The Fall

Tuesday, March 10, 2015, 6:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Love Lifted Me.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Luke 22:54-62 (NASB).

Having arrested Him, they led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance. After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them. And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, “This man was with Him too.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” A little later, another saw him and said, “You are one of them too!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, “Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Who was Peter?

Peter was a fisherman whom Jesus called to be one of his twelve disciples (apostles). Jesus said to Peter and to his brother Andrew, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (See Matt. 4:19-20). Peter did not hesitate. He didn’t have to have all his questions answered before he left everything to follow Jesus. When Jesus called him, he immediately left it all behind to be Christ’s follower. So, Peter was a man of great faith. How many of us, when God calls us, willingly leave it all behind to follow him wherever he leads us?

At another time, Jesus walked to his disciples on the sea. They were terrified. Jesus spoke to them, told them it was him, and that they were not to be afraid. Peter doubted, so he asked for proof. He asked that if it was the Lord that the Lord would command him to come to him on the water. Jesus said, “Come,” and Peter walked on the water toward Jesus. But, then he saw the wind and the waves, and he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried, “Lord, save me!” It would not be the only time in his life the Lord saved him. Jesus told him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” So, this man of great faith who left all to follow Jesus, without reservation, now doubted Jesus. He got his eyes off Jesus and on to the circumstances surrounding him, and he began to sink. People of great faith can have times when they doubt and they get their eyes off Jesus, and they need to be rescued, too. (See Matt. 14) Peter was a clay vessel in the hands of the Potter, continually being molded.

One day Jesus asked his disciples who people thought he was, and then he asked them who they said he was. Peter was the first to speak up and to confess that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus blessed Peter for his response because Peter was listening to the voice of God the Father in heaven. Peter was sensitive to the voice of the Spirit of God and he had child-like faith to believe what God revealed to him. Because of that Jesus said that he would build his church upon Peter, the rock. On the day of Pentecost, it was Peter who first gave out the gospel message and thousands heard and believed in Jesus that day. That was the beginning of the church. So, Peter was blessed of God and used mightily by God to lay the foundation of the church and of the gospel and to see many people brought into the kingdom (See Matt. 16). Peter was God’s servant and his messenger. We, as Christ’s followers, are also to be Christ’s servants and messengers.

Yet, shortly after Peter had given this great declaration of faith in who Jesus was, he had a moment of failure. One time when Jesus was explaining to his disciples about the suffering he was to face and the death he was to die at the hands of the chief priests, elders and scribes, Peter rebuked the Lord. “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to you,” Peter declared. So, Jesus responded to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.” Wow! Peter just went from being the rock upon whom Christ would build his church to being a stumbling block and the voice of Satan to Jesus in trying to convince Jesus that he did not have to die for our sins. Peter was still human, and sometimes he responded with human thoughts and emotions rather than trusting in the Lord. Christians still fail sometimes, though it should be the exception to the rule and not the norm. That is why daily we must die to sin and to self. (See Matt. 16; cf. Lu. 9:23-25)

Following The Last Supper with Jesus and his disciples there was a discussion among the disciples as to which of them was considered to be the greatest. Pride comes before a fall. So, Jesus talked with them about the fact that those who become servants are those who are greatest, i.e. the first shall be last and the last shall be first. And, then he specifically addressed his thoughts to Peter. He told him that Satan had asked to sift Peter as wheat but that Jesus had prayed for him that his faith would not fail. But then he said, “And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” And, then he went on to tell Peter that before the rooster crows that Peter would deny his Lord three times, because Peter was still convinced that he was ready to go with the Lord to prison and to death. Oh, how we need to be so careful with our declarations that they are not based in pride and self-will, but that they are based in humility, honesty and in reality. Yet, it is awesome to know that our Lord is speaking to the Father concerning us, and that he is pulling for us, and that he is quick to restore us when we do fail when we repent of our sins. (See Luke 22:24-34)

On the night Jesus was betrayed he told his disciples that they would all fall away because of him. But Peter declared he would never fall away. His heart was in the right place, perhaps. He desired to remain faithful to his Lord, and he could not imagine that what Jesus was telling him could actually come true (See Matt. 26). Peter was overconfident in his own ability to be steadfast in faith and to not waver, even though he had failed in this area before. He lost sight of his own flesh and of his propensity to sin, and he thought certainly that he would not ever deny his Lord. What do the scriptures say about that? “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall” (1 Co. 10:12). It is good to be confident in the Lord and to be assured in our faith, but it is not good to think we could never sin against our Lord, because pride comes before a fall. And, Peter did fall.

The Fall

Peter, the rock upon whom Christ would (and did) build his church; the one who confessed Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the living God; the one who left all to follow Jesus; the one who called out to Jesus to save him when he was sinking due to lack of faith; and the one who was blessed of Jesus for his sensitivity to the voice of the Spirit of God, and for his child-like faith to believe what the Spirit revealed to him, was now faced with a situation far beyond his ability to know what to do, and so he responded in fear and not in faith. It was not as though he was not warned, though. Jesus had told him what was coming. Jesus had told him that he would fall away and that he would deny him three times, but he didn’t want to believe it. He wanted to believe he would remain faithful, and so he ignored the warnings and he trusted in himself and his own personal evaluation instead of trusting in the Lord. This should serve as a warning to us to not trust in ourselves but to believe God when he speaks to us and to heed his warnings, and to not write them off as irrelevant.

Peter’s self-evaluation turned out to be false. He was not ready to go with the Lord to prison and to death, even though he thought he was. He wouldn’t be the only one not to fall away. He ran as soon as Jesus was arrested and he kept running. Once again he got his eyes off Jesus and onto the wind and the waves, and he began to sink. Only this time he did not call out to the Lord to save him. Instead he denied that he even knew Jesus. Then the rooster crowed, Jesus looked straight at him, and then Peter remembered the words the Lord spoke to him, and he went outside and wept bitterly.

