Sunday, October 14, 2012
Can Anything Good Come Out of It?
Many times while we are right in the midst of our trials and troubles, we often wonder "can anything good come out of these hardships that I am in?" Do we look too much at the trials and storms rather than to the one who may be sending the storms as well as the end result of these storms? Too often we do.
The bible says in Romans 8:28 ...that all things work together for good to them that love God...
So why do we forget this scripture during our hardships? It is because we look on the here and now and not to the future of these present events.
The town of Nazareth was not a well known town in Jesus' day. Sometimes strangers traveling on the highways of that time passed by Nazareth never even knowing that it was there. Throughout the history of the Old Testament, nothing significant took place at Nazareth to make mention of. Wars and battles took place all around surrounding areas of Nazareth. No one famous or of royalty status came from Nazareth.
Phillip, after having spoken with Jesus, told Nathaniel that they have found him, of whom Moses, in the law, and the prophets did write about, meaning Jesus of Nazareth. Nathaniel said to Phillip, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?"
Maybe nothing good would ever come out of Nazareth. But Jesus was in Nazareth and he is the epitome of good.
Is Jesus in our storms and hardships? Or do we have him sitting on the banks of our raging seas? If Jesus is a part of all of our storms, then something good will come out of all of our troubles and trials.
Did something good come out of Elijah's dilemma with Jezebel or in his confrontation with the sons of Baal? Yes. He was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire.
Did something good come out of Rahab the harlot's confrontation with the messengers sent by Joshua? Yes. She and her household was saved at the destruction of Jericho.
Did something good come out of all of the assumed ridicule and degrading that Noah received during the building of the ark? Yes. Only he and his family were saved from the flood.
Did something good come out of Joseph being imprisoned and forgotten for years after being sold as a slave? Yes. He came to be second in command under Pharaoh of Egypt and in charge of everything.
Did something good come out of Lazarus' death? Yes. He was raised from the dead by Jesus.
Did something good come out of the ten lepers being afflicted with leprosy? Yes. Jesus healed them.
Did something good come out of the lame man at the pool of Bethesda? Yes. Jesus healed him.
Did something good come out of blind Bartemaeus' condition? Yes. Jesus healed him, giving him sight.
Did something good come out of Peter's denying Jesus at his trial? Yes. At the summoning of the disciples, Jesus specifically asked for Peter. Peter was also given the keys to the kingdom of heaven. He was also the one to take the plan of salvation to the Jews, to the Samaritans and to the Gentiles. Peter also preached the first sermon on the day of Pentecost after Jesus' ascension to heaven.
Was Jesus involved in these cases mentioned? Yes he was. Is Jesus involved in your storms and trials? If he is, then something good will come out of them. What we must do to ensure a good ending to our storms, is to stay consistent with God. He has placed a call on each and every one of us and it is up to us to stay committed to his call on our lives. Then in due season we will see something good come out of all of our storms and trials and we will be able to look back on them with confidence in God, and know that when we face yet even more storms of life, that God will come through for us, as he always came through before.
September 21,1997
Naked I Came Into This World and Naked Shall I Leave, Amything Between These Two Events Is A Blessing
Just to have life itself, is a blessing. For before we are born and grow to an age of being aware of life, where our memory begins to retain information; we did not exist, but yet, we did not even know that we did not exist. To exist with a conscience and to be aware of our own well-being, is a blessing from God. To know that we are all created from a higher being, namely, God, just to live and breathe and have an existence here on Earth is a blessing beyond comprehension. To know our creator and to establish a personal relationship with him, not because we ‘have’ to, but because we want to, is a blessing; because that option is one of the many wonderful gifts to humanity from him. This option is called our power of choice, aka our will.
But in between the two events mentioned in the above title; which is also known as birth and death, there is a period of time for each person called life. Everything that happens between these two events should be considered by everyone as a blessing. Unfortunately, it is not deemed a blessing by everyone.
In Job 2:10, Job told his wife, ……What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?…..
Job had faced a terrible calamity when all of his livestock was taken from him in one day. This included even the sheep of his flock that was burned up when fire fell from heaven. But even worse than that; all of his children, which were all grown adults, were all gathered in one of his son’s houses, when a strong wind from the wilderness blew across and collapsed the house in on his kids and they all were killed. But even with all of this, the Bible says that Job did not sin with his lips; or in other words, with spoken words from his mouth.
Even though Job was devastated and grief-stricken at the loss of all of his children; he understood one thing. That we humans should not expect to receive good things only from God and never receive anything bad. Life is filled with happiness, but it also has a lot pain and sorrow twisted in between the happiness. Unfortunately many people see only the distorted twist of sorrow and barely, if at all, see any of the happiness in life. Job understood this as his calamity unfolded.
