Author: Mojo Ministries

Years ago, our family had the opportunity to spend several weeks in Venice, Italy.  Venice is a city rich in both history and architecture.  We visited the Mirano Glass Factory.  We ate lunch many times in the Piazza San Marco, and watched in amazement as pigeons landed all over Jenni.  We saw magnificent feats of architecture, such as the Rialto Bridge (created by Antonio da Ponte in 1588), the Bridge of Sighs (built by Antonio Contino, nephew of Antonio da Ponte, in 1600), San Marco Basilica (originally built in the 9th Century and housed the remains John Mark, one of four disciples of Jesus Christ who were chosen to give us one of the four Gospel accounts.  Though the architect is unknown, it stands as a grand structure even today).  We toured the Doges Palace and walked from the interrogation rooms there, across the Bridge of Sighs (which crosses the Rio di Palazzo), to the Prison.   It was this “crossing” that caused the Bridge of Sighs to gain its name.  While riding the gondolas, we passed the birth place of Marco Polo. These are just a few of the structures that immediately come to mind as I think about that unforgettable trip.  Yet, there were so many other things we saw that were just as old, and just as amazing that I can’t name.  And though the architects of many of these structures are unknown, these structures stand hundreds of years later as a testament of their work.

As we celebrated Mother’s Day yesterday, I thought about what our daughters and daugther-in-law were building in our grandchildren.  As a parent, I know that much of what they do behind the scenes may never be known to those on the outside.  Much of what they do will go unrecognized.  Yet, though you and I may never know their sacrifices or the work they are doing to build up those little cathedrals God has entrusted to their care – God Himself knows.

Matthew 7:24-27 (KJV) says:

²⁴ Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: ²⁵ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. ²⁶And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:  ²⁷ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” 

My prayer for our children and grandchildren, and for your children and your grandchildren is that as we are building these young hearts and minds, that we are building them to last, to stand the test of time, to weather the storms that will come in their lives.  To do that, we have to ensure that we begin on the right foundation.  And if we do, when our lives are done, may they say of us, “. . .  Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”

Matthew 26:36-46, “³⁶ Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. ³⁷ And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. ³⁸ Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. ³⁹ And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. ⁴⁰ And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? ⁴¹ Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. ⁴² He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. ⁴³ And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. ⁴⁵ Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.”

There were three times, at least, in the life of the Savior where He was under a tremendous burden. In the wilderness, He won the victory over Satan. On the cross, He won the victory over sin. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He won the battle over self-will. Every time He was faced with extreme pressure, He taught us what to do. This garden experience was very different from the other two accounts. In the wilderness there is a devil you can see. At Calvary there is a cross you can see. However, in the garden there is nothing visible as the source of this battle. What a lesson for us all!

Sometimes we are feeling great stress and pressure. Often times, as I talk with people about their problems, they tell me they are really not sure what is even causing them to feel like they do. It is one thing to be under a load and it is something else not to be able to point to any one single cause. The pressure is still just as real to the person going through it even if they can’t touch it or put a name on it. The burden is still there.

As we look at these verses, the first thing I see is the grinding in the garden. The word Gethsemane means “oil press” or “olive press.” In this garden, the olives were placed onto the millstones to be crushed by the weight of the press to extract their oil. There were four different pressings of the olives. The first produced the oil used for holy things associated with the Temple. The second provided the oil for home cooking. The third pressing yielded oil for medicine. The last was used for soap, beauty aids or household applications. In short, everything in the olive had to come out under the load of the press. Olive oil may only cost us a few dollars but it cost an olive everything that was is in it!

We see the pressure upon the Savior in His sweating. Luke records the account and says, “his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground” (Luke 22:44). What a strange place to bleed. In a beautiful garden the crimson color is no longer seen on the flowers but it now covers the ground. How awful that sight must have been to those who were with Jesus! It teaches us that sometimes we can have an ugly problem in a beautiful place. You go through life and just achieve what you always worked for only to  face illness, pain or loss. The pressure can make us sweat but none of us have ever sweated like Jesus did in the garden.

The burden is also seen in the separation by the Savior. The disciples tarry at the appointed place but Jesus, “went a little farther, and fell on his face” (vs. 39). He kept on going when those He loved had stopped. Pressure will drive us to a place where we feel others are not able to go. There is a loneliness involved with real stress. There are some things that we must go through alone.

