Jesus lifted His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father... You have given Him [Your Son] authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” [1]
Jesus has authority from the Father to give eternal life to whomever the Father gives Him.
What is eternal life?
It is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent to be Savior of the world.
Do you know the only true God? Do you know His Messiah?
Christ is the Greek word for Anointed One. Messiah is the Hebrew word for Anointed One. Jesus is the only Anointed One by the Father to give eternal life.
“I have manifested Your Name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.” [2]
How does Jesus reveal God’s Name to those the Father gives Him?
He speaks what His Father speaks!
The disciples, in turn, received the words of Jesus, and believed them.
“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” [3]
God sanctifies us by giving us truth and sending us forth as His truth-tellers.
“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me...” [4]
What destiny does Jesus desire for us? To be where He is! To behold His glory.
The Apostle Peter wrote, “When the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” [5]
Jesus keeps us from stumbling and presents us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. [6]
[1] John 17:1-3
[2] John 17:6, 8
[3] John 17:17-18
[4] John 17:24
[5] 1 Peter 5:4
[6] Jude 1:24
21st Century Jeremiah is a publishing site that is managed and operated by Mark Czanderna for the expressed purpose to provide for you free Bible-based and Christ-exalting resources. My goal is to align myself with the prophetic words of God as carefully and accurately as Jeremiah the prophet did in his day, but include the additional revelations that the Lord Jesus Christ provided for us in the Gospels, the Book of Acts, the Epistles of the Apostles and the Book of Revelation.
Friday, March 26, 2021
Thursday, March 25, 2021
Revival Birthed by the Holy Spirit
“Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake... bring my soul out of trouble.” [1]
“And when He [the Holy Spirit] has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” [2]
“He will convict: Or undeceive the world.”
“Of sin, because they do not believe in Me: It is unbelief, the rejection of Jesus, which ultimately proves one to be guilty. The Holy Spirit will tell the world of the importance of trusting in, relying on, and clinging to Jesus to avoid this sin.
“The essence of sin is unbelief... it is a total rejection of God’s messenger and message.” (Tenney)
“The basic sin is the sin which puts self at the center of things and consequently refused to believe in Him [Jesus].” (Morris)
“Of righteousness, because I go to My Father: The ascension of Jesus to heaven demonstrated that He had perfectly fulfilled the Father’s will and had proven Himself righteous – and exposed the lack of righteousness in the world that rejected Him. The Holy Spirit shows the world the righteousness of Jesus and its own unrighteousness.”
“Righteousness... has been revealed in the incarnate Son, who exemplified it perfectly in all his relationships.” (Tenney)
“The ruler of the world [that is, the devil] is judged.” “To adhere to the lies of the devil and the deceitfulness of sin rather than to Christ is to cling to a doomed cause, to a sinking ship.” (Dods) [3]
“Yes, O Holy Father, revive us for the sake of Your Son’s Name. Bring many souls out of trouble. In Jesus’ Name, pour forth Your Holy Spirit and bring many souls out of trouble. In Jesus’ Name, we ask. Amen.”
[1] Psalm 143:11
[2] John 16:8-11
[3] Selected comments from the Enduring Word Commentary
“And when He [the Holy Spirit] has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” [2]
“He will convict: Or undeceive the world.”
“Of sin, because they do not believe in Me: It is unbelief, the rejection of Jesus, which ultimately proves one to be guilty. The Holy Spirit will tell the world of the importance of trusting in, relying on, and clinging to Jesus to avoid this sin.
“The essence of sin is unbelief... it is a total rejection of God’s messenger and message.” (Tenney)
“The basic sin is the sin which puts self at the center of things and consequently refused to believe in Him [Jesus].” (Morris)
“Of righteousness, because I go to My Father: The ascension of Jesus to heaven demonstrated that He had perfectly fulfilled the Father’s will and had proven Himself righteous – and exposed the lack of righteousness in the world that rejected Him. The Holy Spirit shows the world the righteousness of Jesus and its own unrighteousness.”
“Righteousness... has been revealed in the incarnate Son, who exemplified it perfectly in all his relationships.” (Tenney)
“The ruler of the world [that is, the devil] is judged.” “To adhere to the lies of the devil and the deceitfulness of sin rather than to Christ is to cling to a doomed cause, to a sinking ship.” (Dods) [3]
“Yes, O Holy Father, revive us for the sake of Your Son’s Name. Bring many souls out of trouble. In Jesus’ Name, pour forth Your Holy Spirit and bring many souls out of trouble. In Jesus’ Name, we ask. Amen.”
[1] Psalm 143:11
[2] John 16:8-11
[3] Selected comments from the Enduring Word Commentary
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Neighborly Love not Sneetches
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” [1]
The Lord’s commandments are based on divine love. A love that provides an environment of mutual respect and mutual goodwill towards one another! When carried out, His commandments do bring fullness of joy. To “love one another” is to experience the immense value God places on each one of us. A love so deep that it may move a person to give up his or her life for the well-being of another.
In the Declaration of Independence, we have the following words:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
There was to be no elite class of people that ruled by force, but the rather, all people were to be considered equal because God created each one. The government gained its power and authority from “we the people” or by consent of the governed. A government by consent rather than by force! It is amazing that God Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, respects the free will of people. He could obviously force people to bow to Him but does not. His Son, Jesus Christ, came to us as one who serves. One who laid down His life for us!
As a child, I learned a good lesson from Dr. Suess’s book the “The Sneetches.” The book begins with Star-bellied Sneetches proclaiming themselves superior to Plain-bellied Sneetches. A shrewd entrepreneur named Sylvester McMonkey McBean sees a way to make money from their strife with one another. One day, he convinces everyone that it is better to be a Plain-bellied Sneetch and he has a machine to remove the stars from bellies. So, the Stars pay to have their stars removed. Then, he convinces them it is better to have stars. They pay to have the stars reinstalled. At the end of the story, McBean rides out of town with a wagon full of money. After he fled with their money, and their economy was destroyed, they realized that he used their competitive natures to rob them. They had no money, but at least they started having a good relationship with each other.
“Dear Heavenly Father, please help us to uphold Your commandments and love one another. We need Your fullness of joy. We need to become good neighbors once again. Please help us. In the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.”
[1] John 15:10-13
The Lord’s commandments are based on divine love. A love that provides an environment of mutual respect and mutual goodwill towards one another! When carried out, His commandments do bring fullness of joy. To “love one another” is to experience the immense value God places on each one of us. A love so deep that it may move a person to give up his or her life for the well-being of another.
In the Declaration of Independence, we have the following words:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
There was to be no elite class of people that ruled by force, but the rather, all people were to be considered equal because God created each one. The government gained its power and authority from “we the people” or by consent of the governed. A government by consent rather than by force! It is amazing that God Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, respects the free will of people. He could obviously force people to bow to Him but does not. His Son, Jesus Christ, came to us as one who serves. One who laid down His life for us!
As a child, I learned a good lesson from Dr. Suess’s book the “The Sneetches.” The book begins with Star-bellied Sneetches proclaiming themselves superior to Plain-bellied Sneetches. A shrewd entrepreneur named Sylvester McMonkey McBean sees a way to make money from their strife with one another. One day, he convinces everyone that it is better to be a Plain-bellied Sneetch and he has a machine to remove the stars from bellies. So, the Stars pay to have their stars removed. Then, he convinces them it is better to have stars. They pay to have the stars reinstalled. At the end of the story, McBean rides out of town with a wagon full of money. After he fled with their money, and their economy was destroyed, they realized that he used their competitive natures to rob them. They had no money, but at least they started having a good relationship with each other.
“Dear Heavenly Father, please help us to uphold Your commandments and love one another. We need Your fullness of joy. We need to become good neighbors once again. Please help us. In the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.”
[1] John 15:10-13
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
In His Presence – Love and Peace
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many 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.” [1]
We have a good reason not to be troubled because the outrageous craziness of this temporary life shall give way to eternal and secure dwellings places with the Lord. Jesus is preparing dwelling places for us His followers. He paid the price in full for our beautiful destination.
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” [2]
The way to this beautiful eternity is Jesus. He is the truthteller that guides us there. He gives us the life of God so we win where otherwise on our own we would fail.
“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” [3]
Commandment keeping... law abiding is our Lord’s love language. As we set out to obey His commands, He gives us His Holy Spirit to help us. The Holy Spirit is also a truthteller. He helps us to know the truth despite all the rampant lies swirling around us. Jesus does not leave alone. He comes to us via His abiding Holy Spirit.
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” [4]
Jesus reveals Himself – His thoughts – His goodness – His love – His mighty power – to us who have His commandments and keep them. As we obey Him, we experience His love and presence.
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
Now that I am older, I enjoy just sitting next to Sherry. Just being near her. In a similar fashion, I enjoy the Lord’s presence. His presence brings a wonderful sense of love and peace.
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” [6]
“Thank You Lord for peace in a troubled world. Thank You for hope. Thank You for Your ever-presence with us.”
[1] John 14:1-3
[2] John 14:6
[3] John 14:15-18
[4] John 14:21
[5] John 14:23
[6] John 14:27
We have a good reason not to be troubled because the outrageous craziness of this temporary life shall give way to eternal and secure dwellings places with the Lord. Jesus is preparing dwelling places for us His followers. He paid the price in full for our beautiful destination.
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” [2]
The way to this beautiful eternity is Jesus. He is the truthteller that guides us there. He gives us the life of God so we win where otherwise on our own we would fail.
“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” [3]
Commandment keeping... law abiding is our Lord’s love language. As we set out to obey His commands, He gives us His Holy Spirit to help us. The Holy Spirit is also a truthteller. He helps us to know the truth despite all the rampant lies swirling around us. Jesus does not leave alone. He comes to us via His abiding Holy Spirit.
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” [4]
Jesus reveals Himself – His thoughts – His goodness – His love – His mighty power – to us who have His commandments and keep them. As we obey Him, we experience His love and presence.
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
Now that I am older, I enjoy just sitting next to Sherry. Just being near her. In a similar fashion, I enjoy the Lord’s presence. His presence brings a wonderful sense of love and peace.
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” [6]
“Thank You Lord for peace in a troubled world. Thank You for hope. Thank You for Your ever-presence with us.”
[1] John 14:1-3
[2] John 14:6
[3] John 14:15-18
[4] John 14:21
[5] John 14:23
[6] John 14:27
Monday, March 22, 2021
Amazing Love
Jesus did the job of the lowest household servant when He washed His disciples’ feet. His goal – to teach them to seek to serve rather than to be served. Luke 22:23 says that the disciples entered the room debating who was greatest. He was their Rabbi, yet He served them.
Lucifer once said, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.” [1] Lucifer wanted to humiliate God. Take His place. Cancel God. Wherever there is strife – class warfare – race warfare – pride warfare – gender warfare - humanism instead of godliness - Lucifer is at work.
Jesus quotes from Psalms to His disciples, “He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.” [2] Always using the Word of God to expose Satan’s subversive plots!
He says to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” [3] In other words, My humble ways may not impress you, but when you receive Me, you receive My Father who sent Me.
Jesus became troubled in spirit, and said, “One of you will betray Me.” [4]
After Jesus served bread to Judas Iscariot (a kind deed), Satan entered him. Remember the quote from Psalms, “He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.” Satan inspired Judas to put Jesus under foot. Jesus washed the feet of Judas. Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” Jesus knew that Judas wanted the thirty pieces of silver more than he wanted Him. Recently, I heard that when evil is afoot, follow the money trail and you will find who is behind the crime. In any case, the other disciples did not know why Judas left the room. [5]
“So, when he [Judas] had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man (Messiah) is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.’” [6]
Wow! You would think just the opposite. He just washed a disciple’s feet, and the man sold Him out for money. Judas forsook the Son of God and Israel’s Messiah in exchange for thirty pieces of silver. How is Jesus and the Father glorified in this? Well, it is not in the betrayal of goodness for evil that Jesus is glorified, but in His love for people.
Jesus said to His disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” [7]
Do you want to know who is the greatest? The one who serves and the one who loves amidst a culture of cruel competitors! As His betrayer is recruiting torturers and executioners, Jesus speaks of love.
Keep on serving! Keep on loving! God will take care of the rest.
“Dear Lord Jesus, we need You to transform our thought-and-deed-life. Please by the power of Your transforming Holy Spirit, help us to demonstrate Your amazing love to those around us.”
[1] Isaiah 14:13
[2] Psalm 41:9
[3] John 13:20
[4] John 13:21
[5] John 13:26-29
[6] John 13:31
[7] John 13:34-35
Lucifer once said, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.” [1] Lucifer wanted to humiliate God. Take His place. Cancel God. Wherever there is strife – class warfare – race warfare – pride warfare – gender warfare - humanism instead of godliness - Lucifer is at work.
Jesus quotes from Psalms to His disciples, “He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.” [2] Always using the Word of God to expose Satan’s subversive plots!
He says to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” [3] In other words, My humble ways may not impress you, but when you receive Me, you receive My Father who sent Me.
Jesus became troubled in spirit, and said, “One of you will betray Me.” [4]
After Jesus served bread to Judas Iscariot (a kind deed), Satan entered him. Remember the quote from Psalms, “He who eats bread with Me has lifted up his heel against Me.” Satan inspired Judas to put Jesus under foot. Jesus washed the feet of Judas. Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.” Jesus knew that Judas wanted the thirty pieces of silver more than he wanted Him. Recently, I heard that when evil is afoot, follow the money trail and you will find who is behind the crime. In any case, the other disciples did not know why Judas left the room. [5]
“So, when he [Judas] had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man (Messiah) is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.’” [6]
Wow! You would think just the opposite. He just washed a disciple’s feet, and the man sold Him out for money. Judas forsook the Son of God and Israel’s Messiah in exchange for thirty pieces of silver. How is Jesus and the Father glorified in this? Well, it is not in the betrayal of goodness for evil that Jesus is glorified, but in His love for people.
Jesus said to His disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” [7]
Do you want to know who is the greatest? The one who serves and the one who loves amidst a culture of cruel competitors! As His betrayer is recruiting torturers and executioners, Jesus speaks of love.
Keep on serving! Keep on loving! God will take care of the rest.
“Dear Lord Jesus, we need You to transform our thought-and-deed-life. Please by the power of Your transforming Holy Spirit, help us to demonstrate Your amazing love to those around us.”