He suddenly realized that the words he had ignored in pride had come true, and that what Jesus had said to him was true about himself. I believe he wept over his sin of pride, of not listening to his Lord, and of his denial of his Lord, especially at a time when it was most critical that he stood by him. May this be a lesson to all of us to not overestimate our own ability to be faithful, but to guard our hearts against pride, and to humble ourselves before our Lord, realizing it is only in his strength and in his power that we will be able to stand the test against severe persecution.

The Restoration

When Jesus Christ died on the cross, he took upon himself the sins of the entire world so that we could be saved from the curse of sin, have the hope of heaven, and so we could be delivered out of slavery to sin and could be set free to walk daily in Christ’s righteousness and holiness. This is why he died. He died so we could be forgiven of our sin and so we could now walk in victory, not in absolute perfection, but growing in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ day by day and moment by moment.

When we come to him in faith, we willingly die with Christ to our old lives of living for sin and self, we are transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and we now walk in the Spirit and no longer live (in lifestyle) to gratify the desires of our sinful flesh. Yet, the Christian life is a process of sanctification whereby we die daily to sin and self and daily we are being transformed into the likeness of Christ. Peter serves as a great example of a child of faith who did not live perfectly, but who sometimes lacked faith and operated in the flesh, but who called out to Jesus when he was sinking, who mourned over his sin, and who repented of his sin and was restored and renewed in the Spirit of God.

Jesus did not reject Peter. He knew Peter was going to deny him, but he prayed for him, and he encouraged him, too, that there would be repentance – “And, when you have turned back” – and that there would be restoration – “strengthen your brothers.” And, so after Jesus rose from the dead, and he appeared to his disciples, he reinstated Peter. He asked him three times if he loved him to which Peter responded three times that he did love Jesus. Interesting that for the three times of denial now there were three times of affirmation of love and faith. Jesus responded to Peter’s declaration of love with, “Feed my lambs; take care of my sheep.” It is so awesome how Jesus is so willing to restore those he loves when they have sinned against him when they turn from their sin to follow him once more. Not only that, but he is still willing to use us to minister to his sheep. I am so thankful! How about you?

Love Lifted Me

James Rowe / Howard E. Smith

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,

Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,

But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,

From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling,

In His blessed presence live, ever His praises sing,

Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul’s best songs,

Faithful, loving service, too, to Him belongs.

Souls in danger, look above, Jesus completely saves,

He will lift you by His love, out of the angry waves;

He’s the Master of the sea, billows His will obey,

He your Savior wants to be, be saved today.

Love lifted me!

Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help,

Love lifted me!

Get Up and Pray

Monday, March 9, 2015, 2:45 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “My Sheep.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Luke 22:39-46 (NASB).

The Disciples Followed

And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him.

A disciple is a believer, a follower, a student and a devotee of the one whom he follows; “one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another” (M-W). Jesus selected twelve men to be his closest disciples and followers in ministry. One of them, Judas, betrayed him to death. In grief, Jesus denounced him before the other disciples, though he did not name him. Now Jesus had eleven disciples in his inner circle, yet he had other followers, as well. The eleven disciples followed Jesus to the Mount of Olives.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we are his disciples (his sheep). Jesus said that his sheep know him, they listen to him and they follow (obey) him (See: John 10). We believe that Jesus Christ died to deliver us out of bondage to sin, and to free us to walk daily in his righteousness. In the power of the Spirit within us we live like we believe that. When we accepted God’s invitation to his great salvation, we willingly died with Christ to our old lives of living for sin and self, and we were resurrected with Christ to new lives in him, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See: Lu. 9:23-25; Eph. 4:17-24).

Yet, we know from reading scripture that there are those among us who are not his true followers. They may make a profession of Jesus Christ as Savior of their lives, but their hearts are far from him. They may even go through all the motions of being a follower, and they may fool many people, but they never truly died with Christ to sin, and not ever did they submit their lives to the cross of Christ and to him as their Lord and Master. And, so, they betray him by their very lifestyles in thought, word and in deed.

Prayer and Temptation

When He arrived at the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Jesus knew what was coming. The disciples did not, even though he had told them, because they just couldn’t comprehend it all, and/or because they didn’t want to believe it. He knew they would all fall away on account of him, but they were confident they would not. So, this is why he instructed them to pray so they would not enter into temptation, because he knew what was about to befall them all. Yet, because they remained confident they would not fall away, they remained vulnerable or susceptible to giving in to temptation.

Oh, how this should serve as a wake-up call to us all! How many warnings did the Lord give us in his Word? How many of them are concerning allowing sin to creep back into our lives? How many about falling into temptation? How many about falling away? How many about following after false teaching that tickles itching ears? How many about living in spiritual adultery and idolatry and forsaking our first love? How many about living complacent and lukewarm Christian lives unconcerned about what is coming? And, the list goes on. And, yet, how many believers in Jesus ignore these warnings or don’t take them seriously? And, so, they escape into the things of this sinful world to fill their lives in place of filling their lives with the things of God and which matter for eternity. He is saying to us, “Wake up!”

Remove This Cup

And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.

Jesus, nonetheless, knew the reality of what was about to take place. He knew the pain and suffering he would have to endure so that we could be saved from our sins. Not only was he hated, despised, rejected, persecuted, falsely accused, spat upon, mocked, beaten, falsely imprisoned and hung on a cross to die a painful death, as though he was a criminal, but he took upon himself the sins of the entire world.

