Preaching Jesus Christ

Saturday, August 30, 2014, 7:11 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “Servant of the Lord.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Acts 6-7 (quoting selected verses in the NIV). I will summarize much of this due to the length of the passages.

Stephen Chosen

Widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food, so the disciples gathered together and made the decision to choose seven men from among them who were known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. They would hand this responsibility over to them.

One of the seven chosen was a man named Stephen. He was a man full of God’s grace and power who performed great wonders and signs among the people. Yet, as we know, wherever God is at work, Satan is not far behind working his will and his ways to destroy what God is doing in people’s lives. Opposition arose against Stephen. There were Jews who began to argue with him. “But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke” (6:10). Amen!

Yet, that did not stop Stephen’s opponents. Since they could not stand against the wisdom of God given Stephen, they began to make up lies against him. By doing so, they were able to stir up the people, the elders and the teachers of the law so that Stephen was seized and brought before the Sanhedrin. They produced false witnesses against him. “All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel” (6:15). Amen! Oh, that we would all have such a response to persecution!

When Stephen was asked if the charges were true, he replied, “Listen to me!” And, then he went on to give a summation of all that had taken place from the time God had called Abraham, up to and including the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, their promised Messiah and Lord.

As I began prayerfully reading through Stephen’s speech to the Sanhedrin, concerning the various historical events which had taken place, beginning with Abraham and leading up to the fulfillment of the promise given to Abraham, which was Jesus Christ, God began to speak to my heart concerning his calling upon all of our lives to be his servants and his witnesses throughout the world. He began showing me some critical steps involved in taking his gospel to the ends of the earth, plus he reminded me of his many instructions to his disciples, and of his multiple promises to them as they went with his gospel to the nations.

Leave and Go

“Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran. ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you’” (7:2-3).

For over a week now the Spirit of God has had these words “Leave and Go” stand out to me in relation to following Jesus Christ wherever he leads us, and in relation to sharing the gospel of our salvation to our world around us. I believe he is saying, “Get ready; be prepared.” Yet, we should expect temptation to doubt, fear and bail, and we should anticipate all kinds of opposition, but we are to know that God is with us, that he will not leave us or forsake us - his servants - but that he will see us through. He is saying, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” We must be willing to leave home, family, possessions, and occupation, etc. to go wherever he sends us with the gospel of Christ.

Future Rewards

He gave him no inheritance here, not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place’” (7:5-7)

When I read this, the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land. I am weak, but Thou art mighty. Hold me with Thy powerful hand. Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more…”

The whole song is based off the story of the calling of Abraham all the way up to the crossing of the Jordan into the Promised Land. We, as followers of Jesus Christ, are strangers and pilgrims in this land. This world is not our home. We are just passing through. In this world we will face many joys and blessings, but also hardship, persecution, difficulties, sadness, pain, and sin, and yet, in the spiritual realm, we can know joy, forgiveness, restoration, healing and hope for our future. Amen!

What encouraged my heart this afternoon as I read this is that, first of all, we should see our lives on this earth as temporary, and that we truly are strangers and pilgrims here, so we should not focus our time, talents, money and attention on building our earthly kingdoms, but we should seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and God will supply all that we need.

Secondly I saw that we should also not live our lives here to gain the approval of humans, to be liked or popular, to fit in with the world around us, and/or to enjoy the pleasures this sinful world has to offer us. We are to come out from the world and be separate (different), and we are to be set apart to God and to his service.

And, lastly I saw here a promise of deliverance and future restoration for those who had once been enslaved in sin, but who will accept God’s offer of his great salvation. I see this promise in light of our obedience to “Leave and Go,” to live as strangers in this world, and to accept rejection, hatred and persecution as part of the cost of following Christ and for the sake of sharing the gospel of salvation with those to whom he sends us. There will be fruit for our labor when God delivers them from their slavery to sin, he sets them free, and they worship God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – as their Only God and Lord. Amen!

Going Back

“Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt’” (7:33-34).

Fast forwarding, the descendants of Abraham did end up in Egypt for 400 years following a famine in Canaan, which then took them to Egypt, where God had sent Joseph ahead to prepare the way for them. Yet, he saw the oppression of his people in Egypt, and he heard their groaning, so he was now sending Moses back to Egypt to deliver his people out of slavery and to lead them to the Promised Land. So, what did Egypt mean to Moses, who had now been living away from there for forty years? And, what might that represent to us?

Egypt was where Moses was born. He was raised by Pharaoh’s daughter. When he was 40 years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. Things happened and Moses ended up killing a fellow Egyptian, thinking he was defending a fellow Israelite. He thought that his own people, the Israelites, would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. Moses ended up fleeing to Midian. After 40 years there an angel appeared to Moses, and God spoke to him. He was going to send him back to where he had done wrong to another, and where he had been rejected by his own people.

We were all born into sin. Egypt represents slavery to sin, it means failure, but it also means rejection. God is certainly not leading us back into sin, yet he does sometimes lead us to revisit our past so that we can be set free, and so he can use us once more. He was not leading Moses back to be in slavery, but to speak God’s words in order that his people might be delivered and set free. So, going back to Egypt means second chances to do what we didn’t do right the first time. It represents to some having to face the demons of their pasts so that God can set them free, so he can bring them back into fellowship with him, and so he can use them once more for his service to be his witnesses and servants. Amen!

Servant of the Lord / An Original Work / July 26, 2012

Based off Romans 1:1-17 NIV

Servant of the Lord;

For the gospel you’re set apart.

Promised through the prophets of old:

Jesus, Son of God.

Through Him, and for His name alone,

We receive His grace

To call people, Him to obey;

Coming from their faith.

Servant of the Lord,

For the gospel you’re set apart.

Promised through the prophets of old:

Jesus, Son of God.

