You Need To Be Saved

MORE DESTRUCTION

2005-07-26T13:33:00.000-04:00

Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.'

But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. 'This is the heir,' they said. 'Let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. "What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others." When the people heard this, they said, "May this never be!"

Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone'? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."

The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.

Luke 20:13-19

In Jesus' parable, rebelliousness does not only apply to killing the prophets.

The owner's son should be offered respect, recognition of a special status. Instead, the son is thrown out of the vineyard and meets his death. Of course, in this thinly-veiled parable, the son is the Son of God, whose death takes place outside the city of Jerusalem, at Golgotha.

The Greek word apokteino, means literally “to deprive of life” while the "Throw out" (NIV) or "cast out" (KJV) is the same Greek verb (ekballo) that is used when Jesus casts out a demon.

How will the owner (God) respond? With continued patience? Not at all!

In verse 16, the verb "kill" (NIV) or "destroy" (KJV) is a different verb than what happened to the son. It is apollumi, meaning "ruin, destroy, to cause destruction especially, put to death." Not the same immediacy as the previous verses.

Notice how the listeners of this parable respond: "May this never be!" (20:16)

The people must understand something of what Jesus means in this parable. The key idea of vineyard may have tipped them that Israel was the subject. Perhaps the plots swirling around Jesus and the people's belief that he was the Messiah contributed to their understanding. Even Jesus' enemies "knew he had spoken this parable against them." (20:19)

But Jesus, amazingly, rejects the people's spur-of-the-moment merciful impulse.

Jesus is clear that scripture must be fulfilled with the destruction of God's enemies.

HISTORY REPEATED

2005-07-25T13:24:00.000-04:00

He went on to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed.

He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out. Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.'

But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. 'This is the heir,' they said. 'Let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. "What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others." When the people heard this, they said, "May this never be!"

Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone'? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."

The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.

Luke 20:9-19

If you've lived very long and are blessed with some self-perception, then you know how possible it is to rebel against God. You can love God on the one hand, but stand adamantly against his will on the other. Your reasoning and justification can rise to heights of presumption and convolution. You can even fool yourself (mostly) into believing your own rationale. But in the end you are a rebel, and more -- a rebellious unbeliever -- who loves God, or claims to. Crazy? Yes. But possible as I will try to evidence over the next few entries.

Jesus begins this story -- for that is what a parable is -- with a very familiar hallmark of the Middle Eastern agriculture, a vineyard.

The vineyard, along with the fig tree, is almost proverbial for abundant blessing. "Each man under his own vine and fig tree" is repeated over and over in the Old Testament. The vineyard sometimes refers metaphorically to Israel: "The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the house of Israel...." (Isaiah 5:7).

But Jesus' parable of the vineyard is unique. It is not just a story, but an allegory, with each part representing something else. A man (who represents God in the parable) plants the vineyard and then rents it to tenants. "Rented" is Greek ekdidomi, "let out for hire, lease."

Tenant farmers are usually paid by allowing them to keep a portion of the harvest, with a fixed percentage going to the owner. But these tenants did not want to share.
"Tenant" in the NIV, or "husbandman" in the King James Version is the Greek georgos, which can refer either to the owner of a farm, or, in this case, to one who does agricultural work on a contractual basis, "vine-dresser, tenant farmer." When the owner's representatives come to claim the owner's share, the tenants beat and mistreat them. In our passage we see three words that describe this violence:

"Beat" is Greek dero, "to beat, whip."

"Treat shamefully" is Greek atimazo, "to dishonor, shame," perhaps subject to public ridicule. It is an especially grievous offence in the honor-shame oriented Semitic society.

"Wound" is Greek traumatizo, from which we get our word "traumatize."

It's pretty clear to the disciples who have heard Jesus' teaching who he is referring to.

Luke 11:47 – 50: "Woe to you, because you build tombs for the prophets, and it was your forefathers who killed them. So you testify that you approve of what your forefathers did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. Because of this, God in his wisdom said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.'

Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world…"

And in Luke 13, verse 34: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!"

In this parable, the tenants represent unbelieving rulers, while the vineyard is the nation of Israel itself.

Jesus sees the current rulers doing the same as their ancestors -- killing the prophets who were sent to Israel to correct and turn hearts and praises to God as His fruit from His vineyard.

One day, that is precisely what they would do to the Son of God.

LIKE ISAAC, LIKE SON

2005-07-15T10:18:00.000-04:00

And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day's journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him.

Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.

So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously."

And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" (NKJV)

Luke 2:42-50

God is our heavenly Father. He sent His Son to earth. His Son was named Jesus. Jesus was born to parents Joseph & Mary. But even at an early age, Jesus knew of His heavenly connection. A 12 year-old Jesus stays behind in the temple as His family was leaving Jerusalem. They found Him later and said, “We have been searching for you.” Jesus replies, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Fathers’ house?” But they didn’t understand Him. Young people can relate to that. How many times have you been misunderstood by your parents?

Jesus understood His role. He was to be led to Calvary by doing His Father’s will.

Unlike Isaac, foreshadowing Christ as the sacrificial Son before God provided the Ram, Jesus knew that He was to be the sacrifice.

Like Isaac, there was willful submission; no wrestling, no fighting or restraint. Jesus knew his fate and even pleaded for His accusers and tormentors asking, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Then when He had been judged as an acceptable sacrifice - not just acceptable but also spotless, pure and holy - Jesus spoke once more to His Father in a loud voice saying, “Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit.” When He had said this, He breathed His last.

This is a day that you can guarantee your meeting with your heavenly Father. Jesus died on the cross at Calvary to be a sacrifice for our sins. He was obedient to God’s word. By confessing to God your belief of Jesus’ sacrifice for your sins, you will find a place in Heaven.

* Scripture quoted is from the New King James translation.

OBEDIENCE AT ANY COST

2005-07-14T10:06:00.000-04:00

Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.

But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am."

And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." (*NKJV)

Genesis 22:9-12

Imagine, it’s early morning, like any other morning. Dad’s out getting a donkey saddled up and he calls for you. You help him gather up the wood for an offering. You walk for three days to set up for a burnt offering and you realize or wonder, “we have the fire, we have the wood, but where is the lamb?” You leave your servants behind and move forward. The alter is all set up but still no lamb.

The scripture makes a quick summation saying only, “He bound his son Isaac and laid him upon the altar.” No word of explanation. No struggling by Isaac. We don’t read, “After wrestling with Isaac, Abraham had him bound.” Simply, he was bound and laid on the altar. Then as Abraham draws his knife, a voice calls out from Heaven, “Abraham, Abraham. Do not lay a hand on the lad. Do not do anything to him.”

Abraham had shown that he is obedient to God’s word. After hearing from God of this sacrifice, they set out the very next morning.

How often have we heard God’s command but we waited hoping it might change? How many times have we hoped God’s will would go away?

Sometimes our plans by God are not easy, but our obedience is pleasing to God.

* Scripture quoted is from the New King James translation.

BREAD OF LIFE

2005-06-30T16:11:00.000-04:00

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen Me and still you do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me.

“And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all that He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day. For My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

John 6:35-40

Jesus is the Bread of Life. He says so in His book.

Bread is an international food. Wherever you go, you can find bread. It’s not a regional food associated with only one place, like Polish Sausage, or Haggis, or English Toffee.

When you think of Bread, you don’t think of a particular place because it is an international food. Christ is an international Saviour. He isn’t just the Saviour of Western civilization. He isn’t just the Saviour of His chosen people. He is the Saviour of all mankind, no matter where you live. This is God’s will for us.

God’s will is that we should look to His Son, Jesus, to be our Saviour. God’s will is for us to join with Him in the air when the last day comes and be with Him in eternity, to be with Him in Paradise.

Would you like to be there? Then take Christ into your heart today.

IT'S THAT SIMPLE

2005-06-29T16:06:00.000-04:00

Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

John 3:3

This is pretty important. If I’m lost right now and I want to find Christ, if I want to give my life over to Him right now, how do I do this?

“… if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

This is the only way to Heaven. Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Is it really this simple?

I ask you to look into your heart. Can you admit that you are a sinner? Can you admit that you have done wrong? Are you willing to turn from away from sin?

Do you believe that Jesus Christ Died for you, that He was buried and rose again from the dead? Then through prayer, invite Jesus into your life to become your personal Saviour.

It really is that simple.

So simple that many wise people have wasted it by over-thinking the situation or by trying to justify the gift that God has given us. We need to accept this gift through faith, like a child is accepting of truth from their parent.

Our Heavenly Father wants us to be united with Him.

WHERE'S YOUR ALL YOUR STUFF?

2005-06-28T15:42:00.000-04:00

Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.

Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

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And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 12:22-26, 29-34

When I think about this portion of scripture, I can only think how little faith I have. I can preach the gospel but when I read a portion of scripture like this, I am immediately set into my place.

Do you spend time worrying about how to pay the bills? Christ tells us that our Father in Heaven knows what we need. Seek Him first and He will give us His kingdom.

Would you argue that kingdom won’t pay for my CD player... or my new car... or my sports card collection?

No, it won’t. But ask yourself, “Where is my heart?” Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

If you are more concerned about your personal wealth than your riches in Heaven, your heart is in the wrong place. We build here the treasures that we will receive in Heaven. No matter what material gain we make here, we will not need it in Heaven. We will not be able to purchase our way into Heaven with all the money in the world. As it is said, “You can’t take it with you.”

When you’re standing before the Judgement seat, no one is going to ask you, “Hey, where’s all your stuff?”

ABOUNDING IN CHRIST

2005-06-27T15:34:00.000-04:00

As evening approached, the disciples came to Him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."

Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."

"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.

"Bring them here to me," He said. And He directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Matthew 14:15-21

Jesus had just been notified that John the Baptist had been killed by King Herod’s men. Some crowds had gathered and followed Jesus as he drew away to pray.

The disciples started by suggesting that Jesus should send the crowd away so that they could buy food for themselves. Instead Jesus took the small amount of food that they had, gave thanks for it and distributed it amongst the people. Then they collected twelve baskets of leftovers. I find it interesting that there were as many baskets leftover as there were disciples.

Clearly, Jesus shows that He can take care of us, regardless of how much we bring to the table. We can be useful to the Master who created all things, including you and me.

HONEST BLASPHEMY

2005-06-15T11:51:00.000-04:00

The high priest said to Him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”

“Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of Heaven.”

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard blasphemy. What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,” they answered.

Matthew 26:63-66

There were people who were listening to Jesus in order to trap Him. These people were the Chief Priests and the elders of the people. Finally, they sent out a group of men to arrest Him.

It was illegal for the high priest to tear his garments. Under these highly unusual circumstances, I expect he got away with it. The high priest interpreted Jesus’ answer to be blasphemy. The penalty for blasphemy was death by stoning. But the people took it even further and had Christ crucified like a common slave. Crucifixion was the worst possible punishment leading to death.

They answered that Jesus was worthy of death. They were correct in this ruling. But they had come to this conclusion by the wrong process. They said Christ was worthy of death because of blasphemy, but the truth is that he was worthy of death because He spoke the truth.

Christ was the only person ever that was, is, or will be sinless. We have sin in our lives. Christ had none. The world was so full of sin that God sent his Son to Earth to be a sacrifice for us. We were unable to come into the presence of God because of our sin.

But God loved us enough to send for us his Son on our behalf. If Christ could go through the things that we go through day in and day out, remaining sinless, then He could be a sacrifice for us, once and for all.