Again, the pressure is visible in the sleeping disciples. Jesus leaves them and returns on three occasions only to find them asleep each time (vs. 40, 43, 45). Three times Jesus asked His closest disciples to cover Him while He went further into the Garden.  What makes us keep going back to things that don’t work when we are under pressure? The results are the same but still we think our friends or family can help us somehow. We
know only God knows and can give us relief.

Finally, you see the pressure in the seeking of the Savior. The text teaches us that Jesus, “prayed the third time, saying the same words” (vs. 44). You know it is real when you keep praying the same thing. The need is so great that all you can do is speak the same words over and over again. Nothing else matters and you must get an answer from God!

The wonderful thing about this teaching from the life of Christ is we also find there is grace in the garden. When Jesus came the third time and found the disciples still sleeping, He speaks to them and says, “Sleep on now” (vs. 45). Something happened on His third trip in prayer. Nothing had changed concerning the will of the Father. The pressure was there but it just didn’t bother Him anymore. When I read those words spoken by the Master, I could not help but think of all the things that had bothered me so much throughout my ministry. It was a sudden reminder that there are some things we all just need to “put to bed.” Things are not going to change. We just need to let it sleep and find peace in Him. When someone that you have depended on, has let you down don’t let bitterness grow in your heart. When disease comes and your spouse has lost their memory of your life together, don’t argue with the Lord about it. As you care for that child who is disabled, please don’t get angry with God. If a church members have broken your heart, don’t try to get even. The best thing we can ever do with anything putting a burden or distress on us is to “put it to bed!”

How long will your pressure continue? I am not able to answer that completely. I know Jesus prayed three times but He was the Christ! Paul prayed three times before he found His grace sufficient to overcome the thorn in his flesh but he was an apostle. If they both prayed three times then we may have to intercede 300 times. However, grace will come and it will be enough for you to “sleep on” and get rest over it.

There is one other thing that I see here – the gardener in the garden. Jesus goes from this garden and faces the cross. From Calvary, He is taken to a tomb. On the third day, Mary has come to see her Lord. When she looks in she sees two angels at the head and foot of where Jesus had laid. She turns aside and hears another voice of comfort. The voice of Jesus! The Bible then records that “She, supposing him to be the gardener” (John 20:15). When He spoke her name, she knew it was Jesus! She thought Jesus was the Gardener because He was! He had cultivated the Garden of Gethsemane to give us hope in the hour of pressures in our life.

You may be going through one of the most difficult times ever. All hope is not gone. Others may not be able to lift the load. I just want to remind you during your time of pressure, “This is only a test.” Jesus knows and understands so just keep saying the same words. The Gardener of Grace will give you all you need to get to the point where you can “put it to bed.”  Praise God – Jesus has not lost sight of you!

As I near the sunset years of my ministry, there is one thing I desire more than ever before in my life. I just want to finish well. I don’t want to grow bitter or become discontented in my final years of life, but I want to grow sweeter as the days go by.  What a message in itself!

I seem to think more and more about those that I know who have lost the desire to finish well. In fact, I’ve been there before.  I think the world is filled with more “quitters” than “over-comers” today.  Let me give you just a few examples to confirm my concern for a determined people to rise up in the church.

Have you ever made a commitment to do something and not followed through with it? As simple as it might seem, many have always wanted to read the Bible through entirely but somewhere along their journey they stop. We all know people who can’t hold a job for more than a year or two. After the newness wears off, they move on. It is almost like quitting is more enjoyable than the work they accomplish. I know of people who can’t attend the same church for more than a year or two. They are not able to settle in a place when things get normal. They expect every service to be spectacular. However, we all know that we have more normal days than special days in our life. If every day were special then we would have no special days.

It is easier to start things than to finish them.  A couple can have a child but it takes a parent to raise the child. The birth is not the finished plan. It is only the beginning. I don’t like to see people start anything without the fortitude to finish it. If you lack that desire, then you can fall into a habitual lifestyle of never completing anything.  The unfinished things in our lives bring frustration, intimidation and interruption to our purpose of serving God.

Nobody likes stuff hanging over his or her head. In fact, the Bible gives us great consolation in knowing that the Lord always finishes what He begins. He is the “Author” and the “Finisher” of our faith. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the beginning and the end. Therefore, He gives us some simple instructions in His Word to help us finish well!