You belong to Christ;

Loved by God, and called to be saints;

Serving God with whole heart and mind;

Preaching Jesus Christ;

Always praying for others’ needs;

Helping hand to lend;

Giving courage to others’ faith,

For the praise of God.

You belong to Christ;

Loved by God, and called to be saints;

Serving God with whole heart and mind;

Preaching Jesus Christ.

Servant of the Lord;

Of the gospel, I’m not ashamed;

For salvation, power of God

To those who have faith.

In the gospel find righteousness:

Being right with God.

Turn from sin, and trust Jesus Christ.

By faith, live in Him.

Servant of the Lord;

Of the gospel, I’m not ashamed;

For salvation, power of God

To those who have faith.

http://originalworks.info/servant-of-the-lord/

Go and Stand

Friday, August 29, 2014, 12:30 p.m. – the Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “He Gives Purpose.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Acts 5 (quoting selected verses in the NIV). I will summarize some passages due to the length of the chapter.

Signs and Wonders

The Holy Spirit came upon the followers of Jesus Christ at Pentecost, and many people came to salvation that day through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This was the beginning of the church. And, the people were united in heart and mind. Not only that, but they shared everything they had with one another. There were no needy people among them. The early believers were very generous with their possessions, sometimes by selling their land and houses and giving the proceeds to the apostles to distribute to people as they had need. Wouldn’t this be wonderful if Christians were like this today across the globe?

Yet, not everyone had such purity of heart and motive in helping the needy as did most of these early Christians. A married couple by the names of Ananias and Sapphira sold a piece of property, yet they kept back some of the proceeds for themselves, which was in their right to do so. No one was forcing them to do this. The problem was that they lied and said they had given it all when they didn’t. They lied not only to humans, but to God. We can only speculate why they did this. Perhaps they were trying to gain a reputation for themselves and they wanted people to think how sacrificial they were when that was not the truth at all. I believe Christians can be guilty of this today when they give the appearance of righteous living when they know they are still living sinful lifestyles, yet hidden from sight.

Peter confronted both husband and wife with their lies against humankind and against God. Both husband and wife, upon hearing Peter’s words, fell down and died on the spot. “Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.”

The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed. ~ vv. 12-16

Filled with Jealousy

The high priest and all his associates were filled with jealousy. Once again the apostles were arrested and put in jail for preaching and healing in the name of Jesus Christ. Yet, the Lord Jesus sent an angel to rescue the apostles. He told them to go and stand in the temple courts and tell the people all about this new life. Amen! They obeyed, went, and did what the angel had instructed them to do, knowing full well that they could be thrown into jail again or worse. At daybreak they once again began to teach the people.

The captain of the temple guard, on learning the apostles were no longer in jail, and that they were back teaching in the temple courts, brought the apostles to appear before the Sanhedrin (the ruling council) to be questioned by the high priest. At the root of the religious leaders’ dispute with the apostles was not only jealousy, it appears, but there was also pride, resentment, anger, rage and bitterness of spirit, because the apostles had reminded them more than once that they were guilty of putting the giver of life to death.

Before the Sanhedrin

The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” ~ vv. 27-32

Persecution did not stop the apostles. They had to obey God rather than humans, they told the rulers of the people. Again they reminded these leaders of the people that they had killed Jesus Christ – their Messiah, Prince and Savior – but that God the Father had raised him from the dead, and had exalted him to his own right hand. How that must have infuriated them! Yet, they also told them that the purpose of this all was so that Israel might be brought to repentance and forgiveness of sins. They were bold and courageous in their confession of Christ and of his gospel of salvation, even in the face of such severe opposition. What did they have to lose? They knew if they died they were going to be with Jesus. And, they knew that the people of Israel needed to know Jesus Christ as their Savior, so they put the lives of others above their own lives, and spoke boldly in Jesus’ name.

Counted Worthy

“When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people,” came to their defense. “His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

“The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.”

Amen! What an encouragement to our hearts!

Oh, that we would desire of God to have this kind of boldness and determination in sharing the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ with the people of this world, so that many might be saved from their sins. Lord Jesus, give us hearts that are burdened for the lost people of this world, and that are burdened, as well, for the slothful and adulterous people of your own family throughout the world who are not living holy and separate lives from the world and unto you. Give us courage and perseverance to spread your gospel throughout the world, even in the face of much severe persecution and the threat of rejection and/or death.

He Gives Purpose / An Original Work / June 9, 2012

“Listen to Me when I’m calling to you.

Obey freely My word.

Follow Me in all of My ways.

Do all that I say.

Hear Me gently whisper to you

My will for your life and future.

Give all of your life and heart to

Follow Me always.”

Repent of your sins and worship Jesus.

He’s your Lord and Master.

He died for your sins so you could

Live with Him today.

He has a plan for your life and

He gives purpose and direction.

He gives meaning to your life,

So follow Him today.

“I love you so much I gave My life for

You to walk in My ways,

Living for Me each day as you

Bow to Me and pray.

Witness for Me of your love for Me and

Of My grace and mercy,

How I died to save you of your

Sins now and always.”

http://originalworks.info/he-gives-purpose/

With Jesus

Friday, August 29, 2014, 4:36 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “I Will Lift My Eyes.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Acts 4 (quoting selected verses from the NIV). I will summarize some of this due to the passage length.

Author of Life

Peter and John had just been instrumental in the healing of a man who had been lame from birth. The people were astonished at this miracle of God in this man’s life. Peter then addressed his fellow Israelites. He informed them that they had handed God’s servant Jesus over to be killed, and that they had disowned the “Holy and Righteous One” before Pilate, and had asked that a murderer be released to them instead. He said, “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.” He also explained to them that it was not by the apostles’ own power or godliness that the man was healed. It was “Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see,” he said.