How are we going to react to the good and the bad that happens to us, in between the two events called birth and death? If we see only the good things as a blessing from God, and never see that even the hard times, the rough times, the pain and the sorrow, are also blessings in our lives; then how can we expect to reach a higher level of maturity and growth with God?
In Romans 8:28 it says, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
So if all things work together for good; then why do we see the pain and the hard times as anything less than a blessing? Why do we gripe and complain and display a bad attitude when we face tough times? Do we think God is going to remove these hard times from us if we pitch our fits and get mad and complain about them? No he won’t remove them; because our actions displayed, are revealing that within ourselves, we have not reached a victory and a higher level of maturity in God and gained more of his wisdom to see the hard times for what they really are, blessings.
In II Peter 3:9 it says, …..but is long-suffering to us-ward……
God is long-suffering toward us. He wants us to achieve a victory over tough times and gain wisdom and reach higher levels of maturity in him. So when we pitch our fits and get mad and blow-up in our less than pleasant times in our lives; all we are really doing, is prolonging the tough stuff, and agonizing ourselves with useless complaining that will never see us achieve the next level in God.
How can we expect to have tons of patience, if we are never faced with situations in life, that would require us to display the patience needed? We can only achieve patience when we are faced with problems, and when we pray to God for guidance and ask him in prayer for the patience needed to cope with whatever we are facing at the time. How can we have wisdom unless we ask for it? But even just asking won’t get us the wisdom we seek. God will always have a test or a trial or a storm for us to go through in order that we may gain the understanding as how to handle any situation that may arise.
We must have faith enough to believe God and his word. If he said it in his word, then we should be man enough or woman enough to accept it and believe it and know that God will NEVER go back on his word!
At a certain time, Jesus climbed into one of the disciples boats and they all joined him in the boat. He went to the back of the boat and laid down to sleep and rest. He told Peter and the disciples to set sail and go to the other side. There, he had some more ministry that he must do. But in the meanwhile as Jesus slept, a storm brewed up and the wind began to blow so strong that the disciples thought they would capsize. They became so afraid that they awoke Jesus from his rest. They cried out to Jesus “don’t you care that we perish?” But Jesus stood up and rebuked the wind and the waves and there came a calm over the sea. He asked them “why are you so fearful? Where is your faith?”
This storm could have been detrimental to anyone else that knew not God. But the disciples knew who he was; or at the least, they were beginning to realize who was amongst them. But what they didn’t seem to understand is, Jesus told them to go to the other side. He was on their boat! That in itself, was a blessing for them! But they did not fully comprehend right at that time, who really was on their boat.
If we are claiming to be true Christians that are baptized in Jesus name and have received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, then we need to realize that Jesus is on our boat! The boat in reference is life. He said he will never leave us nor forsake us.
So with Jesus on our boat in life, he knows what is best for us and he knows what the storms, the trials, the tests, and the hard times will do for our benefit. He knows how these tough times will aide us in our growth with God. It is up to us to see these hard times for what they really are; and that is blessings. Good times will bring us ease and enjoyment of pleasures from God for a season. But the bad times will bring us to a deeper place in prayer and they will cause us to see how much we need and depend on God for all things. Naked came I into this world and naked I shall leave this world. Anything I receive between these two events are blessings and nothing more.
7-8-12
But in between the two events mentioned in the above title; which is also known as birth and death, there is a period of time for each person called life. Everything that happens between these two events should be considered by everyone as a blessing. Unfortunately, it is not deemed a blessing by everyone.
In Job 2:10, Job told his wife, ……What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?…..
Job had faced a terrible calamity when all of his livestock was taken from him in one day. This included even the sheep of his flock that was burned up when fire fell from heaven. But even worse than that; all of his children, which were all grown adults, were all gathered in one of his son’s houses, when a strong wind from the wilderness blew across and collapsed the house in on his kids and they all were killed. But even with all of this, the Bible says that Job did not sin with his lips; or in other words, with spoken words from his mouth.
Even though Job was devastated and grief-stricken at the loss of all of his children; he understood one thing. That we humans should not expect to receive good things only from God and never receive anything bad. Life is filled with happiness, but it also has a lot pain and sorrow twisted in between the happiness. Unfortunately many people see only the distorted twist of sorrow and barely, if at all, see any of the happiness in life. Job understood this as his calamity unfolded.
How are we going to react to the good and the bad that happens to us, in between the two events called birth and death? If we see only the good things as a blessing from God, and never see that even the hard times, the rough times, the pain and the sorrow, are also blessings in our lives; then how can we expect to reach a higher level of maturity and growth with God?