One thing we should always remember in our journey of faith is to finish our course in steps.  A baby does not start eating meat or walking in the first day of life. There is a process of life. We finish all great projects by taking them one step at a time. I was hospitalized a not long ago and learned I had blood clots caused from an injury, and they had spread to my lungs (pulmonary emboli).   The doctor told me I would need to take blood thinners for 3-6 months (maybe longer).  Realizing this was going to be a long process, I developed a mental a plan to follow through in a process where I could rejoice in phases of recovery.  In time, I will reach the final goal but in the meantime I move toward the ultimate finish line.

The same plan I followed physically to reach the goal can also be applied spiritually. The Lord shows us in the creation process that He took five days to make this world in steps. Then on the sixth day He created man. After each step of the process was completed then He told us in His Word that it was good. In other words, praise God for each step you complete by His grace. You are not finished yet but you are still moving toward His final plan. So take things in steps and rejoice when you finish each phase. Don’t try to pay all your debts off at once. Pay the smallest debt off first. Then apply that payment to the next debt and so on. Before you know it you will cross the finish line and you are able to praise the Lord for His help through the entire process. Finish it in steps.

Second, finish YOUR course! You can’t finish another person’s course. The Apostle Paul
wrote, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith” (II Timothy 4:7). He did not run the course of another person.  God wants you. He has something in His purpose that only you can do. Contrary to popular preaching and teaching, life gets tougher as you get older.

• You are not taught calculus in the first grade.
• A mountain is wider at the bottom than it is at the top.
• The closer you get to the top then the steeper the climb might be.

Always remember, this is your course and you must finish it for the glory of God. No matter how much sorrow you face, how sad you become or how sick you are ~ just finish your course. There is a beautiful passage of Scripture which says, “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” (Deuteronomy 33:25).  You may face hard days but He gives you strength for the day. He will always give beauty for your ashes. However, the only way you have ashes to offer Him is to go through a fire.

Finally, there is a simple fact that we all must face when we come to the end of our course. We will be able to see further than we can go. Our vision should be greater than our days. When Paul said he finished his course that did not mean the entire world had been saved. There were still great numbers of lost people in the world at that time. He is a great example of how our course is finished but the work of God is not. We go to meet the Lord but God’s program still goes on.

I love working for God but I must always remember His plan does not rest entirely on me! Never get to the point where you feel that the church can’t make it without you. If I die today, I promise you they will still have church on Sunday. I am honored to be a part of the pattern but I am not the entire ingredient in His plan.

When I was in school, I used to run in a lot of relay races. For some reason, it seemed like I always got stuck running the third leg of the four-man relay team. The total distance of the race was one mile. Each runner had to race a quarter of the mile. When the runner came toward you in the race, you had to find his rhythm so he could easily pass the baton on to you. Once I had the baton in my hand then I was determined to run as though my life depended on it. However, not one time did I get to cross the finish line. I could always see the finish line but never got to personally cross it. I was not supposed to cross it. My job was to pass the baton on to the next runner.

We were a team. If we won the race, no one man could take the glory for himself. It was a team effort. When we won, the team won. Moses, the servant of the Lord, was on top of Mount Nebo. The Lord allowed him to see a promised land that his foot could not touch before he died. He saw further than he could travel right then. He saw with his eyes what he could not walk in. By the way, he did not possess the land but the people he led did! We may not be able to do all we want but may we all finish well and may our
vision be greater than our days!

Having grandchildren reminds me of how trusting they are of their parents and grandparents.  No matter what the situation is, they just put their complete trust on you.  As long as Lucas has his parents or grandparents with him, he has no fear – of anything!  He will jump into a boat and eagerly want to get across the lake to the other side.  So, who cares if the boat has holes in it?  As long as “papa” is with him, he has nothing to fear – right?  I mean, after all, what could possibly go wrong?

Reminds me of the disciples – on a boat – with Jesus – in the midst of a storm, in Mark 4:35-41.

“³⁵ And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. ³⁶ And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.  ³⁷ And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. ³⁸ And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? ³⁹ And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? ⁴¹ And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

So here are the disciples, who have walked with Christ, who have been taught personally by the greatest Teacher of them all, and the minute a storm comes up, they cry out “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” 

Understand that many of these men grew up on the Sea of Galilee, they were fishermen by trade.  They knew what to do in the midst of a storm and I believe they did everything they knew to do before they finally went to the Lord and cried out “MASTER.”

Now, I can’t help but wonder if it would have been much easier for them if they would have just went to the LORD in the first place.  Maybe He should have been their first resource rather than their final recourse!