[1] Isaiah 14:13
[2] Psalm 41:9
[3] John 13:20
[4] John 13:21
[5] John 13:26-29
[6] John 13:31
[7] John 13:34-35
Sunday, March 21, 2021
Resurrection Victory
Six days before the Passover (Saturday), Jesus is in Bethany with Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. [1]
Many Jews came to see Jesus and Lazarus. Lazarus had been dead in a tomb for four days when Jesus called him back to life. If we had honest polling charts from this day, we would see that Jesus and Lazarus were hugely popular. The Jewish elite, the chief priests, were plotting to destroy both Jesus and Lazarus. Why Lazarus? Because on account of him many Jews believed in Jesus.” [2]
The next day (Sunday), a massive rally formed because they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. In fact, as Jesus entered the city, the people “took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out...
‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel!’ [3]
The opposition party, the Pharisees, “said among themselves, ‘You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!’” [4]
Even Greek people in the crowd were saying. “We want to see JESUS.” [5]
Jesus said to Andrew and Philip, “The hour has come that the Son of Man (Messiah) should be glorified.” [6]
How? He will die. He will lose His life.
His soul is troubled, but He prays, “Father, glorify Your name.” A voice from heaven, responds, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” [7]
Jesus said to the crowd, “I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” [8]
His death and His resurrection is His greatest sign to the world that He is MESSIAH.
“Even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” [9]
Jesus declared to them, “I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life...” [10]
It was for our sakes that JESUS underwent death and resurrection. JESUS gives to us who believe in His Name a better world than the one that now exists. He has made His resurrection victory our resurrection victory. Hallelujah!
[1] John 12:1
[2] John 12:9-11
[3] John 12:12-13
[4] John 12:19
[5] John 12:21
[6] John 12:23
[7] John 12:24-28
[8] John 12:32
[9] John 12:42-43
[10] John 12:49-50
Many Jews came to see Jesus and Lazarus. Lazarus had been dead in a tomb for four days when Jesus called him back to life. If we had honest polling charts from this day, we would see that Jesus and Lazarus were hugely popular. The Jewish elite, the chief priests, were plotting to destroy both Jesus and Lazarus. Why Lazarus? Because on account of him many Jews believed in Jesus.” [2]
The next day (Sunday), a massive rally formed because they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. In fact, as Jesus entered the city, the people “took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out...
‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel!’ [3]
The opposition party, the Pharisees, “said among themselves, ‘You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!’” [4]
Even Greek people in the crowd were saying. “We want to see JESUS.” [5]
Jesus said to Andrew and Philip, “The hour has come that the Son of Man (Messiah) should be glorified.” [6]
How? He will die. He will lose His life.
His soul is troubled, but He prays, “Father, glorify Your name.” A voice from heaven, responds, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.” [7]
Jesus said to the crowd, “I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” [8]
His death and His resurrection is His greatest sign to the world that He is MESSIAH.
“Even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” [9]
Jesus declared to them, “I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life...” [10]
It was for our sakes that JESUS underwent death and resurrection. JESUS gives to us who believe in His Name a better world than the one that now exists. He has made His resurrection victory our resurrection victory. Hallelujah!
[1] John 12:1
[2] John 12:9-11
[3] John 12:12-13
[4] John 12:19
[5] John 12:21
[6] John 12:23
[7] John 12:24-28
[8] John 12:32
[9] John 12:42-43
[10] John 12:49-50
Friday, March 19, 2021
People Need the Lord
“And many believed in Him there.” [1]
This is my prayer, my plea... dear Heavenly Father, Son of God, Holy Spirit, please bring people to faith in the Messiah through my life and through the lives of Your people.
Our Messiah, Jesus Christ, prayed to the Father, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” [2]
People need to know who Jesus is...
“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” [3]
May the Gospel of Peace and Glad Tidings of good things be exuberantly preached so people can hear, believe, and call upon Jesus Christ to save them.
Revival is to restore to original condition. “Dear Almighty Father, Prince of Peace and Wonderful Counselor please restore Your Church to its original Gospel-preaching, disciple-making condition.” If ever there was a time when people need the Gospel of Peace and Glad Tidings of good things it is now.
People need the Lord!
[1] John 10:42
[2] John 17:3
[3] Romans 10:14-15
This is my prayer, my plea... dear Heavenly Father, Son of God, Holy Spirit, please bring people to faith in the Messiah through my life and through the lives of Your people.
Our Messiah, Jesus Christ, prayed to the Father, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” [2]
People need to know who Jesus is...
“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” [3]
May the Gospel of Peace and Glad Tidings of good things be exuberantly preached so people can hear, believe, and call upon Jesus Christ to save them.
Revival is to restore to original condition. “Dear Almighty Father, Prince of Peace and Wonderful Counselor please restore Your Church to its original Gospel-preaching, disciple-making condition.” If ever there was a time when people need the Gospel of Peace and Glad Tidings of good things it is now.
People need the Lord!
[1] John 10:42
[2] John 17:3
[3] Romans 10:14-15
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Being Received by Grace
Have you ever found yourself assuming that you deserve no favor unless you can do something outstanding or conform to a certain “ideal” image?
Have you ever found yourself expecting people to receive you based on your credentials, image and/or achievements?
How does God receive us? He receives us according to His grace in Christ Jesus.
So, instead of being offended when unfavored, pray for God’s unmerited favor to be upon you. Just as you and I need God to graciously receive us, so it is with people. We need them to receive us by grace. And this goes both ways. We need to receive people by grace as well.
We also need grace to receive God as He describes Himself and His actions in the Bible. After Jesus forgave a woman caught in the very act of adultery and told her to sin no more (John 8:1-11), the religious leaders were upset with Him. They had a very tight understanding of who God is and how God should act. Yet, God was standing before them in human flesh, and they rejected Him. He had said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” None of them fit that description.
Jesus told them, “He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” (John 8:47) Jesus would have received them as graciously as He forgave the woman caught in adultery, but they rejected Him.
GRACE is what Christianity has that no other religion has. We need God’s grace to be saved. We also need to learn from Him how to be gracious. Below are a wide array of Bible sentences and phrases about being received by grace.
Have you ever found yourself expecting people to receive you based on your credentials, image and/or achievements?
How does God receive us? He receives us according to His grace in Christ Jesus.
So, instead of being offended when unfavored, pray for God’s unmerited favor to be upon you. Just as you and I need God to graciously receive us, so it is with people. We need them to receive us by grace. And this goes both ways. We need to receive people by grace as well.
We also need grace to receive God as He describes Himself and His actions in the Bible. After Jesus forgave a woman caught in the very act of adultery and told her to sin no more (John 8:1-11), the religious leaders were upset with Him. They had a very tight understanding of who God is and how God should act. Yet, God was standing before them in human flesh, and they rejected Him. He had said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” None of them fit that description.
Jesus told them, “He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” (John 8:47) Jesus would have received them as graciously as He forgave the woman caught in adultery, but they rejected Him.
GRACE is what Christianity has that no other religion has. We need God’s grace to be saved. We also need to learn from Him how to be gracious. Below are a wide array of Bible sentences and phrases about being received by grace.
“Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8)
“I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.” (Exodus 33:12)
“The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)
“Great grace was upon them all.” (Acts 4:33)
“We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved.” (Acts 15:11)
“Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.” (Romans 11:5)
“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them.” (Romans 12:6)
“I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus.” (1 Corinthians 1:4)
“According to the grace of God which was given to me.” (1 Corinthians 3:10)
“[They] long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you.” (2 Corinthians 9:14)
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
“God separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace.” (Galatians 1:15)
“When James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship.” (Galatians 2:9)
“I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me.” (Ephesians 3:7)
“To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:8)
“To each one of us grace was given.” (Ephesians 4:7)
“You all are partakers with me of grace.” (Philippians 1:7)
“Our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16)
“God has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” (2 Timothy 1:9)
“Justified by His grace.” (Titus 3:7)
“Let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” (Hebrews 12:28)
“For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.” (Hebrews 13:9)
“Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you.” (1 Peter 1:10)
“Rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:13)
“Husbands and wives are heirs together of the grace of life.” (1 Peter 3:7)
“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (1 Peter 4:10)
“This is the true grace of God in which you stand.” (1 Peter 5:12)
“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:21 – last verse of the Bible)
Searching for that Missing Person
The people of Jerusalem wanted “normalcy,” but their normal was unacceptable to God. Their normalcy was destroying their country. Does that sound familiar?
They were not serving the Lord with gladness. They were not coming before Him singing. [1] They were hearers, not doers of God’s Word, which God categorizes as self-deception. [2]
God told Jeremiah that if he found one righteous person, He would forgive the people. [3] So, he searched for that missing person. His hunger and thirst for righteousness drove him to make a comprehensive quest, but, alas, there was none righteous, no not one.
The Lord declared, ‘From their least even to their greatest, everyone is given to covetousness. From the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely. They have also healed the hurt of my people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ when there is no peace.’ [4] Their pursuit of popular perks upset any hope of spiritual improvement.
The people of Jerusalem wanted to have God on their own terms. They burned imported sweet cane to Him. They incorrectly assumed that He liked sugar. Insubordination, however, is not sweet to God. The Lord was searching for people who loved Him and loved His ways.
God was testing them. One more plea! One more warning! Will they turn back to Me? God wanted a return to ‘normalcy’ in His relationship with them, but they stayed away from Him. Now, it was their turn to have “normalcy” allude them.
‘Men will call them rejected silver, because the Lord has rejected them.’ [5] When the Lord tested what kind of metal that they were made of, He found only dross. When a refiner is to able to see his reflection in gold, he knows the gold is pure. God found no reflection of Himself in them.
The Jerusalemites were missing in action. They placed a relationship with God in the inactive file. God offered them a way out… ‘Return to Me!’ But they refused to return.
‘Dear Heavenly Father, please remove the sin in our lives that keeps us distant from You and from walking in Your ways. We are unable to remove it. We want to be missing in action. We want to serve You, and bring You glory. We want to be pure gold for You. In the Name of Your Son Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!’”
[1] Psalm 100:2
[2] James 1:22
[3] Jeremiah 5:1
[4] Jeremiah 6:13-14
[5] Jeremiah 6:30
They were not serving the Lord with gladness. They were not coming before Him singing. [1] They were hearers, not doers of God’s Word, which God categorizes as self-deception. [2]
God told Jeremiah that if he found one righteous person, He would forgive the people. [3] So, he searched for that missing person. His hunger and thirst for righteousness drove him to make a comprehensive quest, but, alas, there was none righteous, no not one.
The Lord declared, ‘From their least even to their greatest, everyone is given to covetousness. From the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely. They have also healed the hurt of my people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ when there is no peace.’ [4] Their pursuit of popular perks upset any hope of spiritual improvement.
The people of Jerusalem wanted to have God on their own terms. They burned imported sweet cane to Him. They incorrectly assumed that He liked sugar. Insubordination, however, is not sweet to God. The Lord was searching for people who loved Him and loved His ways.
God was testing them. One more plea! One more warning! Will they turn back to Me? God wanted a return to ‘normalcy’ in His relationship with them, but they stayed away from Him. Now, it was their turn to have “normalcy” allude them.
‘Men will call them rejected silver, because the Lord has rejected them.’ [5] When the Lord tested what kind of metal that they were made of, He found only dross. When a refiner is to able to see his reflection in gold, he knows the gold is pure. God found no reflection of Himself in them.
The Jerusalemites were missing in action. They placed a relationship with God in the inactive file. God offered them a way out… ‘Return to Me!’ But they refused to return.
‘Dear Heavenly Father, please remove the sin in our lives that keeps us distant from You and from walking in Your ways. We are unable to remove it. We want to be missing in action. We want to serve You, and bring You glory. We want to be pure gold for You. In the Name of Your Son Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!’”
[1] Psalm 100:2
[2] James 1:22
[3] Jeremiah 5:1
[4] Jeremiah 6:13-14
[5] Jeremiah 6:30
Monday, March 15, 2021
Believing Believers
After Jesus transformed a lad’s five barley loaves and two small fish into enough food to feed 5,000 men, the people remarked, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
They asked Jesus, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” [1]
Jesus simply directed them to believe in Him. He was the One who just provided a miraculous provision of food for them. But while they were willing to embrace Him as a prophet, they were not willing to believe that He was the Christ (Greek) and Messiah (Hebrew).
Jesus said to them, “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” [2]
How hard is it to believe that God’s Messiah can give those who believe in Him eternal life? Especially after He transformed five loaves and two small fishes into enough food to feed 5,000 men! Men tend to eat a lot. In fact, there were twelve large baskets of bread leftover after everyone had eaten their fill.
Peter and the other disciples who walked with Jesus did believe in Him. Peter spoke on behalf of them all when he said to Jesus, “We have come to believe and know that You are the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God.” [3]
On January 12th, 1995, Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke gave a message to the believers that I was discipling in Guangzhou City, China. He is with the Lord now. But previously to preaching the Gospel to the disciples in Guangzhou, he had held large crusades in thirty-three countries. His meetings often exceeded 100,000 people in attendance. He preached in every major city of Rwanda just before the massacre took place there. He reported that 10,000 people converted to Christ in every city where he preached in Rwanda. We had just over sixty people present at our service in Guangzhou. He preached on Mark 16:14-16 about believing believers.
God does amazing things in and through believing believers in His Son, the Messiah.
My resolve in life is to be a believing believer in Jesus and to help others to believe in Him as well. Please pray for me to lead many people to faith in Jesus. This is my prayer for you as well.
[1] John 6:14, 28-29
[2] John 6:40, 47
[3] John 6:69
They asked Jesus, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”
Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” [1]
Jesus simply directed them to believe in Him. He was the One who just provided a miraculous provision of food for them. But while they were willing to embrace Him as a prophet, they were not willing to believe that He was the Christ (Greek) and Messiah (Hebrew).
Jesus said to them, “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” [2]
How hard is it to believe that God’s Messiah can give those who believe in Him eternal life? Especially after He transformed five loaves and two small fishes into enough food to feed 5,000 men! Men tend to eat a lot. In fact, there were twelve large baskets of bread leftover after everyone had eaten their fill.
Peter and the other disciples who walked with Jesus did believe in Him. Peter spoke on behalf of them all when he said to Jesus, “We have come to believe and know that You are the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God.” [3]
On January 12th, 1995, Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke gave a message to the believers that I was discipling in Guangzhou City, China. He is with the Lord now. But previously to preaching the Gospel to the disciples in Guangzhou, he had held large crusades in thirty-three countries. His meetings often exceeded 100,000 people in attendance. He preached in every major city of Rwanda just before the massacre took place there. He reported that 10,000 people converted to Christ in every city where he preached in Rwanda. We had just over sixty people present at our service in Guangzhou. He preached on Mark 16:14-16 about believing believers.
God does amazing things in and through believing believers in His Son, the Messiah.
My resolve in life is to be a believing believer in Jesus and to help others to believe in Him as well. Please pray for me to lead many people to faith in Jesus. This is my prayer for you as well.