In Romans 8:28 it says, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
So if all things work together for good; then why do we see the pain and the hard times as anything less than a blessing? Why do we gripe and complain and display a bad attitude when we face tough times? Do we think God is going to remove these hard times from us if we pitch our fits and get mad and complain about them? No he won’t remove them; because our actions displayed, are revealing that within ourselves, we have not reached a victory and a higher level of maturity in God and gained more of his wisdom to see the hard times for what they really are, blessings.
In II Peter 3:9 it says, …..but is long-suffering to us-ward……
God is long-suffering toward us. He wants us to achieve a victory over tough times and gain wisdom and reach higher levels of maturity in him. So when we pitch our fits and get mad and blow-up in our less than pleasant times in our lives; all we are really doing, is prolonging the tough stuff, and agonizing ourselves with useless complaining that will never see us achieve the next level in God.
How can we expect to have tons of patience, if we are never faced with situations in life, that would require us to display the patience needed? We can only achieve patience when we are faced with problems, and when we pray to God for guidance and ask him in prayer for the patience needed to cope with whatever we are facing at the time. How can we have wisdom unless we ask for it? But even just asking won’t get us the wisdom we seek. God will always have a test or a trial or a storm for us to go through in order that we may gain the understanding as how to handle any situation that may arise.
We must have faith enough to believe God and his word. If he said it in his word, then we should be man enough or woman enough to accept it and believe it and know that God will NEVER go back on his word!
At a certain time, Jesus climbed into one of the disciples boats and they all joined him in the boat. He went to the back of the boat and laid down to sleep and rest. He told Peter and the disciples to set sail and go to the other side. There, he had some more ministry that he must do. But in the meanwhile as Jesus slept, a storm brewed up and the wind began to blow so strong that the disciples thought they would capsize. They became so afraid that they awoke Jesus from his rest. They cried out to Jesus “don’t you care that we perish?” But Jesus stood up and rebuked the wind and the waves and there came a calm over the sea. He asked them “why are you so fearful? Where is your faith?”
This storm could have been detrimental to anyone else that knew not God. But the disciples knew who he was; or at the least, they were beginning to realize who was amongst them. But what they didn’t seem to understand is, Jesus told them to go to the other side. He was on their boat! That in itself, was a blessing for them! But they did not fully comprehend right at that time, who really was on their boat.
If we are claiming to be true Christians that are baptized in Jesus name and have received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, then we need to realize that Jesus is on our boat! The boat in reference is life. He said he will never leave us nor forsake us.
So with Jesus on our boat in life, he knows what is best for us and he knows what the storms, the trials, the tests, and the hard times will do for our benefit. He knows how these tough times will aide us in our growth with God. It is up to us to see these hard times for what they really are; and that is blessings. Good times will bring us ease and enjoyment of pleasures from God for a season. But the bad times will bring us to a deeper place in prayer and they will cause us to see how much we need and depend on God for all things. Naked came I into this world and naked I shall leave this world. Anything I receive between these two events are blessings and nothing more.
7-8-12
Just Because Everybody Is Doing It, Does Not Make It Okay
Just because more and more people are doing or saying “whatever” these days; doesn’t make it right, and it doesn’t give credence that these things are ok to do and say. Just because some people are, “coming out of their closet”, doesn’t mean that we as a society should just accept these things as being an “ok” lifestyle for whoever chooses it.
What is fundamentally, the foundations of all morals and values, based on the principles of the Holy Bible; has not changed and will not change all throughout the ages of time and humanity on this Earth. What was established as morally wrong and an “abomination” to God, is still as active and is still as much an abomination now, in these years of the 2000’s, as they were more than 2000 years ago, when they were established by God himself, through his word.
This generation of “tolerance”, have based their ideas, rituals, and preference of lifestyle, on “self-centered” greed. “Whatever I want, I get it; whatever I choose to do, I do it. Whatever you want to do, do it; as long as it doesn’t interfere with my life”. That’s tolerance. But just because society has become a “tolerant” society, doesn’t mean that we must accept anything and everything, as being legal and ok for all, especially if it is in complete disagreement with the word of God. Just because “everybody’s doing it”, doesn’t mean that God’s word will change to accommodate the changes in society. As the old saying goes, “what was good for the goose, is good for the gander”. God knows what is right for humanity. He gave us an opportunity to be redeemed out of the nature of sin that all of humanity is born into. We weren’t given a choice as to whether we wanted to be born into sin or not. It is what it is.
But God gave us a “way out”, through his word, and if society would “get back” to the bible, and base their lives on the biblical principles; then the things that have now been “deemed” to be ok, would not have place in this world.