I know the pain of my own sins which I committed throughout my life, and that is bad enough. And, I was born into sin and sinned by nature. Jesus Christ, God the Son, never sinned, even though he was tempted. So, my holy and righteous God took upon himself the weight, pain and utter filth of all the sins of all people, past, present and future. Wow! Yet, he did this because he loved us, and because he wanted to free us from the control of sin over our lives and to free us to walk daily in his righteousness, as well as to free us from eternity in hell and to give us the hope of eternal life with God.

Because Jesus lived in a flesh body, he would feel all the pain he knew he must go through for all of us. So, in grief and pain, he called out to the Father and asked if there was any way this cup of suffering could be removed from him. Yet, if not, he wanted God’s will to be done. He yielded to his Father in heaven and he submitted to his will. I don’t believe Jesus was willing that our sin might not be atoned for, but his flesh cried out to the Father in desperation to see if there could be any other way our salvation could be provided for short of him having to die for our sins. Yet, he was willing to go the distance for you and for me, and so he surrendered his flesh and his spirit to the will of the Father, and he chose to die so we could go free. Then the Father sent an angel to comfort and strengthen him.

Jesus told us, his followers, that being his disciples would mean that we would be treated like he was treated, and that many would be put to death for the sake of his name, and for the sake of his gospel. He said we would be hated, rejected, persecuted and falsely accused because of him. Yet, we also live in flesh bodies, and our flesh does not always take kindly to such treatment. And, so, there may be times when we cry out to God in our suffering, and we ask that, if he wills, that it could pass from us, too. Yet, we should also remain submissive to the Father’s will for our lives, realizing he knows what is best for us, and realizing, too, that he has plans and purposes for our lives far beyond our ability to comprehend. Our thoughts are not his thoughts nor are his ways our ways, that is in our flesh, although as we grow closer to him we should begin to think and act more like him.

Get Up and Pray

When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, and said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

When Jesus finished praying, he found his disciples sleeping, so he told them to get up and pray so that they would not enter into temptation. Obviously they did not comprehend the reality of the hour which was upon them, at least not to its fullest extent. All they knew is that Jesus kept talking about how he was going to be betrayed and killed, and that brought sorrow into their hearts. Yet, rather than put on the armor of God, it appears they escaped their pain through sleep. It sounds to me like they were depressed over the things Jesus was telling them. And, depressed people often try to escape pain rather than confront it.

I find that many who profess the name of Jesus today are sleeping, i.e. they are escaping the reality of what scripture teaches by retreating into false teaching, mainly because the reality of what scripture teaches is too hard and is uncomfortable for them, and because they don’t want to accept that reality, and/or because there is sin they want to hold on to. So, they have bought into a false grace which is easier for them to accept.

This false grace teaches them that all they have to do is “believe” in Jesus, although “belief” is not really explained. And, they teach them that they don’t have to repent of (turn from) their sins, and they don’t have to obey Jesus, and that God, in fact, requires nothing of them at all, other than to “believe,” but a “belief” absent of true repentance, submission and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. And, yet, the teachings of Jesus and those of the apostles repudiate such a notion as what is being taught by these false ministers of the gospel (See the book of 1 John, in particular). This does not mean we will live in sinless perfection, but what it does mean is that our lifestyles should reflect true faith in Christ.

Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny his self-life, die daily to sin and self, and follow him in obedience. He said if we hold on to our old lives of sin we will lose them for eternity, but if we willingly die to sin and self, we will gain eternal life (See Lu. 9:23-25). Paul taught the same. He said that coming to Christ means we forsake our former lives of sin, we are transformed in heart and mind, and we put on our new lives in Christ, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See Eph. 4:17-24). He taught that the grace of God, which brings us salvation, teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for Christ’s return. He taught that Jesus gave himself up for us to “redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (See Tit. 2:11-14). And, he also taught that Jesus died so we would no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave himself up for us (See 2 Co. 5:15; cf. Ro. 6-8).

So, I believe Jesus is asking much of the church today, “Why are you sleeping?” And, he is instructing the church to “Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” Basically, he is calling his church out of complacency, out of spiritual adultery, and out of lifestyles given over to idolatry, and he is calling them to wake up from their slumber and to follow him in obedience and in surrender to his will for their lives. Will you hear him?

My Sheep / An Original Work / June 24, 2012

Based off John 10:1-18 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.

They listen to my voice and obey.

I call them and lead them.

They know my voice, so they follow me.

They will never follow strangers.

They will run away from them.

The voice of a stranger they know not;

They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that

I am the gate, so you enter in.

Whoever does enter

Will find forgiveness and will be saved.

Nonetheless whoever enters

Not by the gate; other way,

He is the thief and a robber.

Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,

Who laid his own life down for the sheep.

I know them. They know me.

They will live with me eternally.

The thief only comes to steal and

Kill and to destroy the church.

I have come to give you life that

You may have it to the full…

They know my voice, so they follow me.

http://originalworks.info/my-sheep/

https://vimeo.com/114938263

Given for You

Sunday, March 8, 2015, 7:24 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “My Jesus, I Love Thee.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Luke 22:1-38 (NASB).

The Cup Poured Out

And they left and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing. (vv. 13-23)

The Passover was a Jewish yearly celebration commemorating the deliverance of the Jews out of slavery in Egypt. Their rescue was symbolic of a better deliverance yet to come, which was fulfilled in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection for our release out of bondage to sin, and from the curse of sin, and for our liberation to now walk in freedom from the control of sin over our lives and to now walk daily in Christ’s righteousness and holiness.

The bread and the wine are symbolic of Jesus’ body and blood which were given for us on the cross so we might be saved from our sins. Jesus Christ, God the Son, gave his life up for us so that through faith in him we might have eternal life with God in heaven. So, when Jesus gave the bread and the cup to his followers, not only was he instituting a new celebration of a new deliverance, but he was teaching them that fellowship with him also means dying with him to sin and being resurrected with him to new life in Christ Jesus, our Lord, in which we follow him in obedience and in surrender to his will for our lives. He was demonstrating for them, as well, that sharing in the bread and in the cup means that we, as his followers, will also share in the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. We, too, will be hated and persecuted, and many of us will also be put to death.