Christ could not fail, as He really was the Son of God. I ask,“Who is this man Jesus?”

He goes by many names now: Saviour, Sacrifice, Messiah, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God.

But we must accept His message. John 14:6-7 reads, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’”

The priests had listened to false witnesses in the trial of Jesus. They didn’t really know Him. They didn’t hear the words of God, “This is my Son; in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”

Listen to Him. “It is as you say but I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of Heaven.”

The High Priest asked, “What do you think?”

Now, so do I.

LISTEN TO HIM

2005-06-14T11:36:00.000-04:00

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.

Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters-- one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!"

Matthew 17:1-5

We looked previously at a time when God spoke about His Son when Christ was baptized. But the disciples had not been with Christ at this time. They had not heard the great words of God. Here we read in Matthew’s gospel of a later time that God speaks with some of the disciples present.

God repeats his proclamation from Matthew 3:17, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.” But this time He adds, “Listen to Him!” Note the exclamation mark at the end of that line. This was not a happenstance sentence. This was a charge to the three that were present.

And it is a charge to us as well. Listen to Him!

HOMECOMING

2005-06-13T11:20:00.000-04:00

Jesus... went to his hometown accompanied by His disciples.

When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. "Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.

Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor."

He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.

Mark 6:1-6

It’s hard to accept these truths sometimes. Not everyone wants to believe in Jesus.

Here the people of Nazareth can not understand how this man Jesus could have the knowledge and authority that he displayed. Mark regularly reports in his gospel the amazement that Jesus’ teaching and actions produced. But at home, the people took offense at Him. They asked themselves, “Isn’t he just a commoner, a worker like the rest of us?”

Jesus’ father was a carpenter and as he grew up he would have helped in the work. The people still remembered Jesus as the carpenter’s son and saw no reason to believe that He was any different from them, much less that he was specially anointed with God.

Interestingly, we read that Jesus was amazed by their lack of faith. In the whole Bible, I know of only two times recorded that Jesus was amazed. Once, here, due to the unbelief of Nazareth. The other time Jesus expresses His amazement is for the very strong belief of a Centurion who asked Christ to heal a servant in Luke 7.

Faith, abundant or lacking, is the starting point for your belief. How does your faith measure up?

NEVER, LORD!

2005-06-10T11:15:00.000-04:00

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"

Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

“What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Matthew 16:22-28

The devil is looking for believers and unbelievers. He is at work even today. When Jesus was baptized, he spent the next forty days in the desert being tempted by the devil. Simon Peter, after his great realization, was overcome by the devil.

Jesus would explain to the disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer, be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

This is the way that the devil likes to fool us. We think we might be doing something good, but it’s our idea and not God’s. Simon Peter had seen the miracles. How could Christ be killed by the hands of sinful man? “Never!” he said. But Christ knew the will of God.

Christ knew that when he left Earth, man would be able to enter into Heaven again, through Him and His sacrifice, bringing us all closer to God if we accept it.

WHO AM I

2005-06-09T11:10:00.000-04:00

"Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven."

Matthew 16:13-17

People were talking about Jesus. Jesus would perform many great miracles. He started by gathering together 12 men, men of His choosing, to be His disciples. The 12 would leave all they had behind to follow Jesus. They watched as Jesus would preach, heal the sick from disease like leprosy, paralization, and demon-possession. He would calm storms on the water with his words. He would cure the blind to see and the deaf to hear by the simple touch of His hands. He would take 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and feed five thousand men, besides women and children. He would walk on water…. I could keep going but I think you are starting to get the idea why people would talk about this man Jesus.

Now many may have been talking about Jesus but not everyone knew who Jesus was. Even after all these miracles, Jesus had to ask his disciples “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

Simon Peter says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This was revealed to Simon Peter by divine intervention.

Some times the disciples had trouble understanding Christ. Looking back after His death, they would then understand more of what was meant. It’s comical almost that some said Jesus was John the Baptist. Firstly, we have already read that John the Baptist baptized Christ in the Jordan River. Secondly, John had been beheaded by this point by King Herod, who also thought the two were the same. We could read, “At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” (Matthew 14:1-2)

Only one of the 12 disciples would answer as Simon Peter did. Coming to a realization of Christ as the Son of God can be an over whelming experience. It filled me with tremendous joy when I came to know Him.

You, also, can know that joy, when you come to know Him.

WELL PLEASING BAPTISM

2005-06-08T11:07:00.000-04:00

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.

But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased."

Matthew 3:13-17

Sometimes it’s hard to follow up a portion of scripture that sums things up so nicely. We can read about Jesus in the New Testament. In the first chapter of Matthew, Jesus is born. By the third chapter, Christ is 30ish years old and is starting His ministry. By this point He has already given His life to God and is following in the pattern of baptism.

As we read, John the Baptist recognized Jesus as one that was Heaven sent. John knew of a great one that would follow. John would be heard preaching to the men and women he baptized, “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry.” (Matthew 3:11)

John tried to ask to be baptized by Jesus. But Jesus wasn’t yet ready to be baptizing others. Jesus would later baptize people with the Holy Spirit. Anyone who would accept Christ as their Saviour would receive the Holy Spirit. Today, we can still be baptized as Christ was, in order that we can be added to a church of God and follow in His steps.

After Christ came up from the water, the heavens opened and the Spirit of God came down as a dove and lighted upon Him and those wonderful words rang out from Heaven. I ask, “Who is this man Jesus?” God answers with, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.”

We can clearly see the triune God in all parts in this picture. There is the Christ with the Holy Spirit upon him and God proclaiming His pleasure in the whole affair.

I imagine what it may be like to be the one in front or behind Jesus in line for baptism. John had just finished raising you out of the water and as you head out of the river, here’s John asking the man in line to baptize him. This would make me curious.

I know I’d want to tell others about Him.

WHY MARY MAGDALENE?

2005-06-07T22:47:00.000-04:00

Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).

Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

John 20:10-18

After the disciples had been told the news that the tomb was empty, many of them found it to be nonsense. But Peter believed and had run to the tomb. The disciples must have talked and shared their thoughts of what all this meant. As they retired to their homes, Mary continued to search for her missing Lord.

Much greater minds have considered the recanting of this episode. The Lord appears to Mary Magdalene first. Why? We may never know. Some people believe that Mary simply needed to see Him most at that time.

She did not recognize Him. I believe Mary understood the angels, when they told her that the Lord had risen. Why is she still looking at the tomb for Him? The tomb was empty. Was she still looking for the body? “They have taken my Lord away,” she tells Him.

The collection of the gospel in four accounts makes it difficult sometimes to piece together an accurate portrayal of events. At first inspection, there seems to be contradictory evidence. Not all of the gospels recount all of the parts of the story. Sometimes the author uses just the elements that are important to the message presented in each account.

When we put the story in greater context, the tomb had been guarded all night. We read in Matthew 27,

The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate.

"Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."

"Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how."

So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. (Matthew 27:62-66; 28:1-5)

The women had seen the angel and they were returning to the disciples to tell the good news, but upon their return with Peter to the tomb, the guards had gone into the city to report to the chief priests what had happened.

While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.

When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble."

So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. (Matthew 28:11-15)

I think that Mary fully understood that her Lord and Saviour had risen. The tomb was empty. I believe she was looking around, beginning at the tomb to see where the guards had taken the risen Saviour. I think she believed the guards had taken Him. Perhaps they had arrested Him. Perhaps they had tried to hide Him. Perhaps, the gardener had something to do with it! The gardener, as it turns out, was Jesus! Praise be to God when Mary discovers her risen Saviour. She tells the disciples about her meeting with the Lord. And we can be glad that we also read in John 20:19, “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’”

Peace be with us, indeed.

AN OPEN TOMB

2005-06-06T22:42:00.000-04:00

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.

They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'"

Then they remembered his words.

When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.

Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

Luke 24:1-12

Christ’s body was laid to rest in a hewn out grave. There it was for three days, wrapped in linens. The disciples were afraid for their lives. They had locked themselves away in fear that those people who had condemned Christ to death would come looking for his followers.

The women, including Mary Magdalene, continued to care for the disciples and for the body of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Son of Man had been delivered into the hands of sinful men. He was crucified and on the third day, He was risen.

Mary Magdalene was frightened by the angels that appeared and spoke with the women. But she did not turn away. She stayed and searched for the body. The risen Christ appeared to Mary first.

Are you searching for Him? If you seek Him, and you will find Him.

WATCHING FROM A DISTANCE

2005-05-27T22:36:00.000-04:00

Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.

Matthew 27:55-56

The crucifixion was an awful time for all followers who felt that Christ was entering the city of Jerusalem to become King, to claim the throne that belonged to God’s chosen people. When He was arrested, that celebration faded quickly. The disciples dispersed.

How difficult it must have been for Mary, among the other women, as they watched from a distance, Jesus suffering on the cross.

Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross with common thieves. He died for you and for me. He died for those women that stood at a distance and watched the intense suffering of their friend, their Saviour.

During Jesus ministry, he often spoke of this day. He told of how He would be lead to the cross. He told that He would have to suffer and die. He told that he would be the sacrifice for you and for me. He told them that on the third day He would rise again.

He told this to His disciples, but they did not understand. Do you?

MAKING ENDS MEET

2005-05-26T22:27:00.000-04:00

Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

Luke 8:1-3

There is often talk about Mary Magdalene. She is mentioned in all four gospels relating to her experiences at the cross, and the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, only the Gospel of Luke introduces this Mary in context of who she was to Jesus.

Mary had been demon possessed. We don’t read about her cleansing. We only read of her now following Jesus and the disciples, “helping to support them out of their own means.” When Jesus and the disciples traveled, they didn’t provide for themselves by miracles. They relied on those that believed in Him to provide for them.

Mary, I’m sure, was grateful to have a life-changing event like the removal of the seven demons from her life. She could never repay the Lord for His miracle. Likewise, we are indebted to the Lord. We are indebted to Him for his sacrifice on the cross at Calvary.

How can we repay him? We can’t. His gift is free if we accept it.

In thanksgiving, we can dedicate ourselves to His work, through the means that we have been blessed.

PRAY ON ALL OCCASIONS

2005-05-25T16:18:00.000-04:00

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

Ephesians 6:18

Pray in the Spirit. You must believe to be justified. Pray on all occasions. Commit our lives, day-to-day, to God. Pray with all kinds of prayers and requests. We serve the God of all things. Nothing is too small for Him to do. With this in mind, be alert. The Devil will be tempting you. Be alert of the dangers to you and to your assembly. And always keep on praying for all the saints.

This verse comes at the end of a letter written to the church in Ephesis. Paul is telling them and us as well, to pray.

This is your reminder that the battle against sin, the battle waged against our commitment is a spiritual battle and it must be fought in God’s strength. If we would win, we must depend on God’s word and on God through prayer.

WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO

2005-05-24T15:52:00.000-04:00

Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Sea. It is already in Hazazon Tamar" (that is, En Gedi).

Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the LORD in the front of the new courtyard and said: "O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.

“O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 'If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.'

"But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance.

“O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."

All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the LORD.

2 Chronicles 20:2-13

Prayer brings about miracles. For Jehoshaphat, he finds himself and his people in the midst of another war.

We do not know what to do! The people didn’t stop there. Their eyes were upon the LORD! The Lord answered their prayer and when the people marched out to war, they found the three armies slaughtered. They had fought among themselves and no one was spared.

