Scripture uses death to identify man’s greatest enemy and there’s nothing man fears more. When a person expires, losing all vital signs, doctors, medicine, and science stand powerless in its presence. Only God can resurrect. But this sermon doesn’t deal with the physical cessation of life, it deals with death of a different nature. The death of God’s divinely inspired promises and visions. I’m persuaded that many Christians are in the gestation stage of a specific promise God has given them. Perhaps years ago He planted a dream and you’re still awaiting its fruition. Maybe even hope has begged you to admit that promise is dead. But the God that resurrected Christ from the dead can resurrect your promise.

PARDON ME!

In Psalm 32, David proclaims the blessedness of the one whose sins are forgiven. And he does this in a unique way. He uses three expressions for sin and then employs three expressions of God’s pardon for sin. Here’s what I mean: David called one category of sins transgressions, which indicates “rebellion against God”; another he simply called sin, which describes “knowingly missing the mark”; and the third category he called iniquity, which speaks of a “vile perversion.” Those terms cover the entire gamut of our sinfulness—major and minor. But then after showing us three categories of sin he uses three expressions to show how God pardons our sins:

Speak Lord, But is it Really You?

Of all experiences that exhilarate people, chief among them is when God speaks directly to the human soul. One inspired word to a thirsty, hungry traveler can refresh and sustain more than a thousand meals. It was Elijah who heard God’s instruction to “rise and eat” that received nourishment to navigate 285 miles for the following forty days

WHAT NEVER HAPPENED ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT

Let’s journey back several thousand years to Jerusalem during Passover week. This was the holiest of the seven Hebrew festivals that attracted thousands of worshipers. Some traveled hundreds of miles to attend this celebration in the religious capital of the world—Jerusalem. What a sight it must have been! For seven days the Priests appeared in their royal apparel, led the people in worship, offered sacrifices, and blew shofars (2 Chronicles 30:21). Everything was leading to the Day of Atonement when the High Priest would present the blood of a Passover lamb for the people’s sins. Not only was Jerusalem sightly its aroma was pungent.

Point of Inspiration: Devotionals for Personal and Corporate Worship

Robert D. Pace

There is a legend of three horsemen traveling at midnight. As they crossed a dry riverbed they heard a voice pierce the darkness saying: “Dismount your horses and pick up the stones.” Without hesitation they fell to the ground and scrambled for stones. Moments later, the voice said: “Remount and continue your journey. Tomorrow you will be both sorry and glad.” “Sorry and glad”? They couldn’t understand but they traveled on anxiously awaiting daylight. When the sun arose, they reached into their pockets to examine their take and discovered they had picked up diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. That’s when they remembered the voice: “You will be both sorry and glad.” And they were! They were sorry they had not taken more, but they were glad they took what they did!

The Bible provides a similar story about a Persian king named Cyrus. Speaking through the prophet Isaiah God said: “I will give you the treasures of darkness and wealth stored in secret places” (Isaiah 45:3). While there is contextual meaning to this verse there is also personal application for you. When God says he will “give us the treasures of darkness and wealth stored in secret places,” it means He will open our eyes to things that we would otherwise overlook so we can possess what would otherwise remain unclaimed. But how do we make this acquisition? Well, it must be understood that the “treasures of darkness” are stored in . . . of all places . . . darkness. And the “wealth of secret places” are hidden in . . . of all locations . . . “secret places.” But while these treasures surround us, God is not trying to hide them from us, He is hiding them for us! However, there is a stipulation. You must be willing to enter dark and lonely places and search, because God, too, hides His treasures behind locked doors, inside vaults, within hidden chambers, and in secret places.

When God calls Christians into the darkness, He invites them into a deeper experience with Him. This is the repeated testimony of Scripture:

It was the “secret place” of Midian where Moses saw the burning bush and heard God’s call to deliver Israel.

Later, it was under the thick cloud covering Sinai that he received the Ten Commandments.

Abraham, the Father of our Faith, entered Covenant with God at night.

Elijah stood inside the dreary confines of a cave when God challenged him to continue his prophetic ministry.

In the simplest of terms, David said, “You visited me in the night” (Psalm 17:3).

And although Jesus performed most of His miracles during the day, He found strength to bear the Cross praying in the darkness of Gethsemane.

Do we willingly retreat into desert places to find God’s treasures? No, in most cases, God plunges us into isolation and forces us into the dark:

John Bunyan spent twelve years in prison but that’s where he scripted one of literature’s greatest books—Pilgrim’s Progress.

Fanny Crosby, blind, penned more than 8000 hymns.

Then there was George Young, a small-town pastor who supplemented his income as a carpenter. At times, he barely had enough money to provide for his family, but with sacrifice he built a modest house. Shortly after its construction, a group of bandits torched his house and all was lost in the flames. But from the ashes of sorrow he wrote these words:

“In shady, green pastures, so rich and so sweet,
God leads His dear children along;
Where the water‘s cool flow bathes the weary one‘s feet,
God leads His dear children along.
Some through the water, some thru the flood,
Some through the fire, but all thru the blood.
Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song.
In the night season and all the day long.”I don’t know what type treasure you have hoped to find but it is imperative to know that God does not place them in open and obvious places. Just as God forbids Believers from “casting your pearls before swine,” He also operates by that same standard. The blessed promise of Jeremiah is, “You shall search for Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (29:13).

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