Month: April 2012

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: “There was  in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary. And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ” Then Lord said, “hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:1-8)

I can’t help but think every time I read this passage, that the Lord has something to say to us, Let me explain. Prayer is a common theme in the NT but it’s the attitude in our prayer, and to Whom our prayers are addressed to, where our faith lies. I believe this where Jesus is leading for us to examine ourselves. The judge is not given as a symbol of God but rather in contrast to Him. If such an unjust man would respond to persistent pleas, would not God, who is not only just, but also loving and merciful, do so more readily? Weary me – – – Litterily ” hit under the eye.” What the judge would not do out of compassion for the widow or reverence for God, he would do out of sheer frustration with her incessant pleading. Hear what the unjust judge says – – – Listen to the point of the story! Namely that God, who always does what is right and is filled with compassion for believers who suffer, will certainly respond to His beloved ones who cry for His help (v.7). He may delay long, but He does so for good reason for He is sovereign in all His ways, and when He acts, His vengeance is swift. Will He really find faith – – – This suggests that when He returns, the true faith He is looking for in man will be comparatively rare, as in the days of Noah (Luke 17:26), when only 8 souls were saved. The period before His return will be marked by persecution, apostasy (a falling away from faith) and unbelief (Matthew 24:9).

Dear friend, There are signs all around us that our world today is becoming much like when the Lord said He will return, But the good news is, God is still compassionate, and does not want any to perish in their sins, but come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). So stay encouraged, keep praying for others to come to know Him, your faith will be strengthened and be rewarded one day, if you persevere.

May the Lord bless your walk today!

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:3-6)

In His providential grace, God has already given believer’s total blessings which are in Christ to be ours now in this earthly life. What is required of us faith to believe, in it’s practical application. Let me explain. The same Greek word rendered here “heavenly places” , can be translated “heavenly Things”. Jesus, gave this analogy to Nicodemus, who had asked, “How can these things be?”  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? Jesus focused on the unbelief that was in the heart of Nicodemus, failure to understand Jesus’ words centered not so much in his intellect, but rather his failure to believe Jesus words: Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  In both of these references the word signifies that which is heavenly as contrary to that which is earthly.

The apostle Paul wrote: The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together (Romans 8:16-17). The Christian saint is a heavenly person, who is to be more at home in heaven, and is a stranger and pilgrim on earth. When examined through the eyes of faith, this is what the Scriptures reveal to us who believe, and are born again. Paul also wrote; For our citizenship is heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His gloriuous body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (Philippians 3:20-21)

Dear Friend, Stay encouraged by the revealed truth of the gospel, God has guaranteed our salvation through the person of Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, through faith in Him, and believing in His Word, we are citizens of His kingdom. Walk in this world, no more in doubt or disbelief, the victory is already won!

May the Lord bless your walk.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

God who is our ultimate source for true comfort by His grace and mercy, is being praised by Paul who revealed Himself through His Son Jesus Christ. The Greek word for “comfort” is related to the familiar word paraclete, “One who comes alongside to help,” which is another name for the Holy Spirit. “Comfort” often connotes  softness  and ease, but that is not the meaning here. Paul’s praise was came from a grateful heart saying,  that God came to him in the middle of his sufferings and troubles to strengthen him and give him courage and boldness. Tribulation – Paul through his ministry became familiar with tribulation which means – crushing pressure. Throughout his life and ministry there was always something attempting to weaken him, restrict him, or confine his ministry efforts, even to the point of crushing pain to snuff out his life. But no matter what he had confronting him, Paul knew God would sustain him and strengthen him. Through God’s Holy Spirit, comes comfort and strength. Comfort from God enables believer’s to be used to comfort others when they are going through trials and times of testings. God’s comfort to believer’s extends to the boundaries of their sufferings for Christ. The more they endured righteous suffering, the greater the comfort they will experience, and will be given a future reward.

Beloved friend, times of trial and testing come to all who are in Christ, but the God of all comfort doesn’t leave us there to face it alone, He is always with you and His promise to you, My grace is sufficient for thee,  for My strength is made perfect in weakness. This enabled Paul to proclaim, Most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me (2 Corinthians 12 :9).

May the Lord bless your walk!

When they had come, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; (without partiality) for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Shall we pay or shall we not pay? But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.” So they brought it. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”  They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”  (Mark 12:13-17).