But sadly, we know that is not going to happen. But what can happen, is that those that call themselves Christians and adhere to God’s word, can stand up for the truths of God’s word and NOT stay silent any longer! Christians, as a whole, have kept their mouths shut far too long; and in a sense, they have grasped the “tolerant” ways of society, by not proclaiming what is sin and what is an abomination to God! Wake up Christians! The bible says that we should be, “wise as serpents and harmless as doves”. There is a right way and a wrong way, to proclaim the truths of God’s word. But as Christians, we cannot embrace the tolerant habits of society, and accept the wrong lifestyles as the “norm”. We love the sinner, but hate the sin. That doesn’t mean we, as Christians, are supposed to tolerate the lifestyles of those that do not want any part of God’s ways! Here’s an example, and it is very explicit: Two homosexuals go to a church because even though they are homosexuals, they do believe in God; but they have been deceived by Satan into believing the “gay” lifestyle is ok and accepted by God. So they attend a church with the intention to “lure” other males into their deceptive lifestyle; and at some point, a male or two are propositioned by them. After it is told to the pastor, he has a discussion with them. He basically tells them, that if they are sincere and want to attend the church there, and want to be delivered from that “gay” lifestyle, then they will be accepted there at the church. However, if their sole intentions are to “lure” away young males into that lifestyle, with no desire to seek God and to be delivered from the abominable lifestyle, then they will be asked to leave that congregation of believers.
It’s not the tolerance of their lifestyle that we Christians are to embrace. It is the tolerance for their eternal soul and tolerance toward them to become Christians as they would grow in God.
In conclusion, just because many people are doing certain things, saying certain things, and living certain ways, does not mean that the government, or society should accept these ways as ok, and consider them to be “legal” ways of living. If it doesn’t bother me, then who cares! That is not the attitude of the bible. There are some things in life, that just aren’t ok to do, to say, or to live as; and society needs to get back to the basics of life, which is the word of God, and let’s see how God prefers it.
8-6-12
What is fundamentally, the foundations of all morals and values, based on the principles of the Holy Bible; has not changed and will not change all throughout the ages of time and humanity on this Earth. What was established as morally wrong and an “abomination” to God, is still as active and is still as much an abomination now, in these years of the 2000’s, as they were more than 2000 years ago, when they were established by God himself, through his word.
This generation of “tolerance”, have based their ideas, rituals, and preference of lifestyle, on “self-centered” greed. “Whatever I want, I get it; whatever I choose to do, I do it. Whatever you want to do, do it; as long as it doesn’t interfere with my life”. That’s tolerance. But just because society has become a “tolerant” society, doesn’t mean that we must accept anything and everything, as being legal and ok for all, especially if it is in complete disagreement with the word of God. Just because “everybody’s doing it”, doesn’t mean that God’s word will change to accommodate the changes in society. As the old saying goes, “what was good for the goose, is good for the gander”. God knows what is right for humanity. He gave us an opportunity to be redeemed out of the nature of sin that all of humanity is born into. We weren’t given a choice as to whether we wanted to be born into sin or not. It is what it is.
But God gave us a “way out”, through his word, and if society would “get back” to the bible, and base their lives on the biblical principles; then the things that have now been “deemed” to be ok, would not have place in this world.
But sadly, we know that is not going to happen. But what can happen, is that those that call themselves Christians and adhere to God’s word, can stand up for the truths of God’s word and NOT stay silent any longer! Christians, as a whole, have kept their mouths shut far too long; and in a sense, they have grasped the “tolerant” ways of society, by not proclaiming what is sin and what is an abomination to God! Wake up Christians! The bible says that we should be, “wise as serpents and harmless as doves”. There is a right way and a wrong way, to proclaim the truths of God’s word. But as Christians, we cannot embrace the tolerant habits of society, and accept the wrong lifestyles as the “norm”. We love the sinner, but hate the sin. That doesn’t mean we, as Christians, are supposed to tolerate the lifestyles of those that do not want any part of God’s ways! Here’s an example, and it is very explicit: Two homosexuals go to a church because even though they are homosexuals, they do believe in God; but they have been deceived by Satan into believing the “gay” lifestyle is ok and accepted by God. So they attend a church with the intention to “lure” other males into their deceptive lifestyle; and at some point, a male or two are propositioned by them. After it is told to the pastor, he has a discussion with them. He basically tells them, that if they are sincere and want to attend the church there, and want to be delivered from that “gay” lifestyle, then they will be accepted there at the church. However, if their sole intentions are to “lure” away young males into that lifestyle, with no desire to seek God and to be delivered from the abominable lifestyle, then they will be asked to leave that congregation of believers.
It’s not the tolerance of their lifestyle that we Christians are to embrace. It is the tolerance for their eternal soul and tolerance toward them to become Christians as they would grow in God.
In conclusion, just because many people are doing certain things, saying certain things, and living certain ways, does not mean that the government, or society should accept these ways as ok, and consider them to be “legal” ways of living. If it doesn’t bother me, then who cares! That is not the attitude of the bible. There are some things in life, that just aren’t ok to do, to say, or to live as; and society needs to get back to the basics of life, which is the word of God, and let’s see how God prefers it.
