The Jesus Message

Good People in Bad Places

19/11/27 at 10.30am   /   by Dannie Hood   /   0 Comment

December 1, 2019

Why be a guest in Egypt when you can be a family member in the Promised Land? Abraham will not be himself in Egypt. He will compromise his integrity. He will be driven to this foreign land because of food shortages in Canaan. Yet, he will digest more into his spirit at this moment than just physical sustenance. His honesty will be disconnected like a river being redirected from a thirsty village, and he will have his reputation drained of integrity, the rivers of truth drying up, a test failed in a grand way. Abraham is the father of faith but at this moment he is the citizen of fear. Often on our home turf of singers and preachers we boast goodness and integrity, but it’s when we wander into unknown, unfamiliar, hostile territory that we find out the authenticity of our acclaimed faithfulness. We can only really boast truth when we’ve resisted the most irresistible treachery. We can act as if our spiritual immune system is up to date with prayer and fasting and a healthy dose of Bible Reading, but until the viruses of sin test us, until the diseases of darkness encroach our safe environs, until temptation threatens to infect us with virulent rebellion and lust laden error, we don’t really know the extent of our immunity.

Think about when Peter boldly announced he would be willing to die with Christ. He was so sure of himself. The impetuous nature just knew he would face any challenge, meet any foe, stand up to any ruler or power or warrior for Christ. And yet, within a few days he was wilting away from the challenge, scared, and profanely denying that he even knew Christ. Just because you can boast doesn’t necessarily mean you have the bravery to match.

1Co 10:12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 

  1. The Amplified Bible says, “Therefore let the one who thinks he stands firm [immune to temptation, being overconfident and self-righteous], take care that he does not fall [into sin and condemnation].” This is like having a flu shot thinking you are immune to the Ebola virus. Maybe you would never tell a lie, but what about envy you have for someone else’s possessions? Maybe you pay your tithes faithfully, but what about your brother’s needs you ignore? We cannot become religiously arrogant in our elementary good grades against temptation when harder tests may wait for us from expert devils of destruction.

The word “think” here implies “reputation.” So, we can have a stellar reputation, clean and honest. But take heed. Be careful. Don’t boast. Avoid careless assumptions. Keep your guard up. A reputation can be lost in one moment…listen now

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Sing O Barren

19/11/20 at 2.22pm   /   by Dannie Hood   /   0 Comment

November 24, 2019

Don’t be fooled by the salesmanship of Satan. Don’t lose your birthright of God’s promises for Esau’s bowl of beans. Refuse to barter with darkness for shortcut methods of pain relief in the form of illegal drugs, alcohol, or illicit behavior. Throw the thirty pieces of silver back at the enemy and let your mind be filled with truth rather than betraying doctrines of devils. You are bought with the precious blood of Jesus. Nothing hell has to offer can compare to that; everything else is a cheap substitute for the invaluable grace of God. You have the best. Stay blessed. Find Holy Ghost rest. Don’t take Lucifer’s quest. Don’t buy the fool’s gold of iniquity but trust the God of infinity and stay with the riches of His grace. Don’t lose your place for the cheap chase of things that disgrace. Anger. Adultery. Fornication. Envy. Strife. Rebellion. Hatred. Vindictiveness. Pride. Lust. For all these debase and erase what God has given by His grace. So when the tempter shows up on your doorstep, decide that you will reside in the House of God; that you will remain now matter how good the salesman can explain the delights of his domain; you will not buy his brand; you will not sell out the truth; you will not exchange something priceless for that which is worth nothing; you can’t be bought out because you have already been brought out and even though you are sought out by the sweet tasting inventions of hell well thought out; you won’t settle for what you’ve been sold in the past. You have the pearl of great price. You have the golden streets of the New Jerusalem you are eternally invested in; you have the walls of Jasper that fare better than any flashy fences of Satan’s world.

1Pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

1Pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

1Pe 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you…Listen Now

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Pure Gold Pure God

19/11/13 at 6.05am   /   by Dannie Hood   /   0 Comment

November 17, 2019

Remember for all the scriptures that mention the wrath of God, as mentioned in II Chronicles 36:16 where His wrath is connected to the Chaldean invasion that humbled backslid Israel; or Ezra 5:12 where it is surmised that God was provoked to wrath by unbelieving wayward fathers; or Ephesians 5:6 where the wrath of God was upon the children of disobedience; or the most infamous text Revelation 14:19 where workers of iniquity are seen as futuristically being trampled in the winepress of the wrath of God; so, we see there is wrath to be reckoned with; but again, for all that we see of the wrath of God, of the soon needed Justice of the Almighty, he did not choose to build a seat, as proposed to Moses, 2 and a half cubits long and 1 and a half cubits wide to be called the Wrath or Justice seat. It was the mercy seat. Yes, there are times he rises as a warrior with wrath, and in swift movement he un-sheaths the sword of His smiting power to rule the nations (Revelation 19:15); to tread the winepress; to thrust in the sickle; to blow in like a whirlwind; or as aptly described in the already referenced II Chronicles 36:16, “the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

But when he sits down. Mercy! That’s pure Gold. That’s Pure God.