What makes this question even more intriguing is that it came from two opposing groups who had come together to test Jesus. The Pharisees were experts of Jewish religious tradition and resented Roman rule with its pagan idolatry and confession of Caesar as lord. They resented even more the idolatrous inscription on Roman coinage. So when the Pharisees asked Jesus whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, they had a mutual agenda against Christ. If He said that Jews should pay taxes to a caesar who was the focus of the Imperialist government, they would accuse Him of supporting Roman values and blasphemy. The Herodians on the other hand, brought another view point, an angle to the question. They focused on the political rather than the spiritual. They felt that the Jewish people should support the Roman appointed, and largely non-jewish Herodian dynasty, over which came sensual pleasures of Rome. The Herodians therefore, would accuse Jesus of treason if He said that the Jews should not pay taxes. Jesus showed how the people of God can live out their duel citizenship, instead of choosing between God and Caesar, He acknowledged Caesar’s rightful role as governor under the higher rule of God. Caesar was indeed owed taxes, But God alone deserved all worship and ultimate loyalty.

Beloved friend, Tax season has just ended, yet, for some it still continues. If your a Christian, don’t feel ashamed or angry because you still owe, Let God get all the glory, with  a heart that’s bowed to Him alone, and ask for His help to pay what you owe. Obedience to the governing laws is part of the Christian’s duties to remain loyal to a higher authority. An authority that has its kingdom not from this world. Which is your inheritance!

May the Lord bless your walk!

The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the wilderness where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a man caries his son, in all the way that you went until you came to this place. Yet, for all that, you did not believe the Lord your God, who went in the way before you to search out a place for you to pitch your tents, to show you the way you should go, in the fire by night and in the cloud by day.  Deuteronomy 1:30-33

The failure to take the land by the Israelites at the beginning of their journey in the wilderness was explained here in this text. Israel did not take the Lord at His Word and, therefore, did not obey His command. The Israelites lack of obedience and unbelief led to thier wandering and prevented their trusting the Lord who told them He went before them. The cloud by day and the fire by night were the means of God’s direction for Israel in the wilderness. And the same God who went before them and had already searched out a place for them in the Land. His promise was to never leave them nor forsake them.

Jesus made a similiar promise in the NT Book of John, “Let not your hearts be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; (literally dwelling places)—if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” (John 14:1-4)  His departure was to go (before us) and prepare a heavenly home for us, and His promise was to return for us to take us back with Him, to be with our Lord and Savior forever.

Dear Christian friend, Our God of the Old Testament is the same God in the New Testament. He still goes before us. And His promises to us are always, yes, and amen. But our response must be in faith, and to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, that we may be saved. Let us not be like the Israelites of old, whose lack of belief caused the wandering of countless families not be able to cross over into the promised land.

May the Lord bless your walk!

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:24-26)

Full Surrender: It is what Jesus was demanding of His followers, a total commitment from them—even unto physical death. And this is what Jesus requires of us too. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:6-7). A genuine Christian walks habitually in the light (truth and holiness), not in darkness (falsehood and sin). And it’s through the cross, that reminder of what my sins has cost My Lord and Savior, that He tells me to consider this to be death to my sinful flesh, and through the help of His Spirit that now dwells in me, deny myself and follow Him. There are plenty of examples of people who have started out saying yes to Christ’s invitation, and never finished their commitment. The cares of this life, the deceitfulness of riches, the pride that comes from all of this world offers has been enough to lead men astray from the path of righteousness.

Dear Friend, The Christian has no rights in this world, what I mean is your commitment to Jesus must be all or nothing. You do have a right to tell others the truth about God, and His love for them in sending Christ to die for us. The cost is great because of persecution but the cause of someone receiving salvation through your testimony is even greater. With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; With the pure You will show Yourself pure;  And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd. For You will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty (prideful) looks (Psalm 18: 25-27).

May the Lord bless your walk!

 

 

Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand  here, and put it into My side, Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and My God!.” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed, ‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:24-29)

Since the Jewish authorities had executed their leader, the disciples of Christ were afraid that their fate could be that of Jesus. Thomas, has for centuries been portrayed as loyal but pessimistic, and Jesus here in our text does not rebuke him for it. Instead He compassionately meets him at the point of his weakness. Thomas’ actions would seem that Jesus actually had to force the disciples into believing by offering proof of His resurrected body. The real point is that Jesus, did not want Thomas to remain undecided, but rather He knew already what would be his response, so what ever was necessary in this case, the invitation to put his finger into His nail print hands and to have Thomas put his finger into His side. The response, what God would want all of us to reply, “My Lord and My God!” With these words Thomas declared his firm belief in the resurrection and therefore, the deity of Jesus the Messiah and Son of God (Titus 2:13). Jesus also foresaw the time when such tangible evidence as Thomas received would not be availiable. After His permanent resurrection to His Father, all those who believe would do so without the benefit of seeing the resurrected Lord. The Bible says that we must walk by faith, and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) and Jesus declares here a special blessing to those who do.