8-6-12
Saturday, February 19, 2011
You've Got To Act Upon It
Whether individuals want to be saved or not, the entire world of humanity is savable. Being only savable individuals will do them no good, until they act upon God's salvation plan, receive it, and fulfill it.
Here's an example: Someone puts $100,000.00 in the bank in your name. They give you the account number and show you the proper paperwork which states that the money is all yours. No strings attached.
But this is the most important part: If you never act upon your rights to the money and if you never go to the bank and actually draw it out, then the money will never do you any good. It can’t! Because you never fulfilled the giver's plan to just go and get the money, even if it is yours.
You first had to know about the money and know how to get it. Then the decision was yours, as to whether you drew it out or not.
The same thing applies to God's salvation for humanity. First, you’ve got to know about it, know what it is, and then make the choice as to whether you are going to accept it, receive it, and fulfill it. It’s all up to each individual as to whether they will receive God's salvation plan or not. I don't like the second choice, do you?
Fall of 1997
Here's an example: Someone puts $100,000.00 in the bank in your name. They give you the account number and show you the proper paperwork which states that the money is all yours. No strings attached.
But this is the most important part: If you never act upon your rights to the money and if you never go to the bank and actually draw it out, then the money will never do you any good. It can’t! Because you never fulfilled the giver's plan to just go and get the money, even if it is yours.
You first had to know about the money and know how to get it. Then the decision was yours, as to whether you drew it out or not.
The same thing applies to God's salvation for humanity. First, you’ve got to know about it, know what it is, and then make the choice as to whether you are going to accept it, receive it, and fulfill it. It’s all up to each individual as to whether they will receive God's salvation plan or not. I don't like the second choice, do you?
Fall of 1997
You! Carry His Cross!
Have you been called to carry the cross of Christ? Do you feel like it is a burden too heavy to bear? Do you worry about what others might say?
To carry the cross of Christ is a unique burden unlike any other. It requires sacrifice of ourselves to be able to bear the cross of Christ; in order that we may lead others to that same cross. What does the cross represent? It represents death. In the biblical days the cross was a means used to execute people. The term used was crucify.
When we carry the cross of Christ, in essence, what we are doing is dying out to ourselves. We no longer should have control over our lives, but that Christ in us, should have complete control through his word and through our willingness to serve him.
The heaviness of the cross can come in many ways. It can be through intercessory prayer, sometimes spontaneously. It can be through denying ourselves various pleasures to our carnal man. It can also come from being under a burden for the lost of this world, as well as various other ways.
Jesus knew what his cross represented. He knew that he had to willingly give his life upon his cross, in order that we may have life. Jesus denied himself and took up his cross in obedience to God's plan. Had he chosen to deny God's plan, he could have called for legions of angels to come down from heaven and take him off of the cross, or even come off of the cross by himself. But he chose to be obedient to God's plan.
Did Jesus suffer pain? Did he feel the nails driven into his hands and feet? You bet he did, in fact, he felt the very heaviness of sin that was placed upon him on the cross for you, me ,and the whole world. Did Jesus feel ridiculed for hanging on that cross? Was he made fun of? Was he laughed at? Most assuredly the answer to all of the questions is yes.
As Jesus bore his cross through the streets of Jerusalem, his life was at all exposure to the public. As his back was torn open and bleeding from the stripes, the crown of thorns pressed into his head causing blood to fall to his face. In his weakened state, the cross became too heavy for him to carry. As Jesus fell down in the street, a Roman soldier grabbed the arm of someone nearby.
This was Simon, the Cyrenian. Unknowingly to Simon, Jesus had called him through the Roman soldier, to be the first one to take up the cross of Christ. Simon probably did not want to do it, but somehow, he knew that he had to. He obeyed and carried the cross of Jesus.
When we take up our cross to carry it for Christ, we are undertaking a responsibility of magnitude proportions unknown to us. The weight of the cross will at times, feel too heavy to carry, but all the while, the hand of Jesus is right there lifting us up.
Taking up our cross and following Jesus will require some suffering. Will you feel pain? Yes, you will feel pain physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Will you feel the burden of the heaviness of sin as you observe how sin is destroying mankind? Yes you will feel it, as you reach out to help those that are lost in sin. Will you feel ridiculed for bearing a cross by the way you live? Will you be laughed at? Yes, you will be ridiculed, laughed at, made fun of, by anyone and everyone; sometimes even by your own family members.
Will you feel like giving up? More than likely you will. Sadly, some will give up and never receive the eternal rewards that Jesus opened up for us through his death on the cross. Others however, will endure the pain, the suffering and all of the ridicule because they want, they need, they must have, they crave, the eternal rewards which comes after bearing the cross.