The Greatest

And there arose also a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

“You are those who have stood by Me in My trials; and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (vv. 24-30)

Not only did Jesus Christ let his followers know that fellowship with him meant dying with him to sin and living with him in victory over sin, and that communion with him meant fellowship, as well, with him in his sufferings, but he let them know that being his followers meant also a life of servitude and not one of public recognition and self-glory. Even though Jesus Christ truly was and is the greatest among us, he became a servant in suffering and in dying on a cross for our sins so that we would no longer be bound to slavery to sin. So, as his followers, we are also not to concern ourselves with such things as recognition, applause, praise and acceptance of humans for what we do, but we should willingly humble ourselves to be servants of our Lord Jesus in doing whatever he requires of us to do.

We are to stand with and for Jesus at all times and to willingly suffer disgrace for the sake of his name, and for the sake of his gospel message. We do so because we love him. We do so because we are so thankful and grateful for what he did for us in saving us from our sins. We do so, also, because we love others and we want to see as many as possible come to Christ before the great Day of Judgment.

Eating and drinking with him at his table in His kingdom is not just dying to sin and sharing in his sufferings, though, but it is daily communion with him in his Word, and in prayer, and in personal worship of him - sitting at his feet, listening to him speak, and then doing what he says. It is him comforting us in our troubles, rebuking us when we go astray, calming our fears, giving us peace and joy, encouraging us in persecution, filling us with hope when all seems hopeless, and teaching and instructing us in the way we should go. It is us humbling ourselves before him, confessing sin, and praying for strength, healing and wisdom. It is us casting our burdens upon him and crying out to him in our distress. It is us bringing our requests before him, too, believing him to answer and to meet our needs. And, it is us thanking and praising him for all that he is and for all that he has done on our behalf. It is also giving of our lives, in love, to see others be set free from sin.

Sifting As Wheat

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”

And He said to them, “When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They said, “No, nothing.” And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one. For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘And He was numbered with transgressors’; for that which refers to Me has its fulfillment.” They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.” (vv. 31-38)

When we walk with Jesus Christ in obedience and in surrender to his will, and we die with him to self and sin, and we choose to walk daily in his righteousness and to be Jesus to the world around us, Satan will come after us because he wants nothing more than to destroy our lives and our testimonies for Jesus Christ and to render us ineffectual for God’s kingdom work. So, it is important that we remain humble before God, and that we stay alert and aware of his devices against us and that we don’t get prideful and think we could never do what “such and such” a person has done. We are all still capable of sin.

When we start thinking that we could never fall, that is a dangerous place to be. We must daily realize our absolute dependence on our Lord Jesus to keep us from falling and to give us all we need to remain faithful to him until the end. And, we must believe that he is talking to the Father on our behalf, that he loves us, and that he is pulling for us. He will never leave us or forsake us. There is nothing we will go through that he is not able to see us through. When the going gets tough, and it will, we need never to run away and escape into other things and/or to deny our Lord. He is faithful in all that he does. He has always, and he will always give us all we need to fight off Satan’s evil attacks against us, and to bring us through every trial victorious over our enemy (See: Eph. 6:10-20). Amen!

So, if you have never given your heart to Jesus Christ, I pray you will do so today. If you know him, but you are struggling with sin, I pray you will humble yourself before him, turn from your wicked ways, and follow him today in surrender and in obedience to his will for your life. If you are following him in obedience, and you are facing some of these trials and tribulations we have talked about here, then I pray you will daily put on your armor of God with which to fight off Satan’s evil schemes against you, and that you will trust the Lord Jesus Christ to give you all you need to live victoriously for him until the end. Love him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. Forsake all to follow him. Be Jesus to the world around you. It will be worth it all to follow Him.

Help me, Lord, to always love you in all that I do, and to always remain faithful to you and to your service throughout my life, for the praise of your name and for the salvation of human lives. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, amen.

My Jesus, I Love Thee

William R. Featherstone / Adoniram J. Gordon

My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine;

For thee all the follies of sin I resign. 

My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;

If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now. 

I love thee because thou hast first loved me,

And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;

I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;

If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now. 

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,

And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;

And say, when the death-dew lies cold on my brow,

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ‘tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight;

I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright;

I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;

If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now. 

Broken to Pieces

Thursday, March 5, 2015, 6:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “To Be Like Him.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Luke 20:9-19 (NASB).

Response to Persecution

One day Jesus was in the Temple teaching the people and preaching the gospel of our salvation. The chief priests, scribes and elders began to question his authority. Jesus then answered their question with another question – one that they were in a quandary as to how to answer – so they responded that they did not know the answer. Jesus then told them that he would not answer their question. And, then he began to tell the people this parable about the vineyard, the vine-growers, the servants, and the Son. [See vv. 1-8]

Jesus exercised much wisdom and discernment in answering his persecutors. When we come up against persecution for preaching the gospel and for teaching the truths of scripture, we will need much wisdom and discernment of the Spirit in knowing how to answer our persecutors, as well. But Jesus said we should not be afraid, for he will give us the words to say. We just have to listen to his voice speaking to us, and to say what he gives us to say.

Jesus’ most fierce opponents were not the people of this sinful world, though. His strongest opposition came from those within the temple of God, i.e. from those who professed to know God and to be his servants. Not only that, but they were the leaders and teachers in the temple who came against him the toughest. And, that may be true for us today, as well, at least here in America, because so much of the church today has gone the way of the world in order to please the world, which is why so many of today’s church leaders are opposed to the gospel as taught by the apostles, because it is judgmental and offensive to them. They prefer messages which tickle itching ears and that are pleasing to the flesh of humans. So, they will also reject and turn away those who hold to the truths of scripture and who teach the unadulterated word of God.