Dear friend, The Bible talks alot about faith, which is extremely important for us as believer’s in our walk, So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17)

May the Lord bless you this day!

Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain women with them, came to the tomb bringing spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in but did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shinning garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ” (Luke 24:1-7)

The glorious account of our risen Lord, Jesus Christ, is the most profound truth of all of the Bible’s prophecies. In this account in Luke, His body is not found where it was placed only three days earlier, yet, just as the other accounts in Matthew, Mark, and John, all give the main reason, remember how He spoke . . . Jesus prepared His disciples for His departure not wanting any of them to lose hope. The hope of the gospel for all of mankind is placed in the resurrection of Christ. We have forgiveness of our sins through the cross of Christ, His blood shed was for remission of sins we have committed against a holy God. His resurrection, brings to us eternal life as He, Jesus, conquer’s death our greatest enemy by rising from the dead. Christ’s death fulfills God’s will – Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin, You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come– In the volume of the book it is written of Me– To do Your will, O God.’ ” (Hebrews 10 :5-7)

Dear friend, The church, the body of Christ, celebrates the resurrection of Christ this day, as a day God has triumphed over evil. As a day that God said would happen, and it happened just as He said. Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, loved us so much, that He died for us! Go out today and celebrate with much joy with your family and friends the goodness of God today!

May the Lord bless your walk today!

And He, bearing His cross, went out to the place called the Place of the Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write , ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.”  Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”  (John 19:17-21)

The custom in the time of Roman executions was to place a placard or tablet around the neck of the victim as he made his way to execution. The tablet would then be nailed to the victim’s cross. Pilate used this opportunity to declare what his own findings were when he interviewed Jesus himself, and showed his own mocking revenge on the Jews who had instigated his use of authority by their mob mentality of demanding crucifixion. The cross was carried on Jesus’ shoulders to the place of execution, Jesus carried it as far as the city gate, but due to the effects of His previous brutal beating, someone else had to carry it for Him; Simon of Cyrene (Matthew 27:32). Jesus beared His cross to give us forgiveness of our sins. He endured the scorn and shame of a condemned sinner who willingly went to His death so we would not have to be judged for our sins. Now, If you by faith have received this gift of salvation, can have everlasting life with God the Father and be apart of His eternal kingdom.

Dear friend, One thing the Lord does require of us is to deny ourselves and take up the cross. The Lord’s cross is our separation from this world, and be conformed to His life of righteousness and sanctification and love.

May the Lord bless your walk!

Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?” They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have  delivered Him up to you.” Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.

What accusation – This question formally opened the Roman civil phase of proceedings against Jesus, the fact that Roman troops were used at Jesus arrest proves that the Jewish authoritities had Pilate informed about this beforehand. Although they most likely had expected Pilate to confirm their judgment against Jesus and order His death sentence, Pilate instead ordered a new hearing in his presence. It is a gross indictment to call Jesus an evildoer. Yet, the twisted lying and false accusations is what was predicted by the Lord, yet, He determined to go to Jerusalem which is where he was arrested. Capital punishment was the most jealously guarded of all the attributes in Roman provincial administration. The fact that Jesus foretold that He would die by being “lifted up “ And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” This He said, signifying by what death He would die (John 12:32-33). If the Jews were allowed to execute Him, it would have been by throwing Him down and stoning Him. But God providentially, sovereignly controlled all the political procedures to assure that when sentence was finally passed, it would be by crucifixion at the hands of the Romans. Jesus makes a statement to Pilate, “You rightly say that I am a King. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should be bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” (v.37)

Dear beloved friend, Jesus wants us all to hear His voice. And we can when we take His Word, the Bible, as the inerrant Word of God. We are to take His claim to be our King seriously, and see His first coming as His first advent in all humilty And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8). His second coming, will be that of a conquering King (Revelation 19:11-16).

May the Lord bless your walk!