[1] John 6:14, 28-29
[2] John 6:40, 47
[3] John 6:69
Sunday, March 14, 2021
Favored by Grace
“Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” [1]
The key to Noah’s survival in the day of judgment was God’s grace. God’s grace is the key to everyone’s survival. None of us are perfect. We all fail God, ourselves, and others in one way or another. We need God’s grace.
After a group of Gentiles believed in Christ, the Messianic Jewish leaders summoned a council in Jerusalem. They wanted to set a policy as to what should be required of Gentiles to be fully accepted members of the Messianic faith. During that council, the Apostle Peter declared to his Jewish brothers...
“God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them (the Gentile believers in Christ) by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and [God] made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear [namely circumcision]? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” [2]
God gave Cornelius and his cohorts, a group of Italians, the Holy Spirit when they believed in Jesus. They received the Spirit of the Lord as a gift from God when they believed in Jesus. Peter baptized them on that very day (See Acts 10:34-48).
The conclusion of the Jerusalem Council was that the Gentiles’ faith in Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives was proof enough that God had accepted them into the Messianic [Christian] faith. They too, found favor in the eyes of the Lord... favored by grace.
The implication here is that if anyone genuinely believes in Christ for the forgiveness of his or her sins and for the salvation of his or her soul, he or she too can be given the Holy Spirit of God and be saved. What a marvelous gift! A salvation fully paid for with the shed blood of Christ on the cross and guaranteed by His resurrection.
[1] Genesis 6:8
[2] Acts 15:8-11
The key to Noah’s survival in the day of judgment was God’s grace. God’s grace is the key to everyone’s survival. None of us are perfect. We all fail God, ourselves, and others in one way or another. We need God’s grace.
After a group of Gentiles believed in Christ, the Messianic Jewish leaders summoned a council in Jerusalem. They wanted to set a policy as to what should be required of Gentiles to be fully accepted members of the Messianic faith. During that council, the Apostle Peter declared to his Jewish brothers...
“God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them (the Gentile believers in Christ) by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and [God] made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear [namely circumcision]? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” [2]
God gave Cornelius and his cohorts, a group of Italians, the Holy Spirit when they believed in Jesus. They received the Spirit of the Lord as a gift from God when they believed in Jesus. Peter baptized them on that very day (See Acts 10:34-48).
The conclusion of the Jerusalem Council was that the Gentiles’ faith in Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives was proof enough that God had accepted them into the Messianic [Christian] faith. They too, found favor in the eyes of the Lord... favored by grace.
The implication here is that if anyone genuinely believes in Christ for the forgiveness of his or her sins and for the salvation of his or her soul, he or she too can be given the Holy Spirit of God and be saved. What a marvelous gift! A salvation fully paid for with the shed blood of Christ on the cross and guaranteed by His resurrection.
[1] Genesis 6:8
[2] Acts 15:8-11
Friday, March 12, 2021
THEN THEY BELIEVED
“THEN THEY BELIEVED His words; they SANG His praise.” [1]
This “THEN THEY BELIEVED” happened after the Lord rescued the Israelites from the Egyptian army. They SANG God’s praises. God’s intervention helped their faith and their singing of His praises.
“THEN they said to the woman, ‘NOW we BELIEVE, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and WE KNOW that this is indeed the CHRIST, the SAVIOR of the world.’” [2]
This “THEN” “NOW” we BELIEVE happened after the Samaritans heard Jesus speak.
“The nobleman said to Him [Jesus], ‘Sir, come down before my child dies!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your son lives.’ SO, the man BELIEVED the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, ‘Your son lives!’ Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, ‘Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.’ SO, the father KNEW that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, ‘Your son lives.’ And HE himself BELIEVED, and his whole household.” [3]
This “SO–BELIEVED” combination happened after Jesus healed a nobleman’s dying son. The nobleman and his whole household believed in JESUS.
What “THEN–NOW–SO” combination has JESUS done in your life? He has done much in my life to help me BELIEVE in Him. Enough to inspire me to SING HIS PRAISES! I hope and pray this is true for you.
[1] Psalm 106:12
[2] John 4:42
[3] John 4:49-53
This “THEN THEY BELIEVED” happened after the Lord rescued the Israelites from the Egyptian army. They SANG God’s praises. God’s intervention helped their faith and their singing of His praises.
“THEN they said to the woman, ‘NOW we BELIEVE, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and WE KNOW that this is indeed the CHRIST, the SAVIOR of the world.’” [2]
This “THEN” “NOW” we BELIEVE happened after the Samaritans heard Jesus speak.
“The nobleman said to Him [Jesus], ‘Sir, come down before my child dies!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your son lives.’ SO, the man BELIEVED the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, ‘Your son lives!’ Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, ‘Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.’ SO, the father KNEW that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, ‘Your son lives.’ And HE himself BELIEVED, and his whole household.” [3]
This “SO–BELIEVED” combination happened after Jesus healed a nobleman’s dying son. The nobleman and his whole household believed in JESUS.
What “THEN–NOW–SO” combination has JESUS done in your life? He has done much in my life to help me BELIEVE in Him. Enough to inspire me to SING HIS PRAISES! I hope and pray this is true for you.
[1] Psalm 106:12
[2] John 4:42
[3] John 4:49-53
Born Again
Jesus: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus: “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
Jesus: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” [1]
You must be born of the Spirit of God to enter the kingdom of God. To be born of the Spirit is to experience a salvation that is from God. It is to be convicted by the Spirit that you need to believe in Jesus to be saved. Salvation is to call upon His Name and to ask Him to forgive your sin and save you from sin.
Jesus: “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” [2]
The worst sin of all is not to believe in Christ because He is the Savior from sin. Without faith in Christ a person cannot be saved from their sin.
John the Baptist: “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.” [3]
Our salvation and our revelation of God must come from God.
John the Baptist: “He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.” [4]
We need an increase of Jesus in our lives to decrease the ego (the “I”) in our lives. Jesus speaks from heaven. We need to hear from heaven if we want to know God.
John the Baptist: “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” [5]
God the Father’s love for His Son compels Him NOT to create a backdoor to heaven. All must come to God through belief in His Son. Otherwise, a person’s sin remains, and God hates sin. God does not give everlasting life to a person with unforgiven sin. Sin is why Jesus, an innocent Messiah, gave His life on the cross. Sin is why He sent from heaven the blessed Holy Spirit.
We (you) need a salvation from heaven, and we (you) need the Holy Spirit to keep us (you) in the faith of Christ all our (your) days. If you have not believed in Christ, I urge you to do so now.
[1] John 3:3-6
[2] John 3:18
[3] John 3:27
[4] John 3:30-31
[5] John 3:35-36
Nicodemus: “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
Jesus: “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” [1]
You must be born of the Spirit of God to enter the kingdom of God. To be born of the Spirit is to experience a salvation that is from God. It is to be convicted by the Spirit that you need to believe in Jesus to be saved. Salvation is to call upon His Name and to ask Him to forgive your sin and save you from sin.
Jesus: “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” [2]
The worst sin of all is not to believe in Christ because He is the Savior from sin. Without faith in Christ a person cannot be saved from their sin.
John the Baptist: “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.” [3]
Our salvation and our revelation of God must come from God.
John the Baptist: “He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.” [4]
We need an increase of Jesus in our lives to decrease the ego (the “I”) in our lives. Jesus speaks from heaven. We need to hear from heaven if we want to know God.
John the Baptist: “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” [5]
God the Father’s love for His Son compels Him NOT to create a backdoor to heaven. All must come to God through belief in His Son. Otherwise, a person’s sin remains, and God hates sin. God does not give everlasting life to a person with unforgiven sin. Sin is why Jesus, an innocent Messiah, gave His life on the cross. Sin is why He sent from heaven the blessed Holy Spirit.
We (you) need a salvation from heaven, and we (you) need the Holy Spirit to keep us (you) in the faith of Christ all our (your) days. If you have not believed in Christ, I urge you to do so now.
[1] John 3:3-6
[2] John 3:18
[3] John 3:27
[4] John 3:30-31
[5] John 3:35-36
Thursday, March 11, 2021
Veils Removed by God's Presence
"Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. " [1]
Spiritual “veils” or blinders separate people from seeing Jesus and His work for us clearly.
How do we get an unveiled face? We turn to the Lord.
Jesus is more than able to take veils away.
This points to the essential need of Bible reading, prayer, and Christian fellowship.
"Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." [2]
The Spirit of God liberates us from the veils that would keep us from clearly beholding and receiving God's glory. He transforms us from the inside out.
Everyone wants to know, “How can I change?” The best and most enduring change comes into our life when we are transformed by time spent with the Lord.
The work of transformation is a continual progression from glory to glory.
Transformation really is God’s work in us by His Spirit. We simply put ourselves in a place where the Spirit of the Lord can transform us. [3]
[1] 2 Corinthians 3:16
[2] 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
[3] All other comments based and/or quoted from Enduring Word Commentary
Spiritual “veils” or blinders separate people from seeing Jesus and His work for us clearly.
How do we get an unveiled face? We turn to the Lord.
Jesus is more than able to take veils away.
This points to the essential need of Bible reading, prayer, and Christian fellowship.
"Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." [2]
The Spirit of God liberates us from the veils that would keep us from clearly beholding and receiving God's glory. He transforms us from the inside out.
Everyone wants to know, “How can I change?” The best and most enduring change comes into our life when we are transformed by time spent with the Lord.
The work of transformation is a continual progression from glory to glory.
Transformation really is God’s work in us by His Spirit. We simply put ourselves in a place where the Spirit of the Lord can transform us. [3]
[1] 2 Corinthians 3:16
[2] 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
[3] All other comments based and/or quoted from Enduring Word Commentary
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
The Son of Man
“And He [Jesus] said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’” [1]
When Jesus told Nathanael that he would see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man, He was declaring Himself to be the One who opens heaven for Nathanael. Jesus is the ladder between heaven and earth.
Christ connects us to God. He opens our understanding of God. Once, we recognize, believe, and confess that Jesus is Messiah, we witness “greater things” than we ever witnessed before. “You will see greater things than these.” [2]
When Jesus referred to Himself as the “Son of Man” to Nathanael, He referenced Daniel 7:13-14. In this Bible passage, the Messiah is called the Son of Man. The “Son of Man” was a Messianic title free from political and nationalistic sentiment. When a Jewish person of that time heard “King” or “Christ” they often thought of a political or military savior. Jesus emphasized His humanity... that He came to tabernacle or dwell among us.
John chapter one reveals four ways of coming to Jesus:
Andrew came to Jesus because of the preaching of John. [3]
Peter came to Jesus because of the witness of his brother. [4]
Phillip came to Jesus because of the direct call of Jesus. [5]
Nathaniel heard from two witnesses (both from Phillip and Jesus), and after hearing their testimonies, declared, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” [6]
The message of John chapter one is clearly, “Believe in Jesus Christ.”
John the Baptist testified that Jesus is the Lamb of God and the Son of God. [7]
Andrew testified that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ. [8]
Phillip testified that Jesus is the One prophesied in the Old Testament. [9]
Nathaniel testified that Jesus is the Son of God and the King of Israel. [10]
[1] John 1:51
[2] John 1:50
[3] John 1:35-40
[4] John 1:41-42
[5] John 1:43
[6] John 1:45-49
[7] John 1:29, 34, 36
[8] John 1:41
[9] John 1:45
[10] John 1:49
When Jesus told Nathanael that he would see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man, He was declaring Himself to be the One who opens heaven for Nathanael. Jesus is the ladder between heaven and earth.
Christ connects us to God. He opens our understanding of God. Once, we recognize, believe, and confess that Jesus is Messiah, we witness “greater things” than we ever witnessed before. “You will see greater things than these.” [2]
When Jesus referred to Himself as the “Son of Man” to Nathanael, He referenced Daniel 7:13-14. In this Bible passage, the Messiah is called the Son of Man. The “Son of Man” was a Messianic title free from political and nationalistic sentiment. When a Jewish person of that time heard “King” or “Christ” they often thought of a political or military savior. Jesus emphasized His humanity... that He came to tabernacle or dwell among us.
John chapter one reveals four ways of coming to Jesus:
Andrew came to Jesus because of the preaching of John. [3]
Peter came to Jesus because of the witness of his brother. [4]
Phillip came to Jesus because of the direct call of Jesus. [5]
Nathaniel heard from two witnesses (both from Phillip and Jesus), and after hearing their testimonies, declared, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” [6]
The message of John chapter one is clearly, “Believe in Jesus Christ.”
John the Baptist testified that Jesus is the Lamb of God and the Son of God. [7]
Andrew testified that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ. [8]
Phillip testified that Jesus is the One prophesied in the Old Testament. [9]
Nathaniel testified that Jesus is the Son of God and the King of Israel. [10]
[1] John 1:51
[2] John 1:50
[3] John 1:35-40
[4] John 1:41-42
[5] John 1:43
[6] John 1:45-49
[7] John 1:29, 34, 36
[8] John 1:41
[9] John 1:45
[10] John 1:49
Tuesday, March 9, 2021
Blessing God!
“Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He [Jesus] expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” [1]
“He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” [2]
Do you want to understand the Scriptures better? Look to Jesus!
“His name is called The Word of God.” [3]
He is the source of every word in the Bible. He is the life within the words.
“And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.’ [4]
Jesus is food and drink for our hungry and thirsty soul.
Do you want joy?
Do you want your mouth to yield more praise than protest?
Read the Bible and ask Jesus to reveal the meaning of it to you. I get so blessed by doing so.
“And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.” [5]
“Thank You Lord Jesus for lifting Your hands and blessing Your people. We worship You with great joy. Thanks to You and to what You have done for us, we are continually praising and blessing God!”
[1] Luke 24:27
[2] Luke 24:45
[3] Revelation 19:13
[4] John 6:35
[5] Luke 24:50-52
“He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.” [2]
Do you want to understand the Scriptures better? Look to Jesus!
“His name is called The Word of God.” [3]
He is the source of every word in the Bible. He is the life within the words.
“And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.’ [4]
Jesus is food and drink for our hungry and thirsty soul.
Do you want joy?
Do you want your mouth to yield more praise than protest?
Read the Bible and ask Jesus to reveal the meaning of it to you. I get so blessed by doing so.
“And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.” [5]
“Thank You Lord Jesus for lifting Your hands and blessing Your people. We worship You with great joy. Thanks to You and to what You have done for us, we are continually praising and blessing God!”
[1] Luke 24:27
[2] Luke 24:45
[3] Revelation 19:13
[4] John 6:35
[5] Luke 24:50-52
Sunday, March 7, 2021
Keep on Believing
Twelve spies spied on the Promised Land.