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord…” As well, he explained to them how Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the prophecies of scripture with regard to the Messiah who was to come. He said, “When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.” Amen! [See Acts 3]

Called to Account

The priests, the Sadducees, and the captain of the temple guard were greatly disturbed by what the apostles were teaching the people about Jesus, so they seized them and put them in jail. The next day they brought Peter and John before the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law. They questioned them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is

“‘the stone you builders rejected,

    which has become the cornerstone.’

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Now Peter gave the same message to the rulers and elders of the people as he had given to the people. The man who had been lame from birth was healed by the name of Jesus Christ, whom they had crucified, but whom God had raised from the dead. Jesus was the fulfillment of this prophecy of scripture concerning the stone that they had rejected. He had become the central, foundational and most essential element in the building of the kingdom of God. It was through his death and the shedding of his blood that salvation from sin had come into the world. And, it was only through faith in Jesus Christ that they could be saved.

Been with Jesus

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

I know that, when it says here that they took note that these men had been with Jesus, they were saying that it was evident that these men did not have the education or the status in life that would account for the things that they did and that they said. They recognized that there had to have been some other influence in their lives that could account for what they had just witnessed in and through these men’s lives. It seemed apparent that the influence was Jesus Christ. At least, that is how I understand it.

I have always found great encouragement in this passage of scripture in that I believe it should be evident, by the things that we do and say, that we have also been with Jesus, which should also be beyond our natural abilities to do so, as well. Not everyone is going to see Jesus in our lives, though, largely because of their lack of faith in or lack of knowledge and understanding of him, and in how he reveals himself through his servants. Still, Jesus Christ should be evidenced in our lives by the things that we do and say, for we are to become like him, and we are to follow after him and his ways. We are his light to the world.

God or Man?

But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

I also love this passage! It is so encouraging!! Although we are commanded in scripture to be subject to our rulers and to obey those in authority over us, there are certain exceptions to that rule. We do not have to obey if we are asked to sin against God by disobeying his commands to us. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego serve as great Old Testament examples of how to obey God rather than man, and Jesus Christ and his apostles serve as wonderful examples in the New Testament in how to obey the authorities over us, except for when they ask us to disobey God. Then God and his Word trump human authority.

I love how Jesus gave these men such courage in the face of such persecution, too. We should never bow to intimidation of humans or to them trying to shame us into denying our Lord and his word. We must keep on telling others about Jesus even in the face of certain persecution and/or death for the sake of Christ and his gospel of salvation. Amen!

Prayer to God

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

“‘Why do the nations rage

    and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth rise up

    and the rulers band together

against the Lord

    and against his anointed one.’

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Just as Jesus Christ was despised, hated, rejected, mistreated, mocked and killed because he told the people the truth about their sins and their need to have faith in him for salvation from sin, we, too, will be hated, persecuted and even killed for our testimonies for Jesus Christ and for his gospel when we tell people the truth of God’s Word. Kings, rulers, people of this world, and even church members and church leaders will rage and plot against us, and against the Lord, but they do so in vain, for the Word of the Lord endures forever, and humans will perish, as will their worldly wisdom, knowledge, wealth and power.

So, we should not be discouraged or disheartened when we face such opposition from sinful human beings, but we should praise the Lord that we are counted worthy to suffer for his name. As well, we should call upon the Lord in our suffering, and pray for his healing miracles. We should not allow ourselves to get weighed down or dragged down by the cares of this world, nor by the rejection or abandonment of humans, but we should always lift our eyes to the Lord, looking to him for our help, comfort, healing, and strength, as well as for the courage and boldness to continue speaking in his name without fear or retreat. Amen!

I Will Lift My Eyes / An Original Work / December 12, 2012

Based off Psalms 121-125

I will lift my eyes to my Lord Most High.

My help comes from Him, who saved me from sin.

He will not let your foot slip, and He who watches will not sleep.

Our Lord watches over you, and your life He will keep.

I will lift my eyes to my Lord Most High.

My help comes from Him, who saved me from sin.

I give thanks to Him.

I will lift my eyes to my God in heav’n.

I look to the Lord. My sins, He’s forgiv’n.

Because of His great love for us, He made us alive with Christ.

Through the kindness of our Savior, He gave us new life.

I will lift my eyes to my God in heav’n.

I look to the Lord. My sins, He’s forgiv’n;

My home, now in heav’n.

Praise be to the Lord, who is on our side.

Our help found in Him. He gives peace within.

Those who trust will ne’er be shaken. God will supply all we need.

Our Lord has done great things for us. He’s our friend, indeed!

Praise be to the Lord, who is on our side.

Our help found in Him. He gives peace within.

I can count on Him.

http://originalworks.info/i-will-lift-my-eyes-2/

Jesus is Calling

Thursday, August 28, 2014, 7:01 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “Softly and Tenderly.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Acts 2 (quoting selected verses in the NIV). I will also summarize some of this due to the length of the chapter.

Day of Pentecost

Before Jesus Christ ascended back to heaven, after he had been resurrected from the dead, he told his disciples to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. He said, “For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” He also told them, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

When the day of Pentecost came, the apostles, the women, Jesus’ brothers, and perhaps others who had been united together constantly in prayer since Jesus’ ascension back to heaven, were all together in one place when the Holy Spirit came upon them all, as had been promised. “They began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Everyone in the crowd, which had gathered, heard their own language being spoken. “Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?’” Some people made fun of them, accusing them falsely of having had too much wine, so Peter stood up with the Eleven, and he explained to them that what they were witnessing was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel. In the last days God would pour out his Spirit on all people, regardless of race, gender or nationality, and they would prophesy, see visions and dream dreams. “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Amen!