Unless we commit our eyes on the Lord in all things through prayer, we too can be slaughtered from fighting within. The dangers are lurking but we must be centered on one thing… the LORD.

SEEK FIRST THE LORD

2005-05-23T15:50:00.000-04:00

Ahab king of Israel asked Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Will you go with me against Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied, "I am as you are, and my people as your people; we will join you in the war."

But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "First seek the counsel of the LORD."

2 Chronicles 18:3-4

We can read of King Jehoshaphat, when allied with the King of Israel, was asked to go to war. But Jehoshaphat was a good and Godly king. He knew he needed support from God.

First, seek the counsel of the Lord. We can be willing, but we should always seek God’s counsel first. There are many good Christians who we see doing godly things. Are they doing God’s will or their own will in the name of God? First, seek the counsel of the Lord and you will be of the right mind.

Here Jehoshaphat is about to lead his people into war. But before doing so he wants the Lord’s input. Collectively, we are also waging war against this world. We need to commit ourselves to seeking the counsel of the Lord first.

The way to do that is through prayer!

IS PRAYER POWERFUL?

2005-05-20T15:41:00.000-04:00

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.

Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists.

Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him.

Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.

They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

Then Peter came to himself and said, "Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating."

When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.

Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door.

When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, "Peter is at the door!"

"You're out of your mind," they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, "It must be his angel."

But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

Acts 12:5-16

Want to know if prayer is powerful? Consider Peter when he faced death while in prison.

Here we read of a prayer meeting in progress, praying on the eve of Peter’s execution.

The prayers for Peter are answered. The people of that day relied on God to fulfill their every need.

Even the fine details of our lives need to be brought before God.

GIVING FACE TIME

2005-05-19T15:38:00.000-04:00

"Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

He said to me, 'Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.' As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me."

Ezekiel 1:28-2:2

When was the last time you spent time facedown with God? When was the last time you recognized the immense power of the One who created all things? Have you heard His voice?

I was moved by the vulnerability of a ministering brother when, from the platform, he let me into his daily life. As I write here and challenge you to consider these things, let me tell you that this is difficult.

The more I prepare, the more I feel unworthy to write. I know I have struggled with my commitment to prayer. I have let myself down, I have let my church down, and worst of all, I let my God down. I will be accountable for that. This week I had to get down, on my face, and let God know that I want to be used by Him.

God wants to use each of us. Are we giving Him face time?

SHARE A BURDEN

2005-05-18T15:35:00.000-04:00

“In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.”

Hebrews 2:10-11

Why do so many of us struggle with our commitment to prayer? I think it can stem from how we commit to one another. Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers or sisters.

Are we ashamed to be called brothers? Are we of the same family?

Have you always been guarded about your personal life. Why is that?

How can I expect to have a commitment from my brothers and sisters if they know nothing about me? Or how can I commit them to prayer if I don’t know them? It is good to know the people you pray for.. to be able to feel their need, their suffering, to help carry their burden. We can’t do that if we don’t share the load.

Sometimes that means coming out of our protective shells, and being open. If we can’t feel safe with one another, feel safe in the presence of God by whom we are all gathered together.

THE POWER OF BELIEF

2005-05-17T15:30:00.000-04:00

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"

When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Lord," they replied.

Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; and their sight was restored…

Matthew 9:27-30

Jesus shows us the power of belief. According to your faith will it be done to you. Do we have enough faith?

At one time, the disciples were trying to cast out a demon but were unable. When Jesus was successful they “came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:19-20)

Nothing is impossible for us if we simply believe, if we have the faith that it can happen.

CLEANING HOUSE

2005-05-16T15:26:00.000-04:00

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."

1 John 1:9-10

There is a daily battle against sin. We need God to intervene and cleanse us. Think of it as housework, like doing dishes. If I tackle the problem day-by-day, meal-by-meal, then I can keep up with the problem. If I don’t do the dishes everyday, the dirty dishes pile up creating more and more work. If left long enough, other hazards can arise like mold, or insect infestations.

I am troubled by my sin. Sin piles up like dishes. And I need God to clean those dishes, so I confess my sins to Him. In that way, we can be sure we are right with God.

Along with confessing of sin we have to be sure that we are repentant. I think of the great gospel verse in Romans: “That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)

I love to quote this verse in my gospel messages. It is simple and concise. It’s not just the confessing, it’s also the believing. “For it is with your HEART that you BELIEVE and are justified, …and it is with your mouth that you CONFESS and are SAVED.”

You are justified by believing in your heart. It is with your heart that you believe God raised Christ from the dead. Christ would tell Thomas the disciple after he had been resurrected, “blessed are those that believe but have not seen.” Blessed because we who believe in our hearts that Christ reigns today at the right hand of God, did so because we felt it in our hearts and we have been justified.

That applies to our everyday prayer as well. How many times have you prayed for safety? Some people pray for it all the time.

How much do you believe it?

BE TRUE TO YOURSELF

2005-05-13T15:19:00.000-04:00

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."

1 John 1:8

If we walk in the light, we have fellowship. Daily prayer is communication. It gets God involved in our day-to-day lives.

If I wrote here and claimed to have fellowship with Him, (claim that I involve Him day-to-day) yet walk in the darkness, then I am a liar. A difficult position to find yourself in. The psalmist wrote “I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.” (Psalm 38:18).

We are all troubled by sin. That is the devil’s weapon. He can tempt us to sin and we often succumb to that temptation.

Daily meditation on His word, and time spent in prayer, will strengthen your relationship with God, helping you better to avoid temptation, and live a more perfect life for Him.

But you must cleanse the sin from your life by being saved first. Otherwise, we claim to be sinless and the truth is not in us.

AM I EFFECTIVE?

2005-05-12T15:14:00.000-04:00

"This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin."

1 John 1:5-7

In order to be able to pray effectively, we have to have an effective relationship with God

When we think of prayer, we must consider ourselves. Are we right with God? Do we feel able to come before Him? Have I confessed my sin? Do I have any unconfessed sin? Where do I walk? In the light or in the dark?

I have always been chided for not calling my mother enough. Weeks can go by and we won’t have conversation. This isn’t good.

How does that reflect my relationship with her? She loves me but she’s not a part of my day-to-day life.

Should we treat the heavenly Father that way?

WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS

2005-05-11T14:51:00.000-04:00

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

Romans 8:26

...sigh...

Have you ever felt so alone, so seperated from God that you haven’t any idea what to pray for?

Just get down on your knees and sigh. The Holy Spirit knows your suffering. He intercedes with groans that words cannot express. The words will come, but know that your time is not wasted when you come before the Lord.

When we are our weakest, God can make us strong. If we can empty ourselves of the worldly things, He can fill us with His things.

CHRISTMAS IN MAY

2005-05-10T10:03:00.000-04:00

“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, ‘God with us.’”

Matthew 1:23

We can read in our Bibles that Jesus was born of a virgin named Mary. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in her. This would have been quite a surprise to her fiancée, Joseph. Nowadays, it wouldn’t seem that out of place to see a pregnant single mother. But two thousand years ago (even just a few short years ago) it was something of a disgrace.

Now Joseph was surprised that his wife was already pregnant and he was a righteous man and he didn’t want to expose Mary to public disgrace, so he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

Now after Joseph had considered this, he went to sleep and as he slept an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet Isaiah, who wrote, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And Joseph gave him the name Jesus.

We should treat each part of the year as a time of celebration, a time of caring for one another, and a time for reflection. No one knows how much time we have. The young babe Jesus lived to be only about 33 years old. Jesus came to save his people from their sins. Each one of us is born in sin. Jesus wants to save us and bring us into His glory. We can spend eternity in heaven if we believe in Him.

If you think your life has been a long time already, you haven’t seen eternity!

WISE CHOICE

2005-05-09T16:06:00.000-04:00

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Only God is good. Anything else good in the world is derived from Him including following the commandments as Christ pointed out to our rich young man. Doing good deeds is not to merit your worthiness to get into heaven. It is to show your faithfulness to God in doing as He has commanded.

I recently received an email that may help illustrate this situation.

Imagine arriving in heaven. You stand in front of the judgement seat and you are asked what good things have you done to get into heaven. Minimum entrance: 100 points.

I might say, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."

"That's worth three points!"

"Three points? Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service."

"That's certainly worth a point."

"One point? I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for the homeless."

"Fantastic, that's good for two more points.”

All that and all I have is 6 points? At this rate the only way I could get into heaven is by the grace of God!"

"Bingo! 100 points! Come on in!"

You see, it doesn’t matter whether we could get any points. The fact is it is by the grace of God that we are allowed to enter into heaven. It was the grace of God that he sent his only Son to die on the cross of Calvary to save us from the punishment for our sins.

We are unworthy of this gift. And yet if we simply ask, it is ours for the taking.

I leave you with this question: Would you rather be concerned about riches here on earth? Or would rather be a hundred times richer in Heaven, living forever with Jesus Christ your Saviour?

May you answer wisely.

MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE

2005-05-06T16:01:00.000-04:00

When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Matthew 19:25-26

Satan is in the world. The bible tells us that Satan is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. That someone could be you.

There will be a day that Christ will come to the sky and he will call all his believers to be with Him. Will you be there? Or will you be at home watching your favourite movies on DVD from your comfy sofa in digital surround sound?

Satan loves us to do things that take us away from following the Lord. Maybe that means watching movies instead of praying. Maybe that means doing things that God doesn’t like us to do. Why do we do it? Because we are sinners. Even poor Adam and Eve who had everything they could ever need. A beautiful garden, no danger, everlasting life. But what did they do? The one thing they couldn’t have, they took: fruit from the tree of knowledge. Next thing you know, everything they had was history.

Would you be willing to give up everything in order to be as Adam and Eve were? To be close to God, in a garden He created for you, without danger, with everlasting life? Or are you like the rich man, having great difficulty giving up everything?

It is impossible for us to be able to get to heaven through our good works and deeds. But Jesus said, “with God all things are possible.”

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one may come unto the Father but by me.” How do we get into heaven? To get into heaven, you must be saved. But how do you get saved?

If the rich man can’t get into heaven as long as he worships his possessions, who can be saved? The disciples had asked this earlier.

The good news is that every one of us can be saved. Every one of us has had or will have the opportunity to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. For you, it may be to accept him as your Saviour. Or it may be to follow his command and to be baptized as a disciple of Christ.

To accept Christ in your hearts you must believe that he died on a cross at Calvary to save you from the punishment that you deserved as a sinner. Unfortunately, you can’t wait until your life is over to reconsider your decision.

Choose to live in Christ. You may not get another chance.

THE POOR RICH MAN

2005-05-05T15:56:00.000-04:00

Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 19:21-23

It’s HARD to get into heaven. Do you want to know why it’s so hard to get into heaven? It’s HARD because you have to ask for it.

People like the rich man in the book of Matthew want to work at it. They want to obey all the rules and follow all the laws and be really, really good people.

Listen to what Jesus preaches. The rich man was looking for the works that would reward him eternal life. He didn’t know how to ask for it.

The young man was rich. He cared a lot about his wealth. He was told to sell all his possessions. Do we have to sell all our possessions to get into heaven? Not necessarily.

The rich man needed to decide what was more important to him. The rich man believed that everything he owned was more valuable than going to heaven.

Hard to believe but it’s happening everyday.

ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY

2005-05-04T15:53:00.000-04:00

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."

And Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me." But concerning Israel, he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people."