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Warning Signs on the Road to Hell

19/11/06 at 10.30am   /   by Dannie Hood   /   0 Comment

November 10, 2019

Stuck in the soils of urgency. Pushed deep into the heart of understanding. Markers of destiny. Signs swaying in destiny’s gusty winds. Who will pay attention? Who will trust what is being conveyed? Travelers must pay attention. Explorers must heed the warnings. Curious sight seers must know this is not a safe way to go. One can now zoom in on the well traveled pages of the Bible, and observe upon these map like pages the warning signs; signs planted on mountain sides, in valleys, in times of prosperity and poverty. They even give you the road conditions, like, The Way of a Transgressor is Hard. So, if you are going to traverse the illicit trails of the tempter’s persuasion you can expect long delays of happiness, washed out bridges of relationships, mudslides of well conceived plans, bumpy lanes and overgrown places of disappointment. It will take you off the beaten path of peace, traversing guilt laden courses. Paths of pain. Paths of unnecessary problems. Paths of pride sponsored mistakes. Paths of ruin for the Keep Out signs were ignored. Yes, the map of Scripture is up to date, ever timeless with its lines marking the distance between a sinful addiction and the starting points of simple curiosity; probing lanes of lust that lead off safe routes into treacherous terrains; searching unholy hungers that lead to canyons of devastation. All of these are well marked.

You might could see Judas standing at point, road blocking a greedy preacher yelling, “turn back, the money is not worth it. The silver is tainted. The noose is too tight. Hang up that idea before it hangs you.” Listen now…

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The Journey Beyond

19/10/30 at 10.30am   /   by Dannie Hood   /   0 Comment

November 3, 2019

The Lord makes a journey prosperous. We can track temptation on short cut roads to eventual regret. But for the seeker of Heaven the trail of truth is not only more important; it is ultimately more rewarding.

Sin will offer you stopping points. Seductive settlements. Enthralling encampments. Rebellion residences. But nothing in this world compares to the glory that shall be revealed when Christ returns for the called, the chosen, and the faithful.

But we have to continue. We have to keep going with doctrine and scriptural instruction. We must push ahead when the journey seems pointless and too wearisome. Listen now…

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There is more Where that came From

19/10/23 at 10.30am   /   by Dannie Hood   /   0 Comment

October 27, 2019

The amazed disciples repeatedly received the miracle bread from Jesus’ hand. It kept coming. How could he get that much from five loaves and two fish? Jesus was reaching into a supernatural inventory. Be blessed it. He broke it. And he gave it to the disciples who gave to the crowd. Piece by piece it multiplied. And when they thought it might run out, there was more where that came from. Grace provisions far exceed earthly supplies. Human resources usually come to an end, spent and exhausted. We see this when fuel costs go up because of oil and gas shortages. We see this in the supermarket when certain items are marked up because the supply is diminished by storms or freezes or failed crops. We see this in the stock market because company performances wane or product development is slowed by regulations or terrorism in certain parts of the world enhance market fears. But on that sunlit afternoon with thousands huddled for dinner, an assembly line of bread and fish made it down to the last hungry mouth. My friend, if you think the God of that bread multiplying moment is retired, well, there is more where that came from…listen now.

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The Two Fortunes of the Promised Land

19/10/16 at 10.30am   /   by Dannie Hood   /   0 Comment

October 20, 2019

Seekers of fertile lands. Hope seekers of a peaceful home. 12 spies canvass the ordained territory. They are renowned. They are chosen. They are discernibly determined to bring back a thorough report. They will see the land promised to them.

Fallen limbs crunch beneath their methodical steps. They are camouflaged by green brush and wilderness growth. They are not sent to attack, but to attain. They will bring back a report. The wind howls among the distant rock formations of Abraham’s property, mountain ranges majestically inviting these explorers. They will hike twisting trails, sip from refreshing waterfalls, taste of grapes wildly grown in the delicious vale of Eschol. And it will be too irresistible not to take some samples back to their anxious brethren. Grape stains dot their sweaty clothes. They sport milk-staches. They laugh and ooh and aah at their surroundings.