Lord and Messiah

“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him… God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear… Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

Just as I was ready to look at this section of scripture (vv. 22-36), the Lord Jesus reminded me of the Letters in Revelation (2-3) to the Seven Churches. I believe the reason for that is that the Jews at that time were in a crisis of the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and that today’s modern church is in a similar crisis.

Many (or the majority) of the Jews of that time rejected Jesus Christ as their Lord and Messiah, so Peter was trying to show them that Jesus Christ was, indeed, the fulfillment of the prophecies of scripture regarding their Messiah who was to come. He reminded them, as well, of all the miracles Jesus had done among them and for them. Yet, not only that, but he told them that they had crucified the Son of God, with the help of wicked men, reminding them that they had put him to death by nailing him to the cross.

I believe the Lord Jesus has a similar message for today’s institutional church, in particular here in the west.

The Crisis

For one, not everyone who belongs to the institutional church is a member of the Body of Christ. Many have never received Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, even many who profess to know him. As well, numerous believers within the institutional church have been persuaded and swayed by the worldliness of the church, and have wandered off from their pure devotion to Jesus Christ, forsaking their “first love.” Many are living in spiritual adultery and idolatry, and there is not much difference at all between their lives and the lives of those who make no profession of faith in Christ at all. Many, as well, have forsaken the truths of scripture to follow after the teachings and philosophies and marketing schemes of human beings and that of man-made religion.

The gospel of Jesus Christ has been diluted to make it more acceptable to the world. Many of those who profess the name of Christ easily put up with such false teaching, too. They encourage church attendees that God accepts them just as they are, that he requires nothing from them at all, and that coming to faith in Christ is nothing more than praying a prayer to receive Christ into their hearts, so they now have their ticket into heaven, and they can never lose their salvation. Since nothing is required, many continue on in their sinful lifestyles thinking they are saved, that God’s grace covers it all, and that they are free to do whatever they want and still claim the hope of heaven. May that never be! I believe God is saying to today’s modern church that they have put him to death, too.

Cut to the Heart

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Scripture teaches us that salvation from sin means we turn from our lifestyles of living for sin and self, that we are changed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and that we are reborn into God’s family as new creations, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See Lu. 9:23-25; Ac. 26:16-18; Ro. 6-8; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:17-24). Being holy means we are separated (unlike; different) from the world of sin, and we are separated unto God and to his service. God’s grace, in fact, teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled and upright lives while we wait for Christ’s return (See Tit. 2:11-14). As well, Jesus Christ did not die on the cross for our sins just so we could escape hell and go to heaven when we die. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself up for us (See 2 Co. 5:15). Amen!

What I don’t want to do here is get into lengthy discussions or arguments on various controversial issues regarding speaking in tongues, the evidence of being filled with the Spirit, baptism as a requirement for salvation, and the like, which are all present in just this one chapter, and probably many more issues I did not see. So, please let us not turn this into a debate and thus lose the message of importance here to today’s modern church in crisis. There is a time and a place for those discussions, but it is not here. Thank you!

With that said, let me just say that there is at least one historical account of believers having received the Holy Spirit prior to baptism (Ac. 10:44-48), that Paul stated that he was not called to baptize but to preach the gospel (1 Co. 1:17), and that the bulk of scriptures stating the requirements for forgiveness of sins do not mention baptism (See: Ac. 3:19; 10:43; 13:38-39; 26:18; Eph. 1:13; 2 Pet. 3:9; 1 Jn. 1:9; cf. Ro. 4). Enough said!

The point of this passage of scripture, in relation to our world today, is that many are doing just as the Jews of old did. They are putting Jesus Christ to death by their sinful lifestyles, by their rejection, denial or ignoring of him, by their forsaking of him, by their idolatry and spiritual adultery, and by their false teaching and/or by putting up with false teaching. Jesus Christ is calling to the world to receive him and to make him Lord of their lives, but he is also calling to his church to forsake their idols, to return to him, and to make him truly the Lord and Master of their lives. He is calling out and is saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Time is short. We don’t know what tomorrow holds. Turn to him, or turn back to him today while you still have today, and he will show you his mercy.

Softly and Tenderly / Will Thompson

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
Coming for you and for me.

Oh, for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.

Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Fruit Bearing After All

Tuesday, August 26, 2014, 6:31 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put in mind this song:

Great is The Lord / Ward, Asaph Alexander

Great is the Lord, He is holy and just

By His power we trust in his love

Great is the Lord, He is faithful and true

By his mercy he proves He is love

Great is the Lord and worthy of glory

Great is the Lord and worthy of praise

Great is the Lord, now lift up your voice…

Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Mark 11:12-26 (NIV).

The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

He is Hungry

The fig tree was a symbol of the nation of Israel, which were God’s people at that time. Today it would be a symbol of the church, the Body of Christ – God’s chosen people today.

I asked the Lord Jesus this morning for something fresh, and what immediately stood out to me was that Jesus was hungry. Now, I know this meant he was literally hungry, but going along with the symbolism of the story, I decided to look at the meaning of the word hungry. Besides meaning physical hunger, i.e. the craving for food, it can also mean “eager or desirous,” i.e. hopeful or wanting. I do believe this fits with the story and with the illustration. Jesus was and is definitely desirous and wanting his people to be fruit-bearing followers of Christ. Although he knows and sees everything, still, in a sense, he is presently looking (watchful; observing) to see if we are bearing spiritual fruit for his kingdom.

From a distance, the tree had all the appearance of bearing fruit, but upon close examination, he saw that no fruit existed. Although it was not yet the season for figs, the tree did have leaves, so it was giving off the appearance of also having fruit. It was “all talk,” but “no walk.”