The Parable

And He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to vine-growers, and went on a journey for a long time. At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, so that they would give him some of the produce of the vineyard; but the vine-growers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. And he proceeded to send another slave; and they beat him also and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed. And he proceeded to send a third; and this one also they wounded and cast out. The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ But when the vine-growers saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him so that 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 destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others.”

In terms of Jesus’ day, the vineyard was God’s people, the Jewish nation. The vine-growers were the leaders of the people, i.e. the priests, scribes, and elders, et al. They were put in charge of caring for God’s people. The slaves/servants were the prophets, including John the Baptist. And, the son was Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ was accusing these leaders and their predecessors of having persecuted and murdered some of the prophets, and of also killing the Son, though that was yet to take place. Yet, they were already plotting against Jesus, and they hated him, so in God’s eyes they had already committed murder in their hearts. He was also charging them with having not produced anything in the way of spiritual fruit for their labor, as well as he accused them of jealousy against the Son and of trying to steal the inheritance for themselves. So, God judged the Jewish nation, and they are no longer his chosen people. He sent his gospel out to the Gentiles so they could be saved. Now the people of God are those who believe in the Son, Jesus Christ, whether Jew or Gentile by birth.

I do believe, though, that this also has an application to the church today. The church is now the vineyard, and pastors, elders and teachers of the Word are the vine-growers, as well as all the church as a whole has been given the responsibility for the nurturing and spiritual growth of the church, for we all form one body, and we each have a part. The slaves/servants are those who have been gifted and called of the Lord to see the spiritual condition of the church and to call the church to repent of her sinful ways, i.e. of her spiritual adultery, and to call her to turn back to following her Lord with wholehearted devotion. I don’t know how many people have been called to this ministry, and I don’t know how many have been faced with persecution and rejection from the church and from church leaders as a result of the servants’ obedience to their Lord, but I do know this exists. Yet, on a larger scale, I believe that all who are truly the Lord’s servants in sharing the gospel of our salvation will be persecuted, and even from within the worldly church.

I also believe that scripture teaches that one day God will judge his adulterous and idolatrous church (See Rev. 2-3), before Jesus returns, in order to purify his bride and to make her ready to meet her husband, Jesus Christ. I believe that at this time the church will be revived, and the gospel will go forth unlike any other time in recent history and that many people from all over the world will flock to Jesus Christ and will be saved. In this judgment God will remove from his church these leaders who have led his people astray and who have rejected his servants who brought to them the unadulterated word of God.

The Chief Cornerstone

When they heard it, they said, “May it never be!” But Jesus looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

‘The stone which the builders rejected,

This became the chief corner stone’?

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”

Jesus Christ was rejected by the Jewish nation, as whole, and he was rejected by their leadership. He is the stone the builders rejected. He is also being rejected by many church leaders and church members today who are rejecting his gospel in favor of a gospel of human-origin, and who are following the teachings of humans, instead. Yet, he is the chief cornerstone of God’s building, his church. He is our foundation and our support, and he is main component of our Christian faith and practice for he is the one who gave his life for us so we could be set free from sin and so we could have eternal life with God. And, he is the one who lives within us, his followers, and who leads, guides and directs us into all truth.

Falling on him, I believe, involves us willingly dying with Christ to our old lives of living for sin and self, thus becoming broken and contrite in spirit before him. Our selfish wills now are broken, and Christ has now become our lives. We now walk in the Spirit and not according to the flesh, to gratify our sinful desires. Our desire is now for Jesus, to please him in all that we do and say. Yet, if we do not humble ourselves before God, and we do not repent of our sins, and we do not choose to follow our Lord Jesus Christ in surrender and obedience to him and to his will for our lives, but we choose to go our own selfish ways, then we will be judged by God. So, we have a choice. We can choose to die with Christ to our old lives of sin and then walk daily in his righteousness and holiness, all in the power of the Spirit within us, or we can choose to reject him and to go our own way. One choice brings us spiritual life. The other brings spiritual death. I pray we all choose life.

To Be Like Him / An Original Work

March 16, 2014 / Based off Scripture

Crucified you are with Jesus.

To be like Him, oh, you’ll be,

Because He died at Calv’ry,

So from sin you’d be free.

Oh, what joy He brings into your life,

Giving life with Him endlessly.

Oh, what plans He has for your life.

Share the gospel faithfully.

Show the people He loves them.

Now His witness you’ll be.

Tell the world of sin about Jesus,

How He died for them on a tree.

Purifying hearts, He saves them,

Who believe on Christ, God’s Son.

Turning now from their idols,

New lives they have begun.

Jesus saves from sin; we’re forgiven.

Over sin, the vict’ry He won!

When He comes again to take us

To be with Him evermore,

There will be no more crying.

Gladness will be in store.

Heavens joys will now overtake us:

We’ll be with our Lord evermore.

https://vimeo.com/89237609

http://originalworks.info/to-be-like-him/

The Ways of Man

Tuesday, March 3, 2015, 1:44 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “The Heart of Man.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Luke 19:45-48 (ESV).

A Den of Robbers

And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”

A den is a home for animals, a room in someone’s house, or it is a hideout (secret place), in this case for robbers. A robber is a thief, i.e. “one that steals especially stealthily or secretly” (Merriam-Webster). A secret is something that is hidden from sight, with the purpose and intent to prevent others from discovering the secret. And, to steal is “to take the property of another wrongfully and especially as a habitual or regular practice” (M-W).

