayed in doing so? "To delay is to disobey" is one of the things I learned in Bible college. When God speaks, He expects us to do His Word then: not to wait until WE are ready to do so. Thank the Lord that HE ALLOWS US to be used in His Divine Plan!

"And when the hour was come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. and He said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; For I say unto, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God." Luke 22:14-16.  The Lord was speaking here of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9). This is when all of the saved will sit down to eat with the Lord at His Heavenly table. The Lord said He had desired to eat that passover with them to let them know that the next time they would all sit together for a supper would be then, with all of His saints.The Lord knew His death was about to take place, and He was glad to have this fellowship one last time before it. The Lord desires fellowship with His children ( I John 1:3), and this was just a picture of what IS to come when we are with the Lord at the Marriage Supper, where we will never be apart from Him again!

"And when He had given thanks, He BRAKE IT, and said, Take eat; THIS IS MY BODY, which is broken for you;THIS DO IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME." I Corinthians 11:24. The unleavened bread that they were eating was the picture of Jesus' body in which was no sin (leaven). He was telling the disciples that the whole time the Passover had been observed that the bread pointed TO HIM! It was the type of His Body that would be given on the Cross in judgment for our sins. Notice that they all took pieces of the bread from one bigger piece He divided among them. This showed that His sacrificial death on the cross would be ONCE and would be for ALL! Hebrews 10:10-12 says, "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which CAN NEVER TAKE AWAY SINS; BUT this man, after He had offered ONE SACRIFICE for sins FOREVER, sat down on the right hand of God;" Amen!

"And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, DRINK YE ALL OF IT: For THIS IS MY BLOOD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." Matthew 26:27 &28. The Lord told the apostles here also that the cup they were to drink from henceforth would be the picture of HIS BLOOD! The cup had always pointed to His Holy Blood, THE INNOCENT BLOOD (Matthew 26:4), that would take aways sins FOREVER! When I was reading this verse, the phrase DRINK YE ALL OF IT jumped off the page to me! It took ALL OF JESUS BLOOD to pay the price for our sins! I have heard some say that because Jesus is holy that it would have only taken one drop of His blood to save us, but this is in error! Just as the sacrifice had to die on the altar with the blood flowing down, so did OUR SAVIOUR! The last bit of blood in His precious body flowed from His side when He was pierced with the sword. (John 19:34). This would be the LAST TIME the BLOOD would flow to wash us whither than snow! The Lord was teaching the disciples to observe these two things in REMEMBRANCE OF HIM from henceforth. No longer would they have to observe Passover looking TOWARD the Messiah's coming death, for it was to take place then. The would from that point on observe the NEW TESTAMENT, as Jesus stated, to look BACK to THE LAMB OF GOD, that TOOK AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD! ( John 1:29).

"And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives." Matthew 26:30. They sung a song in praise to God for the sacrifice and fellowship that they had all shared together. This shows us that we can have fellowship with the Lord because of His payment for our sins and we should praise Him! "Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" Psalm 107:31

Thank God that we can be used in His service and receive the special blessing He has prepared for our obedience. Thank God for His broken body and precious Holy Blood that He shed for us! Praise His name for His Glorious Salvation this Easter!

What are you doing here? Part 2

The juniper tree, pictured above, was the place that Elijah ran to, fleeing the death warrant of Jezebel. Here the Lord restored the exhausted, overwrought prophet. He did so by preparing "a table before me in the presence of mine enemies..". He sent an angel and provided him with a cake and a cruse of water to restore his exhaustion. The Lord did this in tender care for His prophet and to prepare him for the journey that He was about to send him on. When Elijah arose from sleep the second time to eat, he started on a forty day and forty night journey to Mt. Horeb, the mountain of God. "Where God guides, He provides, " is definitely true. He will always provide us the means to accomplish the task He has given us to do. "Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it." I Thessalonians 5:24.

Elijah's journey lead him to the cave on Mt. Horeb where he stayed while in the wilderness. This is where the word of the Lord came to him, 19:9. The Lord will speak to us when He puts us where He wants us to be to listen. Elijah had been restored by the Lord for his physical needs, and now the Lord was going to deal with him for his spiritual needs. He had brought him to the very mountain of God where Moses had talked with the Lord so many years before. This was the same cave that Moses dwelt in when he was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights when the Lord was giving him the Ten Commandments, Exodus 24:12-18. This time the Lord's word was a question to Elijah: "What doest thou here Elijah?"(vs 9). The Lord was not asking him this to find out the answer for Himself, but to open Elijah's eyes to the reason. He knew exactly why Elijah had retreated and had become weak in his faith. The Lord wanted Elijah to realize and confess this to the Lord AND to himself. Only when we are honest with God and ourselves can the Lord cleanse us of our sin or fault, and then we can allow ourselves to get back up and start serving the Lord again. "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth UP AGAIN.." Proverbs 24:16.  Until we do so, we can't go forward.

