""No" is an Important Word in Our Biblical Vocabulary"

By Gerald Cumby In the past, our Sunday School class has had some weird, or unusual at the most, word studies as we have gained wisdom and understanding from God’s Word. For instance, the little word "IF." Many times, "IF" is used throughout the Word of God. One Scripture after another contains this little, but very significant, word as it requires much action on our part as well as God’s. "If you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved," Romans 10:9. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land," 2 Chronicles 7:14.

We must understand, God will always be willing to do His part...but the word "if" always puts us in a place where we have a responsibility to activate the equation. God’s promises are always implemented when we do what is asked.

Also, the word "All" was used for a series in our study. For instance, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." "All we like sheep have gone astray." In reality, "all" we have to do is place our faith and trust in Him...and He will make a way when there seems to be no way.

Today I want to use the little word "No" as my theme.

Most of us don’t like that word. It has a negative connotation to it in over 90% of the time. When we were children...and emphatic "No" meant we were to stop what we were doing...not going to get what we want, etc.

As adult males, we have to look at the word "no" in this fashion. What if our sweet brides said, "No" when we asked them to marry us. Worrisome word, negative word...a word used throughout God’s Word.

But we can also ask ourselves, what if Mary said "No" to what Gabriel asked her to do? Becoming pregnant out of wedlock, not having the normal marriage an expectant bride should experience...being looked at from the neighbors (and even her family) as an unfaithful bride-to-be was a foregone reality if she agreed to this request from God’s messenger. Different world...different line of thought. She said a resounding "yes" to God’s plan of bringing His Son into the world...not even knowing what all that "Yes" would bring in her life.

And think about our Lord Jesus...What if he had not said, "No" to Satan when he offered the treasures and pleasures of the world? Jesus said, "No" to Satan’s tempting words. He was a perfect, sinless sacrifice...all for us.

We should have some emphatic "Nos" in our lives. NO to giving in to gossip, hurting others with our words, to raising our voice to our family, our loved ones, and "no" to Satan’s temptations to stop going to church, stop praying for our loved ones, stop desiring or expecting what the world has to offer. We should be saying (at least thinking) "NO" to worrying about tomorrows and "NO" to the enemy’s knocking on the door of our heart. We have had some important decisions to make in our lives. As a Christian, we say "Yes" to the Master’s leading.

Remember this when we cross the threshold of this earthly life into the room with the King! There will be some great positive "Nos" to think about:

• No more tears from the awful things we have experienced...
• No more pain from the dreaded diseases that ravages our bodies...
• No more sickness; No more mourning losing our loved ones,
• No night, no curse placed on us.
• And...last, but not least...NO MORE DEATH...Praise God!

Revelation 22: "He (Jesus) who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

That "Yes" will end with an exclamation point.

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!


No More Night

David Phelps

The timeless theme, earth and heaven will pass away Its not a dream, God will make all things new that day Gone is the curse from which I stumbled and fell Evil is banished to eternal hell

No more night, no more pain No more tears, never crying again And praises to the great, "I am" We will live in the light of the risen lamb

See all around, now the nations bow down to sing The only sound is the praises to Christ, our king Slowly the names from the book are read I know the king, so there's no need, no need to dread

No more night, no more pain No more tears, never crying again And praises to the great, "I am" We will live in the light of the risen lamb

See over there, there's a mansion Oh, that's prepared just for me Where I will live with my savior eternally

And there will be no more night, no more pain No more, no more tears, never crying again And praises to the great, "I am" We will live in the light of the risen lamb And praises to the great, "I am" We're gonna live in the light of the risen lamb

Songwriters: Walter S. Harrah. For non-commercial use only.