Jesus is calling all of us that will, to carry our cross and deny ourselves. We all have a choice. Do we make the choice to go through all of the sufferings involved with carrying our cross for Christ here on this earth, or do we deny Christ, enjoy our worldly pleasures for a season here, and then receive our just rewards in the flames of Hell?
Myself, I have chosen to carry the cross that Jesus had asked me to bear. I know what it will involve and require, and I also know that,(I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me-Philippians 4:12).
Jesus is always calling us to carry our cross for him, sometimes though, we may not hear him calling. But when you do hear him call you, answer him by taking up your cross, deny yourself, and follow him. This life here is but a vapor. Eternity is much longer than our finite minds can comprehend. Do not deny the cross. When the Roman soldier grabs your arm, do not refuse, but take up the cross of Christ and follow him.Feb 15,1998
To carry the cross of Christ is a unique burden unlike any other. It requires sacrifice of ourselves to be able to bear the cross of Christ; in order that we may lead others to that same cross. What does the cross represent? It represents death. In the biblical days the cross was a means used to execute people. The term used was crucify.
When we carry the cross of Christ, in essence, what we are doing is dying out to ourselves. We no longer should have control over our lives, but that Christ in us, should have complete control through his word and through our willingness to serve him.
The heaviness of the cross can come in many ways. It can be through intercessory prayer, sometimes spontaneously. It can be through denying ourselves various pleasures to our carnal man. It can also come from being under a burden for the lost of this world, as well as various other ways.
Jesus knew what his cross represented. He knew that he had to willingly give his life upon his cross, in order that we may have life. Jesus denied himself and took up his cross in obedience to God's plan. Had he chosen to deny God's plan, he could have called for legions of angels to come down from heaven and take him off of the cross, or even come off of the cross by himself. But he chose to be obedient to God's plan.
Did Jesus suffer pain? Did he feel the nails driven into his hands and feet? You bet he did, in fact, he felt the very heaviness of sin that was placed upon him on the cross for you, me ,and the whole world. Did Jesus feel ridiculed for hanging on that cross? Was he made fun of? Was he laughed at? Most assuredly the answer to all of the questions is yes.
As Jesus bore his cross through the streets of Jerusalem, his life was at all exposure to the public. As his back was torn open and bleeding from the stripes, the crown of thorns pressed into his head causing blood to fall to his face. In his weakened state, the cross became too heavy for him to carry. As Jesus fell down in the street, a Roman soldier grabbed the arm of someone nearby.
This was Simon, the Cyrenian. Unknowingly to Simon, Jesus had called him through the Roman soldier, to be the first one to take up the cross of Christ. Simon probably did not want to do it, but somehow, he knew that he had to. He obeyed and carried the cross of Jesus.
When we take up our cross to carry it for Christ, we are undertaking a responsibility of magnitude proportions unknown to us. The weight of the cross will at times, feel too heavy to carry, but all the while, the hand of Jesus is right there lifting us up.
Taking up our cross and following Jesus will require some suffering. Will you feel pain? Yes, you will feel pain physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. Will you feel the burden of the heaviness of sin as you observe how sin is destroying mankind? Yes you will feel it, as you reach out to help those that are lost in sin. Will you feel ridiculed for bearing a cross by the way you live? Will you be laughed at? Yes, you will be ridiculed, laughed at, made fun of, by anyone and everyone; sometimes even by your own family members.
Will you feel like giving up? More than likely you will. Sadly, some will give up and never receive the eternal rewards that Jesus opened up for us through his death on the cross. Others however, will endure the pain, the suffering and all of the ridicule because they want, they need, they must have, they crave, the eternal rewards which comes after bearing the cross.
Jesus is calling all of us that will, to carry our cross and deny ourselves. We all have a choice. Do we make the choice to go through all of the sufferings involved with carrying our cross for Christ here on this earth, or do we deny Christ, enjoy our worldly pleasures for a season here, and then receive our just rewards in the flames of Hell?
Myself, I have chosen to carry the cross that Jesus had asked me to bear. I know what it will involve and require, and I also know that,(I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me-Philippians 4:12).
Jesus is always calling us to carry our cross for him, sometimes though, we may not hear him calling. But when you do hear him call you, answer him by taking up your cross, deny yourself, and follow him. This life here is but a vapor. Eternity is much longer than our finite minds can comprehend. Do not deny the cross. When the Roman soldier grabs your arm, do not refuse, but take up the cross of Christ and follow him.Feb 15,1998
Walk By Faith
II Corinthians 5:7,For we walk by faith, not by sight:
When the Israelites began their exodus out of Egypt; out of the dominating grips of Pharaoh, they had no idea of the journey that lied ahead. I can imagine that their confidence in God was probably quite shaky, just as it is with ours, when we begin our walk with the Lord. But as they journeyed onward, what they probably did not realize at the time, was that they were walking by faith.