They saw an abundance of food.
He who did mighty miracles in Egypt...
Promised this land to their people.
Caleb said, “Let us go up at once!
Let us take possession!
We are well able to overcome it.”
Ten spies doubted, saying...
“We are not able to overcome the people.
They are stronger than we.”
“They are giants.
We are grasshoppers.” [1]
The people of Israel wept that night.
They complained.
They wanted to...
Return to Egypt.
Moses and Aaron...
Fell on their faces.
Joshua and Caleb...
Tore their clothes.
Joshua and Caleb testified...
“The land is exceedingly good.
The Lord is with us.”
The glory of the appeared. [2]
Moses prayed to the Lord...
“Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray,
According to the greatness of Your mercy,
Just as You have forgiven this people,
From Egypt even until now.” [3]
In Psalm 90, a prayer of Moses appears...
“Have compassion on Your servants.
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
Let Your work appear to Your servants,
And Your glory to their children.
Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.” [4]
The Lord eventually brought the Israelites into the Promised Land. After they were displaced, He brought them in again. Though we (Israelites and Gentiles believers) have often failed to believe, the Lord has been faithful. He keeps His promises. He has an even greater kingdom planned for us than ones of this earth.
Jesus said to His disciples...
“You are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me.” [5]
“Dear Heavenly Father, please keep us believing. You are faithful! What You promise, You do. We shall inherit a glorious kingdom thanks to Your grace and goodness. Please feed our faith today. In our lives, Lord, be glorified. We pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
[1] Numbers 13:27-33
[2] Numbers 14:1-10
[3] Numbers 14:13-19
[4] Psalm 90:13-14, 16-17
[5] Luke 22:28-29
They saw an abundance of food.
He who did mighty miracles in Egypt...
Promised this land to their people.
Caleb said, “Let us go up at once!
Let us take possession!
We are well able to overcome it.”
Ten spies doubted, saying...
“We are not able to overcome the people.
They are stronger than we.”
“They are giants.
We are grasshoppers.” [1]
The people of Israel wept that night.
They complained.
They wanted to...
Return to Egypt.
Moses and Aaron...
Fell on their faces.
Joshua and Caleb...
Tore their clothes.
Joshua and Caleb testified...
“The land is exceedingly good.
The Lord is with us.”
The glory of the appeared. [2]
Moses prayed to the Lord...
“Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray,
According to the greatness of Your mercy,
Just as You have forgiven this people,
From Egypt even until now.” [3]
In Psalm 90, a prayer of Moses appears...
“Have compassion on Your servants.
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
Let Your work appear to Your servants,
And Your glory to their children.
Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.” [4]
The Lord eventually brought the Israelites into the Promised Land. After they were displaced, He brought them in again. Though we (Israelites and Gentiles believers) have often failed to believe, the Lord has been faithful. He keeps His promises. He has an even greater kingdom planned for us than ones of this earth.
Jesus said to His disciples...
“You are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me.” [5]
“Dear Heavenly Father, please keep us believing. You are faithful! What You promise, You do. We shall inherit a glorious kingdom thanks to Your grace and goodness. Please feed our faith today. In our lives, Lord, be glorified. We pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
[1] Numbers 13:27-33
[2] Numbers 14:1-10
[3] Numbers 14:13-19
[4] Psalm 90:13-14, 16-17
[5] Luke 22:28-29
Saturday, March 6, 2021
Depending on the Power of God
“Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. So, they said, ‘Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?’ And the Lord heard it.” [1]
Moses had not asked to be chosen for his position. Quite the opposite! When the Lord called him, he protested, saying, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He also told God that he was a man of poor speaking ability. [2]
Miriam and Aaron’s dissatisfaction with Moses began with the woman he married, and then, progressed to suggest that he was behaving arrogantly. The Lord addressed their false accusation of his arrogance in the very next verse.
“The man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.” [3]
The Lord called the three siblings to the tabernacle of meeting. The Lord appeared as a pillar of cloud to them. He called Aaron and Miriam forward and said to them...
“Hear now My words: if there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” [4]
Moses was faithful to meet with God, and as a result, God was able to use him mightily.
The Apostle Paul also gave glory to God when he wrote, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” [5]
“Dear Heavenly Father, please move in and through us by the power of Your Holy Spirit so that Your Name is glorified, and many souls are saved. This, we pray in the Name of Your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.”
[1] Numbers 12:1-2
[2] Exodus 3:11, 4:10
[3] Numbers 12:3
[4] Numbers 12:4-8
[5] 2 Corinthians 4:7
Moses had not asked to be chosen for his position. Quite the opposite! When the Lord called him, he protested, saying, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He also told God that he was a man of poor speaking ability. [2]
Miriam and Aaron’s dissatisfaction with Moses began with the woman he married, and then, progressed to suggest that he was behaving arrogantly. The Lord addressed their false accusation of his arrogance in the very next verse.
“The man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.” [3]
The Lord called the three siblings to the tabernacle of meeting. The Lord appeared as a pillar of cloud to them. He called Aaron and Miriam forward and said to them...
“Hear now My words: if there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” [4]
Moses was faithful to meet with God, and as a result, God was able to use him mightily.
The Apostle Paul also gave glory to God when he wrote, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” [5]
“Dear Heavenly Father, please move in and through us by the power of Your Holy Spirit so that Your Name is glorified, and many souls are saved. This, we pray in the Name of Your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.”
[1] Numbers 12:1-2
[2] Exodus 3:11, 4:10
[3] Numbers 12:3
[4] Numbers 12:4-8
[5] 2 Corinthians 4:7
Friday, March 5, 2021
When the Trumpet Sounds
Silver trumpets were used in the days of Moses to call the people of God together: “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Make two silver trumpets for yourself; you shall make them of hammered work; you shall use them for calling the congregation and for directing the movement of the camps. When they blow both, all the congregation shall gather before you at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.’” [1]
Trumpets were used to remind the Lord that His people needed saved from their enemies:
“When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.” [2]
The apostles who wrote the Gospels, Epistles and recorded the Revelation were all Jewish. They were schooled in the teachings of Moses. It seems feasible that when Jesus taught about a trumpet being sounded at His return, they would have made the connection that...
1) When the trumpet sounds God’s people gather to meet with Him, and,
2) When the trumpet sounds God will save them from their enemies.
Below are five Bible verses from Matthew’s Gospel, Paul’s Epistle and John’s Revelation:
“He [the Lord] will send His angels with a great sound of a TRUMPET, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” [3]
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the TRUMPET of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” [4]
“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a TRUMPET.” [5]
“And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven TRUMPETS.” [6]
“Then the seventh angel sounded [the seventh TRUMPET]: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” [7]
When the TRUMPET of the Lord sounds, will you be ready to meet Him?
I pray that we will all be ready.
[1] Numbers 10:1-3
[2] Numbers 10:9
[3] Matthew 24:31
[4] 1 Thessalonians 4:16
[5] Revelation 1:10
[6] Revelation 8:2
[7] Revelation 11:15
Trumpets were used to remind the Lord that His people needed saved from their enemies:
“When you go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, and you will be remembered before the Lord your God, and you will be saved from your enemies.” [2]
The apostles who wrote the Gospels, Epistles and recorded the Revelation were all Jewish. They were schooled in the teachings of Moses. It seems feasible that when Jesus taught about a trumpet being sounded at His return, they would have made the connection that...
1) When the trumpet sounds God’s people gather to meet with Him, and,
2) When the trumpet sounds God will save them from their enemies.
Below are five Bible verses from Matthew’s Gospel, Paul’s Epistle and John’s Revelation:
“He [the Lord] will send His angels with a great sound of a TRUMPET, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” [3]
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the TRUMPET of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” [4]
“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a TRUMPET.” [5]
“And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven TRUMPETS.” [6]
“Then the seventh angel sounded [the seventh TRUMPET]: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” [7]
When the TRUMPET of the Lord sounds, will you be ready to meet Him?
I pray that we will all be ready.
[1] Numbers 10:1-3
[2] Numbers 10:9
[3] Matthew 24:31
[4] 1 Thessalonians 4:16
[5] Revelation 1:10
[6] Revelation 8:2
[7] Revelation 11:15
Thursday, March 4, 2021
The Church and Israel
“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” [1]
This passage is the first time the word “Church” appears in the Bible. The word “Church” derives from the Greek word “ekklesia.” Ekklesia (ek “out from” and kaleo, “to call”) is people called out from the world and to God, the outcome being the Church (the mystical body of Christ) – called out from the world and into His eternal kingdom. [2]
Christ is the one doing the calling. The “called out” enter the kingdom of God...
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven...” [3]
The Church are those called by Christ to come out of the world and into the kingdom of God.
There is a parallel between Israel and the Church.
Israel began with Jacob and His twelve sons, and they were called to be distinct from all other people for the purpose of being God’s representatives on earth, and a royal priesthood. [4]
The Church began with Jesus his twelve disciples, and they were called to be distinct from all other people for the purpose of being God’s representatives on earth, and a royal priesthood. [5]
The word “Church” was first applied to those Jews who confessed Christ as the promised Messiah. Only later, in Acts, did the Church begin to include people from other nations.
Jesus and his twelve apostles were Jews, so was Paul, and the early church. None of these Jews saw following Christ as a conversion from Judaism, but as a recognition that Jesus is the promised Jewish Messiah.
The early church question was not about whether a Jew had to convert to Christianity — the question was about whether a Gentile had to convert to Judaism to be a Christian! The conclusion to this question was no. (See Acts 15:1-29).
The foundation of the Church is described in Ephesians 2:20: “Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone.”
Christ established the Church with Himself as the cornerstone, and the rest of the foundation consists of the Jewish apostles and prophets who wrote the Bible.
What excites me as I study the Bible is God’s faithfulness! He is faithful to Gentiles and to Jews. The Church began with a move of God’s Messiah and Spirit among the Jews, spread to all the Gentiles nations, and will return to a major move among the Jews in Israel. God is faithful.
[1] Matthew 16:18
[2] HELPS Word-studies, The Discovery Bible New Testament, Gary Hill
[3] Matthew 16:19
[4] Exodus 19:6
[5] 1 Peter 2:9
This passage is the first time the word “Church” appears in the Bible. The word “Church” derives from the Greek word “ekklesia.” Ekklesia (ek “out from” and kaleo, “to call”) is people called out from the world and to God, the outcome being the Church (the mystical body of Christ) – called out from the world and into His eternal kingdom. [2]
Christ is the one doing the calling. The “called out” enter the kingdom of God...
“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven...” [3]
The Church are those called by Christ to come out of the world and into the kingdom of God.
There is a parallel between Israel and the Church.
Israel began with Jacob and His twelve sons, and they were called to be distinct from all other people for the purpose of being God’s representatives on earth, and a royal priesthood. [4]
The Church began with Jesus his twelve disciples, and they were called to be distinct from all other people for the purpose of being God’s representatives on earth, and a royal priesthood. [5]
The word “Church” was first applied to those Jews who confessed Christ as the promised Messiah. Only later, in Acts, did the Church begin to include people from other nations.
Jesus and his twelve apostles were Jews, so was Paul, and the early church. None of these Jews saw following Christ as a conversion from Judaism, but as a recognition that Jesus is the promised Jewish Messiah.
The early church question was not about whether a Jew had to convert to Christianity — the question was about whether a Gentile had to convert to Judaism to be a Christian! The conclusion to this question was no. (See Acts 15:1-29).
The foundation of the Church is described in Ephesians 2:20: “Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone.”
Christ established the Church with Himself as the cornerstone, and the rest of the foundation consists of the Jewish apostles and prophets who wrote the Bible.
What excites me as I study the Bible is God’s faithfulness! He is faithful to Gentiles and to Jews. The Church began with a move of God’s Messiah and Spirit among the Jews, spread to all the Gentiles nations, and will return to a major move among the Jews in Israel. God is faithful.
[1] Matthew 16:18
[2] HELPS Word-studies, The Discovery Bible New Testament, Gary Hill
[3] Matthew 16:19
[4] Exodus 19:6
[5] 1 Peter 2:9
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
The Final Restoration of Israel
Our understanding of Revelation is incomplete if we don’t understand how Israel is involved.
In Revelation 1:7, Jesus told His Jewish Apostle, John, to write, “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.”
A Jew who knew the Scripture well, would see this as a fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10:
“I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.”
How exciting for John! John now knows that Jesus will reveal Himself to His people Israel on a large-scale. They will repent and embrace Jesus on a massive scale in due season.
Zechariah 12:10 equates “Me” (God who is speaking) with the One “whom they have pierced“, which is Christ, in reference to His crucifixion. Many in Israel will recognize that Jesus is their Messiah and turn to Him.
In Revelation, we observe the following things about Israel in the end times:
God will call 144,000 Jews to be sealed as His servants. [1]
Israel will come under severe attack by the nations for 42 months. [2]
A remnant of Israel will be protected by God during the 42 months. Israel is symbolized by the “woman” in Revelation 12:6, 13-17.
Two Jewish witnesses will speak mightily in Jerusalem during those 42 months. The 42 months conclude with the two witnesses being killed by Antichrist, but they will be resurrected after 3 1/2 days. [3]
Nations will amass at Armageddon with intent to attack and destroy the remnant of Israel. [4]
Christ will visibly return to defend His people. [5]
Christ will reign as Israel’s king in Zion during the millennial kingdom, and finally there will be a new Jerusalem. [6]
In Romans 11:11, Paul, a Jew, addresses the Gentile Christians in Rome, as follows: “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!”
Paul states in Romans 11:25, “that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” I believe that the fullness of the Gentiles refers to the time when the Church (made up of Gentile Christians) is raptured. After that, the Lord will restore, Israel to its prominent place as His witness to all nations. Paul states in Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” God gifted and called Israel, and He has not revoked their special status with Him. In His loving grace and faithfulness, Jesus, their Messiah, will cause Israel to once again be His light to the nations.
[1] Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5
[2] Revelation 11:2; 12:13
[3] Revelation 11:3, 7, 11-12
[4] Revelation 16:13-16
[5] Revelation 19:11-16
[6] Revelation 20:6, 21:10
In Revelation 1:7, Jesus told His Jewish Apostle, John, to write, “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.”
A Jew who knew the Scripture well, would see this as a fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10:
“I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.”
How exciting for John! John now knows that Jesus will reveal Himself to His people Israel on a large-scale. They will repent and embrace Jesus on a massive scale in due season.
Zechariah 12:10 equates “Me” (God who is speaking) with the One “whom they have pierced“, which is Christ, in reference to His crucifixion. Many in Israel will recognize that Jesus is their Messiah and turn to Him.