In other words, this is illustrating the nation of Israel of that time, and the church of today, which gives off the appearance of bearing fruit in keeping with repentance, and for God’s kingdom work, but up close we realize that it is just a façade. And, that is where much of today’s church stands. The church looks good on the outside, and they go through their forms of worship, and some even preach some form of the gospel, but the Spirit of God is not among them, because they follow the teachings of humans instead of Christ.

Just as Jesus cursed that fig tree, symbolic of God’s judgment upon the nation of Israel, Jesus will also judge his adulterous and idolatrous church of today which has all the appearance of righteousness, but denies the power of the Spirit of God in what they do.

A House of Prayer?

Next, Jesus went into the temple courts. There he began to drive out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned their tables, and he would not allow the transporting of merchandise through the temple courts. The temple was to be a house of prayer for all nations, but they had made it into a den of robbers.

I remember when I was growing up in the church I attended in my early years, that there was a prohibition against the buying and selling of merchandise within the sanctuary and/or specifically on Sundays. This is how they had interpreted this passage of scripture. Yet, I believe they missed the point. This was to be a place of prayer for people of all nations (the temple courts) and yet they had turned it into a circus and a place to engage in all kinds of dishonest business practices, thus they were cheating and were taking advantage of the people who had come there for prayer and for worship of God. May that never be!

And, today this continues, only I believe it is much worse, because the “robbers” are the church leaders, and this cheating and stealing from the people is taking place during times that are set aside for the worship of God, the study of his word, and for prayer. Truly much of the institutional church of today has turned the meetings of the church into a place of business, where they engage in lying, manipulation, cheating and taking advantage of people, stealing from people the truths of God’s word, and deceiving them into believing that their man-made lies are the truth. They follow books written by humans who teach them how to market their churches just like big business, which means they step over, abuse, discard, and/or take advantage of whomever they wish in order to meet their business goals and objectives.

Need of Revival

Many church leaders today are not unlike those of Jesus’ day. Many of them are so caught up in man-made religion that they deny and suppress the teachings of Christ and that of the apostles in order to make their followers feel more comfortable, and so they do not offend them with the truth of the gospel, because they want them to come back. They are even taught in their training to avoid, get rid of, filter out, and discourage participation of those who have strong convictions, or who might challenge their man-made teachings based upon the Word of Truth. We serve as a threat to them and their earthly kingdoms, much like Jesus posed a threat to the kingdoms built by the Pharisees and teachers of the law.

After Jesus cursed the fig tree, it withered. To wither means to decline or to dry up. I believe God has already cursed (declared judgment) on the institutional church of today, particularly here in the west, because they are not bearing fruit for his kingdom, although they give off all the appearance of doing so. In reality, their religion is more man-based than it is based off the word of God. Often when the Word is taught, it is twisted and manipulated to serve the purposes and objectives of the “business” goals of those particular church congregations. Books written by humans are replacing the Word of God in Sunday school classes, in Bible studies and in small groups. Much music lyrics, which tickle itching ears, have replaced the timeless truths of old found in many of the old hymns.

And, I do see that the church here in America is on a serious spiritual decline more like a free-fall, and that it is only a matter of time before God sends his judgment upon her, but not to destroy her, but to revive her, restore her, and to make her fruit bearing after all.

Believe in Prayer

When the disciples pointed out to Jesus that the fig tree he had cursed had withered, he told his disciples to have faith in God. He also told them that if they said to “this mountain, ‘Go throw yourself into the sea,’” in faith, believing and not doubting, that it would be done for them.

I believe what the Lord Jesus is showing me here is that he is telling his disciples, not only that they can do great miracles in the physical realm, but of greater importance is that they can see great miracles of God in people’s lives in the spiritual realm if they just believe God and do not doubt. Amen! I am believing God for the revival of his church.

We can, in faith, proclaim the whole gospel of Jesus Christ, which tells people that they are sinners in need of a Savior, and that they have to acknowledge that fact to God. We should teach them: We have to repent of (turn from) our sin, and we must die to our old lives (throw ourselves into the sea). A day of judgment (symbolized by the cursing of the fig tree) is coming. Jesus provided the way for us to be free of our sin - the penalty of sin (eternal separation from God in hell) and the bondage to and control of sin over our daily lives. True faith and belief in what Jesus did for us in dying on the cross for our sins means that we also must die with Christ to the sins which once enslaved us, so that we can live with Christ in the power of the Spirit in walking daily in his righteousness and holiness.

The “mountain” that must be thrown into the sea, thus, represents all obstacles, present in our lives, to our faith and commitment to Jesus Christ, including the obstacle of having the appearance of righteousness but denying its power in our lives (not bearing fruit).

Refresh My Spirit, Lord / An Original Work / August 8, 2011

Based off of Psalm 51 & Matthew 11:28-30

Refresh my spirit, Lord. Revive my heart today.

Move me to serve You, Lord in all I do and say.

Be my heart’s one desire; my spirit set on fire

In pure devotion, Lord, to love you and obey.

Create within me, Lord, a pure heart, this I pray,

So I can worship You and yield to You always.

May all Your love and pow’r be lived in me, I pray,

So I might love as You; be Your witness today.

Jesus says, “Come to me all you with heavy hearts,

And find in me your peace, and give to me your all.

My yoke is light to bear, ‘cause I paid for your sin,

So you might be set free, and purified within.”

http://originalworks.info/refresh-my-spirit-lord/

Inside Out

Sunday, August 24, 2014, 5:10 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “Tell Me the Story of Jesus.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Mark 7:1-23 (ESV).

By Appearances

Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?”

There are many people, even within our modern churches today, who still hold fast to the traditions of their ancestors, their culture, and/or their religious upbringing, and who will also make judgments of others based upon whether or not they also hold to the same traditions of human-making. One of the most predominant religious traditions which comes to mind is the tradition that we must meet together with the church on Sunday mornings in a building called “church.” Along with this is often taught that the building itself is the “house of God” and that when we enter the sanctuary (or worship center), we are entering into “God’s presence.” This is all patterned after the Old Testament and the temple.