Look folks – Jesus is asleep!

• The wind is howling across that ship;
• The waves are crashing into that ship.

AND JESUS IS ASLEEP!

• The ship is full of water;
• It should be sinking.

AND BY THE WAY, a ship full of water is supposed to sink isn’t it?  But this ship didn’t sink.  And I might just add, there wasn’t enough water in the whole Sea of Galilee to sink this Ship.  WHY?  Because Jesus said, “LET US PASS OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE!”  He gave them His Word!

• When this ship was rocking back and forth – it didn’t wake Jesus!
• When the waves were crashing into the ship – it didn’t wake Jesus!
• When the ship was full of water – it didn’t wake Jesus!

But when they Cried “MASTER,” verse 39 said “And He arose!”

• It only took one cry!
• It only took one plea!
• It only took one call!

THEN “He arose and rebuked the wind and the sea and said “PEACE BE STILL.”

And the Bible says, “There was a great calm!”

Now folks, don’t miss this:  When the disciples were sitting there looking at each other in amazement, they didn’t say:

• What manner of storm is this;
• What manner of waves is this;

No friends, they said, “WHAT MANNER OF MAN IS THIS”

I think they were shouting “What a God!  What a God!”  And folks, I am here to tell you today:

• Our God is bigger than your storms;
• Our God is bigger than the waves crashing into your ship!
• Our God is bigger than your valleys!

Father, give me the child like faith of my grandchildren, to trust you NO MATTER WHAT!

In II Samuel 15, we find that Absalom, the son of King David, is leading a revolt, an insurrection against his own father’s kingdom.  David, this once Mighty King, This Mighty Warrior; This man that had fought the Giant as just a boy, this man who had defeated all the enemies of God, has decided for only the 2^nd time in his life not to stay and fight.  The first time was against King Saul, the anointed King of Israel.  So, David decides to depart his own Kingdom, rather than fight his son Absalom.

In verse 32, the Bible says, “And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, . . .”  Can’t you imagine the enemy whispering in his ears:

• David, you’ll never worship God again;
• David, you’ll never feel the breathe of Heaven on your soul again.
• David, you are going down in disgrace and defeat.

Then we come to chapter 16, and beginning in verse 1, “And when David was a little past the top of the hill, BEHOLD (and that word behold means Looky Looky) BEHOLD, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.  2 And the king said unto Ziba, What meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.”

Verse 2 ends with these words, “and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink.”  Often, that word “Wine” in the Bible is in reference to the Holy Spirit.  Here, the young men were “faint in the wilderness,”

• They needed some refreshment;
• They needed something to rejuvenate them;
• They needed something to remind them that God hadn’t forgotten them;

Aren’t you glad that just “A Little Past the Top of the Hill,”

• When you’ve been dry;
• When you’ve been barren;
• When you were asking “Lord, where are you?”

He knows right when to show up!

Now, I am not going to debate with you whether this was fermented wine or whether it was Grape Juice, that’s for you and God to figure out, as this is not the intent of this blog.

I can see David, as he grabs this flask, and he takes a drink and says, “Man, that was refreshing to my soul.”  And then the soldiers all get in line behind him to take a drink and refresh their souls.

There are some reading this blog that may be weak in the wilderness, that may be faint in the wilderness, and God is inviting you to drink of His Holy Spirit so you can gain the strength to KEEP ON KEEPING ON!

My brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to find God’s Wine Cellar and ask Him to fill us, fill us, and fill us again!

The Bible says, “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be ye filled with the Spirit.”

Do you know how our forefathers accomplished so much for God:

• When they didn’t have public transportation: planes, trains and automobiles;
• When they didn’t have the internet;
• When they didn’t have cell phones.

They did because they knew where to find God’s Wine Cellar!  They didn’t need musicians to “work up the Spirit of God – Praise God they came in TIPSY AMEN!

And I’ll tell you something Church, it would do us all good to get up Early on Sunday mornings and find God’s Wine Cellar BEFORE we come to church, and when we get here, we’d all come in 3 sheets to the wind in the Holy Ghost – singing AMEN and GLORY TO GOD!

I will tell you folks, there is “juice for the Journey” JUST A LITTLE PAST THE TOP OF THE HILL!