In Revelation, we observe the following things about Israel in the end times:
God will call 144,000 Jews to be sealed as His servants. [1]
Israel will come under severe attack by the nations for 42 months. [2]
A remnant of Israel will be protected by God during the 42 months. Israel is symbolized by the “woman” in Revelation 12:6, 13-17.
Two Jewish witnesses will speak mightily in Jerusalem during those 42 months. The 42 months conclude with the two witnesses being killed by Antichrist, but they will be resurrected after 3 1/2 days. [3]
Nations will amass at Armageddon with intent to attack and destroy the remnant of Israel. [4]
Christ will visibly return to defend His people. [5]
Christ will reign as Israel’s king in Zion during the millennial kingdom, and finally there will be a new Jerusalem. [6]
In Romans 11:11, Paul, a Jew, addresses the Gentile Christians in Rome, as follows: “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!”
Paul states in Romans 11:25, “that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” I believe that the fullness of the Gentiles refers to the time when the Church (made up of Gentile Christians) is raptured. After that, the Lord will restore, Israel to its prominent place as His witness to all nations. Paul states in Romans 11:29, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” God gifted and called Israel, and He has not revoked their special status with Him. In His loving grace and faithfulness, Jesus, their Messiah, will cause Israel to once again be His light to the nations.
[1] Revelation 7:1-8; 14:1-5
[2] Revelation 11:2; 12:13
[3] Revelation 11:3, 7, 11-12
[4] Revelation 16:13-16
[5] Revelation 19:11-16
[6] Revelation 20:6, 21:10
Monday, March 1, 2021
Great is Their Reward
The last seventeen books of the Old Testament are the prophetic books of the Bible.
The prophets of the Old Testament were truth-tellers. They were watchmen. They were poets. Sometimes they even acted out the scenes of what God revealed to them for their audiences. They were filled by God’s Spirit with their Savior’s love for people.
God revealed to them His intentions for His people...
“Surely the Lord God does nothing unless he reveals it. His secret counsel to His servant the prophets.” [1]
Jesus spoke of these servants of His Word in His Sermon on the Mount. Surprisingly, He brought out that they were a reviled, persecuted, and maligned group of people in the world, but at the same time, lovingly affirmed that they were blessed because their reward in heaven is great...
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” [2]
The evil one and his minions have always wanted to cancel the culture of law and prophets, but Jesus promised that they will not succeed...
“For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” [3]
What is more Jesus said that whoever does and teaches His commandments, “Shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” [4]
“Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for affirming and rewarding the ministry of forth-tellers of Your Word, the Holy Scriptures. Please help us to never forget... “Great is their reward!”
[1] Amos 3:7
[2] Matthew 5:11-12
[3] Matthew 5:18
[4] Matthew 5:19
The prophets of the Old Testament were truth-tellers. They were watchmen. They were poets. Sometimes they even acted out the scenes of what God revealed to them for their audiences. They were filled by God’s Spirit with their Savior’s love for people.
God revealed to them His intentions for His people...
“Surely the Lord God does nothing unless he reveals it. His secret counsel to His servant the prophets.” [1]
Jesus spoke of these servants of His Word in His Sermon on the Mount. Surprisingly, He brought out that they were a reviled, persecuted, and maligned group of people in the world, but at the same time, lovingly affirmed that they were blessed because their reward in heaven is great...
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” [2]
The evil one and his minions have always wanted to cancel the culture of law and prophets, but Jesus promised that they will not succeed...
“For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” [3]
What is more Jesus said that whoever does and teaches His commandments, “Shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” [4]
“Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for affirming and rewarding the ministry of forth-tellers of Your Word, the Holy Scriptures. Please help us to never forget... “Great is their reward!”
[1] Amos 3:7
[2] Matthew 5:11-12
[3] Matthew 5:18
[4] Matthew 5:19
Saturday, February 27, 2021
The Blessing of God
In Leviticus 26:1-13, the Lord speaks of sins to avoid and blessings to receive. He is the Lord. This is His world. It is His creation. The blessings are His to grant or to withhold.
The devil is one who told our first parents Adam and Eve that they could go against God’s rule and still prosper. The devil lied. Nothing has changed. He still propagates lies against God.
In this context, those who propagate a disregard for God and God’s rule are not leading us to blessings, but to curses. Leviticus 26:14-39 lists the curses that come to those who disregard God, His rule and live in opposition to Him.
So, let us pray for our country and for all peoples of the world. We are one human race created in the image of God. Many have embraced the Lord and His Word. Many worship Him and pray to Him daily. Let us ask the Lord to add people to His body the Church. And may we, His Church, be diligent to KNOW Him, WORSHIP Him, and SERVE Him. GOD is GOOD, and all blessings flow from HIM.
“Blessed is the person You choose,
And cause to approach You,
That he may dwell in Your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Of Your holy temple.
By awesome deeds in righteousness, You answer us,
O God of our salvation,
You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth,
And of the far-off seas;
Who established the mountains by His strength,
Being clothed with power;
You who still the noise of the seas,
The noise of their waves,
And the tumult of the peoples.
They who dwell faraway are afraid of Your signs;
You make the morning and evening rejoice.
You visit the earth and water it,
You greatly enrich it;
The river of God is full of water;
You provide their grain,
For so You have prepared it.
You water its ridges abundantly,
You settle its furrows;
You make it soft with showers,
You bless its growth.
You crown the year with Your goodness,
And Your paths drip with abundance.
They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,
And the little hills rejoice on every side.
The pastures are clothed with flocks;
The valleys also are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, they also sing.” [1]
[1] Psalm 65:4-13
The devil is one who told our first parents Adam and Eve that they could go against God’s rule and still prosper. The devil lied. Nothing has changed. He still propagates lies against God.
In this context, those who propagate a disregard for God and God’s rule are not leading us to blessings, but to curses. Leviticus 26:14-39 lists the curses that come to those who disregard God, His rule and live in opposition to Him.
So, let us pray for our country and for all peoples of the world. We are one human race created in the image of God. Many have embraced the Lord and His Word. Many worship Him and pray to Him daily. Let us ask the Lord to add people to His body the Church. And may we, His Church, be diligent to KNOW Him, WORSHIP Him, and SERVE Him. GOD is GOOD, and all blessings flow from HIM.
“Blessed is the person You choose,
And cause to approach You,
That he may dwell in Your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Of Your holy temple.
By awesome deeds in righteousness, You answer us,
O God of our salvation,
You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth,
And of the far-off seas;
Who established the mountains by His strength,
Being clothed with power;
You who still the noise of the seas,
The noise of their waves,
And the tumult of the peoples.
They who dwell faraway are afraid of Your signs;
You make the morning and evening rejoice.
You visit the earth and water it,
You greatly enrich it;
The river of God is full of water;
You provide their grain,
For so You have prepared it.
You water its ridges abundantly,
You settle its furrows;
You make it soft with showers,
You bless its growth.
You crown the year with Your goodness,
And Your paths drip with abundance.
They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,
And the little hills rejoice on every side.
The pastures are clothed with flocks;
The valleys also are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, they also sing.” [1]
[1] Psalm 65:4-13
Friday, February 26, 2021
What if the Lord Returned Today?
Would you KNOW for sure, nothing doubting, that you would go to heaven?
Is it possible to KNOW for certain that you have eternal life? That is a very great reward, right? Who deserves it?
The truth of the matter is no human deserves or earns eternal life. Eternal life is the gift of God according to Ephesians 2:8 in the Bible.
When we believe in Jesus, we KNOW that we have eternal life both by the promises in God’s Word in the Bible, and by the witness of His Holy Spirit, whom He gives to those who believe in His Name...
“The testimony that God has given us is eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” [1]
“He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself.” [2]
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” [3]
In Christ, even though we die, we live again.
What is our part in this great salvation?
First, we must repent of sin. Sin separates us from God. Isaiah 59:2 says, “Your iniquities have separated you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”
The Gospel tells us that Jesus took away our sins on the cross. The Gospel is that Christ died for our sins, was buried, was resurrected on the third day, was seen by witnesses for 40 days, and afterwards, He ascended to heaven from where He will return to judge the living and the dead.
Second, we are to believe in and confess that Jesus is our Lord. Then, we have eternal life.
“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” [4]
Jesus is able to keep us from stumbling and present us faultless before God. [5]
[1] 1 John 5:11-12
[2] 1 John 5:10
[3] Romans 8:16
[4] Romans 10:9-10
[5] Jude 1:24
Is it possible to KNOW for certain that you have eternal life? That is a very great reward, right? Who deserves it?
The truth of the matter is no human deserves or earns eternal life. Eternal life is the gift of God according to Ephesians 2:8 in the Bible.
When we believe in Jesus, we KNOW that we have eternal life both by the promises in God’s Word in the Bible, and by the witness of His Holy Spirit, whom He gives to those who believe in His Name...
“The testimony that God has given us is eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” [1]
“He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself.” [2]
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” [3]
In Christ, even though we die, we live again.
What is our part in this great salvation?
First, we must repent of sin. Sin separates us from God. Isaiah 59:2 says, “Your iniquities have separated you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.”
The Gospel tells us that Jesus took away our sins on the cross. The Gospel is that Christ died for our sins, was buried, was resurrected on the third day, was seen by witnesses for 40 days, and afterwards, He ascended to heaven from where He will return to judge the living and the dead.
Second, we are to believe in and confess that Jesus is our Lord. Then, we have eternal life.
“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” [4]
Jesus is able to keep us from stumbling and present us faultless before God. [5]
[1] 1 John 5:11-12
[2] 1 John 5:10
[3] Romans 8:16
[4] Romans 10:9-10
[5] Jude 1:24
Thursday, February 25, 2021
My Hong Kong Youth for Christ (HKYFC) Experience (1985-1987)
The Lord has been so incredibly gracious to me throughout my life.
My opportunity to work alongside Hong Kong Youth for Christ Director David Chu as his assistant is one such example.
I would love to see similar developments happen for our young people in Kirksville.
For example...
Graphic art seminar to give young people tools to promote with posters and other materials the Gospel sharing ministry.
Public speaking seminar to give young people tools to speak before hundreds.
Acting seminar to give young people tools to do skits for evangelistic meetings.
Music and singing seminar to give young people tools for music ministry.
Writing and publishing seminars to give young people tools to promote the Gospel.
Evangelism and Discipleship seminars to give young people tools to win souls to Christ and disciple them.
HKYFC was blessed with three departments of staff: Evangelism, Follow-up and Training.
HKYFC had access to do programs in 450 schools in Hong Kong as well as at detentions centers, shopping malls, and public venues with high volumes of people traffic.
We need to develop ministry skills and identify venues where we can minister to young people.
HKYFC reached many souls for Christ on a weekly basis.
I am looking to the Lord for our young people. “Lord, please help us to help them. Help us to give them tools that will help them serve You and to be blessings to this world for many years to come. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.”
Paul wrote to his young protégé Timothy...
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)
My opportunity to work alongside Hong Kong Youth for Christ Director David Chu as his assistant is one such example.
I would love to see similar developments happen for our young people in Kirksville.
For example...
Graphic art seminar to give young people tools to promote with posters and other materials the Gospel sharing ministry.
Public speaking seminar to give young people tools to speak before hundreds.
Acting seminar to give young people tools to do skits for evangelistic meetings.
Music and singing seminar to give young people tools for music ministry.
Writing and publishing seminars to give young people tools to promote the Gospel.
Evangelism and Discipleship seminars to give young people tools to win souls to Christ and disciple them.
HKYFC was blessed with three departments of staff: Evangelism, Follow-up and Training.
HKYFC had access to do programs in 450 schools in Hong Kong as well as at detentions centers, shopping malls, and public venues with high volumes of people traffic.
We need to develop ministry skills and identify venues where we can minister to young people.
HKYFC reached many souls for Christ on a weekly basis.
I am looking to the Lord for our young people. “Lord, please help us to help them. Help us to give them tools that will help them serve You and to be blessings to this world for many years to come. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.”
Paul wrote to his young protégé Timothy...
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Lord, Send a Revival!
“Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you.” [1]
Paul warned of tough times in the last days. People will love themselves and their money. They will scoff at God, act religiously, and reject the power that could make them godly. [2]
People will be inward looking instead of outward looking!
What can change such a culture? Such an ingrained way of life?
One day, our Lord gave Ezekiel a vision. He saw a valley filled with dry bones. The Lord told Ezekiel to tell the dry bones that they would live again. When he did as the Lord commanded, the bones came together as skeletons. Muscles and skin formed over the bones, and the breath of life came into them. [3]
The Lord breathes spiritual live into dead souls as they hear the Gospel. This Gospel comes to them through Spirit-filled and Spirit-led people who love God and neighbor.
Revival comes by the power of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of Bible-believing and Bible-speaking Christians. The Holy Spirit moves as people devote themselves to Bible reading, prayer and to being witnesses for Christ.
Concerning prayer, E.M. Bounds said, “The prayers of God’s saints are the capital stock in Heaven by which Christ carries on His great work upon [the] earth.”
Revival comes as God’s people believe for it, pray for it and work for it.
“Lord, please send a revival!”
[1] Hosea 10:12
[2] 2 Timothy 3:1–5
[3] Ezekiel 37:1–14
Paul warned of tough times in the last days. People will love themselves and their money. They will scoff at God, act religiously, and reject the power that could make them godly. [2]
People will be inward looking instead of outward looking!
What can change such a culture? Such an ingrained way of life?
One day, our Lord gave Ezekiel a vision. He saw a valley filled with dry bones. The Lord told Ezekiel to tell the dry bones that they would live again. When he did as the Lord commanded, the bones came together as skeletons. Muscles and skin formed over the bones, and the breath of life came into them. [3]
The Lord breathes spiritual live into dead souls as they hear the Gospel. This Gospel comes to them through Spirit-filled and Spirit-led people who love God and neighbor.
Revival comes by the power of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of Bible-believing and Bible-speaking Christians. The Holy Spirit moves as people devote themselves to Bible reading, prayer and to being witnesses for Christ.
Concerning prayer, E.M. Bounds said, “The prayers of God’s saints are the capital stock in Heaven by which Christ carries on His great work upon [the] earth.”
Revival comes as God’s people believe for it, pray for it and work for it.
“Lord, please send a revival!”
[1] Hosea 10:12
[2] 2 Timothy 3:1–5
[3] Ezekiel 37:1–14
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Winning Spiritual Battles
Every human being has a common adversary. He is the devil. The Bible does not portray him as a grotesque and chill-raising creature...
“Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” [1]
Hunters do not scare prey from a trap. They lure prey to a trap. Satan tempted Jesus with food when He was hungry. He tempted Jesus to misuse spiritual power. He tempted Jesus with the kingdoms of the world. Each shiny temptation was a lure to a trap, namely, the great loss that comes when one betrays God’s leadership for Satan’s. Jesus rebuked the devil. [2]
So, the Lord urges us to prepare for battle...
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” [3]
The armor we wear is spiritual because we are not contending with people, but with evil itself. Our goal is to defeat the devil from winning the minds of people away from God to his way of thinking. This battle began when Satan convinced our first parents, Adam, and Eve, to exchange God’s narrative for his lie. Scripture states that this battle is ongoing...
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” [4]
So, what are our weapons?
“Stand therefore, having the belt of truth, having the breastplate of righteousness, and having on your feet the preparation of the Gospel of peace; above all, take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit...” [5]
We need God’s truth, His righteousness, His Gospel, faith, salvation (be saved by God), God’s Word – the Bible, and prayer. We need to pray to God. Prayer can be challenging work. It can be wearisome, but we need to pray. Our prayers rise to God like incense. He turns our prayers into firepower that yield results. [6]
We hear a lot about resistance movements these days. We need to resist the devil...
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” [7]
How do we win? By steadfastly (never letting up) believing in Christ...
“Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” [7]
[1] 2 Corinthians 11:14
[2] Matthew 4:1-10
[3] Ephesians 6:11-12
[4] 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
[5] Ephesians 6:14-18
[6] Revelation 8:3-5
[7] James 4:7
[8] 1 John 5:5
“Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” [1]
Hunters do not scare prey from a trap. They lure prey to a trap. Satan tempted Jesus with food when He was hungry. He tempted Jesus to misuse spiritual power. He tempted Jesus with the kingdoms of the world. Each shiny temptation was a lure to a trap, namely, the great loss that comes when one betrays God’s leadership for Satan’s. Jesus rebuked the devil. [2]
So, the Lord urges us to prepare for battle...
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” [3]
The armor we wear is spiritual because we are not contending with people, but with evil itself. Our goal is to defeat the devil from winning the minds of people away from God to his way of thinking. This battle began when Satan convinced our first parents, Adam, and Eve, to exchange God’s narrative for his lie. Scripture states that this battle is ongoing...
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” [4]
So, what are our weapons?
“Stand therefore, having the belt of truth, having the breastplate of righteousness, and having on your feet the preparation of the Gospel of peace; above all, take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit...” [5]
We need God’s truth, His righteousness, His Gospel, faith, salvation (be saved by God), God’s Word – the Bible, and prayer. We need to pray to God. Prayer can be challenging work. It can be wearisome, but we need to pray. Our prayers rise to God like incense. He turns our prayers into firepower that yield results. [6]
We hear a lot about resistance movements these days. We need to resist the devil...
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” [7]
How do we win? By steadfastly (never letting up) believing in Christ...
“Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” [7]
[1] 2 Corinthians 11:14
[2] Matthew 4:1-10
[3] Ephesians 6:11-12
[4] 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
[5] Ephesians 6:14-18
[6] Revelation 8:3-5
[7] James 4:7
[8] 1 John 5:5
Monday, February 22, 2021
Jesus Transforms Cross-bearers
Once, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said, “The Christ of God.” [1]
It is we, not Jesus, who are judged by our answer. In fact, we answer this question daily by what we believe and do.
Peter knew that Jesus is the Christ of God. The Messiah from the heart of God, not the Messiah from the desire of man!
“He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed.’” [2]
Jesus didn’t want His identity popularly known before the proper time. How could the crowds embrace a suffering Messiah? Many expected or hoped that He would be a political messiah.
But His Messiahship was planned before the world began.
“[You were redeemed] with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you.” [3]
“And be raised the third day.” [4]
His suffering and death was not an end. It was a beginning.
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” [5]
Before a man died on a cross, he had to carry his cross (or at least the horizontal beam of the cross) to the place of execution. No one took up a cross voluntarily. It was impressed on him.
Jesus calls us to voluntarily take up our cross. The cross symbolizes self-denial. It is not about self-promotion or self-affirmation. The cross means to live as an others-centered person. “Daily!” No one could be crucified daily. Jesus was speaking metaphorically.
“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” [6]
You don’t lose a seed when you plant it, you set it free to be transformed into what it was always intended to be.
Giving our lives to Jesus and living as others-centered people does not take our lives from us, it transforms our lives into something new and better. [7]
[1] Luke 9:20
[2] Luke 9:21-22
[3] 1 Peter 1:19-20
[4] Luke 9:22
[5] Luke 9:23
[6] Luke 9:24
[7] Much of the commentary derived from the Enduring Word Commentary
It is we, not Jesus, who are judged by our answer. In fact, we answer this question daily by what we believe and do.
Peter knew that Jesus is the Christ of God. The Messiah from the heart of God, not the Messiah from the desire of man!
“He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, ‘The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed.’” [2]
Jesus didn’t want His identity popularly known before the proper time. How could the crowds embrace a suffering Messiah? Many expected or hoped that He would be a political messiah.
But His Messiahship was planned before the world began.
“[You were redeemed] with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you.” [3]
“And be raised the third day.” [4]
His suffering and death was not an end. It was a beginning.
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.’” [5]
Before a man died on a cross, he had to carry his cross (or at least the horizontal beam of the cross) to the place of execution. No one took up a cross voluntarily. It was impressed on him.
Jesus calls us to voluntarily take up our cross. The cross symbolizes self-denial. It is not about self-promotion or self-affirmation. The cross means to live as an others-centered person. “Daily!” No one could be crucified daily. Jesus was speaking metaphorically.
“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.” [6]
You don’t lose a seed when you plant it, you set it free to be transformed into what it was always intended to be.
Giving our lives to Jesus and living as others-centered people does not take our lives from us, it transforms our lives into something new and better. [7]
[1] Luke 9:20
[2] Luke 9:21-22
[3] 1 Peter 1:19-20
[4] Luke 9:22
[5] Luke 9:23
[6] Luke 9:24
[7] Much of the commentary derived from the Enduring Word Commentary
Sunday, February 21, 2021
Jesus Transformed His Life
There was a man without clothes living among tombs. A demon often seized him. He was bound with chains and shackles. Sometimes, he broke these chains. The demon would drive him like a person drives a car into the wilderness. He suffered for a long time.
On the day that Jesus met this man, He commanded the unclean spirit out of him.
At first, the man fell before Jesus and cried out, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!”
When Jesus asked him his name, he replied, “Legion.” A Roman legion was 6,000 highly organized soldiers. Ready for battle! Scripture says that many demons had entered the man. The demons begged Jesus not to command them into the abyss. An abyss is mentioned in Revelation 9:11 as a place where many demons are locked up.
There was a herd of pigs nearby. So, they [the demons] begged Jesus to permit them to enter the pigs. He permitted them. Then, the demons went out of the man and entered the pigs. The herd of pigs bolted down a steep place into a lake and drowned.
Now, the man from whom the demons had departed, sat at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. He wanted to be with Jesus, but Jesus gave him a mission. He told him, “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” The man proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. [1]
Jesus transformed this man’s life. His life was once full of pain and loneliness, but after he met Jesus, he could enjoy being among people. His life was productive. He helped others to know Jesus.
What would you like Jesus to do for you or for someone you love?
[1] Luke 8:26-39
On the day that Jesus met this man, He commanded the unclean spirit out of him.
At first, the man fell before Jesus and cried out, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!”
When Jesus asked him his name, he replied, “Legion.” A Roman legion was 6,000 highly organized soldiers. Ready for battle! Scripture says that many demons had entered the man. The demons begged Jesus not to command them into the abyss. An abyss is mentioned in Revelation 9:11 as a place where many demons are locked up.
There was a herd of pigs nearby. So, they [the demons] begged Jesus to permit them to enter the pigs. He permitted them. Then, the demons went out of the man and entered the pigs. The herd of pigs bolted down a steep place into a lake and drowned.
Now, the man from whom the demons had departed, sat at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. He wanted to be with Jesus, but Jesus gave him a mission. He told him, “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.” The man proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. [1]
Jesus transformed this man’s life. His life was once full of pain and loneliness, but after he met Jesus, he could enjoy being among people. His life was productive. He helped others to know Jesus.
What would you like Jesus to do for you or for someone you love?
[1] Luke 8:26-39
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Jesus Transforms Tears into Joy
“Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, ’Do not weep.’” [1]
Many disciples and a large crowd! More than the twelve were disciples of Jesus in some sense.
Pall bearers were transporting a dead man out the city gate presumably to a cemetery. The deceased was the only son of his mother. She was a widow. Her grief was great.
Jesus said to her, “Do not weep.”
The Lord once said to a dying king, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you.” [2]
The Psalmist wrote, “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.” [3]
Jesus transforms tears that fall to the ground like seeds to produce crops of joy.
Jesus has compassion on this widow. The English word for compassion means to “suffer with.” The Greek word in the original text “σπλαγχνίζομαι” means to have the bowels yearn, i.e., feel sympathy, to pity: —hence to be moved with compassion. [4]
Jesus instantly understood the situation and had sympathy upon the widow.
Luke emphasizes Jesus’ deity by referring to Him as Lord.
“Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’ So, he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother. Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen up among us;’ and ‘God has visited His people.’ And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding regions.” [5]
Jesus looked at the boy and spoke to a dead person as if he were alive. “God gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.” [6] “He who was dead sat up and began to speak.”
Jesus transformed funeral processions into celebrations. This was also true for Jarius’ daughter and Lazarus. D.L. Moody was asked to conduct a funeral service, so he decided to study the gospels to find a funeral sermon delivered by Jesus. However, Moody searched in vain, because every funeral Jesus attended, He broke up by raising the dead!” [7]
May our Lord Jesus transform your tears into joy!
[1] Luke 7:11-13
[2] 2 Kings 20:5
[3] Psalm 126:5
[4] Strong’s Concordance
[5] Luke 7: 14-17
[6] Romans 4:17
[7] Luke 8:41-56, John 11:1-45, and Enduring Word Commentary
Many disciples and a large crowd! More than the twelve were disciples of Jesus in some sense.
Pall bearers were transporting a dead man out the city gate presumably to a cemetery. The deceased was the only son of his mother. She was a widow. Her grief was great.
Jesus said to her, “Do not weep.”
The Lord once said to a dying king, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you.” [2]
The Psalmist wrote, “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.” [3]
Jesus transforms tears that fall to the ground like seeds to produce crops of joy.
Jesus has compassion on this widow. The English word for compassion means to “suffer with.” The Greek word in the original text “σπλαγχνίζομαι” means to have the bowels yearn, i.e., feel sympathy, to pity: —hence to be moved with compassion. [4]
Jesus instantly understood the situation and had sympathy upon the widow.
Luke emphasizes Jesus’ deity by referring to Him as Lord.
“Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, ‘Young man, I say to you, arise.’ So, he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother. Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, ‘A great prophet has risen up among us;’ and ‘God has visited His people.’ And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding regions.” [5]
Jesus looked at the boy and spoke to a dead person as if he were alive. “God gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.” [6] “He who was dead sat up and began to speak.”
Jesus transformed funeral processions into celebrations. This was also true for Jarius’ daughter and Lazarus. D.L. Moody was asked to conduct a funeral service, so he decided to study the gospels to find a funeral sermon delivered by Jesus. However, Moody searched in vain, because every funeral Jesus attended, He broke up by raising the dead!” [7]
May our Lord Jesus transform your tears into joy!
[1] Luke 7:11-13
[2] 2 Kings 20:5
[3] Psalm 126:5
[4] Strong’s Concordance
[5] Luke 7: 14-17
[6] Romans 4:17
[7] Luke 8:41-56, John 11:1-45, and Enduring Word Commentary
Friday, February 19, 2021
The Lord Transforms Pits into Praises
“I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth—Praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.” [1]
The Psalmist was in a horrible pit. His feet were stuck in miry clay. The imagery is of being in a disgusting dark hole. He is not able to free himself. He needs someone to rescue him. To whom does he turn? For whom does he wait? The Lord! And the result is...
A new song to sing!
The Lord transformed his pit into praise!
Other examples of tragedies transformed into anthems of tribute include...
“I can only Imagine” – a triple platinum winning song
By Bart Millard after his father died of cancer
“What a Friend we have in Jesus”
By Joseph Scriven after his beautiful fiancée drowned the day before their wedding. [2]
“It is well with my Soul”
By Attorney Horatio Spafford after his business burned down in the Chicago fire and his four daughters drowned at sea. [3]
Bart, Joseph, and Horatio composed praise songs to God. “Many will see it and fear and will trust in the Lord!” People witnessed the power of God resurrecting these men from their tombs of despair and many placed their faith in God as well. Their witness for Christ came from hearts able to sing with new glory.
What horrible pit and what miry clay do you need the Lord to transform into a new song? Wait patiently! Our Lord is a master composer. He turns sighs into songs!
[1] Psalm 40:1-3
[2-3] lifewayresearch.com - unknown back stories to three well-loved hymns
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Do You Need a Miracle?
Jesus does miracles!
After speaking to a crowd from a boat parked near a shoreline, Jesus said to Peter, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Peter responded, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless, at Your word I will let down the net.” “When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.” [1]
Jesus transformed a pro-longed night of fruitless effort into a morning of great yield.
“A man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately the leprosy left him.” [2]
Jesus transformed a moment that would stump any normal human, namely being asked to heal leprosy on the spot, to an immediate healing for the man.
“Men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.” [3]
Jesus is speaking to people in a house and people drop a paralyzed man down on a bed in front of Him. What a strange situation! But, no, Jesus healed the man. Weirdness becomes wonderful!
“After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ So, he left all, rose, and followed Him. Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, ‘Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.’” [4]
Jesus could have ranted about the government when He saw the tax collector, as most people did in those days, but instead He converted Levi, and some of Levi’s cohorts into believers and servants of God.
What dire situation do you need Jesus to resolve today? Ask! Ask Jesus for your miracle! Trust in Him to hear and act upon your request!
[1] Luke 5:4-6
[2] Luke 5:12-13
[3] Luke 5:18-19
[4] Luke 5:28-32
After speaking to a crowd from a boat parked near a shoreline, Jesus said to Peter, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” Peter responded, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless, at Your word I will let down the net.” “When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.” [1]
Jesus transformed a pro-longed night of fruitless effort into a morning of great yield.
“A man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately the leprosy left him.” [2]
Jesus transformed a moment that would stump any normal human, namely being asked to heal leprosy on the spot, to an immediate healing for the man.
“Men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.” [3]
Jesus is speaking to people in a house and people drop a paralyzed man down on a bed in front of Him. What a strange situation! But, no, Jesus healed the man. Weirdness becomes wonderful!
