This passage is all about our old bodies and our new bodies. So we have to assume that we are going to have a body in heaven at the rapture of the church the dead in Christ will have their new bodies in heaven and we that are alive shall be changed according to 1 Thessalonians 4.

The life of man is in the blood. We cannot live without blood. It is scared to life itself. The Bible’s first prohibition against consuming blood comes in Genesis 9:2-4, where God tells Noah, "Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it." This prohibition was most likely a ban on eating raw blood (i.e., uncooked meat). For the first time, animals were an allowable food source, and God was making sure that Noah did not eat them raw. A Jewish Targum comments on this verse: "But the flesh which is torn from a living beast at the time that its life is in it, or which is torn from a beast while it is slain, before all its breath is gone out, ye shall not eat."

Later, the prohibition of Genesis 9:4 is iterated in the Law of Moses. And later Peter received the vision about prohibited animals coming down and he was told to eat them and he refused. But God said what He calls clean is clean. Christians are allowed to eat anything as long as it doesn’t cause a weaker brother or sister to doubt.

Why is the blood so important? For our salvation it is vital. We shall see why...

Now we know that God worked during creation and rested on the seventh day. We know that God never needs rest but this was symbolic of our sabbath rest from the work of sin by the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. God is always working on, speaking to , testing, loving and guiding His children and His creation.

God is a God who pardons, God is a God of compassion, God is a promise keeper.

It’s memorial weekend. A time of family and gatherings, reunions and feasting. We visit the graves of our loved ones who have gone on before. Memorial day was created to remember our war dead. And we do honor their memory and sacrifice for our nation and our freedoms. Because of their sacrifice we have freedom of religion and I believe in that….. or they wouldn’t let us practice Christianity.

But because of Memorial day we are reminded that we live to die in this world. This world is not everything to us. And John points that out wonderfully in just one verse that we are living in the shadow of eternity.

A man called a radio program and wanted help in his lack of will power to get up and make time in the morning to read the Bible. The host asked him….”do you eat breakfast?’ The man said “yes.” The host said “which comes first then your belly or your Bible?” Job said I esteemed the words of thy mouth more than food.

Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. You are in the Lord’s army. You MUST discipline yourself.

Make sure you not only feed your body with nutrition, but feed your spirit with the word of God.

In these times we have turned our attention to Israel. They have just celebrated their 70th year of independence. We see God’s hand of promise is upon them. They have been brought back to their land and Ezekiel 36 predicts and back to life as Ezekiel 37 promises. Not only these passages but many, many more promise of restoration and redemption are made to God’s people Israel.

Now we know that bad things happen to even Christians today. But we don’t fear what man can do to our bodies for our Spirits are His and will return to Him that gave it to us. God will take care of His church and get us out of here when He pours out His wrath upon mankind. Our bodies will lose this flesh of sin and be raptured and resurrected with a flesh without sin, perfect in every way.

God takes care of us that trust in Him. Now Israel has not always trusted in God. In fact, they do not at this time trust in Him as a nation. But God has made promises to them anyway and one is to protect and provide salvation to the nation and land of Israel. And then save those individuals among Israel that do trust in Jesus Christ.

Anna M. Jarvis first suggested the national observance of an annual day honoring all mothers because she had loved her own mother so dearly. At a memorial service for her mother on May 10, 1908, Miss Jarvis gave a carnation (her mother's favorite flower) to each person who attended. Within the next few years, the idea of a day to honor mothers gained popularity, and Mother's Day was observed in a number of large cities in the U.S. On May 9, 1914, by an act of Congress, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. He established the day as a time for "public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country." By then it had become customary to wear white carnations to honor departed mothers and red to honor the living, a custom that continues to this day.

Abraham Lincoln said: "I remember my mother's prayers, and they have followed me; they have clung to me all my life. All that I am and hope to be I owe to my angel mother."

I want us to think today about the real Mothers day. The day when your mother passed from this earth to Jesus presence that my friend is the real mothers Day! When she gets all of her reward for being a dedicated mother and hard working mother and a Christian mother.

We in the land are used to about anything coming from religions. We have all kinds of teachers and teachings and religions. Jesus warned us not to be deceived in the last days and not to be carried about by every wind of doctrine. Doctrine is basically the things that you teach or believe. But today we have relativism. That means if it’s true for you then it’s your truth. It may not be true for me. So as cultures and fads change truth changes and becomes whatever that generation deems it to be. So you are left with each succeeding generation deciding what is truth for them. But how can truth be truth if last generations truth is no longer truth? Were the past beliefs a lie? That’s bad doctrine right there.

We need something that transcends changes in culture and fads. The word of God is that consistent solid rock of truth that we need. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever! God changes not. The Bible is not going to change with the times and the seasons. It is not written that way. It is not a book of history but it’s history is accurate. It is not a book of science even though it’s science is correct. It is not a book of philosophy even though it has the most popular teachings and life stories in history. It is not a book of religion at all. It even criticizes religion. The Bible was given to mankind so he can know and understand where he came from and where he is going. It is written that man might have everything he needs to have the relationship destroyed by sin restored with the God who created him.

The foundation of good doctrine is truth. The Bible is God’s truth to man. It is very sound doctrine.

Mark 13:33-37

Nothing is harder than watching and waiting. Someone said if we live to be 80 we will spend 7 years of our lives waiting for something. Some waiting is bad. Waiting in line for a loved one in surgery or waiting for a loved one who is late to come home. Waiting in line to get into an event. Waiting in line to go to the bathroom. BAD! Some waiting is good. Waiting for a baby to be born. Waiting for the game to begin. Waiting for fish to bite. The Best waiting of all ….is waiting for Jesus To return!