Upon asking this question, Elijah answered the Lord this reason: "I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, EVEN I ONLY, am left; and they seek, my life, to take it away." vs.10. Elijah had just declared to the Lord that it was the result of SOMEONE ELSE'S SIN! He then went on to say that he was the ONLY ONE who was still serving the Lord.
The Lord responded to this by telling Elijah to go out of the cave and to stand on the mountain before Him. He then passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountain, breaking rock in pieces, but He was NOT IN the wind. After the wind came an earthquake, but the Lord WAS NOT IN the earthquake. After the earthquake was a fire;but the Lord WAS NOT IN the fire. After the fire came A STILL SMALL VOICE. THIS is where the Lord was. Many great and mighty things can be done, but it doesn't always mean that the Lord Himself is there in it. Many times we can approach the Lord's work out of duty or routine, but it doesn't mean He is in it. Praying a quick prayer out of habit doesn't mean God is in it. Even though the Lord allows things or works to happen, the power is NOT IN THE WORK, BUT IN HIS WORD! THIS is where the Lord is! Elijah was declaring he had stayed true to God through the WORKS HE HAD DONE. He was not focusing on THE WORD that the Lord had told him to proclaim. God's power is in His Word and command that He speaks to us, not OUR working, or doing that command.Only when the Lord's still small voice came did Elijah come forth from the cave that he had ran into for shelter from the wind, earthquake, and fire. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27. He wrapped his face with his mantle before going out. This was in reverence to God and His mighty power. God's power is in His word and command, and not OUR WORKING His command. After bringing this to Elijah's attention through what just happened, He again asked Elijah, "What doest thou here Elijah?". THIS time Elijah said the same thing to the Lord, only he changed one word. "I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts; BECAUSE the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only , am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." The first time Elijah was blaming the children of Israel and their sin for him being there, but the second time he admitted that it was not their works of sin that sent him there, but BECAUSE he had worked so hard for God against their sin. He was admitting the reason why he had worked so hard for the Lord. Only he didn't realize that in the process he had forgotten that it was God's word and power that accomplished the great tasks he had accomplished. When he said, "I, only I, am left" proved this. He had come to the place that he felt he was the only one that COULD ACCOMPLISH anything for God. How blind we become to God's ability when we look to our own strength to fulfill His commands! In doing so, we unknowingly are lifting ourselves up in pride, thinking we are the only ones capable of doing God's work. The Lord is very quick to remind us that it is only because of His might and grace that we are ALLOWED to serve HIM. "I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST, WHICH STRENGTHENETH ME!" Phillipians 4:13. The Lord told Elijah in verse 18 that there were 7,000 other loyal servants to God in Israel that had not bowed their knees to Baal. There will always be a remnant of God's people, and not just one person! This was a promise of God as well.(Ezekiel 14:22) This is why it is so important to have constant fellowship with other Christians for support and comfort in each other. "Forsake not the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; BUT EXHORTING one another, AND SO MUCH MORE, as ye see the day approaching". God help us to stick together as a family, even more so, as the Lord's Return is imminent.

AFTER the Lord dealt with Elijah's failure did he give him a new commission. He instructed him to anoint a new king over Israel and to anoint a new prophet to train, and that would take his place one day. Praise the Lord that when we fail or fall, HE CAN STILL USE US, and WANTS TO USE US!

So, if you are under the juniper tree today needing restoring, remember the tender loving care of our Great Shepherd. Listen to the Lord's still, small voice that is speaking to you. He wants to restore you to strength and fellowship, and put you back in His service. "Surely GOODNESS and MERCY shall follow me ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE, and I WILL dwell in the house of the Lord FOREVER!" Psalm 23:6 Thank God for His Goodness and Mercy to us, His sheep. Praise His name!

What are you doing here?

Have you ever been to the point that you have said, "That's it! It's enough! I'm done! or I quit!"? If we are honest, we can ALL say we have been there.  How in the world did you get there? If you are there now or have been in the past, think back to what got you to that point. Usually it is after a hard trial, many problems, or just plain exhaustion. Thank the Lord that He has given us examples of servants in His Word that have gone through the same thing. Elijah was one of them.