Romans 10:14-18, 20-21

The words of Isaiah are quoted here: “I was found by those who did not seek me.”

Are you someone who discovered God without trying? Just looking at nature and creation leads you to the thought of a greater being.

Or are you like the remnants of Israel, whom God has held out His hands to, but you reject Him, being stubborn and disobedient? The responsibility for rejection rests on a person themself. Israel failed to meet God’s requirement, namely, faith. The Gentiles understood this concept, and the Jews considered them to be spiritually unenlightened.

You have the opportunity to hear the message. It doesn’t go away after this. You have the choice now to believe in it, accepting in faith that Jesus died for you, and He now reigns in heaven.

Or you can remain stubborn and disobedient to God.

The responsibility now rests with you.

ACCEPTED CALL

2005-05-03T15:41:00.000-04:00

"Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness."

Romans 10:1-3

Paul wouldn’t give up. He wrote a letter to the church in Rome, in which we read of his plea. Turn with me to Romans chapter 10. Paul’s concern was for his fellow countrymen. His missionary journeys had been successful with the gentiles, but Paul wanted to reach his people with the knowledge that he had received from the Lord.

"But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-- the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:8-13)

Everyone who calls will be saved... if you believe in your heart.

In Biblical terms, the heart is not merely home to your emotions and affections, but also the home of intellect and will. It is one thing to believe emotionally that Jesus is Lord, and yet another to believe intellectually that God raised Him from the dead. Believing both would be believing with your heart.

It would seem simple in theory. The same message is preached today. And often with the same result. Rejection…

What will you do with the Truth? Will you accept or will you reject?

UNREASONABLY RIGHT

2005-05-02T15:36:00.000-04:00

"About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?'
'Who are you, Lord?' I asked.
'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied."

Acts 22:6-8

Have you ever thought you were doing the right thing only to find out that you were wrong?

I would get frustrated in school when I got something wrong. If I didn’t implement a theory or an equation the right way, a teacher would chastise, “If you weren’t sure, all you had to do was ask.”

Here’s the problem. I was sure. I was sure that I was right. I had no reason to believe I was wrong. Why then would I ask about something I already know?

In the years after Jesus had walked the earth there were zealous people. The Jews, as Paul had been before his witness of the Lord quoted above, had a lot of head knowledge regarding the law. They knew so much about it that they felt there was no need to ask anything more of it.

Paul, known previously as Saul, was a missionary in the very early churches, and was originally one just like these Jews.

Paul had returned to Jerusalem for the first time in his missionary work after accepting Christ as His Saviour. Paul reminds the Jewish leaders that he was “a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city.” (Acts 22:3)

Paul was thoroughly trained in the laws of the Jews. He was a persecutor of the early Christians, bringing them to Jerusalem to be punished.

But now, as Paul spoke to the Jewish leaders about his encounter with Christ, and his subsequent redemption, the leaders would have nothing to do with Paul’s talk.

The Jews were aghast. They were removing their robes and throwing dirt in the air. They tried to have Paul flogged. They plotted to have him killed. These were tough times for Paul. He would stand trial a number of times going from prison to prison, judge to judge.

Why was he doing it? He knew that what these people were doing, the laws they were making, the beliefs and customs they were following were not complete. Paul knew what it took to make it right. They needed faith. They needed to do more than understand the laws; they needed to obey and follow them.

Are you convinced that nothing is wrong in your life? Or do you still have need for a saviour?

HOW RICH ARE YOU?

2005-04-29T11:43:00.000-04:00

“Whoever trusts in his riches will fall.”

Proverbs 11:4

We may be worth a million dollars but unless we have Christ in our life, we are worthless. What good is having all the riches if you cannot find happiness? We will fall if we don’t trust in God.

Christ gave up all the riches and glories of Heaven to come down to Earth. He is the Son of God and he walked among men, at every turn He saw sin. He is disgusted by it. He knows that he has come to save us from this evil. He went to Calvary, was crucified on a cross as an innocent man. While he was on the cross, God placed upon him, the punishment for all our sins. Every single one of them.

How many sins do you have? I would have trouble thinking that there was a number for them. And yet, Christ took my countless number of sins, your numerous sins, the sins of all the people, the sins of all the nations, the sins for all time and was punished for them.

What did we do to deserve that?

Nothing.

Jesus loves us. More so, Jesus loved me enough that he would take my punishment. He loves you too. He took your sins. But He wants you to believe in Him. If we don’t believe in Christ, we are doomed.

We read in the Bible, “If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart, God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” We need to confess to God that we are sinners and accept Jesus into our hearts.

We can be saved. We can go to heaven where there are riches beyond anything this earth will ever see. We can go and see the King of Kings. But there is only one way. Christ said, “no one may come to the father, except by me.” Christ doesn’t negotiate. He has set out what you need to do. He took your place already for your sins.

Will you live up to your end?

ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT

2005-04-28T09:52:00.000-04:00

"For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

Hebrews 4:12

It takes a selfless attitude to be good. What kind of attitude do you have? Philippians 2:5 says that your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. But what is Christ’s attitude?

In Matthew 26:39, Christ is praying to God, the very same God that you and I pray to, and asks, "Yet not as I will, but as You will... May Your will be done."

We need a wake-up call, an attitude adjustment. Tune into Christ, sing and be heard. There is no reason to be ashamed. When you pray, be clear-minded. Give thanks before dinner... or lunch, at school or work.

We are like Good Samaritans when we are like Christ.

BETTER TO NOT BE BORN

2005-04-27T11:36:00.000-04:00

“The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."

Matthew 26:24

Jesus predicted His death to the disciples and they did not understand. The men that spent three years, day in and day out with the Son of God did not understand. And after his death, a sacrificial death to allow us into the realms of Heaven, they still didn’t understand. There are people today who still do not understand.

Jesus Christ is the Son of Man. He has fulfilled the scriptures. He is our salvation.

There is only one way to heaven. It is through Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth and the Life. There is NO other way. A disciple at Christ’s arrest tried to take things into his own hands by drawing a sword and striking the servant of the High Priest. And Christ would say, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" Matthew 26:53-54

How then would the scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?

The disciples were blinded for a time, but now how can we ignore the truth?

HOW FOOLISH ARE YOU?

2005-04-26T11:20:00.000-04:00

"'How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself."

Luke 24:25-27

After Christ’s resurrection, He appeared before two men walking to Emmaus. "They were talking with each other about everything that had happened." (Luke 24:14) These men believed in Jesus Christ and His death was an overwhelming loss to them.

Which brings me to a quick sidebar here. Zechariah the prophet, says in his book, "'Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!' declares the LORD Almighty. 'Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones.'" (Zechariah 13:7) These men were like this. Christ knew it. He told them that they would do it by illustrating this VERY VERSE to the disciples in Matthew 26:31: “Then Jesus told them, 'This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: "I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered."'"

The two men on the way Emmaus were also admonished of sorts. Christ had come along walking with them, and they were unable to recognize Him as Jesus. Christ said the verses above to them, and followed through with a private lesson of the entire Old Testament illustrating Christ to these two men.

We have access to that same information within the very same scriptures! We should be able to find Christ as well.

Are you foolish? Are you slow of heart?

Do you believe?

FULFILLING OUR BLESSING

2005-04-25T13:27:00.000-04:00

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again."
The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.

Luke 18:31-34

Christ knew of the prophecies. He knew where He would be. He told the disciples through the Gospel of Luke. He was speaking with the disciples, “And He said, 'The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.'" Luke 9:22

The disciples did not understand what Jesus was talking about. Imagine that. It was hidden from them, but it is not hidden from us today. We are able to see the truth throughout the scripture. The Old Testament prophetic predictions. The word of God outlining the signs of the Christ and His coming, His suffering, His salvation.

We can see them fulfilled in the Gospels, through the life and death of Jesus Christ, His suffering and His resurrection, OUR blessing, opening the door to Heaven through Him.

ISAIAH EXPOSED

2005-04-22T16:14:00.000-04:00

"He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

"By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

"He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth."

Isaiah 53:7-9

This is really a highlighted case here, but the clear predictions, the prophecies in this chapter are so many. Please take time in your study to revisit these. You can’t read Isaiah and come out the same person when you are finished.

I am baffled and amazed in my feeble human mind by the revelations exposed here.

Quickly, Verse 7: He did not open his mouth. Jesus remained silent before the chief priests and Pilate, and before Herod.

Verse 8; By oppression and judgement He was taken away. Jesus was given an unfair trial.

Verse 9: He was assigned a grave with the wicked. His death would indicate that of the most base of criminals and in their mind He would be buried with the executed criminals…

And with the rich in his death. He was buried in a tomb that was to be used for the wealthy Joseph of Arimathea. Jesus was given an honorable burial not because of wealth, but out of love, undoubtedly an act growing out of Joseph’s awareness that he had been forgiven much.

On it goes. The predications of Isaiah, to the people some 600 years before His birth, came true in the Life of Jesus Christ.

FORESHADOW THROUGH SACRIFICE

2005-04-21T16:10:00.000-04:00

"We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

Isaiah 53:6

Just as a priest had laid his hands on the scapegoat and symbolically put Israel’s sins on it, this verse foreshadows Christ having the sins of all mankind placed upon Him, and them being washed away by the shedding of His blood as a sacrifice once for all.

Have you been washed? Are you forgiven?

Don't be buried by a burden of sin.

AN UNDERSTANDING MAN OF SORROWS

2005-04-20T15:53:00.000-04:00

"He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

Isaiah 53:3

Even before David, the prophet Isaiah proclaimed the Christ and his suffering 300 years before David. Chapter 53 of Isaiah is called the gospel in the Old Testament since it is quoted more frequently in the New Testament than any other passage of the Old Testament.

This chapter alone could be a series of beautiful ministries, and I am bringing a small gleaning from it.

John, in his gospel likens this image to the Lord, in verse 10 and 11 of his first chapter: “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” (John 1:10-11)

Clearly this was leading up to the death of Christ. Not as royalty, but as a man despised, rejected. The Hebrew word for sorrows, the man of sorrows, is used in both physical and mental pain.

Christ suffered so He could understand our suffering. He knows our pain. He knows our anguish.

He is love.

FORSAKEN KNOWLEDGE

2005-04-19T15:49:00.000-04:00

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Psalm 22:1

This psalm is a prayer of David during a prolonged unprovoked vicious attack that the Lord has not yet delivered him from.

No other psalm fits quite so aptly to the circumstances of Jesus at His crucifixion. On the cross, Jesus took these words to his own lips. The gospels record it in Matthew 27:46, “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?'-- which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'"

This indicates how deeply Jesus felt His abandonment by God as He bore the sins of mankind.

David, a great king in deep agonies, prefacing the King of all Kings in the deepest agony of all. And it was recorded in scripture some 300 years before Christ was born.

Are you being forsaken? Have you forsaken the Lord?

Jesus knows your agony.

AS IT IS WRITTEN

2005-04-18T11:49:00.000-04:00

“The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."

Matthew 26:24

Jesus predicted His death to His disciples and they did not understand. The men that spent three years, day in and day out with the Son of God did not understand. And after his death, a sacrificial death to allow us into the realms of Heaven, they still didn’t understand. There are people today who still do not understand.

You may have heard or read previous posts about the Son of Man. He has fulfilled the scriptures. He is our salvation.

There is only one way to heaven. It is through Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth and the life. There is NO other way.