Yet, when Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sent his Holy Spirit to indwell the lives of his true followers, we, the true church, became the house of God. The Holy of Holies now dwells within us. God does not dwell in buildings built by human hands. A building or an organization of humans called a “church” is not the house of God, and we do not enter into God’s presence when we enter that sanctuary. Because we are the temple of God, we should be continuously in the presence of Almighty God. As well, it doesn’t matter when or where we meet with other believers. The early church met daily in the temple courts and from house to house.

And yet, even though this is what scripture clearly teaches, many still hold to this tradition of human-making, and they judge those who do not as though they are less spiritual than those who do. Many professing Christians feel they are more spiritual, too, because they attend a church worship service on a Sunday morning in a traditional church setting, and yet they might be some of the worst customers at local restaurants on Sunday afternoons, giving a bad name to both church and to Christianity. I have had at least one server tell me that the Christians coming from church on Sunday are some of her worst behaved patrons. So, obviously attending a worship service on a Sunday morning in a building called “church” does nothing to improve our spirituality or to make us more holy.

In Truth

And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honors me with their lips,

    but their heart is far from me;

in vain do they worship me,

    teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)— then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

Not everyone who attends a worship service on a Sunday morning in a building called “church,” though, is guilty of hypocrisy and/or of following doctrines or teachings of humans over the teachings of scripture. And, yet, many do. I find this particularly predominant in today’s church here in America.

What I mean is I see that even our modern churches, which claim to be free from man-made religion, are just as bound by man-made religion and traditional religious practices as those from whom they have disassociated themselves, thus just trading one humanistic teaching for another. They still have their legalistic tendencies and those traditions passed down to them which they follow and by which they judge those who do not follow them. Most modern churches in America are following some denomination, human-based doctrine, teachings of humans, and/or human business marketing techniques for growing their churches. Those who do so to the exclusion or to the suppression of scripture can be guilty of giving lip service only to God, but their hearts being far from God, because they teach what is man-made over and above the teachings of scripture, of Christ, and of the apostles.

Much of this is not a new thing, though. Many professing Christians for generations have followed the religious practices passed down to them from family or their leaders without question, yet many have done so out of ignorance. And yet, so many of them, even when presented with the truth of scripture, will ignore the scriptures in favor of tradition, or in favor of the teachings of humans or denomination. And, that is a very sad reality. I have found that even many pastors have chosen to follow human teachings above scripture or in place of the teachings of Christ and the apostles, because the teachings of humans suit more their purposes and the direction they want to go with THEIR “church.” And, thus they void the word of God by their traditions or by the human teachings which they follow.

Inside Out

And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Jesus said it is not the physical dirt going into our bodies, because we didn’t wash our hands before we ate, which defiles us. It is what comes out of us from what is inside our hearts which defiles us, thus the title here, “Inside Out.” So, I looked up the phrase, “Inside Out,” and from varied sources learned that it means “backwards (the wrong way; in reverse); in a state of disarray; to change utterly; to cause utter confusion; to defeat totally.” And, you know what? This fits, because when we follow the teachings of humans and the traditions of human beings in place of or over and above the Word of God, and we thus nullify the Word of God by our traditions, so that our flesh is still what rules our lives, instead of the Spirit within us, that is backwards from what it is supposed to be. It is “inside out.”

The Lord Jesus showed me this truth this morning in, perhaps, an unusual yet fitting way. He showed me these humanistic teachings and traditions of humans, which are being passed down from person to person, as like a deadly disease which is being spread between humans mouth to mouth. Jesus said that it is what comes out of us, from our hearts, which defiles us. It comes out in our attitudes and behaviors, but most often what is stored up in our hearts comes out of our mouths. Jesus also said that out of the overflow of our hearts our mouths speak (See Lu. 6:45). So, when we take in what others say, and we think about their words, and then we accept their words as truth, and then we pass them along to others, it is a whole lot like spreading a deadly disease mouth to mouth, if what is being taught is of man and not of God. And, this is especially true if what they are teaching is a man-made gospel which promises heaven absent of the cross of Christ in our lives. It is deadly, because we are condemning people to hell if we do not give them the truth.

Tell Me the Story of Jesus / Fanny J. Crosby / John R. Sweney

Tell me the story of Jesus,

Write on my heart every word;

Tell me the story most precious,

Sweetest that ever was heard.

Tell how the angels in chorus,

Sang as they welcomed His birth,

“Glory to God in the highest!

Peace and good tidings to earth.”

Fasting alone in the desert,

Tell of the days that are past,

How for our sins He was tempted,

Yet was triumphant at last.

Tell of the years of His labor,

Tell of the sorrow He bore;

He was despised and afflicted,

Homeless, rejected and poor.

Tell of the cross where they nailed Him,

Writhing in anguish and pain;

Tell of the grave where they laid Him,

Tell how He liveth again.

Love in that story so tender,

Clearer than ever I see;

Stay, let me weep while you whisper,

“Love paid the ransom for me.”

Tell me the story of Jesus,

Write on my heart every word;

Tell me the story most precious,

Sweetest that ever was heard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wJRmzK2KJM

A New Life

Friday, August 22, 2014, 3:18 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “Songs in the Night.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Mark 2:18-22 (NIV).

Why fast?

Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

People fast for many different reasons. Recently I had some medical examinations which required fasting, i.e. abstaining from food and drink (except water) for a specified period of time. Some people fast during times of mourning. Others fast during times when they want to entreat the Lord in prayer concerning a specific need or urgent request. As well, fasting can involve the temporary abstaining from many different things in this world in order to focus our attention solely on our Lord, and as a means of drawing closer to him.