Rather than go into detail as to the historical significance of what actually took place at the time period in which Jesus cleared the temple of these robbers, I believe the Lord would have me look at how his temple today - his church - has become “a den of robbers.” It has become a home (a hideout) for false teachers (wolves in sheep’s clothing) who have invaded the church stealthily through the use of lies, manipulations, deception and trickery. They steal the word of truth from the people, their money, and their dedication and loyalty via false pretenses and manipulations of truth. They masquerade as angels of light but underneath they are vicious wolves full of wicked schemes and deceit.

The people that Jesus Christ drove out of the temple were those who sold, i.e. they were merchants, but they were also those who took advantage of people. A merchant is a business person who is in the business of buying and selling. We have people in our churches today who also fit this description. Many of them are called “pastors” or “elders” or “deacons.” They run the church just like it was any other man-made business. In order for them to sell their man-made services and products, they must market them to their targeted audience, which is usually the people of this world, i.e. the unchurched.

A few years ago I went back to work after having been a stay-at-home mom for many years. I was thrust immediately into the field of marketing and sales, though I had no previous experience in that field. My expertise was in the area of secretarial work (administrative assistant), and so I ended up in a job working for a company which sells computers, as a temporary employee, followed by working for a real estate agent, as her personal assistant. I did much work for both of these employers in the area of advertising and marketing of their products, but it was a learn-as-I-go job experience.

A few years after that I returned to college and finished the necessary course requirements to get an Entrepreneur Certificate, just a couple of classes shy of an associate degree in business, so I do know a little bit about what I am talking about. Plus I have been in church ministry most all my life, and I have witnessed the change in direction a large percentage of today’s church has taken, which is away from the foundations of scripture to following after humanistic philosophy for how to grow their churches. My husband and I were also church planters twice, so we went through the training and learned a lot of the tricks of the trade, so I know of which I speak from personal experience and training, as well.

In order to sell the church to the people of the world, the “merchants,” i.e. the church leadership has resorted to following the direction and leadership of master marketers who teach them what they need to do in order to attract large audiences (customers) to their churches. I have personally witnessed much in the way of lies, deception, manipulations of people’s emotions and manipulations of truth; and using people and then tossing them to the curb, targeting only certain people groups, and purposefully avoiding and casting aside those they don’t want, including those who follow the unadulterated word of God. Since the world is their targeted audience, they do what will attract the world to their meetings, which means they must dilute the gospel message to make it more appealing to the world and less offensive, and they must focus much time, money and attention on entertainment.

They teach a cheapened version of God’s grace which is much like teaching free license to continue in willful sin against God, free from guilt or remorse. Many of them teach that we don’t have to repent of our sins to be saved and that God requires nothing of us – no obedience, no surrender of our wills, no submission to his plans and purposes for our lives. All we have to do is “believe,” yet that is not really ever explained but rather gives the impression it is some emotional experience or an intellectual assent to the fact that we are sinners in need of a Savior and that Jesus died for our sins and that he wants to forgive us our sins and to give us eternal life with him. But, they don’t teach that to “believe” means we have to die with Christ to our old lives of living for sin and self, that we must allow the Spirit of God to transform us in mind and heart away from sin and to following Christ in obedience, and that we are to now walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness in the power of the Spirit within us. They don’t teach this because it would offend people.

They give the impression that they walk in freedom because they have pulled away from legalism, and because they market themselves as “authentic.” But, they have just traded one form of human-based religion for another. They are still following rules made up by humans. Many are still bound to traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. They put the teachings of humans above the Word of Truth when the Word of God conflicts with their human goals and objectives. Movies have replaced scripture as have books written by mere human beings, in many cases. The Big Show has replaced true worship, and instead of the church meetings being about the Body of Christ encouraging and strengthening one another in the faith so they can go out into the world with the gospel, the world has been brought into the church and the meetings are largely targeted towards making the world feel “at home” so they will want to come back.

One day Jesus is going to cleanse his temple again, and he is going to drive out these business people, i.e. these marketers (merchants) so that his house can once again be a house of prayer (See Rev. 2-3).

Seeking To Destroy

And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.

Satan is the author of all this human-based religion which seeks to win the approval of humans over the approval of God, and that seeks to please humans over seeking to please God, and that honors human beings above giving honor, respect and reverence to God. Satan is thus the one truly seeking to destroy the Body of Christ, his church, and he uses human instruments to do his dirty work. His goal is to destroy the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and to disenfranchise all “those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (See Rev. 12:17; 20:4). He has been somewhat successful, too, in discrediting both the gospel, as taught by the apostles, and those who still teach it, so that many who call themselves Christians are really following after a lie and not the truth.

So, Jesus is calling his church to wake up, to repent of her sins of idolatry and spiritual adultery, and to return to her “first love,” and to follow him in obedience and surrender to his will and to his purposes for his church, his bride, and to stop following after humans.

The Heart of Man / An Original Work / April 4, 2012

Based off Matt. 15:1-20; Mk. 7:1-23

Listen to me ev’ryone and

Understand this teaching of Christ:

Why do you break the commands

Of God for the sake of tradition?

When you follow the ways of man,

And don’t obey the words of Christ,

You nullify the words of God,

And you hold to the ways of man.

What comes out of a man’s mouth is

What makes him unclean and dirty.

The things that come out of the mouth

Come from the heart, from within him.

The heart of man is so sinful;

From his nature, out comes evil:

Lying, cursing, greed and malice,

Lust and lewdness, deceit, slander.

Jesus calls us to obey him;

Turn from our sins; follow His ways.

Yet, his people honor him with their lips,

but their hearts not with Him.

Their worship of God is in vain.

Their teachings are rules taught by man.

Jesus calls us; gently leads us

To return and follow His truth.

http://originalworks.info/the-heart-of-man/

Stones Would Cry Out

Monday, March 2, 2015, 7:15 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “My Sheep.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Luke 19:28-44 (ESV).