We are all familiar with the story in John chapter 6 and verses 1-9, of how Jesus Christ feed the multitude was a little boys lunch of 5 barley loaves and two small fishes, and have probably heard about it most of our lives.  In fact, after I had taken a 13 year hiatus from preaching, one of the first messages I preached after recommitting myself to the Lord was from this passage and it was a message titled “Gather up the Fragments that Remain that Nothing Be Lost.”  And though there are some great titles I could have used for this thought today, like “What are They Among So Many,” or even “Little is Much When God is In It.”  But today I want to focus on one simple thought about that little boys lunch and ask you the question “Is your bread good enough?”

The obvious question would have surely been, “Was the little boys 5 barley loaves enough to feed the multitude?”  But I want to go deeper and ask not only if it was enough, but “Was it Good Enough?”

Now, I never really considered this before, but I was doing a little studying on the types of foods that they ate in Jesus day.  And as I was studying, one of the shocking discoveries I made was this – the people in Jesus day, didn’t eat bread that was made of Barley.  In fact, only the poorest of society would eat Barley Bread.   Most people used Barley to feed their livestock, to feed the animals.  They didn’t eat it!

So this tells me something about this little boy that I never realized before.  So stay with me here.  I believe there were all kinds of people that came out to see Jesus.

• All ranks of society;
• All levels of income;
• I believe there were probably Doctors in the Crowd – if for no other reason than to see this Great Physician who caused the blind to see, the deaf to hear and the lame to walk;
• I believe there were Scribes and Pharisees in the crowd, if for no other reason than to find something to accuse Him with later;

Now picture Andrew as he’s going through that great multitude asking if anyone had anything they could give to help feed that multitude.  He passes by those who have so much, yet they give nothing.  Then he comes to this little boy, and I think it is safe to say that he came from a poor family and didn’t have much.

And can’t you see that little boy looking at those Doctors and Lawyers, Scribes and Pharisees and thinking to himself, “I Know I don’t have much, and I hate to offer it because I know what I have would insult these people.  They don’t eat bread made of Barley – they feed that to their animals.” “Why they’d be offended by what I have to give.”

Wouldn’t it have been easy for him to slip away and never have to deal with the embarrassment of offer his Five Barley Loaves and two small fishes?  Don’t you know it would have been easy for him to say “WHAT I HAVE IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.”

Isn’t that what Satan does to you and I today?

• He tries to convince us that we’re not good enough;
• He tries to convince us that we don’t have enough;

And the truth in, in ourselves, we’re not!  BUT, in HIM we are!

You know what folks, when I was 16 years old, I felt the call of God on my life to preach.  I got scared, I rebelled and ran away and I said to myself:

• There is no way God can use me;
• I came from a poor family;
• I didn’t have enough education;
• My momma and daddy were divorced.
• I just wasn’t good enough.

I just couldn’t see how God could use someone like me.  I was just a poor bus kid – a nobody in the eyes of most.

When my home fell apart 15 years ago, I found myself in a place where the Devil came and said, “God can never use you again.”  “You are finished in the ministry.”

Folks, Joe Moore, in and of myself – I’m just a barley loaf.  I’ve been broken and shattered, I didn’t feel like I amount to anything.

But listen to me, it is through my brokenness, and the fragmented pieces of my life that God has enabled me to pick up the pieces and use them for His glory.  Had I not been where I’ve been and experienced what I’ve experienced, I could never minister to the people God has placed in my life.

• You see folks, God Takes our Weaknesses and uses them for His Glory!
• He takes our faults and our failures and uses them for His Honor!

Was it good enough?  Well, it wasn’t good enough in his hands.  But when he put it in Jesus Hands, not only was it enough – it was ADEQUATE, IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH!

• I didn’t read anywhere in here where anybody got offended;
• I didn’t read anywhere in here where anybody turned it down;
• In fact, the Bible says “They all ate until they were filled.”

Was it good enough?  It was when it was in Jesus’ hands.  And I’ll go as far as to say it will always be good enough when you put it in Jesus’ hands!

Have you ever been in that place where you did something that was just incredibly stupid?  Now, I’m sure that no one reading this has ever done anything incredibly stupid.  But me, on the other hand, I find myself over in that crowd that every once and awhile, I find myself doing something absolutely stupid.  And then I ask myself the question, “Why in the World did I just do that?”

Some years ago, I was walking into the house through our back door through our wash room, and as I was walking in, I stumped my big toe on the threshold of the door from our wash room to our kitchen.  In anger and frustration, I kicked the door as hard as I could – not realizing that my washing machine door was opened, and the force of me kicking the door caused the door handle to impact the glass on the washing machine door, breaking it of course.  And I stood there and immediately asked myself, “NOW WHY IN THE WORLD DID I JUST DO THAT?”