A disciple at Christ’s arrest tried to take things into his own hands by drawing a sword and striking the servant of the High Priest.

And Christ would say, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" Matthew 26:53-54

How then would the scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?

The disciples were blinded for a time, but now how can we ignore the truth?

THE CRUCIFIXION PT 15: SACRIFICE FINALE

2005-04-15T12:07:00.000-04:00

And when a centurian soldier who stood there in front of Jesus, heard His cry and saw how He died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!"

Mark 15:39

What the Centurian witnessed was unusual.

Firstly, this was a very quick death for crucifixion. Many times a person may be up on the cross for days before dying. In fact, if they began to last too long, the soldiers would come by and break their legs, making it difficult to breath which helped to speed up the death.

When the soldiers came to Jesus they found that he was already dead. To be doubly sure, they pierced His side with a spear going so deep that it actually pierced His heart causing both blood and water to flow from His side.

To make a sacrifice, blood must be shed. Christ’s blood was shed. It was shed to be a sacrifice for us. For our sins. For the sins of all the people, from that time even until today. Christ died for you... and for me. He died to save you from the punishment of sin.

Like the robber at His side, you too can join Him in paradise. If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, then you will be saved.

After all he went through, all the beatings and the torture, all the insults and mockery, can you say "no, thank you?"

Thanks, but no thanks?

I can’t.

To join Him in paradise, believe in Him today.

THE CRUCIFIXION PT 14: FORSAKEN RAM

2005-04-14T11:50:00.000-04:00

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Mark 15:34

At the end of the three hours of darkness, Christ would shout out the words above.

In the local language of the time, this could also be translated as My God, My God, why have you made a ram of me. The ram offering was a burnt offering in Old Testament times, used as a sacrifice for trespasses, or unforgiven sins.

Christ was the ram provided by God, just as God had provided a ram to Abraham in the desert when he was willing to offer Isaac, his only son, to God.

And finally, after all this that had happened, Christ shouted out in a loud cry, "It is finished!" He breathed His last. He bowed His head. He gave up His spirit.

Jesus did not "die". The bible clearly states, He gave up His spirit.

THE CRUCIFIXION PT 13: REVIEW & DARKNESS

2005-04-13T11:46:00.000-04:00

"...at the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour."

Matthew 27:45

Let’s review.

The work day began at daybreak back then. Already, Christ was captured and detained and punished overnight.

Then He met before the Chief Priests.

Then He went before Pilate to be punished to death. Pilate punished not with death but to a beating.

Then Christ was brought back before the people with Pilate. The people wanted Christ crucified. Christ was sentenced to death by crucifixion.

Christ was taken to Golgotha or Calvary, whichever name you prefer. There He was nailed to the cross, dropped into place and insulted and mocked by not only those who disliked Him, but also by the other prisoners.

This all happened before LUNCH!

We read that "at the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour." My study notes tell me that this relates to 12:00 Noon until 3:00 PM. It is during these three hours of darkness that Jesus bore our sins as punishment.

All that had happened up until now was nothing compared to the punishment that Jesus would face for our sins.

For us.

THE CRUCIFIXION PT 12: PARADISE TODAY

2005-04-12T14:17:00.000-04:00

The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words.

Matthew 27:44

Imagine being innocently charged and convicted, then having abuse heaped on you by the other criminals. There were three people crucified the day that Christ died.

One of the robbers hurled insults, but the other robber began to rebuke the taunts.

"Don’t you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

If you died today, will you be going to paradise, or will you be charged for your sin and convicted to spend eternity in hell?

Don’t rob yourself of your need for a Saviour Commit yourself to Him through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

THE CRUCIFIXION PT 11: GREATEST TEMPTATION

2005-04-11T10:43:00.000-04:00

And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who {are going to} destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."
In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking {Him} and saying, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him."
"HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE {Him} now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

Matthew 27:39-43

To me, this is was the greatest temptation of Christ. Living a perfect life would have to be difficult. The temptations that you and I fall into each day would be far less often if we had the relationship with God that Jesus has.

But to hear an unsaved man say, "If you come down, I will believe," must have been so very tempting.

However, the one calling out had it all wrong. If Christ came down from the cross, proving He was the Son of God, He would not have fulfilled the need for a sacrifice.

Without sacrifice, we couldn’t be brought back to God. If Christ did not die on the cross, we could not get into heaven.

Suffering and dying is why we have a Saviour. Saving Himself, we would still be separated from God.

Instead, He died to save me.

THE CRUCIFIXION PT 10: SIGN OF THE KING

2005-04-08T09:54:00.000-04:00

Pilate said, "What I have written, I have written."

John 19:22

Above the cross was a sign that declared the committed crime. Pilate had a sign made up, to the protest of the Chief Priests, and it was placed above Jesus head. It read: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

The Chief Priests wanted it to be changed to say that this man claimed to be the King of the Jews. Pilate said, "What I have written, I have written."

We are all sinners. Imagine the sign above your head. Christ’s death on Calvary’s cross allows those that believe on Him to have their sign removed.

From sinner to redeemed, our Saviour cleanses us with His blood.

THE CRUCIFIXION PT 9: FORGIVE THEM

2005-04-07T13:30:00.000-04:00

...they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!"
"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
"We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.
Finally Pilate handed Him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

John 19:15-16

The shouts prevailed and Pilate granted their demand. Jesus had already been taken away to be beaten, and now He was to be crucified. Barabbas was released to the people.

The soldiers put Christ’s plain clothes back on Him and gave Him his cross to carry. He was so weak from the recent punishments that He couldn’t do it and a man named Simon was pulled from the crowd to carry the cross for Jesus. Once on the hill called Golgotha or the Place of the Skull, the soldiers offered Jesus wine mixed with gall. But Jesus refused to drink it. He refused it not because of the taste, in fact it was a pain killing narcotic given to prisoners who were being crucified. Jesus wanted to be fully conscious until His death.

I imagine the cross would have to be laid on the ground, Jesus put upon it and held while the soldiers took the large, wrought iron nails (I think of Railway spikes) and drove them through His hands and feet. The soldiers would then lift the cross, easily 10 feet tall although I couldn’t find anything specific on this, and dropped it into a hole to stand it up. The drop would shake all the joints out of place. Two other men, both criminals were also led out with Jesus to be executed.

Jesus was to be a Saviour. Even as the guards were doing this to Jesus, He would ask, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

You can be forgiven too. Once you know, you need to decide.

THE CRUCIFIXION PT 8: DECISION

2005-04-06T12:18:00.000-04:00

“Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”

Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”

From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar."

John 19:10-12

The crowd was shouting “Crucify Him!”

When Pilate heard this, he became afraid. He argued with the people. He was caught between two trains of thought. He could do what was right, and set the innocent man free. Or he could succumb to the demands of the people, and order the death penalty for this man Jesus, who is called Christ.

Pilate was already in trouble with Rome. He didn’t need the people going to Caesar and reporting against him. They went to enough trouble to capture and execute this innocent man, how much more would they be out after Pilate if he set Him free?

This decision is equal to one that we must face in our spiritual life. Are we out for ourselves, or are we willing to give it all up for Him who gave up everything for us?

THE CRUCIFIXION PT 7: A CALL FOR RELEASE

2005-04-05T17:11:00.000-04:00

"... it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover."
John 18:39

The beaten Jesus was brought back in front of the people with Pilate who announced that he was going to release Him. Jesus was standing there with the crown of thorns on His head, the robe on His beaten body. This wasn’t good enough for the people.

Pilate asked who they would rather have released, Jesus or a man named Barabbas, a known murderer. The people shouted for Barabbas. Pilate did not know that the Chief Priests were swaying the people for this occasion.

Pilate could not understand this. He asked, "What should I do with this man Jesus?"

"Crucify Him!" the crowd shouted. This form of punishment, the crucifixion, was used only on slaves, the basest of criminals and offenders who were not Roman citizens. Jesus was not one of these, but the people called for it. "Crucify Him!"

Who is in charge of your life? Are you calling for Barabbas? Or are you calling for a Saviour?

THE CRUCIFIXION PT 6: CROWN OF THORNS

2005-04-04T17:06:00.000-04:00

And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.
And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.
Mark 15:17-20

The soldiers had led Jesus away into the palace and called together the whole company of soldiers. They placed on His head a crown… of thorns.

Here is Jesus, having a crown of twisted thorn branches jammed upon his head. Although Mark’s gospel reads that it was set upon His head, I feel that it wasn’t just sitting there. It was really set there and with all the thorns going in different directions, it wasn’t about to come off.

Still in His purple robe and the crown of thorns upon His head, The soldiers began to call out to Him, "Hail, king of the Jews" and placed a staff in His right hand. The soldiers took the staff and struck Him on the head over and over again with the staff. They spit on Him. This is the lowest form of insult. Many people would tell you that they would rather be slapped than spit upon.

All this while, Christ was silent. He took this punishment willingly. He knew He was to be a Saviour for the people and He had God’s strength to help Him through.

THE CRUCIFIXION PT 5: PUNISH AND RELEASE

2005-04-01T17:06:00.000-05:00

Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, "You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion, and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him.
"No, nor has Herod, for he sent Him back to us; and behold, nothing deserving death has been done by Him.
"Therefore I will punish Him and release Him."
Luke 23:13-16

Even Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Jesus. They put Jesus into an elegant robe and sent Him back to Pilate.

Pilate seems to be bothered by all this trouble regarding Jesus. It would seem that he thought he had got out of the work by sending Jesus to Herod. Now, Herod has sent Him back. Pilate tells the crowd that neither Herod nor himself can find anything worth putting Jesus to death. Pilate then offers to punish Jesus and then release Him.

Now, even though Pilate had pronounced Jesus Not Guilty, he was willing to have Him illegally beaten to satisfy the Chief Priests and the people. Now it may be known that these beatings, although not intended to kill, sometimes had a fatal ending.

Was it not enough that Jesus suffered at the hands of the chief priests?

No. Christ still faced a far worse fate, one that He had come to suffer for each one of us.

THE CRUCIFIXION PT 4: VISITING HEROD

2005-03-31T16:04:00.000-05:00

"And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long [season], because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by Him. "
Luke 23:8

Herod was excited to meet Jesus and hoped that Jesus would perform some miracle.

Jesus is not a court jester. The creator of all things is not going to perform, simply because Herod asks or demands Him to.

That goes for then, and still applies today. Our prayers should not be demands, but requests to fulfil our needs through His will. We cannot see the beginning from the end. Only He can.

Herod asked Him many questions but Jesus made no answers. Jesus was being accused vehemently. Finally even Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Jesus. They put Jesus into an elegant robe and sent Him back to Pilate.

THE CRUCIFIXION PT 3: PILATES' WAY OUT

2005-03-30T10:48:00.000-05:00

Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"

"Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"

"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"

Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

"You are a king, then!" said Pilate.

Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
John 18:33-37

The whole assembly gathered Jesus and brought Him before Pilate to have Him sentenced to death. Although the council of elders had pronounced Jesus guilty, they could not sentence Him to death. A Roman official must do that.

They made their claims against Jesus saying he claimed to be a King.

After investigating the complaint, Pilate announced that he could find no charges against Jesus.

The chief Priests and the crowd insisted that Jesus was generally a trouble maker. Through this, Pilate learned that Jesus was a Galilean and therefore fell under the jurisdiction of Herod.

Seeing a way out, Pilate sent the crowd away to Herod who was also in Jerusalem at the time.