I Kings 18:25-41 gives the account of Elijah's contest with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. It was really no contest at all, for the true God Jehovah, sent down fire from Heaven to remind the straying Jews that He was the true God. Elijah slew all of the prophets of Baal at God's command, and the Lord and gave him great victory that day. He even sent His blessing of rain again, after being withheld for three years because of the sin in the land. Certainly, Satan was not happy about the murder of over 400 of his servants. So, of course he responded with attack on God's man. 
 The most wicked queen in Israel's history, Jezebel, and biggest worshipper of Baal in Israel,sent a messenger to Elijah. Her message was that he was going to be as the prophets that he slew by that same time the next day. This is how Satan will do us. He will send his messenger, just as Jezebel sent hers, to threaten and buffet (beat) upon us.  II Corinthians 12:7 says that "the messenger of Satan to buffet," was sent to Paul as well.Ephesians 6:15 says there will be "fiery darts of the wicked" as well. But, with the shield of FAITH, they CAN be quenched, or put out. But, Elijah wavered in his faith when vs.3 in chapter 19 says, that "he saw that." He took his eyes off of the LORD, and looked at the problems and situations around him. When we do that, we will stumble as well. Just as Peter began to sink in the water when he took his eyes off of Jesus, we will start to go down as well.

Elijah ran from Jezebel, leaving his servant in Beersheba, and then going a day's journey, or 20 miles, into the wilderness.He then sat down under a juniper tree, and requested that he might die. He said, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers." vs.4. If Elijah had wanted to really die, he could have let Jezebel kill him in the city! He spoke these words out of exhaustion and fear. The fact that he chose a juniper tree to lay down under shows that he needed rest and healing. The juniper tree is used in the Middle East as relief from stress and to calm. It's oil is also used in healing as medicine. Elijah needed special care from the Holy One of Israel, just as sheep do from their shepherd in His Field of Grace. The Lord made one for him there in the wilderness by sending his angel to touch him and say, "Arise and eat." When he awoke, he saw a cake baked on hot coals, and a cruse of water at his head.This shows the tender loving care of the Saviour.He didn't give him cold bread, but the cake was WARM on the coals! His word is always FRESH MANNA to our souls! The cruse of water was at his head, which would have meant it was under the cool shade where Elijah was.It would have stayed COOL to refresh his parched soul! Again, just as the shephered gives cool water to his sheep in the cup basin for cooling, he did so for Elijah!  He ate these and then laid down again. The Lord was restoring him, just as it says in Psalm 23:3. Elijah was touched again and told to "Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee." The Lord strengthened him and he went in that strength for 40 days and 40 nights. Psalms 28:8 says, "The Lord is their strength, and He is the SAVING STRENGTH of His anointed."  The Lord will give us the strength we need to journey on for Him, and not give us more than we can bear. (I Corinth. 10:13) Elijah then journeyed on to Horeb, the mountain of God.

Even though Satan may rant and rave, and we retreat, thank the Lord He restores us. Tomorrow will be the conclusion of the Lord's question, "What doest thou here.."...

Field of Grace- Part 2

After being tested in stormy trial winds, the Good Shepherd's Field of Grace is used to help strengthen and restore our souls. Psalms 23:4 says, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." When shepherds are moving their flocks from one pasture to another, often they have to cross a rocky mountain path, that is no more than 2 wide at some points, over the rough Middle Eastern terrain. On the side of this path is a steep drop that would bring death to the sheep should it stray from the path the shepherd leads them on. This is what is meant by the phrase " the valley of the shadow of death." It's looming presence is there as a shadow over the sheep. But, the shepherd goes BEFORE the sheep, and CONSTANTLY talks to them to comfort them as they climb! Half way through the ascent, the shepherd moves to the back of the line to make sure all of the sheep have made it. As he does so, he again taps each one on the head with his rod and calls them by name! His voice provides comfort to calm all fears. Isaiah 51:12 says, " I, even I, am he that comforteth you..". "..thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it,when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." Ish. 30:21. The Shepherd's staff is used to pull any straying sheep back to the line and pick up any that have fallen into brush on the side. Truly His "rod and staff, they comfort me!"