Go and Do

And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.”

If we are the Lord’s disciples we will listen to him and we will do what he says, even if it doesn’t make sense according to our human logic and reasoning. Notice Jesus did not give a full explanation as to why he needed the colt, so the disciples could have questioned his logic, and they could have felt the need to know what he needed it for before they agreed to do what he said. Notice also that the disciples didn’t appear to question this request at all. They didn’t seem to hesitate nor did they seem reserved at all about doing what Jesus asked them to do. It appears they trusted him fully, and that following him in obedience far outweighed any concerns they might have had. We do not have a record, at least, that they had any discussions about this among themselves, showing fear of what others might think of them, or wondering what would happen if things didn’t happen the way Jesus said.

They did, nonetheless, have the advantage of having Jesus with them in person, so they literally could hear with their physical ears the words Jesus spoke to them. We do, though, have Jesus’ words, too, as have been recorded for us in the books of the Bible. And, as his followers we are to also do what he says for us to do without hesitation and without fear of what others might think of us. What we know of Jesus’ revealed will for us found in scripture we should do. When he says “go” we should go. When he says to speak we should speak. We should do all of what he taught us to do, and what his apostles taught us to do. We may need someone to help us understand some of these teachings sometimes, and/or we may need to do some careful study of scripture to make certain we are handling the word of God correctly, but then we should do what we know his word says.

We have also been given the Holy Spirit within us to teach us all things about Jesus and about his will for our lives. For instance, my name is not mentioned in scripture, so there are no specific instructions for me there that are not the same as the ones for all of Christ’s followers. Yet scripture teaches us that we all have been given spiritual gifts of the Spirit of God and that the Holy Spirit has assigned each one of us parts within the body which we are to fulfill. So, these must be spiritually discerned. So, we need sensitivity to hear the voice of the Spirit within us and to know it is his voice speaking to us. So, this also involves testing the spirits against the word of truth, and against what we know of God and of his divine character, will and purpose for us in order to make certain that we are hearing our Lord correctly, and that we are not being led astray by deceiving spirits. Yet, we should not allow this need for discernment to make us afraid of the Spirit’s voice to us nor afraid to step out in faith and in obedience to what he directs, guides and empowers us to do.

Jesus had need of the colt, he asked his disciples to get it for him, and they did what he said.

If These Were Silent

And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

In Matthew’s gospel we are given this additional information:

“This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

‘Say to the daughter of Zion,

“Behold, your king is coming to you,

    humble, and mounted on a donkey,

    on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.”’”

I believe all this took place the beginning of the week of Jesus’ crucifixion. The purpose of all of this appears to be that Jesus was announcing to the Jews that he was their promised Messiah and that his kingdom had come. He rode on a donkey to show his humility. Jesus’ disciples loudly announced the arrival of their Messiah and King, but he was no ordinary king, and his kingdom was not like any earthly kingdom. His was a kingdom not of this earth, and his crown was not the crown of any human king. His was a crown of thorns. His robe was given in mockery and with people spitting on him. All of his followers eventually deserted him, one denied him strongly and another betrayed him. His kingdom rule and reign came via his death on a cross where he was hung to die as though he was a common criminal and via his resurrection back to life in which he conquered death, hell, Satan and sin on our behalf. So, riding on a donkey was very fitting for announcing his kingdom.

We, as Jesus’ followers today, are also called to announce his kingdom, to give him praise and honor, and to publicly acclaim him for all the mighty things he has done for us on our behalf. We are to announce to the world the wonders of his mighty salvation and to call people to repentance and to faith in Jesus Christ. We are to make disciples of Jesus Christ of people of all nations, baptizing and teaching them to obey all that Jesus has commanded us. We are to be his witnesses throughout the earth in telling people what Jesus Christ did in dying on the cross for our sins so that we could be free from the penalty of sin, and so we could be free from slavery to sin, as well as free to walk daily in Christ’s righteousness and holiness. We are to tell them, as well, that faith in Jesus Christ means dying with Christ to our old lives of living for sin and self, being resurrected with Christ to new lives in Christ, and to walking and living in victory over sin since Jesus has conquered sin for us.

Yet, we will also be faced with those who will criticize us and who will try to hush us and will want us to stop speaking in the name of Jesus Christ, particularly if we are sharing the truth of the gospel in calling people to turn from their sins and to walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness. Yet, we should obey God rather than humans, and we should not be silent or the rocks will have to cry out. We should never give in to intimidation of humans or be frightened by rejection and persecution, but we should be strong in the Lord and we should persevere in our faith and in giving testimony to God’s saving grace in our lives.

Would That You

And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Not everyone will have faith. Many will reject the message of the gospel. Many who had once followed Jesus found his message to be too hard to follow, and so those who were not willing to go the distance with him deserted him, never to return. Many people today like the light and fluffy and feel-good messages that do not confront them with sin, and that require nothing of them in the way of holy living and following Jesus in obedience. They don’t like the hard truths of the gospel message, and so they reject it in favor of what makes them feel good. So, they will never know true peace, because they will not be at peace with God, because they continue to operate in the flesh of man, and they refuse to submit to the cross and to surrender their wills to the will of God for their lives. And, so their eyes are blinded to the truth. And, this should cause us to weep, too.

One day God will judge all people for what they did with Jesus Christ. If you have bought into the lies of Satan and have preferred a gospel message which requires nothing of you in the way of repentance, obedience, submission and holy living, then you must answer for that before God, and you may be in danger of hearing, “I never knew you. Depart from me.”

Jesus said that if we want to come after him, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow him (obey him). He said if we hold on to our old lives of living for sin and self we will lose them for eternity, but if we lose our lives for his sake, then we will gain eternal life (See Lu. 9:23-25). He also said that his sheep know him, they listen to him and they follow (obey) him (See Jn. 10). So, I pray today that you will be one of his true sheep, and that you will listen to his voice speaking his truth to your hearts, and that you will follow him in obedience.