THE CRUCIFIXION PT 2: TRUTHFUL BLASPHEMER

2005-03-29T09:59:00.000-05:00

“If you are the Christ,” they said, “tell us.”
Jesus answered, "If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you, you would not answer. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God."
They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?"
He replied, "You are right in saying I am."
Then they said, "Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips."
Luke 22:67-71

Things weren’t getting any better for Jesus, after He was held overnight and beaten and mocked.

The council of the elders of the people met together and brought Jesus before them.

Christ declared the truth but the elders believed it to be blasphemy. Jesus was being punished for being God’s Son. He couldn’t win in this situation. If He told the truth, they wouldn’t believe Him - If He lied, He couldn’t be the Son of God.

This is one more way we can know that He is who He said He was - the Son of God.

THE CRUCIFIXION PT 1: PUNISHING ARREST

2005-03-28T15:43:00.000-05:00

"The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. They blindfolded him and demanded, "Prophesy! Who hit you?" And they said many other insulting things to him."
Luke 22:63-65

I have been giving some thought recently to the experience of Christ at the cross. This was a most relevant time on Earth as it was leading up to His return to His throne in Heaven.

What was it like to be crucified? Do we really understand what Jesus went through for us? I wanted to take some time to think about this. I looked at the four gospel accounts, and tried to draw my own, albeit Spirit-lead, conclusions from God’s word.

I’ll start at the trial of Jesus. After he was captured by the chief priests, elders and the temple guards, He was held overnight. During that evening we read how Jesus suffered.

Here is Jesus, betrayed by one of his own, kept up throughout the night and beaten and mocked. He knew who had hit Him. He could have shown His power to them at that time but it was not in the will of His Father to do that. He took the abuse and insults and waited until daybreak.

Things didn’t get any better from here either. He would be brought before the council of the elders of the people.

FRIDAY: GOOD OR BAD?

2005-03-25T17:04:00.000-05:00

"Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit."
John 19:30

When you think that Good Friday celebrates the day that Jesus Christ died on the cross, why would you call it Good Friday?

Simply, it was the start of three steps that made it possible for man to re-unite with God. When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God was no longer easily accessible to His people.

Sin built up so much that God destroyed the world in a flood. (The rainbow is His promise never to flood the earth entirely again.)

Sin still abounded. At the perfect time, prophecy was fulfilled with the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ.
And it continued to be fulfilled, perfectly, and sinlessly, until Jesus gave up His life with the words, "It is finished."

We were reconnected with God, as the perfect sacrifice had been made for all our sins.

After three days in the tomb, Jesus rose again, and after 40 days with His disciples, he ascended to Heaven to be our great High Priest and intercessor before God. When we pray, we pray through his blood that makes our prayers perfect before God.

Next week, I will start a presentation about the crucifixion, followed by the resurrection and the ascension.
There is already plenty of posts regarding your need for a Saviour.

Make this Good Friday a GREAT one.

TO NEW HEIGHTS

2005-03-24T10:21:00.000-05:00

"O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines."
Judges 16:28

The greatest gift of Jesus Christ is forgiveness.

When Samson had let his guard down, had married a forbidden woman, and let the Philistines capture him, he recognized his sin, and prayed to God.

The Philistines bound Samson and tortured him after capturing him. They plucked his eyes. They beat him for sport. And they tied him between two pillars to display the mighty Samson, beaten and defeated.

While Samson was there, he prayed, "O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines."

With that prayer, Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple was built, bracing himself, saying, "Let me die with the Philistines!" With one mighty push, down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. This was Samson’s last earthly act.

His work was completed as God had willed it. But he couldn’t do it with the strength of God. And in his lowest moment, his most helpless moment, he turned to God and accomplished his greatest feat, killing more Philistines in that one single act than he had in his entire life.

When we are down, God can lift us up. Sometimes, from the depths we reach new heights.

Do you have your faith in Him?

GUARD YOUR STRENGTH

2005-03-23T10:12:00.000-05:00

"No razor has ever been used on my head because I have been a Navirite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man."
Judges 16:17

Samson was a man that was given great strength from the Lord. Samson was great in physical strength but lacked in moral strength, which was eventually his downfall.

During his travels he met and fell in love with a woman named Delilah. Delilah, however, was approached by the Philistines and offered a great sum of money to provide the rulers with some information. In Judges 16:5 they ask "See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him."

Three times Delilah asked Samson "Tell me the secret of your great strength."

First, Samson said "If anyone ties me with seven fresh thongs that had not been dried, I’ll become as weak as any man." This information was passed on to the Philistines who in turn had him tied up as instructed. Then Delilah would call out, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" But Samson snapped the thongs as if they were string.

This same thing happened two more times with Samson changing his answer to new rope that had never been used and finally to weaving his hair into a fabric - like a loom.

Samson was having fun at the expense of the Philistines, because each time they came, and each time Delilah would call, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" Samson would snap the ropes and the loom with ease.
Finally, though, Samson did reveal to Delilah the truth about his strength.

Surely, after learning this Delilah passed on the information to the rulers of the Philistines, and as Samson slept in the lap of Delilah, a man was called to shave his head causing Samson to become subdued. Then Delilah called, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" Samson awoke unaware that the Lord had left him. The source of Samson’s strength was ultimately God himself.

We cannot let our guard down at any time. Our strength is in the Lord. And to get that strength, we need to be saved.

STILL STANDING

2005-03-22T16:38:00.000-05:00

"… and after you have done everything, to stand."
Ephesians 6:13

What is the goal? The goal is to still be standing at the end.

It is one thing to stand firm during the battle, but the objective is to still be standing when it finishes. We need to be alert. We need to be ready. We need to be aware of the attacks on those around us. We need to always be praying.

By doing so, we will be able to stand firm in our conviction; standing firm for the Lord.

The battle is not about defeating the evil spirits. It is about withstanding the attacks of the evil spirits. It is endurance. It is ongoing and we need to always be prepared with our armor on and the word of God at the ready.

STAND YOUR GROUND

2005-03-21T16:36:00.000-05:00

"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."
Ephesians 6:13

With the full armor of God on, we are ready to face the fight. And with this verse, we should understand that the battle is not a conflict with armies or a massive invasion. It is a battle so that, as individuals, we can withstand the assault being sent at us.

We need to be able to stand firm during the battle, putting our needs into prayer, using the word of God to fight off the attacks of the evil one. The Lord Jesus did this when he was tempted in the desert during his 40 day fast.

Jesus used the word of God to defend against Satan’s temptations:

The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"
Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."
Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"
Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. (Matthew 4:1-11)

Satan is relentless. We too need to use the sword of the Spirit to fend off our foes. Then through our prayers, the angels will come to attend us, as we make requests.

It is one thing to be able to stand firm during the attack of the evil one. If you ever watch a boxing match, an opponent that is facing many blows may lean into the ropes for support, but he knows he must stand his ground. If he begins to falter and fall, he is lost.

We are being pummeled by the evil spirits, and only with the armor of God and the weapons only He can provide will we be able to stand firm.

We are all facing our own individual attacks. So be alert to the attacks on others as well, and use your power, the power of prayer to assist those you know are being attacked.

We need to be praying for each other.

ARMOUR OF GOD, PT 7: PRAYER

2005-03-18T16:23:00.000-05:00

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."
Ephesians 6:18

We are reminded to pray in the Spirit on ALL requests. All requests should be made in prayer.

This is a reminder to us that the battle is spiritual. It must be fought on God’s strength. We must rely on our sword, the word of God, and on prayer.

With our salvation in place, we have the word of God and prayer. The word of God will instruct us how to deal with the battles, and we can use prayer to let God know what it will take to fulfill those needs.

ARMOUR OF GOD, PT 6: SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

2005-03-17T15:42:00.000-05:00

"Take the … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
Ephesians 6:17

Once we have on our helmet of salvation, we need the sword of the Spirit. You might expect the sword to be literal. But there is a sharper, more powerful sword, and it is the Bible. It is the word of God.

The book to the Hebrews says, "For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

We need to stay sharp, by reading His word.

ARMOUR OF GOD, PT 5: HELMET OF SALVATION

2005-03-16T15:30:00.000-05:00

"Take the helmet of salvation …"
Ephesians 6:17

Now Christians, we put on the helmet of salvation. I am surprised that this is so far into the list of items. There is Truth. There is Righteousness. There is the Gospel of Peace. There is Faith.

Now we come to salvation. When you look at the list, without any one of those, you can not have salvation. Firstly, there is truth. The truth of the gospel is that Christ died on a cross as a sacrifice for all the sinners, to allow us the opportunity to be close to God once again. He is our intercessor on our behalf before God.

Righteousness in this use is to be able to discern right from wrong. You need to be able to see that no matter how good you are, or believe you are, we are sinners. We need to become righteous and turn from our sin.
By turning away from our sin, we can accept the gospel of peace, the message that will give you a peace that passes all understanding. I think the one thing that marks a Christian to an unbeliever is the way he or she handles the stresses of everyday life. It is with an element of peace, knowing that God is in control of all things.

That message of peace, the gospel message, needs faith to be effective. To accept Christ as your personal Saviour takes faith. You may have heard about child-like faith, like a child that falls into a parent’s waiting arms, safe in the knowledge that they will be caught.

We can fall to. But Christ is there to catch us. Sometimes we can’t look back to see if his arms are there. Sometimes the fall looks precarious. But the Lord will ALWAYS be there to catch us. You must have faith in that.

If you accept the message of the gospel in faith, and accept it as your own, you will have salvation. "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)

ARMOUR OF GOD, PT 4: SHEILD OF FAITH

2005-03-15T15:28:00.000-05:00

"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."
Ephesians 6:16

To protect ourselves, we need to take up the shield of faith. Now at the time of this writing, a Roman shield would be large and covered with leather.

What is the shield of faith used for? To extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one.

The roman shield could be soaked in water, absorbed into the leather, to put out flame tipped arrows. We need to absorb ourselves in the Word of God, to be able to extinguish the temptations barraging us day-to-day.

Faith that we will be with God in the end is one part that will protect us to the end.

ARMOUR OF GOD, PT 3: READY FEET

2005-03-14T15:22:00.000-05:00

" … with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace."
Ephesians 6:15

Next we need to fit our feet with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

It was customary for a messenger to run barefoot. Here the gospel message is showing the footwear to be protective and supportive like the footwear of a Roman Soldier.

We are dressed for our battle, with our belt, our breastplate and feet fitted for readiness. We are protecting ourselves with our character as Christians.

Now we need to arm ourselves against the onslaught of the devil. Tomorrow we will gather our weapons.

ARMOUR OF GOD, PT 2: BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

2005-03-11T15:19:00.000-05:00

"Stand firm then, … with the breastplate of righteousness in place,"
Ephesians 6:14

Next we need to put the breastplate of righteousness in place.

In the same vein as the belt of truth, this is a piece of armour that uses our character as a defense.

In Isaiah, God himself is symbollically described as putting on a breastplate of righteousness when He is delivering justice, "He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak." (Isaiah 59:17)

ARMOUR OF GOD, PT 1: BELT OF TRUTH

2005-03-10T14:25:00.000-05:00

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, …"
Ephesians 6:14

The first element in the full Armor of God is the belt of truth buckled around your waist.

When a man prepared for vigorous action, he tied up his loose flowing garments with a belt. The belt here is a symbolic piece of clothing that should remind us that character, not brute force wins the battle.