The phrase "table before me in the presence of mine enemies" has always made me wonder. Upon studying the shepherd, I found out that it is not a banqueting table as I had imagined, but what is pictured at the top of this post. When a sheep is injured or sick, the other sheep will often be the ones to harm it, not wild beasts! Their own family will become the enemy. They will butt the sheep aside by itself if it cannot move, and eat all of the grass around it, so it will be left to die! Praise God for the loving care of his injured sheep! He then makes what is called a "table" by using his cloak on one side, his staff and rod on the other two, and lastly use Himself as the finishing side to protect the sheep. The flock knows they are NOT TO CROSS THESE LINES! How sad that when a sheep of the fold is either fallen or sick, that it is the other sheep who attack and hinder instead of help! Just as Job's "friends" did to accuse and push him down farther, so do some of God's people in judgment of their brothers and sisters."The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all of their troubles." Psalm 35:17. 
Here he anoints the sheep's head with oil as comfort and medicine to heal the wounds. The oil is a type of the Holy Spirit as he speaks to our souls the words we need for our souls. "I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD;". Jeremiah 30:17.
 The cup he provides is the other picture of a stone basin. It is used to cool hot water from the springs, to provide cool refreshment for the sheep. It is filled to overflowing so that is runs down to the sheep to ensure they have plenty to drink. "He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers." Psalm 78:16. The water of His Word refreshes us to quench our thirst and help restore us. His well of water will NEVER RUN DRY!  John 4:14

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever." As the shepherd takes up the rear on troublesome paths, He ensures all of His Goodness and Mercy on us. His most important act of Goodness and Mercy was when "the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." John 10:11, when He died on the cross and rose again. He bestowed His goodness and love upon us for salvation. His Mercy was extended in not giving us the death and punishment we deserved for our sin. Thank the Lord that His salvation places us in His house forever! "He brought me into the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love." Song of Solomon 2:4.

The shepherd's Field of Grace feeds, leads, restores, protects, heals, comforts, and provides. I thank the Lord for His Field of Grace and the help He has given me these last few weeks while I have been in it. When the stormy winds are blowing, let them run you straight into His Field of Grace!

Field of Grace

When the stormy winds blow from the Father, the first place they blow us is into His Field of Grace. He is our Great Shepherd as described by David in the 23rd Psalm. This chapter is given from the sheep's point of view in praise of his tender, loving Shepherd, and the care that He gives.

The Shepherd takes care of ALL of the needs of the flock as a whole, but provides individual care for each sheep as well. Usually after a storm or trial, we are in need of quiet healing and help from the shepherd. Verse one says, "I shall not want." While in His field, or pasture of grace, He withholds no good thing from us as his precious sheep. Isaiah 57:15 says, "I dwell....with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to REVIVE THE SPIRIT of the humble, and to REVIVE THE HEART of the contrite ones."

"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters." vs 2. Isaiah 40:11 "He shall feed his flock like a Shepherd; he shall gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." In the Middle East, a shepherd will lead his sheep to pastures that will provide sufficient food to keep the sheep fed. He separates them by themselves, allows them to eat the grass on all sides around them, then taps them on the head with his staff WHILE CALLING THEM BY NAME to signal his authority and let them know they have eaten enough.Then he leads them to cool waters to wash the cud down and allow them time to rest and digest the food.  The Lord calls us by name, speaks to us to comfort and confirm His spiritual feeding to help our souls ,without giving too much at one time. "My sheep know my voice, and I KNOW THEM, and they follow me." John 10:27. He puts us in His field by the still waters to allow us to be strengthened by His Word and be refreshed in our weary souls."Be STILL, and know that I am God.." Psalm 46:10a.The last half of Isaiah's verse that says He gently leads those with young is a blessing to me. It signifies His special care of the female sheep, being the ones bearing the young, and His affectionate compassion on them in a special way!

He restores our souls in the field of grace. Isaiah 57:18 "I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and RESTORE COMFORTS unto him..". After trials or problems, we feel depleted and empty. He will fill us again!"Restore unto me the joy of they salvation." This doesn't mean we lost our salvation, but sometimes we lose that happiness in our soul from weariness. Physical exertion and sickness can cause this as well, and Jesus knows this. He said that He remembers our frame is dust (Ps.103:14). Psalm 28:9 says He will"feed them also, and lift them up forever." "I will RESTORE health unto thee, and I will heal thee of they wounds, saith the Lord..." Jeremiah 30:17.He leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. "For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace;"Ish.55:12a."When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, THEN THOU KNEWEST MY PATH!" Psalm 142:3. He will lead us in the way when we can't see where to go, and protect us from further harm until we are healed. 

In His Field of Grace, He feeds, leads, and restores. Thank God for His loving care for us His sheep today. (This chapter will be concluded tomorrow.)

Let the Stormy Winds Blow

 

 

The winds have been relentless these past few days. Strong winds coming in from the North, notoriously known for its power and cold harshness, have blown everything in its path. We know the Master of the wind is the one in control of them, but He brings not just these literal forces of nature. He sometimes ushers in spiritual "stormy wind,fulfilling His Word," Psalm 148:8 as well.