But what looms on the horizon? What grows from the soil of impossibility, stretching toward the heavens with intimidating size? Gates. Iron fences. They gasp at the sight of them. These are barricades of hell before them. And if the gates have to be that large, who guards them, and what of their stature? How could they ever take these mountain folk; and then they get a view of the citizens. Armored guards stand like giants statues at the entrance of the gates; they are monstrous. These men had never seen such human beings? Could they be human? Legends abounded throughout the land of giants, but now the legends were visible, instantly haunting realities. Men with shoulders broader than any three Hebrew warriors, carrying swords apparently confiscated from angels; large and sharp, able to behead several opposing soldiers at once. When they step in the soft earth they leave pit like footprints. When they lean their weight against a tree it appears the aching trunk may snap like a twig. Maybe then one of the spies observed a nearby frog darting his tongue out to snatch up a helpless grasshopper, and a thought thunders in his imagination. Listen now…

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The Scourge and the Sword

19/10/09 at 10.30am   /   by Dannie Hood   /   0 Comment

October 13, 2019

The blood is dripping. Redemptive raindrops. A crimson storm. Dusty soils splotchy and darker, patches of grace here and there. Ribbons of flesh hang. Wheezing moans resound on bitter winds. Those who hear will be haunted on a thousand nights by the ghastly figure of this beaten man. It is ugly. Who can bear it? It is nauseating. Who can leave the scene and have an appetite? Yet, in contrast, it is morbidly beautiful, contradictorily amazing. For in the shredded muscle and flesh one finds a miracle; in the torn and ripped, gashed and gaping, one finds something greater than medicine; a Divine prescription for the diseased and gruesomely sick. “By his stripes ye were healed.” I Peter 2:24

Slap. The scourge has found its aim. Slap. Guttural moans escape the Healer’s lips. Slap. Gasps and sickened oohs and aahs fill the air. Slap. The ragged cords like razor sharp teeth of leviathan dig in, catch and tear. Slap. Blood spatters the ground, the guards, and the splintery column to which he is bound. Slap. And the flesh tearing bite takes another hunk of his mortal body, while something otherworldly is being sewn into the fabric of eternity. If this man had been a criminal even then it might seem too gratuitous, this macabre form of punishment, torturous and borderline sadistic. Maybe a mass murderer deserved this, but not a Messiah. Maybe a pirate captured from high seas of plundering and thievery might deserve this, but not a Giver of love. But he wasn’t going through this because he deserved it; he was going through this because he desired it. Listen now…

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Not for Applause but for a Cause

19/10/02 at 10.30am   /   by Dannie Hood   /   0 Comment

October 6, 2019

Jesus walked onto the world stage. There was a curtain drawn before the foundation of the world. Those curtains unfurled across grueling ages of laws and prophets, of judges and kings, of good and evil. And when the Son of God was finally born, his lines too had been well scripted. For Jesus stated on several occasions, “What I do I do not of myself, but they are from my Father in Heaven.”

When he healed a sore riddled leper and solved the puzzled expression of the blind by giving them sight, he did it not for applause, but for a cause…listen now.

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One Blood One Battle One Bride

19/09/25 at 10.30am   /   by Dannie Hood   /   0 Comment

September 29, 2019

By this one leper cleansing Physician of heaven; by this one virtue sharing hemorrhage healing savior; by this one lover of lepers, friend of the flawed, hope of the hurting, light to the listless and staggering generations of despair; this one man brought fertile soil to the grieving lands of withered dreams, and the seed of His word grew miracles where death, doubt, and Roman dominion oppressed. He was a lone root out of the dry ground. Isaiah 53:2 He was the single lamb staining the foundations of the world with his blood. He was the lone survivor in temptation’s obstacle course of lust, pride, and selfish ambition. By himself he purged our sins and sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high.[1] He put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.[2] He was the only High Priest in all time and eternity that could be touched with the feeling of our infirmities and walk that road of compassion without compromise. Hebrews 4:16

He gave the world one cross to crossover the chasm of hell; a bridge of Divine origin roughly hewn by worth millions of diamonds; and we march on that rugged wood-bridge of sacrifice and hope over the fiery canyons of everlasting hell. One man did that; one mediator between God and man. I Timothy 2:5

Adam of the Garden of Eden brought death with one bite.

Adam of the Garden of Gethsemane brought deliverance with one cross.

Adam of Eden brought iniquity and sin to every generation to be born.

Adam of Gethsemane brought inspiration to live beyond the grave to every generation born again…

Can one man really make that kind of difference? Can the rock slung out of David’s posterity bring down the Goliathan rulership of rebellion and darkness? Can the Samson like power of His Words spoken from the jawbone of God manifested in flesh bring down more than a thousand Philistine powers of evil? With one cross he paved a blood stained trail from sin bound earth to grace endowed Heaven; and with one crown he will rule all the nations with a rod of iron…listen now.

[1] Hebrews 1:3

[2] Hebrews 9:26

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