My Sheep / An Original Work / June 24, 2012

Based off John 10:1-18 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.

They listen to my voice and obey.

I call them and lead them.

They know my voice, so they follow me.

They will never follow strangers.

They will run away from them.

The voice of a stranger they know not;

They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that

I am the gate, so you enter in.

Whoever does enter

Will find forgiveness and will be saved.

Nonetheless whoever enters

Not by the gate; other way,

He is the thief and a robber.

Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,

Who laid his own life down for the sheep.

I know them. They know me.

They will live with me eternally.

The thief only comes to steal and

Kill and to destroy the church.

I have come to give you life that

You may have it to the full…

They know my voice, so they follow me.

http://originalworks.info/my-sheep/

https://vimeo.com/114938263

Put Them To Work

Saturday, February 28, 2015, 7:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Your New Life.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Luke 19:11-27 (NASB).

Until He Returns

While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. So He said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back.’

Jesus Christ, God the Son, left his throne in heaven, came to earth and took on human flesh. He lived on the earth as fully God yet fully man. He is the embodiment of the kingdom of God, so while he walked the face of the earth, the kingdom of God was among the people, though many did not recognize him for who he is.

During his earthly ministry he healed the sick, raised the dead, comforted the sorrowful, and delivered people from evil spirits. He preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins, forgave people their sins, and he called people to deny themselves, die daily to sin and self, and to follow him in obedience and in surrender to his will for their lives.

At the beginning of his ministry on earth he called twelve disciples to himself who were to follow him in ministry. They were his closest companions on the earth. They went with him nearly everywhere he went, and they joined him in preaching the gospel of salvation, in healing the sick, raising the dead, in delivering people from demons, and in comforting the sorrowful. Yet, they were not his only disciples (followers).

Jesus gave many instructions to his disciples which they were to follow, and most of which also apply to us, his disciples. Many of those teachings were repeated by the writers of the New Testament. We are to follow those instructions (teachings/commands) until Jesus returns.

We are to live and walk in the Spirit and not gratify the sinful desires of our flesh. We are to live and walk in the Light and to be the light to the world around us. We are to go out into the world and to make disciples of Jesus of the people of this world, baptizing and teaching them to obey Jesus’ commandments. We are each given spiritual gifts which we are to use for God’s glory and for the encouragement and strengthening of the body of Christ. We have each been given an assignment of the Spirit within the body of Christ, too. We have been given natural gifts and abilities, as well, and we have been given people in our lives for whom we are to care and to minister to their needs. We are to put these gifts and spiritual assignments to work in our lives (do business with these) until Jesus returns.

They Hated Him

But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’

Though Jesus was loved by some, he was hated by many. They did not want him as their King. The leaders of the Jewish temple of that time were jealous of Jesus, and they resented him because he claimed to be God and their promised Messiah. They did not like it, as well, that he confronted them with their sins and that he called them out for being hypocrites. So, they plotted how they might bring him to ruin. Eventually they had him falsely arrested on trumped up charges and they hung him on a cross to die, as though he was a common criminal. Yet, this was in God’s plan and design that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, should suffer and die on the cross for our sins so that any who would believe in him might not perish but might have everlasting life (See Jn. 3:16).

Faithful Servants

When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done. The first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.’ The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, master, has made five minas.’ And he said to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’

Although I believe these words of Jesus allude to when he returns for his bride, and when we go to be with him, and we receive our heavenly rewards, the context also indicates that there was some continuance of ministry and giftedness, so I imagine this also speaks to our lives and ministry while we are still here on this earth. The Biblical principle that I believe is being taught here is that God gives each of us natural abilities and talents, spiritual gifts and assignments within the body of Christ, i.e. our roles (parts) within the body which we are to fulfill. If we are faithful in using what God has given to us for his glory, and in obedience to his personal direction and leading in our lives, then he will give us more.

Unfaithful Servants

Another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’ He *said to him, ‘By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?’

Then he said to the bystanders, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas already.’ I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.”

Yet, if we are unfaithful in fulfilling what God has purposed for us even before we were formed in the wombs of our mothers, what we have been given may be taken away from us and given to someone else who will use what God has given to them for his purposes, and for his glory, and to fulfill the great commission to go and to make disciples of Jesus of peoples of all nations. I can tell you from personal experience that there is no greater joy than to be right in the center of God’s will, doing exactly what you know he has called you to do, no matter how hard it may get, and even in the face of much opposition. And, I can tell you that there is no greater sorrow than to be out of God’s will doing what we want to do, going our own way and resisting God instead of resisting Satan. So, I pray that all who are reading this today will say “Yes” to following Jesus wherever he leads you from this moment on, and that you will be a faithful servant who will bear fruit for God’s kingdom.

Your New Life / An Original Work

Based off the Gospels / May 15, 2014

Go and make disciples of peoples,

Teaching them to obey their Savior.

Do not fear, but go where He sends you.

Tell them all of what you have heard.

The kingdom of God now is upon you.

Come, and follow Jesus, your Lord.

He will make you fishers of man.

If the people Jesus desire,

They must die to sin and to self-life.

If they want to hold on to their lives

They will lose them forevermore.

Surely you heard that coming to Christ

Means a new life in Jesus, your Lord.

Follow Christ wherever He leads.

Love the Lord with all of your heart, and

Love your neighbors as you would yourself.

Preach the gospel to all the nations.

Do not worry what you will say.

Proclaim the freedom for all the captives.

Share the light with all who are blind.

You are ministers of our God.

https://vimeo.com/95450440

http://originalworks.info/your-new-life/