As they walked out of Egypt, they came upon what they thought was a barrier which was the Red Sea. As they approached the shore of the sea, closing in upon them from behind was the Egyptians, due to Pharaoh's hardened heart as he changed his mind about the Israelites freedom.
It was now decision making time.” Do we go back to Egypt under Pharaoh's bondage or do we trust in God to provide a way of escape? Since they decided to trust in God, he showed them that he would provide them a way of escape from the Egyptians. With this being a catastrophic storm for them, God also reassured them with peace, patience and confidence in him, during their storm.
As God parted the Red Sea, gigantic walls of water lined a dry pathway completely to the other side. Now this is where their faith had to kick in. They had to trust God to hold back the waters on both sides as they walked to the other side of the Red Sea. As they walked across the dry seabed to the other side, there were probably many that were scared. Many were probably terrified seeing the massive walls of water on both sides of them. But just as God is faithful with his promises, he safely brought all of the Israelites to the other side of the Red Sea, and then folded the waters back in, on top of the Egyptians that were chasing them.
So it is with us today. As we walk along this long journey of life with God, we must walk by faith and not by sight. Looking at the storms of life raging all around us, is not God's plan. We need to look beyond the storms to the other side of peace and safety. Then we can look back from the side of safety and see where the Lord has brought us from. This will increase our faith in God, as we continue to trust him during our current and upcoming storms.
As long as we stay in the ark of safety by continuing our relationship with God, trusting him, we will continue to walk by faith and God's word will be quickened in our hearts by his spirit, and we can retain confidence in him, as we walk by faith and not by sight.
1997
When the Israelites began their exodus out of Egypt; out of the dominating grips of Pharaoh, they had no idea of the journey that lied ahead. I can imagine that their confidence in God was probably quite shaky, just as it is with ours, when we begin our walk with the Lord. But as they journeyed onward, what they probably did not realize at the time, was that they were walking by faith.
As they walked out of Egypt, they came upon what they thought was a barrier which was the Red Sea. As they approached the shore of the sea, closing in upon them from behind was the Egyptians, due to Pharaoh's hardened heart as he changed his mind about the Israelites freedom.
It was now decision making time.” Do we go back to Egypt under Pharaoh's bondage or do we trust in God to provide a way of escape? Since they decided to trust in God, he showed them that he would provide them a way of escape from the Egyptians. With this being a catastrophic storm for them, God also reassured them with peace, patience and confidence in him, during their storm.
As God parted the Red Sea, gigantic walls of water lined a dry pathway completely to the other side. Now this is where their faith had to kick in. They had to trust God to hold back the waters on both sides as they walked to the other side of the Red Sea. As they walked across the dry seabed to the other side, there were probably many that were scared. Many were probably terrified seeing the massive walls of water on both sides of them. But just as God is faithful with his promises, he safely brought all of the Israelites to the other side of the Red Sea, and then folded the waters back in, on top of the Egyptians that were chasing them.
So it is with us today. As we walk along this long journey of life with God, we must walk by faith and not by sight. Looking at the storms of life raging all around us, is not God's plan. We need to look beyond the storms to the other side of peace and safety. Then we can look back from the side of safety and see where the Lord has brought us from. This will increase our faith in God, as we continue to trust him during our current and upcoming storms.
As long as we stay in the ark of safety by continuing our relationship with God, trusting him, we will continue to walk by faith and God's word will be quickened in our hearts by his spirit, and we can retain confidence in him, as we walk by faith and not by sight.
1997
What Would Jesus Do?
What would Jesus do? That seems to be the most popular phrase going in the Christian world at this present time. But what does it really mean? How should we apply it to our own lives in this present age? Would Jesus react or respond to things in this modern day, as we usually do? Or, would Jesus have his own unique way of responding to things in a way that we never could?
In the Christian world, an honest and sincere person knows that to call himself a Christian, is to desire to be Christ like. We set ourselves up with goals of determination to become like Christ, in our actions, our spoken words, and in our compassion towards others. But unfortunately, we seem many times, to fall short of being like Christ.
All situations in our lives, requires a response of some kind. Some responses are happy, joyous, excited, humorous, sad, grievous, angry, or vengeful. But when faced with a situation of some kind other than a happy one, and to say,” what would Jesus do",in no way allows us to compare ourselves to Jesus, as to what response we will give.
You see, for us to attempt to respond as Jesus would, is simply something that we cannot do. This is not to say that when we respond with love, compassion, honesty, sincerity, and integrity, that we are responding improperly. For these are the things that we as Christians are required to do. But for us, these are unnatural responses. These are acquired attributes of God's nature, which in reality, is really who God is.