The Lord led me to this verse in Song of Solomon this morning- S.O.S. 4:16,"Awake, O north wind; and come thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into His garden, and eat His pleasant fruits." It jumped out at me with the help that I needed. When the Lord allows spiritual stormy winds to blow into our lives, there is ALWAYS a reason for it. It is part of HIS PLAN. The Lord has placed His Seed into our souls, His spiritual garden, to produce fruit. Not our fruit, or works of righteousnesses which we have done,but HIS FRUIT that remains.  The Lord purges us to remove useless "chaff" from our lives, as stated in Hosea 13:3."...as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor...". He blows His Holy North wind down from Heaven, to us on earth, in the south, to produce this effect in our souls. When the chaff is blown away from the threshing floor,the wheat, or fruit, is all that remains. God wants us to be more and more like HIM, being conformed to His image. He wants to produce only the FRUIT of the Spirit, as found in Galatians 6:22-23,and remove all else.

"He causeth it to come whether for correction, of for his land, or for MERCY." The Lord was talking in this verse to Job, 37:13. It may be for correction to purify sins out of our lives that are there, or it may be because of His mercy. How could it be by MERCY? Only the Lord knows what would happen to us spiritually if the chaff was allowed to stay there. It could corrupt the spiritual fruit produced in our lives, and make it of none effect. "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption;but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Gal.6:8. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law." "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Phillipians 2:13.

The Lord wants His spiritual fruit to be all that remains after  His winds have blown over us, so "that the spices thereof may flow out.."as stated in Song of Solomon.Just as Job had not suffered as a result of sin in his life, it was a test of stormy wind that purged his own view of righteousness from himself. "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Job 41:5&6.  "..that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." Phillipians 1:10&11.Then the Lord will smell the sweet smell from the "spices" of a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God." Phillip. 4:18.

When the stormy winds have ceased to blow, and have fulfilled His Word, by purging,may we be able to say, "Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits." S.O.S. 5:16.May He then say to us, "Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee." S.O.S. 4:7.

The Full Spectrum Rainbow-Conclusion

In conclusion to the Full Spectrum Rainbow, the seventh and final color is Purple. This is the color of a royal King. Most robes of kings, or even their crowns, have this deep, rich color to signify their majesty. But, when Jesus came to suffer the death of the cross for us, it was first used toward Him in mockery. Mark 15:17-20 says, "And they clothed Him with PURPLE,  and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about His head, and began to salute Him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon Him, and bowing their knees  worshipped Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took off the PURPLE from Him, and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him." The next time the Lord is adorned with the color Purple, it assuredly WILL NOT BE IN MOCKERY! When the Lord returns to Earth, to set up His kingdom here, He will come in power and full glory as King. Revelation 19:11-16 gives us the details of His return. Verse 16 says, "And he hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. Jesus will reign forever as King and will make all things new,"And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." Revelation 21:5.

The Rainbow serves as God's reminder to us of His promise. The Lord wants to remind us at the end of storms, as He first promised Noah, that He will never destroy with water, or storms, the entire Earth again. We can apply this to the trials and storms we go through in our Christian life. They are not to hurt or harm us, but to help us grown, purge, and teach us His Truth. Sometimes we might feel like we can't make it, or we just feel like giving up. But, remember HIS PROMISE! Remember the colors of the rainbow and each blessed truth that they stand for. They will remind us of His Blood, Fellowship, Glory, Salvation, Priesthood, Heavenly Grace, and that HE IS KING! What a beautiful reminder that the Lord has taken care to create, to remind us of HIS PROMISE!

God's Promise 
Many trials come and go
Like the ocean's ebb and flow,
But God's promise still He shows
With the glory of His rainbow. (Gen.9:14&15)

The red reminds us, "I redeemed you that day, 
"You are forgiven, your sin taken away." (Titus 2:14)
The orange speaks of holy fellowship sweet (I John 1:3)
As we quietly sit and learn at His feet. 
Yellow shines forth God's great glory
That is revealed each time a sinner hear the old story. (Act.9:1-6)
Green is the color of Life everlasting (John 3:16)
Freely given to sinners just for the asking.(Rms 10:13)
Blue for His Righteousness and Holy Diety, (Luke1:35)
Sitting by the Father making intercession for me. (Heb. 7:25)
Indigo says, "Because I arose, (Luke 24:6)
You may now trade Grave garments for new Grace clothes. (Col. 3:9&10)
Purple the color of our Heavenly King,
"Lord of Lords" in Heaven, one day we will sing. (Rev. 19:16)

A blessed reminder from our Saviour above, 
He hasn't forgotten, and is not withholding His love. (Is. 49:15)
We are in His Hands with our names written there, (Is.49:16)
Shielding us from harm with a Father's loving care. (Is. 41:13)