ARROGANT HUMANS

2005-03-09T14:04:00.000-05:00

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."
Ephesians 6:10-11

The book of Ephesians is a letter written by Paul to the church in Ephesus. It is not like several others of Paul’s letters. This letter does not address any particular errors in the church, but instead helps to teach the reader a greater understanding of God.

This letter, which was likely circulated to more than just the church in Ephesus, ends with the thoughts of those who are "strong in the Lord" have victory over the evil one in the great spiritual conflict, especially through the power of prayer.

Our strength is inadequate. Physically we can compete in sports, in competitions of strength. Emotionally we recognize strength by the way we deal with adversity. Spiritually our strength is more difficult to measure. It is irregardless since all our strengths are nothing compared to the strength of the Lord. It is not that we should be strong, however, we should be strong IN THE LORD, and in His MIGHTY POWER.

How can we take on that strength? How do we face the battles that we are to face? We are to put on the armor of God. (We will look more closely at each of these armour pieces in coming posts.)

What are we up against? We are up against the devil’s schemes. This is very telling. We can read in 1 Peter 5:8, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

What does that mean to us? There is something bigger within our daily struggles.

We can be disillusioned with the idea that the problems in today’s world are due to people. We can lash out at people to try to stop it. But it is the devil’s scheme.

Therefore, we are arrogant if we believe that these battles can be fought with mere human resources.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE

2005-03-08T13:33:00.000-05:00

"So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him."
1 Thessalonians 5:6-10

If you are with God, you walk in the light. If you are not in the light, then you are in the dark. So our battle, the battle of those who walk in the light is "against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)

What about these heavenly realms? Five times in Ephesians the term heavenly realms appears. Paul is emphasizing the union between Christ’s exultation to heaven and the Christian.

Paul asserts that, through this union, Christians have been made beneficiaries of every spiritual blessing that belongs to and comes from the heavenly realms. As a result, the spiritual struggle of Christians here and now is not so much against "flesh and blood" as it is against the greater spiritual forces that war against God in Heaven.

Christians are in a battle, a conflict, and we need to put on protective gear to minimize our casualties.

We need to put on the full Armor of God.

MORE EXPECTATIONS

2005-03-07T16:32:00.000-05:00

"He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.’"
Luke 19:26

The more you are given by the Lord, the more that is expected from you. The more that you return to the Lord, the more that will be returned to you.

If you are like the lowly servant, not abiding the command of the King, then not only will you lose what has been given you from Him, you will lose everything.

Those who squander or neglect the message that is being preached will become impoverished, losing everything they had. Those who use the message to seek spiritual gain, for themselves and for others, they will become even richer.

THE MORE YOU GIVE, THE MORE YOU GET

2005-03-04T16:55:00.000-05:00

“While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.”
Luke 19:11

The people in Jesus’ time expected a Messiah to appear in power and glory and to set up his earthly kingdom by defeating all the political and military enemies. This was not to be the case. Instead, the Messiah, was born a carpenter’s son,

In Luke 19:12-27, Jesus tells this story for those to better understand what the King of all Kings was to accomplish.

A noble man is going off to a distant land to have himself appointed king. This is not the typical way a king is declared, but it is just what the Herod’s had done when they went into Rome to be appointed rulers over the Jews.

Likewise, Jesus himself was preparing to depart through his death at Calvary and we are waiting for His return as King. In that regard, we here tonight are like the servants in the story. Which one are you?

Each of ten servants received 10 minas, about three months wages. Upon the return of the now appointed King, we read about three of the servants.

The first servant was able to double the money, having it earn ten more minas.

The second servant was able to gain a more than modest return, earning an additional 5 minas.

Each of these servants received the Kings authority over the number of cities that their minas earned. The first received ten cities; the second, five cities.

The third servant, however, had no return on the minas. In fact, he was afraid of the King and decided it was safer to do nothing. That way, he couldn’t lose any of the wages. The king, of course, sees things differently.

He doesn’t admit if what was done was right or wrong, but repeats the servants concerns back as a question. “You knew that I was a hard man to please, but you still did nothing? The least you could have done is put it in the bank so that it would gain interest!”

The mina is taken away from the third servant and given to the first servant, who already had ten. Not only does he lose the mina, but he loses everything else that he had.

What is the moral of this story? What are we to get out of this story? The rich get richer while the poor get poorer? Money should be our first priority? Don’t mess with an illegal King?

How about this:

Jesus Christ is the noble man, put on the earth to die for sinners. We are all sinners. He died and rose again and now sits at the right hand of God in Heaven waiting for the appointed day when He will return to the air as King over the earth.

We are all servants of God, whether we believe in Him or not. There is a small verse slipped into this parable to illustrate this point. Verse 14: "But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'”

Some of the Noble man’s own subjects rejected the idea of him being appointed King. Are you one of those subjects? Are you one that rejects Christ as the coming King? We are all servants of Christ the King.

And he has trusted us with His work. The illustration is money, but it could be any number of values held close to our Heavenly Father. The moral is that being ready for Christ’s return involves more than playing it safe and doing little or nothing at all.

Following Christ demands the kind of service that produces results.

How much are you willing to serve? How far are you willing to go?

AM I GOOD ENOUGH?

2005-03-03T16:17:00.000-05:00

“When Jehoshaphat king of Judah returned safely to his palace in Jerusalem, Jehu the seer, the son of Hanani, went out to meet him and said to the king, ‘Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you. There is, however, some good in you, for you have rid the land of the Asherah poles and have set your heart on seeking God.’"
2 Chronicles 19:1-3

Jehoshaphat fell into sin. He was asked by his in-laws to join in a war. He chose to help but after making the decision, he then sought the Lord’s counsel. Seeking God is a good thing; however, it was in the wrong order.

God had plans for Ahab, the in-law king. Ahab would die in this battle. Jehoshaphat however was doing his own will in the name of God; not the will of God.

Jehoshaphat was punished because he helped king Ahab who was wicked and hated the LORD. Jehoshaphat had set his heart on seeking God. When he was told of his wrong, he accepted his punishment but didn’t turn away. He moved forward and grew into a stronger follower of God.

It is important that we learn this lesson: that God wants us to follow His instructions. He doesn’t want us doing our own things. He wants us to do His things. Our levels of understanding pale in comparison to His. Our levels of justice are not his levels of justice. What is right according to man is not necessarily right with God.

But let us be encouraged. I was recently talking with a friend about the Lord. He said to me that he wasn’t good enough to be a Christian. That struck me hard. None of us are good enough to be a Christian.

Being a Christian doesn’t mean being good. Being a Christian is putting God in charge of our daily lives. Our lives are a struggle to stay on His narrow path.

By first getting the counsel of the LORD, we will be able to walk that path with boldness.

WHO DO YOU RELY ON?

2005-03-02T16:36:00.000-05:00

And Abijah rested with his fathers and was buried in the City of David. Asa his son succeeded him as king, and in his days the country was at peace for ten years.
Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God.
He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles.
He commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, and to obey his laws and commands.
2 Chronicles 14:1-4

Later in his life, Asa sinned against God. First and foremost, this is important. He was described as being good and right with the Lord. Asa and his army defeated some great nations because he relied on God as his weapon.

But when the nation was under siege, Asa bought extra soldiers from the armies in the north to help attack from both sides. This purchase was not in line with reliance on God. Asa was beginning to think he could now handle things instead of committing everything to God.

Sadly, this was the start on a long and darkening road where Asa would continue to turn his back on God. He went from being good and right to a diseased and bitter man. We can read that even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD.

We need to be concerned for one another. There have been some good Christians that have turned away from God. They may not have sought out help from the LORD. I would implore you, that if you have ANYTHING that is causing you to turn away from the things that we are required to do from the word of God, please talk to someone.

In particular, speak to the LORD.

SOMETIMES THE ANSWER IS NO

2005-03-01T16:31:00.000-05:00

"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures."
James 4:1-3

Prayer is a delicate thing. God sees the motives inside our heart. He knows our requests before we even form the words in prayer. More over, he knows what we need even if we do not see it.

God answers prayer. There are three answers to prayer. Yes, no, or yes but not now.

Our time is not God’s time. Our desires are not necessarily His desires. If you are doing God work, ask yourself, “Am I doing God will, or am I doing MY will in the name of God?”

Our spirit is in a battle with the Holy Spirit. The worldly desires versus the heavenly desires.

Who will win in your life? Death or Life?

GREAT FRIENDS

2005-02-28T16:09:00.000-05:00

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
"You are my friends if you do what I command.
"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."
John 15:12-15

Friends are a great thing. You can do fun things with them and laugh and play. Friends can be with you when you need a helping hand or a supportive shoulder.

Friends can sometimes disappoint you, by doing things that you don’t like. But they can still be your friend. Has that happened to you?

We have a friend in Jesus. We can do fun things in His name and laugh and play. He can be there for us in prayer and support when we’re feeling down or need help.

Sometimes we can do things that Jesus doesn’t like, and we can disappoint Him. But he
will still be your friend if He is your Saviour.

Today, we can be friends of Jesus. We are His friend if we can obey His commands. He asks us to follow Him; to be a disciple of Christ.

How do we do that? We need to accept Him in our hearts. Jesus died on the cross to save our sins - to take the punishment deserved by us for all the things that we do bad or wrong in God’s eyes. God is our judge.

We can be forgiven for all our wrongs if we accept Jesus as our Saviour. Ask Him to come into your heart today. Then you too can call Him Friend.

As we read in verse 13, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends..." His life was laid out for you, laid out upon the cross.

Will you accept His message tonight? Make Him your friend.

CONFESS AND BELIEVE

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"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
Romans 10:9-10

In Biblical terms, the heart is not merely home to your emotions and affections, but also the home of intellect and will.

It is one thing to believe it emotionally, that Jesus is Lord, and yet another to believe it intellectually, that God raised him from the dead. That would be to believe it in your heart.

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13)

Call on Him with your heart, your soul, and your mind.

SEARCH ME

2005-02-24T16:31:00.000-05:00

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Psalm 139:23-24

We may choose to cover the thoughts of our hearts now, but the day is coming when the Lord will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts. 1 Corinthians 4:5

Whatever we may try to hide, the thoughts of our hearts cannot be hid. But with so short a life, and so great an opportunity of service for God, shall we not cry as David did in that Psalm?

But do not let it finish here. When the Lord has searched and known and tried us, then let us follow as He leads us. Even if it means humbling and confessing, then let it be so …for HIS GLORY.

This will be followed by the sweetness of His presence, and the greatness of His power.

ONE HEART

2005-02-23T16:26:00.000-05:00

"All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. "
Acts 4:32

When the apostles and the multitudes of disciples gathered together, continuing steadfastly in the apostles teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers, they did more than that! They did it with one heart and soul, and that oneness of heart and soul brought great grace and great power when they prayed.
Great power and great grace have never been know except where there was great oneness of heart and soul. Why? Because the Lord looks on the heart, How can the Lord trust His power, that is the power of the Holy Spirit, with those whose hearts are not truly one with their brethren and sisters.

What shall we do? We should, with a great resolve of heart, resolve that every base thought, and every deceitful thought, and every proud thought, shall be brought out before God, and solemnly confessed before Him, and forgiveness obtained.

And if we have wronged our neighbours, by any wrong thought or word or act, should we not go to them and confess it before them and seek their forgiveness? If the presence and power of God can only be found by those who are pure of heart, and who are of one heart and soul, then let us pay the price whatever it may be.