And you know something, when I stop and think about that, I realize that was not the only time in my life that I’ve done something like that – especially as it relates to my Christian life.  Man there have been some times that I have just completely messed things up, I’ve fallen and then I ask myself:

• WHY IN THE WORLD DID I JUST DO THAT?
• Why in the world, would I as a Christian allow myself to do something like that?
• Why is it that we sin?
• Why is it that we can’t just be perfect?

So, as Christians, we find ourselves going through life, and many times we find ourselves slipping up on a daily basis.  And sometimes, we stop and think and we ask God:

• God, why is it that I can’t get the victory?
• God why is it that I keep messing things up?
• God, why do I keep allowing temptations to get the best of me?

I think the Apostle Paul had this same issue in his day.  He says in Romans 7:15-25:

“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.   (What Paul is saying here is “The things I want to do I don’t do, and the things I don’t want to do I find myself doing”)  ¹⁶ If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. ¹⁷ Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. ¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. ¹⁹ For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. ²⁰ Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. ²¹ I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. ²² For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: ²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (And in a moment of frustration I believe, Paul cries out) ²⁴ O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (And in verse 25, Paul’s going to answer his own question). ²⁵ I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”

I believe that if Paul had been writing this Scripture in our day, I believe he would have been saying, “Now Why in the World and I doing this?”

• “Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death.”
• “Why do I continue to do the things I shouldn’t do and I never seem to do the things I know I should be doing?”
• “I’m doing the things that are wrong;”
• “I never seem to do the things that are right.”

Now folks, I want you to understand that we are talking about the Apostle Paul here.  We’re not talking about some average Christian like me – we’re talking about the guy who wrote over half of the New Testament; we’re talking about the guy who was the greatest missionary that ever lived, possibly the greatest Christian that ever lived.

And here’s Paul saying, “I find myself doing the things I ought not be doing, and I don’t do the things I know I should be doing.”

I read these verse folks and I throw my hands in the air and say, “Praise the Lord – I am not the only one who has these problems.  The Apostle Paul has the same problems that I have.”

But you know what, Paul found a solution for his problem.  He says in verse 25, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”  

Remember, it was Paul who said, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”  Folks, a renewing of the spirit comes from a decision of the mind!   

That’s what Paul tells us in Romans 12:1,2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

We have to realize that we cannot do this on our own.  By renewing our minds, we surrender our actions!  Paul tells us in Galatians that if we walk in the Spirit, we will not give in to the temptations of the flesh.

In Ezekiel chapter 37 and verse 11, we are given a picture of Israel from a Divine perspective.  “Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off from our parts.”

• They were disconnected
• They were broken
• They were dried up
• They had no life
• And they had no hope

This was a picture of the “whole house of Israel,” who said their bones are dried up and their hope is lost.

• You see, when you’re dried up, you lose hope;
• When you’re dried up, you feel lonely and isolated;
• When you’re dried up, you feel like no one understands, and worse, no one cares;
• And if you are REALLY dried up, you don’t even know if you care anymore.

You see, dryness is when all hope is gone and you feel cut-off, all alone and isolated.  I want you to understand that it was Israel’s disobedience that created distance with God – they didn’t end up in the Valley by accident.

Israel loved God one day and then they’d turn their back on God the next day.  This pattern happened over and over with God’s people (and still continues in God’s people today).  The more disobedient they were to God, the more distance they put between them and God, until finally they ended up in the Valley of Dry Bones.

And listen, there is a simple answer to why there may be dryness in our lives.  If there is dryness in your soul, it is simply because there is distance between you and God.  And if there is distance between you and God, somewhere in your soul, there is disobedience.

You know, we are a lot like Israel.  Even in Babylon, Israel would go through the motions:

• They would sing, and read the Pentetuch;
• They would gather together on certain days;
• They did what seemed to be the right things to do

But they were as dry as dead bones!  Listen:

• Preachers can preach sermons 52 Sundays a week and be dry in their soul;
• Teachers can teach and youth workers work every day of the year and be dry in their soul;
• You can come to church faithfully and read your Bible diligently and still be dry in your soul.
• You can wave a hanky, shout down the preacher, run up and down the aisles;

But deep down in your soul you know there is distance between you and God, and when you leave the church, you feel dead inside and feel like nothing but dry bones.  Have you been there?