The reason: all of humanity have been born into sin. It’s our nature to respond to less than happy circumstances with anger, malice, hatred, or revenge. So due to this fact, there is no possible way that we could respond as Jesus would.
Jesus Christ was born completely perfect. There was no sin in his life nor guile found in his mouth. Jesus Christ, was God Almighty manifested in the flesh, which in that case, all of what God is, was wrapped in a robe of flesh, making it a sinless body.
(Colossians 2:9-For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily). The completeness of God, his nature, his love, his perfection was found in Jesus Christ. Because of this, he knew how to respond to every situation that he was faced with. God’s ways are above our ways and his thought are higher than our thoughts.(scrip. ref. Isaiah 55:9).
Sometimes we can respond to a situation properly by the words we may say or in the actions that we perform. But because of our nature of the flesh and our being born into sin, what we do may be right, but what's in our heart may not be right. That is not always the case though. I am sure that most of the time when we do the right things, that we do mean it from our hearts. But there are those times when we are not right in our hearts about some situations, even though what we do or say is the right thing. But that was definitely not the case with Jesus. Being perfect as he was, his responses to all situations were always proper in his words and actions, and most importantly, that was what was in his heart.
To ask the question,” what would Jesus do",should not expect an answer of, “ well I think this is what Jesus would do".If it does, we’re only kidding ourselves.
We cannot give an exact response or reaction to our circumstance as Jesus would. But what we can do is, abide in his word, study it, live it, and allow the light of his word to light the very paths that we take in life. By doing so, we allow God's perfect nature to work in us and through us, and as we grow with God, our responses can be of the very attributes of God.
The phrase,” what would Jesus do",is a very good motto that all Christians should apply to their lives. But just remember that our natural responses to things will probably not be as to what Jesus would do. But his attributes can be in our responses in life, after we have been born again.
So the next time you are in a situation that appears less favorable, go ahead say it,” what would Jesus do",and know that his attributes of love can be in your response, if you let it.
Dec 4,1997
In the Christian world, an honest and sincere person knows that to call himself a Christian, is to desire to be Christ like. We set ourselves up with goals of determination to become like Christ, in our actions, our spoken words, and in our compassion towards others. But unfortunately, we seem many times, to fall short of being like Christ.
All situations in our lives, requires a response of some kind. Some responses are happy, joyous, excited, humorous, sad, grievous, angry, or vengeful. But when faced with a situation of some kind other than a happy one, and to say,” what would Jesus do",in no way allows us to compare ourselves to Jesus, as to what response we will give.
You see, for us to attempt to respond as Jesus would, is simply something that we cannot do. This is not to say that when we respond with love, compassion, honesty, sincerity, and integrity, that we are responding improperly. For these are the things that we as Christians are required to do. But for us, these are unnatural responses. These are acquired attributes of God's nature, which in reality, is really who God is.
The reason: all of humanity have been born into sin. It’s our nature to respond to less than happy circumstances with anger, malice, hatred, or revenge. So due to this fact, there is no possible way that we could respond as Jesus would.
Jesus Christ was born completely perfect. There was no sin in his life nor guile found in his mouth. Jesus Christ, was God Almighty manifested in the flesh, which in that case, all of what God is, was wrapped in a robe of flesh, making it a sinless body.
(Colossians 2:9-For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily). The completeness of God, his nature, his love, his perfection was found in Jesus Christ. Because of this, he knew how to respond to every situation that he was faced with. God’s ways are above our ways and his thought are higher than our thoughts.(scrip. ref. Isaiah 55:9).
Sometimes we can respond to a situation properly by the words we may say or in the actions that we perform. But because of our nature of the flesh and our being born into sin, what we do may be right, but what's in our heart may not be right. That is not always the case though. I am sure that most of the time when we do the right things, that we do mean it from our hearts. But there are those times when we are not right in our hearts about some situations, even though what we do or say is the right thing. But that was definitely not the case with Jesus. Being perfect as he was, his responses to all situations were always proper in his words and actions, and most importantly, that was what was in his heart.
To ask the question,” what would Jesus do",should not expect an answer of, “ well I think this is what Jesus would do".If it does, we’re only kidding ourselves.
We cannot give an exact response or reaction to our circumstance as Jesus would. But what we can do is, abide in his word, study it, live it, and allow the light of his word to light the very paths that we take in life. By doing so, we allow God's perfect nature to work in us and through us, and as we grow with God, our responses can be of the very attributes of God.
The phrase,” what would Jesus do",is a very good motto that all Christians should apply to their lives. But just remember that our natural responses to things will probably not be as to what Jesus would do. But his attributes can be in our responses in life, after we have been born again.
So the next time you are in a situation that appears less favorable, go ahead say it,” what would Jesus do",and know that his attributes of love can be in your response, if you let it.
Dec 4,1997
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