If, on the other hand, we are not prepared to pay the price of openness and oneness of heart and soul, then let us resign ourselves to the fruitless and powerless lives that we may live.

For the Lord searches ALL hearts, and understands all the imaginations of our thoughts.

PURE IN HEART

2005-02-22T16:18:00.000-05:00

"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
Matthew 18:35

We know that if anyone sins against us, and confesses his fault, we must forgive him. Why does the Lord add that last part, from your heart? Is it not enough to forgive your brother, try and forget about it and let bygones be bygones? No.

God knows us better than this. He knows us better than we know ourselves. The human heart is treacherous, deceitful, desperately wicked. When we have agreed to forgive and to shake hands and smile again, we need to go into the presence of God alone, and there seek grace, and declare before Him that it has been done from the heart.

At the very time that we are looking into the face of our brother or sister, the Lord is looking into our hearts. If we have truly learned the lesson that ‘the Lord looks on the heart,’ then we shall be saved from all deceit and hypocrisy, and we shall become pure in heart.

SERVE WITH PERFECT HEART

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"The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7

We must guard ourselves against a heart that turns away from a loving God. Moses commanded the people of Israel to love the Lord with all their heart and soul and might (Deuteronomy 6:5). King David said, "Serve Him with a perfect heart."

Coldness of heart toward God is something to be confessed in tears before Him. Lukewarmness in prayer and in reading the word is an evidence of a heart that is not right with Him.

How are we in our hearts? How am I? How are you?

We need to be concerned about the INSIDE of our spiritual beings. The thoughts of our hearts! Let us see that these are right before the Lord.

SEARCHING OUR HEARTS

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"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts."
1 Chronicles 28:9

We can read in the Bible about King David and his son, Solomon. Two great rulers. Solomon, in his later years was wooed away from God by his wives and he began to worship other gods. The truth did soak down to his heart. We read that "his [Solomon’s] heart was not perfect with the Lord his God." (1 Kings 11:4) Little by little, things crept into his heart. Solomon still offered sacrifices, but his heart was no longer perfect with the Lord.

I would like you to understand this truth: That the Lords is searching our hearts, and that he understand all the imaginations of our thoughts. To Him, thoughts are the same as deeds.

To man, there is a big difference between hate and murder. But to God, they are the same. Matthew writes: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."

Let us take care of our insides, of our hearts, and our outside facade will take care of itself.

WHAT CAN THE RIGHTEOUS DO?

2005-02-17T10:02:00.000-05:00

"When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?"
Psalm 11:3

First, let us determine who is righteous, or moreover, what the Old Testament means when it relates to us the term righteous.

Righteous is one of several terms used in the Old Testament for God’s people; people who honour God and order their lives in all things according to His will.

This means that the righteous faithfully fulfil the obligations in every human relationship that the relationship entails, remembering that power and authority (of whatever sort: domestic, social, political, economic, religious, intellectual) are used to bless, not to exploit.

When the foundations are crumbling, then the whole world order is failing. The powerful upsurge of evil appears to indicate that the righteous can no longer count on a world order in which good triumphs over evil.

The upright in heart are being attacked. In Biblical terms, the heart is the center of the human spirit, from which springs emotions, thought, motivations, courage, and action – "the wellspring of life." (Proverbs 4:23*)
My motivations are being attacked. My courage. My thoughts are being attacked. My emotions.

In any time of trial, as major as world events or as minor as a conversation with an unsaved friend, we must, as Christ would have done, be able to focus ourselves on God’s will.

It is important that we learn this lesson: that God wants us to follow His instructions. He doesn’t want us doing our own things. He wants us to do His things.

Our levels of understanding pale in comparison to His. Our levels of tolerance are not His levels of tolerance. What is righteous according to you or me is not necessarily righteous with God.

*NIV translation

UNSHAKEABLE TRUST

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"In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: "Flee like a bird to your mountain. For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart."
Psalm 11:1-2

Psalm 11 was written by David and is a confession of confident trust in the Lord’s righteous rule, at a time when wicked adversaries seem to have the upper hand.

The nature of this psalm is two-fold. Taken at face value, this could be a psalm written about a physical attack on David and his men. Or, if you look at the use of the imagery of the words arrows and bows in other psalms of David, "They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows" (Psalm 64:3), this could be about those who make false accusations.

David had learned that the tongue could be as deadly as a sword. If the king was "low" or looked as though God was no longer with him, men would plot using lies to discredit the king and bring him down. It was believed that if God was no longer with the king, the nation could no longer be secured the safety the king’s relationship was to provide.

Just as it must have seemed when Jesus was arrested and brought before the courts. His followers had seen Jesus walk away and avoid the hypocrites and heretics that tried to bring their Leader down. When Jesus was arrested, his followers were sure that the end of their lives was near. They fled, dispersed in their fear, as those counseling David suggested in the psalm, "Flee like a bird to your mountain."

The first words of this psalm stand out so much. The simple, yet profoundly strong statement, "In the Lord I take refuge." David had an unshakeable trust in the Lord.

In whom do you put your trust?

UPRIGHT WALK

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"For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face."
Psalm 11:7

The Lord is still securely on His heavenly throne. And the righteous Lord is able to discern the righteous man and give to him a place in His presence, while His judgement will "rain" on the wicked.

You cannot turn your eye without seeing provocative advertising. The world is becoming more and more indulgent in sin. We need to protect ourselves by protecting our upright walk, and not by becoming intolerant racists.

I must protect my motivations. I must have courage to do God’s will; not my own. I must protect my thoughts. The only way to do that is to only put in what is good. Avoid that which is evil.

I need to protect my emotions. I cannot be afraid to stand up for what is true and right even if it means that my feelings might get hurt. It is far better to be true to God.

And what do we get by doing all this?

We have the assurance that being upright, we will see His face.

CLAIM A SPOT IN HEAVEN

2005-02-14T12:12:00.000-05:00

When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."
Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
Acts 8:18-21

Eternal life, a place in Heaven for eternity, can all be yours. And it is free! You can’t purchase it. In the Bible, Simon tried to buy just this sort of thing.

How do I claim eternal life? You have to be in the right frame of mind, or frame of heart, in order to claim the gift of eternal life. You need to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and you need to believe it in your heart. And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? You need to know who you are calling on in order to be saved.

Christ is the creator of the entire world. Every little thing is His creation. When we accept the free gift from God, then Jesus Christ writes our names in heaven. When it comes time to judge our lives, God looks to see if we have paid for our sins, or do we deserve to be punished. If we have accepted Christ as our Saviour, our punishment was already paid. God punished Jesus when He died on the cross for our sins. If we haven’t accepted Christ as our Saviour, then we will not get into heaven.

The offer to be saved is available right now. After that, no one but God Himself knows how much longer the offer will be available. The world could end tonight. It could end tomorrow. It could be another ten years. But one day, it will be too late.

There is only one way to heaven. You can make sure that your name is written in heaven tonight.

FOR THE ONE WHO REJECTS

2005-02-11T12:14:00.000-05:00

"As for the person who hears My words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.
"There is a Judge for the one who rejects Me and does not accept My words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.
"For I did not speak of My own accord, but the Father who sent Me commanded Me what to say and how to say it.
"I know that His command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told Me to say."
John 12:47-50

Jesus Himself says these words in the gospel of John.

Jesus is the Saviour. He was born to save us. He lived a perfect life to save us. He died to save us. If we believe in Him we can be saved.

We can’t earn eternal life. We can’t buy it. We do have to accept it, like a free gift.

We can escape judgement by allowing Christ to receive our punishment in our stead. He bore our punishment on the cross at Calvary already. Are you willinging to accept that?

Or will His suffering for your sins be wasted?

GOOD FRUIT

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"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."
Luke 6:43-45

Our mouth speaks what our heart has in it. If you are hypocritical, then you say one thing while doing another. If you are unjust, then there is no basis for accusations that you make.

Jesus does not relieve us of the need for discerning right and wrong when he tells us to remove our plank. He is condemning unjust and hypocritical judging of others.

With this in mind, we should learn to grow spiritually and build each other up.

FOOLS

2005-02-09T11:20:00.000-05:00

"And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
"And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
"I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool."
2 Corinthians 11:12-16

Are we putting up with fools? Are we afraid to make a stand for what we know to be the truth? Is it the plank in our eye that we are afraid of exposing?

Christians need to put to death the old nature to walk a life with Jesus. We need to be understanding of His wishes. Jesus wants us to be able to stand up amid the world and be able to discern, with as faultless a life as possible, why what we believe is right.

I want you to hear love when I share these thoughts. Won’t it be great when one day we are able to look into each others speckless eyes, not one plank banging into another, with unselfish evaluation to be able to properly ascertain things around us; without self-righteousness and without hypocrisy.

PLANKS AND SPECKS

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"How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
Matthew 7:4-5

We read that we should first take the plank out of our own eye. We must recognize that we have faults that interfere in our lives, physically and spiritually. Those faults need to be addressed first. We need to take a look at our own lives, not only on how we are serving God, but also how we are serving one another.

Ask yourself: Is there something in my life that is hindering others around me?

FOR ALL THINGS

2005-02-07T11:16:00.000-05:00

“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.”
1 Chronicles 16:8

When I say, give thanks to God, I am not just using Christian-speak. Often we neglect to see God’s ultimate purposes when they are taking place. The adversity that goes on in front of us sometimes blurs the view of the work of God around us. But when things come into focus, we need to remember to give thanks to the Lord, in good times and in bad.

During times of trouble, it is most difficult to give thanks to God. In times of blessing, it is too easy to forget about God, that these things come from Him.

Let us be mindful, and give thanks for ALL things.

ROOOAARRR....

2005-02-04T12:34:00.000-05:00

"Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
1 Peter 5:8

Satan is in the world. Our Bibles tell us that he is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. That someone could be you.

The end times are near. There will be a day that Christ will come to the air and He will call all His believers to be with Him. Will you be there? Or will you be at home watching your favourite movies on DVD from your comfy sofa in digital surround sound?

ARMOUR UP

2005-02-03T16:51:00.000-05:00

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. "
Ephesians 6:11

Athletes use equipment. In hockey, a goalie uses a mask to protect himself.

We too need protection from the devil and God can provide us with the equipment. What we need is the armour of God.

How do you get your equipment? You must ask for it from God.

His son, Jesus Christ came to earth from Heaven to die on a cross that we may be free from sin. We have all sinned and need the forgiveness from God and the only way to get that is through the saviour Jesus Christ.

Do you believe that Christ Died for you? Than tell Him tonight ... tell Him right now.

If you are not sure... read on.

WHO HAS SINNED

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"Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? "
Proverbs 20:9

No one.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;"
Romans 3:23

All have sinned. Anyone with sin falls short of God’s glory.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."
Psalm 51:10

We can be justified only through the redemption of Jesus Christ.

FALLING SHORT

2005-02-01T16:06:00.000-05:00

"…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
Romans 3:23

We are all sinners. There is no graduation of sin. It is black and white. All have sinned. All fall short of the glory of God.

Believe in Christ as the kinsman-redeemer, the sacrifice for your sin, and you will be saved. Jesus is now the great High Priest at the right hand of God, presenting unto God our prayers and supplications perfected with His sweet incense.

Through the shed blood of Christ, we will appear perfected to God. Through Christ, we are perfected.

Although we are not worthy to be in His presence, we are not found to be worthless.