So, here is Israel, distant from God in a foreign land, worshipping false idols;

• They’ve lost their song
• They’ve lost their joy;
• They’ve lost their dance.

I am talking  to every one who has ever said, “You know, I just don’t feel like going to church today,” “I just don’t want to participate today,” “I just don’t think I can do this anymore.”

The real shame is, when you feel like that, it’s usually everybody else’s fault:

• It’s the preachers fault;
• It’s the leaders fault;
• It’s everybody else in churches fault.

We blame our dryness on everything except the distance we’ve put between ourselves and God.  If you feel today that you are in the “Valley of Dry Bones,” I would encourage you to get back into the word of God and allow Him to breathe fresh life into your dry bones.  Can these bones live?  Is there any hope?  “LORD God Thou knowest!”

Paul says on Galatians 6:14, “but God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Now let me say right upfront, it wasn’t the Cross that made Jesus Christ so special – it was Jesus that made the Cross so special!

There is a story told of an old Christian scientist that used to travel the world lecturing, by the name of Harry Rhymer.  At one such speaking engagement, after Professor Rhymer finished his lecture, he opened the floor for questions.

One student, that happened to be Jewish, asked this question, “Professor Rhymer, what is it that Jesus Christ did that no one else has done?”

Professor Rhymer said, “Son, you are Jewish, am I correct?’  The student said “Yes.”  He then said, “Well I will assume then that you are aware of Jewish history, and you know that 30,000 young Jewish men were Crucified by the Romans during their reign?”  The Jewish student said, “Yes, I am aware that 30,000 were put to death by the Romans.”

Professor Rhymer then said, “I am going to name one of them, then I want you to name one of them.  I name Jesus Christ.  Now, it is your turn.”

The Jewish student then said, “Well, I can’t think of another name.”  Professor Rhymer then said, “Exactly, because no one else went to that Cross to bear the sins of man and no one else rose again on the third day with victory over death, hell and the grave,”

I thank God that you and I can Glory in the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ!

• You see, Jesus turned our Cross of Guilt into a Cross of Glory!
• He turned our Cross from a Beam of Execution to a Balm of Salvation!

It is Jesus of the Cross that we are to Glory in.  Paul doesn’t say “the Cross of THE Lord Jesus Christ.”  He said “the Cross of OUR Lord Jesus Christ.”  And there is a difference there my friend.  Until you make it personal – until you make Jesus Christ yours, you will never know the Glory of the Cross!

Paul said, “I glory in our Lord Jesus Christ.”  That word LORD is interpreted MASTER.  Paul is saying here that Jesus Christ is the Master of his life – HE is in control.

He then says “LORD JESUS.”  JESUS in the New Testament has the same meaning as Joshua of the Old Testament.  JOSHUA means “Jehovah is our Savior.”

Jesus is our Savior – He is our Mediator – He is the one standing between God and man making intercession for us!

Then Paul says He is “Our Lord Jesus Christ.”  This tells us that He is our Messiah – He is our Prophet, Priest and King.

Now, had the Lord Jesus Christ not gone to Calvary’s Cross, you and I would never have known what it means to be free from the penalty of sin.

The only way to Heaven is through the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ!”  And Jesus is not “A WAY,” He is “THE WAY.”  There is none other name given in Heaven among men whereby they MUST be saved.

Therefore, I will Glory in the Cross!

In the Book of Ezra, the children of Israel had been in bondage for many years, but for just a space of time, God allowed a remnant to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.  Ezra 9:8, says,  “And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.”

After they repented of their sin, after they had nailed some things down, God gave them a NAIL in HIS Holy Place.  That Nail is the Word of God.  We know that Isaiah would prophesy about the “Word that became flesh and dwelt among us,” in Isaiah 22, beginning in verse 20, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: 21 And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. 22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. 23 And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house. 24 And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.”

• In Ezra Chapter 9, we saw that the Word of God was Nailed Down,
• Now in Isaiah Chapter 20, we see Salvation is Nailed Down.

God hung His whole plan of Salvation on this NAIL IN A SURE PLACE.

I’m glad, thank God, I have a NAIL IN A SURE PLACE!  It is on THIS NAIL, that everything in the Father’s House hangs.  It is on this NAIL:

• That all my sin hangs;
• All my shame hangs;
• All my failures hang;

And according to Colossians 2:13 and 14, “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”

Thank God IT’S ALL NAILED DOWN!