Fasting was a customary religious practice under the Old Covenant for the purpose of mourning, repentance, calling upon the Lord in prayer, entreating the Lord, and in order to hear from the Lord. Yet, it was possible for the people to fast merely as a religious ritual, but with no true heart for God at all. Isaiah 58 speaks to this issue when Isaiah was called upon by God to speak to his people concerning their rebellion. They were fasting, and they gave the appearance of people who were seeking God, eager to know his ways, as though they were a people who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and as though they had not forsaken his ways. During their fast they asked God for just decisions, and seemed eager for God to come near them, but it was all for show; mere formality.

The people were going through the ritual of fasting, yet their religious practice made no real impact on their lives. They still did whatever they pleased – exploiting people, quarreling, and fighting with others. And God was not pleased. So, he let them know the kind of fasting he approved of. He wanted them to set the oppressed free from yokes and chains of bondage, oppression and injustice. His desire for them was that they would feed the hungry and give shelter to the poor wanderer; to clothe those in need of clothing, and to care for their own flesh and blood. Yet, this is not to say that fasting is a bad thing, especially if it is sincere, and if it is producing good spiritual fruit. Yet, we must be careful here lest we think that religious practice alone of any kind gets God’s approval absent of true heart change.

Close to You

Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

Jesus was speaking of himself here as the bridegroom, and of his followers as his guests (NIV/ESV). Literally this should read, “Sons of the bride-chamber,” not “guests of the bridegroom.” A chamber is a room. It could be a private room, such as a bedroom. The bride-chamber contained the bridal bed and/or it was the room in which marriage ceremonies were held. A son is a descendent. We are all “sons” of God through faith in Jesus Christ. A son is an heir. We are heirs of God through faith in Christ (See: Ro. 8:17). We are born into God’s family through faith in Christ (i.e. via the marriage bed; the marriage ceremony), so I believe this is speaking of the disciples as sons of God through their faith in Jesus Christ. [Ref: http://biblehub.com/interlinear/mark/2-19.htm.]

Jesus’ disciples (his followers) had their bridegroom right there with them, alive and in person, so there was no reason for them to mourn. Yet, a time was coming when he would be taken from them, and then would be the time to mourn. A time was coming when he would be arrested, falsely accused, given a mock trial, beaten, spat upon, mocked and then hung on a cross to die, although he had done no wrong. Yet, he would not remain in the grave. He would rise again, as he told his disciples on numerous occasions.

When Jesus Christ died on the cross, he took upon himself the sins of the entire world. He crucified and buried our sins with him. When he was resurrected from the dead, he conquered death, hell, Satan and sin. Amen! Then, he ascended back to heaven, and he sent his Holy Spirit, as promised, to indwell the lives of his followers (the sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ). When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we are crucified with Christ to the sins which once enslaved us, we are reborn spiritually into God’s family, and we are given new lives in Christ Jesus our Lord to be lived out in the power and working of the Spirit within us, with us walking daily in Christ’s righteousness and holiness.

As I was considering this idea of fasting as abstaining from many different things in this world in order to focus our attention solely on our Lord, and as a means of drawing closer to him, the thought came to mind that this is what our relationship with our Lord should be like all the time, not just temporarily. So, in a sense, when Jesus Christ was with his disciples in the flesh, they were close to him, because they followed him everywhere. Yet, with him now in heaven, and even though we have his Spirit within us, it is easy for us to get distracted or drawn into the things of this world and for us to lose that closeness with our Lord. So we must daily have a spiritual fast in which we lay aside or throw off those things which hinder our walks with the Lord so that we can draw near to him.

Old and New

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. Otherwise, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

I am no seamstress and I have no knowledge of wineskins, so I will not attempt here to explain these things. Yet, I do believe God has given me an understanding of what is meant here by these two illustrations, and I believe it is two-fold:

First of all, the question was asked as to why, if the Pharisees and John’s disciples fasted, Jesus’ disciples did not fast. I believe this fasting represented the old system, which the Pharisees thought Jesus and his disciples should follow. Yet, Jesus was bringing in the new system, i.e. he was the fulfillment of their prophecies of old concerning the promised Messiah of the people. He was the embodiment of the kingdom of heaven, and he had arrived. He was bringing in the new way of the cross, and the new way of God’s grace and redemption through Jesus’ shed blood on the cross for our sins. I believe he was telling them that he was not an addition (like the patch of un-shrunk cloth) to the old system, but he was a new way all by itself (new wine in new wineskins). It is not the law plus Jesus. Jesus is the fulfillment of the law. By faith in him alone we have salvation from sin.

Secondly, I believe the old garment and the old wineskins not only represent the Old Covenant and/or the Law, but I believe they also represent our old lives of sin. We cannot put Jesus Christ, in the person of his Spirit, into our old sinful lives. He is not an add-on. He is a replacement for our old lives of living for self and sin. That is why he died. He died so we would no longer live for ourselves but for him (See 2 Co. 5:15). When we become Christians by faith in Jesus Christ, he doesn’t just clean up our old lives a little at a time, as many would like to believe, but he radically transforms (via metamorphosis) our lives. He delivers us from slavery to our old lives of living for self and sin, and he sets us free to walk in his Spirit, living lives given over to God in submission to his will, and living to please him.

So, I believe there is a caution here to make sure we have not just added Jesus on to our old lives, because if we have, the two will eventually separate, such as in the parable of the sower where the second heart response to the Word was to receive it with joy, but it never took root, and so when persecution came, the person jumped ship. I also believe there is a caution here against following religious systems and practices which we think are going to make us more spiritual, but then for us to still end up living our lives for ourselves, doing what we want. What good is it to fast (deny yourself food) for a short period of time so you can pray and draw near to God if, once the fast is over, you go right back to business as usual? God doesn’t want that kind of fasting. He wants the kind that is there all the time, and that doesn’t just add him on to our old lives, but which allows him to put our sins to death (our old lives of living for sin) so that we can live new lives by faith in him.

Songs in the Night / An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,

And the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

http://originalworks.info/songs-in-the-night/

Such Faith

Thursday, August 21, 2014, 5:11 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “Courageous!” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Mark 2:1-17 (NASB).

Faith vs. Disbelief

When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. And they came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying. And Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”

I love the faith of the paralytic, and of these people who brought him to Jesus! Those who brought the paralytic to Jesus had faith, yet not for themselves, but for another human being. That’s awesome! They didn’t get discouraged just because all the odds seemed against them. They didn’t give up and go home, and say, “Oh well, I guess it was not meant to be.” They were on a mission, and the mission was to see Jesus, and to have him heal the paralytic. They did not give up until they completed their mission. Now, that is perseverance! And, they didn’t seem all that concerned about what people might think about them, either. They figured out a way to get to Jesus, and they followed through with their mission. As a result, the paralytic was healed of his condition, and he was forgiven his sins. Amen! Even when all looked hopeless, they persevered. And, they reaped the benefits.

Yet, not everyone had faith. Some teachers of the law were sitting there observing all that had just taken place. Instead of rejoicing with the man that his sins had just been forgiven, they accused Jesus of blasphemy. Basically, they were saying that Jesus was claiming to be God, and they did not believe he was God. Yet, to show that Jesus did have the authority to forgive sins, he told the man to get up, take his mat, and go home. And, the man did what Jesus told him to do. Many (or all) who were there praised God for this miracle.

This story sets a great example for us, I believe, in faith and perseverance. Whenever we step out in faith, and believe God for something in our lives, we are likely to be faced with enormous obstacles and opposition. Yet, if we know this is of God, and we know it is in line with his word, then we should continue on in faith and not give up hope just because we hit some road bumps along the way, or just because we face some opposition. If God is in it, he can make a way where there seems to be no way. He works in ways we cannot see. We just have to continue to trust him and to obey, “for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” Amen!

The Sick and Sinners

And He went out again by the seashore; and all the people were coming to Him, and He was teaching them.

As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, “Follow Me!” And he got up and followed Him.

And it happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?” And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

I hear many professing Christians, and even church leaders, misquote or misuse this passage of scripture to excuse away sinful and ungodly associations. Yet, Jesus did not just “hang out” with people living sinful lifestyles. He did not immerse himself in the culture. First off, Jesus was at Levi’s house because he had called Levi, a tax collector, to follow him, and Levi got up and followed Jesus. As well, the passage states that many “tax collectors and sinners” ate with Jesus and his disciples, “for there were many who followed him.”

Now, whether or not these many were true followers of Jesus Christ, at this point, I do not know, but the point is that they were seeking Jesus. Another point here worthy of consideration is that the Pharisees were being hypocritical in their designation of this group of people as somehow inferior to them or to designate their sins as somehow worse than their own. Evidently tax collectors were known for their dishonesty, and “sinners” may have been a term used for those who participated in specific and/or obvious sins. Yet, Jesus often chided the Pharisees and teachers of the law for their outward appearances of righteousness, but how they were really hypocrites, for they were truly full of wickedness.

So, when Jesus responded by saying that it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick, and that he did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, I don’t believe he was using the terms “healthy” and “righteous” in the truest sense of those words, based upon the context of this passage. I believe his point to the teachers of the law and to the Pharisees was that these “tax collectors and sinners” were more honorable than the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, for they, at least, knew that they needed help, and they were willing to, at least, come and see who Jesus truly was.

If we don’t see that we are sick or we don’t acknowledge that we are sinners (see 1 Jn. 1), then we can’t be healed. The Pharisees thought they were righteous and spiritually healthy in their own merit because they followed a set of mostly man-made rules and regulations. They were so filled with pride that they did not recognize their own sickness and sinfulness. So, Jesus had no ministry to them. Yet, these who followed him appeared willing to hear what he had to say, which then brings me to my last point here.

Many who misuse this passage and try to justify hanging out with the ungodly of this world, and who make excuses for having close associations with those living sinful lifestyles, think that Jesus just hung out with these people, as though he was just being best buddies with them. Yet, Jesus makes it quite clear that he was on a mission. His goal in dining with these people was to bring them to salvation. He was intentional in what he did.

And, I don’t believe he hung out with them for two years before he told them the truth of salvation, either, which is another lie being spread today that we should build relationships with the ungodly of this world for a long period of time before we try to present the gospel to them. So many look for any excuse they can find to not share Christ with others and to continue in their own willful sinful lifestyles. But, the lies don’t work. Jesus ate with these people who were regarded as worse sinners than everyone else, because they followed him, and it appears they both recognized their own sinfulness (and sickness) and they were willing to hear what Jesus had to say to them about how they could be healed. Amen!

Courageous! / An Original Work / December 24, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

The Word of God throughout taught.

Some people heard, but did doubt.

Still others had faith in Christ.

By grace He purified them.

They turned from sin

And they obeyed Christ.

He opened up their blinded eyesight;

Turned them from darkness

To the true Light;

Forgave their sin by His might.

He strengthened them in their faith.

He said, “Remain my faithful.”

He called them to obedience.

By faith, they were so grateful.

By faith, they were to follow Jesus;

To daily sit and listen to Him;

To have such faith

That mountains could move;

To love those whom He gave them.

Be on your guard; courageous.

Stand firm in faith. Be thankful.

Take up the shield of your faith;

Protect against all evil.

Do not move from

The hope that you have.

Your faith in Jesus let it endure.

Hold to the truth;

Your conscience be clear.

Endure with perseverance.

http://originalworks.info/courageous/