“After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ So, he left all, rose, and followed Him. Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them. And their scribes and the Pharisees complained against His disciples, saying, ‘Why do You eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.’” [4]
Jesus could have ranted about the government when He saw the tax collector, as most people did in those days, but instead He converted Levi, and some of Levi’s cohorts into believers and servants of God.
What dire situation do you need Jesus to resolve today? Ask! Ask Jesus for your miracle! Trust in Him to hear and act upon your request!
[1] Luke 5:4-6
[2] Luke 5:12-13
[3] Luke 5:18-19
[4] Luke 5:28-32
Monday, February 15, 2021
Faith in Action – The Great Commission
“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” [1]
The Great Commission is about faith in action. Jesus Christ has “All authority in heaven and on earth.” This means when we rely on Him, God’s will get done.
Jesus transforms spectators into speakers. Dry bones become alive bones... a mighty army by His Spirit...
“So, I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. So, I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.” [2]
We move forward in power of Christ’s words and His Spirit.
Many Christians have made incredible sacrifices. Mission fields are everywhere. In the 21st century, the even internet has become a mission field where people can share Christ's love.
In verse 19, Jesus speaks of the Trinity. He calls us to baptize people in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Priests in the Old Testament washed in a basin before proceeding to do their priestly services for God and others. Christ “has made us kings and priests to His God and Father.” We are “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, proclaiming the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.” [3]
In verse 20, Jesus commissions us to teach His teachings. As we do, our Lord supports us: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” This fact has proven trustworthy throughout the centuries as millions of believers have heard, accepted, and shared the Good News of Jesus Christ. Though Christ has ascended to heaven, He is present with us by His Spirit.
This is faith in action!
Our Lord has given us a gift to share. He is with us. The first two letters of the word GOD from left to right are G-O and the last two letters of GOD from right to left are D-O. Every follower of Christ has been commissioned and anointed. Now, Let’s GO and DO!
[1] Matthew 28:18-20
[2] Ezekiel 37:7-8, 10
[3] Revelation 1:8, 2 Peter 2:9
The Great Commission is about faith in action. Jesus Christ has “All authority in heaven and on earth.” This means when we rely on Him, God’s will get done.
Jesus transforms spectators into speakers. Dry bones become alive bones... a mighty army by His Spirit...
“So, I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. So, I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.” [2]
We move forward in power of Christ’s words and His Spirit.
Many Christians have made incredible sacrifices. Mission fields are everywhere. In the 21st century, the even internet has become a mission field where people can share Christ's love.
In verse 19, Jesus speaks of the Trinity. He calls us to baptize people in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Priests in the Old Testament washed in a basin before proceeding to do their priestly services for God and others. Christ “has made us kings and priests to His God and Father.” We are “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, proclaiming the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.” [3]
In verse 20, Jesus commissions us to teach His teachings. As we do, our Lord supports us: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” This fact has proven trustworthy throughout the centuries as millions of believers have heard, accepted, and shared the Good News of Jesus Christ. Though Christ has ascended to heaven, He is present with us by His Spirit.
This is faith in action!
Our Lord has given us a gift to share. He is with us. The first two letters of the word GOD from left to right are G-O and the last two letters of GOD from right to left are D-O. Every follower of Christ has been commissioned and anointed. Now, Let’s GO and DO!
[1] Matthew 28:18-20
[2] Ezekiel 37:7-8, 10
[3] Revelation 1:8, 2 Peter 2:9
Friday, February 12, 2021
Not Guilty – Victorious!
This morning, Mark 15, just happened to be one of my devotional chapters to read. I read of the chief priests stirring up a crowd (swaying public opinion – creating a false narrative) against Jesus. They accused Him in a court of law of being dangerous to people. Yet, they were the ones who requested a known murderer and leader of rebellion to be released in His stead. They won the battle of swaying public opinion for the moment. They got Jesus crucified even though all evidence and scrutinization by cross examination declared Him not guilty...
“Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.
There was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.”
Pilate: “Do you want me to release to you [Jesus] the King of the Jews?”
He knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.
The chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.
Pilate: “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
They: “Crucify Him!”
Pilate: “Why, what evil has He done?”
They (more emphatically): “Crucify Him!”
“Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.” [1]
There’s a saying, “You can’t keep a good man down.” Jesus was no exception! On the third day after His death, He arose from the dead. He was seen by over 500 witnesses alive. He ate, drank and conversed with people for 40 days, and then, ascended to heaven.
After His ascension. He sent His Holy Spirit upon those who believe in His Name. A little less than 2,000 years later, His movement is still spreading all over the world. Some people, a few, might remember the names of Caiaphas the high priest and Pilate the Roman governor... the authorities who sentenced Jesus to death for insurrection... but multitudes remember and know of the Name of Jesus, believe in Him, confess Him and worship Him every day!
Better yet, we learn from a divine vision given to the Apostle John by the risen Jesus, that the best is yet to come. Right up until the end of time multitudes of people are believing in Him...
“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb [Jesus Christ]!’” [2]
Glory to God!
[1] Mark 15:6-15
[2] Revelation 7:9-10
“Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.
There was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.”
Pilate: “Do you want me to release to you [Jesus] the King of the Jews?”
He knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.
The chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.
Pilate: “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
They: “Crucify Him!”
Pilate: “Why, what evil has He done?”
They (more emphatically): “Crucify Him!”
“Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.” [1]
There’s a saying, “You can’t keep a good man down.” Jesus was no exception! On the third day after His death, He arose from the dead. He was seen by over 500 witnesses alive. He ate, drank and conversed with people for 40 days, and then, ascended to heaven.
After His ascension. He sent His Holy Spirit upon those who believe in His Name. A little less than 2,000 years later, His movement is still spreading all over the world. Some people, a few, might remember the names of Caiaphas the high priest and Pilate the Roman governor... the authorities who sentenced Jesus to death for insurrection... but multitudes remember and know of the Name of Jesus, believe in Him, confess Him and worship Him every day!
Better yet, we learn from a divine vision given to the Apostle John by the risen Jesus, that the best is yet to come. Right up until the end of time multitudes of people are believing in Him...
“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb [Jesus Christ]!’” [2]
Glory to God!
[1] Mark 15:6-15
[2] Revelation 7:9-10
Thursday, February 11, 2021
The Matchless Worth of Christ
Throughout my life, I have been blessed to attend churches where songs of praise to the Lord for salvation and many other blessings are sung. The Lord has blessed me with people who love the Lord and enjoy His presence. Glory to God!
The following verses from my morning time in God’s Word speak of the glory of God’s presence...
“So, the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And He [the Lord] said, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’” [1]
“As for the saints who are on the earth, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”
“I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.”
“You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
“Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings.”
“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” [2]
“...At the house of Simon the leper...
A woman with an alabaster flask of...
Very costly oil of spikenard.
She broke the flask and poured it on His head.
Some were angry.
Some said, ‘Why this waste?’
But Jesus said, ‘Let her alone.’
‘Why trouble her?
She has done a good work for Me.
The poor are with you always.
Whenever you wish you may do them good;
But Me you do not always have.
She has done what she could.
She has anointed My body for burial.
Assuredly, I say to you...
Wherever this Gospel is preached...
In the whole world...
What this woman has done...
Will also be told as a memorial to her.” [3]
“The high priest asked Him...
‘Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?’
Jesus said, ‘I am.’
‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at...
The right hand of the Power,
And coming with the clouds of heaven.’” [4]
[1] Exodus 33:11, 14
[2] Psalms 16:3, 8, 11; 17:8, 15
[3] Mark 14:3-9
[4] Mark 14:61-62
The following verses from my morning time in God’s Word speak of the glory of God’s presence...
“So, the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And He [the Lord] said, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’” [1]
“As for the saints who are on the earth, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”
“I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.”
“You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”
“Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings.”
“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” [2]
“...At the house of Simon the leper...
A woman with an alabaster flask of...
Very costly oil of spikenard.
She broke the flask and poured it on His head.
Some were angry.
Some said, ‘Why this waste?’
But Jesus said, ‘Let her alone.’
‘Why trouble her?
She has done a good work for Me.
The poor are with you always.
Whenever you wish you may do them good;
But Me you do not always have.
She has done what she could.
She has anointed My body for burial.
Assuredly, I say to you...
Wherever this Gospel is preached...
In the whole world...
What this woman has done...
Will also be told as a memorial to her.” [3]
“The high priest asked Him...
‘Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?’
Jesus said, ‘I am.’
‘And you will see the Son of Man sitting at...
The right hand of the Power,
And coming with the clouds of heaven.’” [4]
[1] Exodus 33:11, 14
[2] Psalms 16:3, 8, 11; 17:8, 15
[3] Mark 14:3-9
[4] Mark 14:61-62
Wednesday, February 10, 2021
Sabbath Keeping
Sabbath (Hebrew: שַׁבָּת shabbat) means to rest.
“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you.
Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Therefore, the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.
It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’
And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.” [1]
Eight points from the seven Bible verses above:
1) The Lord Himself set the precedent for the Rest Day. He rested on the seventh day of creation. (Exodus 31:17)
2) Rest Day keeping is a sign of our relationship with God. (Exodus 31:13)
3) It is a day to know the Lord. (Exodus 31:13)
4) It is the Lord who sanctifies us (makes us holy), so we need time in His presence – hearing from His Word the Bible, worshipping Him and praying to Him. (Exodus 31:13)
5) It is holy to you. Holy means to be set apart. We are to set apart one day per week for special fellowship with the Lord and His people. (Exodus 31:14)
6) God emphasized the importance of Rest Day by issuing the death penalty to Rest Day breakers (Exodus 31:14-15). The truth of the matter is that if we do not rest in the Lord for our salvation, we will be lost eternally. This is why the penalty was severe. Later, when the Pharisees treated people severely over breaking their view of Sabbath Day infractions. Jesus told them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” [2] Jesus is Lord of the Rest Day. Sabbath is about Him. HE is the blessing in it FOR us.
7) It is a covenant between God and His people. A mutual relational commitment of taking time to focus on one another (Exodus 31:16).
8) The importance of the Sabbath is emphasized by the fact that it was last dialogue the Lord had with Moses before giving him the Ten Commandments written on stones (Exodus 31:18).
[1] Exodus 31:12-18
[2] Mark 2:27-28
“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.
You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you.
Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Therefore, the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant.
It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’
And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.” [1]
Eight points from the seven Bible verses above:
1) The Lord Himself set the precedent for the Rest Day. He rested on the seventh day of creation. (Exodus 31:17)
2) Rest Day keeping is a sign of our relationship with God. (Exodus 31:13)
3) It is a day to know the Lord. (Exodus 31:13)
4) It is the Lord who sanctifies us (makes us holy), so we need time in His presence – hearing from His Word the Bible, worshipping Him and praying to Him. (Exodus 31:13)
5) It is holy to you. Holy means to be set apart. We are to set apart one day per week for special fellowship with the Lord and His people. (Exodus 31:14)
6) God emphasized the importance of Rest Day by issuing the death penalty to Rest Day breakers (Exodus 31:14-15). The truth of the matter is that if we do not rest in the Lord for our salvation, we will be lost eternally. This is why the penalty was severe. Later, when the Pharisees treated people severely over breaking their view of Sabbath Day infractions. Jesus told them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” [2] Jesus is Lord of the Rest Day. Sabbath is about Him. HE is the blessing in it FOR us.
7) It is a covenant between God and His people. A mutual relational commitment of taking time to focus on one another (Exodus 31:16).
8) The importance of the Sabbath is emphasized by the fact that it was last dialogue the Lord had with Moses before giving him the Ten Commandments written on stones (Exodus 31:18).
[1] Exodus 31:12-18
[2] Mark 2:27-28
Tuesday, February 9, 2021
Condemnation and Commendation
Jesus used two scenarios to teach us behavior God condemns and behavior He commends.
Condemnation...
“Then He said to them in His teaching, ‘Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” [1]
“Beware” is a word used to evoke absolute attention. Watch out! Danger! Stop! Turn around! Don’t go this way! Imagine a poison label! The skull and crossbones image! God condemns their lifestyle... some explanations...
Long robes – enjoying leisure while others work
Love greetings in marketplace – center of attention
Seats of honor - perks of status and privilege
Devour widow’s houses – conning the poor out of money
Lengthy prayers – For people’s attention not God’s
The Apostle Paul also warned us of imposters...
“But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” [2]
Deceivers end up being deceived. In fact, all the praise they receive on earth will turn into fiery condemnation when they stand before the God of Love.
Commendation...
“Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites (Jewish $2), which make a quadrans (Roman $2). So, He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.” [2]
This widow was most concerned about one in her audience, namely God. In fact, the rich people in this scene might have looked down on her because she only gave $2. But Jesus, being the Son of God, knew that she put in everything she had. She could have kept $1 for herself and gave $1 to God, but no she wanted God to have it all. God was taking care of her. She knew she could not outgive God. She was a woman of faith. She was a woman of worship. Like the woman who put the expensive anointing oil on Jesus, she recognized the matchless worth of God. She lived to glorify God. Jesus commended her.
Condemnation...
“Then He said to them in His teaching, ‘Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” [1]
“Beware” is a word used to evoke absolute attention. Watch out! Danger! Stop! Turn around! Don’t go this way! Imagine a poison label! The skull and crossbones image! God condemns their lifestyle... some explanations...
Long robes – enjoying leisure while others work
Love greetings in marketplace – center of attention
Seats of honor - perks of status and privilege
Devour widow’s houses – conning the poor out of money
Lengthy prayers – For people’s attention not God’s
The Apostle Paul also warned us of imposters...
“But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” [2]
Deceivers end up being deceived. In fact, all the praise they receive on earth will turn into fiery condemnation when they stand before the God of Love.
Commendation...
“Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites (Jewish $2), which make a quadrans (Roman $2). So, He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.” [2]
This widow was most concerned about one in her audience, namely God. In fact, the rich people in this scene might have looked down on her because she only gave $2. But Jesus, being the Son of God, knew that she put in everything she had. She could have kept $1 for herself and gave $1 to God, but no she wanted God to have it all. God was taking care of her. She knew she could not outgive God. She was a woman of faith. She was a woman of worship. Like the woman who put the expensive anointing oil on Jesus, she recognized the matchless worth of God. She lived to glorify God. Jesus commended her.
Saturday, February 6, 2021
Love, Bless, Do Good and Pray for...
"You have heard that it was said,
‘You shall love your neighbor
And hate your enemy.’
But I say to you...
Love your enemies.
Bless those who curse you.
Do good to those who hate you.
Pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
That you may be sons of your Father in heaven;
For He makes His sun rise on the evil
And on the good.
He sends rain on the just
And on the unjust.
For if you love those who love you,
What reward have you?
Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
What do you do more than others?
Do not even the tax collectors do so?
Therefore you shall be perfect,
Just as your Father in heaven is perfect." [1]
The two great commandments on which our Lord said hangs all others is to love God and to love our neighbor. We must live to love God and people. We must pray that the wrongs others commit against us will not cause us to stop loving, blessing, doing good and praying for them.
Prior to His words about loving our enemies, Jesus described some scenarios that His listeners might experience...
"Whoever slaps you on your right cheek,
Turn the other to him also.
If anyone wants to sue you
And take away your tunic,
Let him have your cloak also.
And whoever compels you to go one mile,
Go with him two." [2]
Why? Because the value of love is great!
I saw this kind of love demonstrated in China by Christians.
One reported of how his father, a pianist and surgeon, had piano wire tied around his fingers and connected to a ceiling fan. The ceiling fan was turned on to the destruction of his skillful fingers.
A brother was stabbed in the buttocks with a pitchfork repeatedly while his torturers yelled at him to chant, "Long live Chairman Mao."
A young medical doctor in a cancer ward was warned not to share her faith in Jesus Christ with her dying patients. She was sent to re-education camp for two years. Love compelled her to share.
A sister was told she must terminate her unborn child. She was not given permission by the state to become pregnant. Except for the grace of God that baby would have been terminated. The Lord made a way for her baby to be born and for her to leave her country.
By the grace of God, the cruel treatment of these "enemies" did not steal faith, hope and love from the hearts of these Christians. They were able to forgive those who wanted to cancel them. They knew that the King of Love will someday cancel the culture of hatred and lies. In the meantime, their mission was to love and to win people to their Savior Jesus Christ. What an impact they made on my life and on the lives of those around them. Amidst so much hatred and pain, they promoted love, forgiveness, reconciliation and healing.
"Dear Heavenly Father, please help us to love, bless, do good and pray for people. Thank You Lord Jesus for demonstrating love and forgiveness for enemies while on the cross. By Your grace and Holy Spirit, we love, bless, do good and pray for our enemies."
[1] Matthew 5:43-48
[2] Matthew 5:39-41
‘You shall love your neighbor
And hate your enemy.’
But I say to you...
Love your enemies.
Bless those who curse you.
Do good to those who hate you.
Pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
That you may be sons of your Father in heaven;
For He makes His sun rise on the evil
And on the good.
He sends rain on the just
And on the unjust.
For if you love those who love you,
What reward have you?
Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
What do you do more than others?
Do not even the tax collectors do so?
Therefore you shall be perfect,
Just as your Father in heaven is perfect." [1]
The two great commandments on which our Lord said hangs all others is to love God and to love our neighbor. We must live to love God and people. We must pray that the wrongs others commit against us will not cause us to stop loving, blessing, doing good and praying for them.
Prior to His words about loving our enemies, Jesus described some scenarios that His listeners might experience...
"Whoever slaps you on your right cheek,
Turn the other to him also.
If anyone wants to sue you
And take away your tunic,
Let him have your cloak also.
And whoever compels you to go one mile,
Go with him two." [2]
Why? Because the value of love is great!
I saw this kind of love demonstrated in China by Christians.
One reported of how his father, a pianist and surgeon, had piano wire tied around his fingers and connected to a ceiling fan. The ceiling fan was turned on to the destruction of his skillful fingers.
A brother was stabbed in the buttocks with a pitchfork repeatedly while his torturers yelled at him to chant, "Long live Chairman Mao."
A young medical doctor in a cancer ward was warned not to share her faith in Jesus Christ with her dying patients. She was sent to re-education camp for two years. Love compelled her to share.
A sister was told she must terminate her unborn child. She was not given permission by the state to become pregnant. Except for the grace of God that baby would have been terminated. The Lord made a way for her baby to be born and for her to leave her country.
By the grace of God, the cruel treatment of these "enemies" did not steal faith, hope and love from the hearts of these Christians. They were able to forgive those who wanted to cancel them. They knew that the King of Love will someday cancel the culture of hatred and lies. In the meantime, their mission was to love and to win people to their Savior Jesus Christ. What an impact they made on my life and on the lives of those around them. Amidst so much hatred and pain, they promoted love, forgiveness, reconciliation and healing.
"Dear Heavenly Father, please help us to love, bless, do good and pray for people. Thank You Lord Jesus for demonstrating love and forgiveness for enemies while on the cross. By Your grace and Holy Spirit, we love, bless, do good and pray for our enemies."
[1] Matthew 5:43-48
[2] Matthew 5:39-41
Thursday, February 4, 2021
Set Apart by and for God
“You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.” [1]
The Lord brought the Israelites out from Egypt, out from slavery, out from cruel and harsh treatment, and brought them to Mount Sinai and made a covenant with them.
He began by saying…
“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” [2]
“Obey My voice” – God was and will keep speaking to them through His Word.
“Covenant” – The Ten Commandments [3] and the sacrifice of animals for forgiveness of sin. [4] When the Ten Commandments are eventually written on tablets of stone, they are placed in the ark [5], which is subsequently known as “the ark of the covenant” [6]. Atop the Ark of the Covenant is a mercy seat where the blood of sacrificed animals is placed.
These covenant people are God’s treasure – a prized possession
They are a kingdom of priests to God – He’s King of the kingdom
They are priests to God – ministering to Him & representing Him
They are a holy nation - set apart to represent God to others
Those who are holy have been set apart from the common or ordinary to be sacred, devoted to, belonging exclusively to the holy God. Because they are holy, they are not to contaminate themselves with worship of other gods or practices that are forbidden by God.
In the New Testament, the Apostle Peter applies this covenant relationship of people with God to believers and followers of Jesus Christ. He says…
“You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. You were once not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” [7]
Then, Peter advises us…
“Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” [8]
“Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for making us Your special treasure. Your priests! Your holy nation! Delivered from darkness to light! Shown mercy! Help us by good works to impact those around us so that they are glorifying You when You visit them. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.”
[1] Exodus 19:4
[2] Exodus 19:5-6
[3] Exodus 20:3-17
[4] Exodus 20:24
[5] Deuteronomy 10:5
[6] Numbers 10:33; 14:44; Deuteronomy 10:8; 31:9, 25-26
[7] 1 Peter 2:9-10
[8] 1 Peter 2:11-12
The Lord brought the Israelites out from Egypt, out from slavery, out from cruel and harsh treatment, and brought them to Mount Sinai and made a covenant with them.
He began by saying…
“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.” [2]
“Obey My voice” – God was and will keep speaking to them through His Word.
“Covenant” – The Ten Commandments [3] and the sacrifice of animals for forgiveness of sin. [4] When the Ten Commandments are eventually written on tablets of stone, they are placed in the ark [5], which is subsequently known as “the ark of the covenant” [6]. Atop the Ark of the Covenant is a mercy seat where the blood of sacrificed animals is placed.
These covenant people are God’s treasure – a prized possession
They are a kingdom of priests to God – He’s King of the kingdom
They are priests to God – ministering to Him & representing Him
They are a holy nation - set apart to represent God to others
Those who are holy have been set apart from the common or ordinary to be sacred, devoted to, belonging exclusively to the holy God. Because they are holy, they are not to contaminate themselves with worship of other gods or practices that are forbidden by God.
In the New Testament, the Apostle Peter applies this covenant relationship of people with God to believers and followers of Jesus Christ. He says…
“You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. You were once not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” [7]
Then, Peter advises us…
“Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” [8]
“Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for making us Your special treasure. Your priests! Your holy nation! Delivered from darkness to light! Shown mercy! Help us by good works to impact those around us so that they are glorifying You when You visit them. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.”
[1] Exodus 19:4
[2] Exodus 19:5-6
[3] Exodus 20:3-17
[4] Exodus 20:24
[5] Deuteronomy 10:5
[6] Numbers 10:33; 14:44; Deuteronomy 10:8; 31:9, 25-26
[7] 1 Peter 2:9-10
[8] 1 Peter 2:11-12
Wednesday, February 3, 2021
Effective Witnessing for Jesus Christ
The Holy Spirit helps us to be effective witnesses for Christ. He leads us to people and gives us the words to speak to them. He prompts where to go, what to do and what to say.
The Holy Spirit may use problems in people’s lives to give you opportunities to help them and demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, in as much as you have shown love to the least of my brothers and sisters, you have shown it to me (Matthew 25:40).
The Spirit used the “good works and alms deeds” of “a certain disciple named Tabitha” in a way that “many believed in the Lord” (Acts 9:36-42).
The Holy Spirit leads us to help people so they that become more receptive to the Lord. He may prompt you to visit someone who is a shut-in. You can listen to and pray in your heart for someone with a problem. The Spirit may lead you to read him/her Psalms; talk about the love and miracles of the Lord; and tell him/her of the sacrifices of Jesus to save his/her soul.
As we pray and stay in close fellowship with the Lord, the Holy Spirit helps us.
In all that we do, “whether in word or deed,” the Holy Spirit leads us to bring glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:17).
Prepare to give everyone who wants to know, your reason for believing in Jesus Christ; but do it with love and respect (1 Peter 3:15).
The Holy Spirit may use problems in people’s lives to give you opportunities to help them and demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, in as much as you have shown love to the least of my brothers and sisters, you have shown it to me (Matthew 25:40).
The Spirit used the “good works and alms deeds” of “a certain disciple named Tabitha” in a way that “many believed in the Lord” (Acts 9:36-42).
The Holy Spirit leads us to help people so they that become more receptive to the Lord. He may prompt you to visit someone who is a shut-in. You can listen to and pray in your heart for someone with a problem. The Spirit may lead you to read him/her Psalms; talk about the love and miracles of the Lord; and tell him/her of the sacrifices of Jesus to save his/her soul.
As we pray and stay in close fellowship with the Lord, the Holy Spirit helps us.
In all that we do, “whether in word or deed,” the Holy Spirit leads us to bring glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:17).
Prepare to give everyone who wants to know, your reason for believing in Jesus Christ; but do it with love and respect (1 Peter 3:15).
Monday, February 1, 2021
Two Wraths, Two Storms, Two Wins for God
Pharaoh’s once proud nation - ruined.
His slaves, his cheap labor - gone.
He defied God and lost.
Frogs, locusts, and gnats…
God’s servants defeated him.
But wait!
What’s this?
People are saying to Pharaoh…
“Why have we done this?
Why have we let Israel go from serving us?”
They mobilize…
The mightiest military on earth.
Going after those slaves in the wilderness.
The freed slaves see Pharaoh.
His mighty army is approaching.
They say to Moses…
“Why have you so dealt with us?
Didn’t we say, ‘Let us alone…
That we may serve the Egyptians?’
It was better for us to serve the Egyptians than…
To die in the wilderness.”
Moses tells the people…
“Fear not!
Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord…
Which He will accomplish for you today.
The Egyptians whom you see today,
You shall see again no more forever.
The Lord will fight for you,
And you shall hold your peace.”
The Lord caused the sea to go back…
By a strong east wind all that night.
The waters were divided.
The children of Israel went into the midst of the sea…
On dry ground!
The waters were walls to their right and to their left.
But…
The Egyptians pursued them…
Into the midst of the sea,
All Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
The Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians…
He troubled them…
He took off their chariot wheels…
The Egyptians said…
“Let us flee from the face of Israel.
The Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”
The Lord said to Moses…
“Stretch out your hand over the sea.”
The sea returned to its full depth.
The Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the sea.
Not so much as one of them remained. [1]
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
To Him who divided the Red Sea in two,
For His mercy endures forever;
And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His mercy endures forever;
But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
For His mercy endures forever.” [2]
“And a great windstorm arose,
The waves beat into the boat,
The boat was filling.
Jesus was asleep.
They awoke Him and said to Him…
“Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
Jesus arose and rebuked the wind,
And said to the sea,
“Peace, be still!”
The wind ceased.
There was a great calm.
He said to them, “Why are you so fearful?
How is it that you have no faith?”
His slaves, his cheap labor - gone.
He defied God and lost.
Frogs, locusts, and gnats…
God’s servants defeated him.
But wait!
What’s this?
People are saying to Pharaoh…
“Why have we done this?
Why have we let Israel go from serving us?”
They mobilize…
The mightiest military on earth.
Going after those slaves in the wilderness.
The freed slaves see Pharaoh.
His mighty army is approaching.
They say to Moses…
“Why have you so dealt with us?
Didn’t we say, ‘Let us alone…
That we may serve the Egyptians?’
It was better for us to serve the Egyptians than…
To die in the wilderness.”
Moses tells the people…
“Fear not!
Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord…
Which He will accomplish for you today.
The Egyptians whom you see today,
You shall see again no more forever.
The Lord will fight for you,
And you shall hold your peace.”
The Lord caused the sea to go back…
By a strong east wind all that night.
The waters were divided.
The children of Israel went into the midst of the sea…
On dry ground!
The waters were walls to their right and to their left.
But…
The Egyptians pursued them…
Into the midst of the sea,
All Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
The Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians…
He troubled them…
He took off their chariot wheels…
The Egyptians said…
“Let us flee from the face of Israel.
The Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”
The Lord said to Moses…
“Stretch out your hand over the sea.”
The sea returned to its full depth.
The Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the sea.
Not so much as one of them remained. [1]
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
To Him who divided the Red Sea in two,
For His mercy endures forever;
And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His mercy endures forever;
But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
For His mercy endures forever.” [2]
“And a great windstorm arose,
The waves beat into the boat,
The boat was filling.
Jesus was asleep.
They awoke Him and said to Him…
“Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
Jesus arose and rebuked the wind,
And said to the sea,
“Peace, be still!”
The wind ceased.
There was a great calm.
He said to them, “Why are you so fearful?
How is it that you have no faith?”
They feared exceedingly.
They said to one another,
“Who can this be,
Even the wind and the sea obey Him!” [3]
The Lord calmed the wrath of Pharaoh and of the sea
Two mighty storms
Two mighty wins for the Lord.
What wrath? What storm? Are you facing?
The Lord has a great track record of winning.
Look to Him!
Ask Him to help!
Enjoy the victory!
[1] Exodus 13 with quotes from verses 6, 11-14, 21-28
[2] Psalm 136:13-15
[3] Mark 4:37-41
They said to one another,
“Who can this be,
Even the wind and the sea obey Him!” [3]
The Lord calmed the wrath of Pharaoh and of the sea
Two mighty storms
Two mighty wins for the Lord.
What wrath? What storm? Are you facing?
The Lord has a great track record of winning.
Look to Him!
Ask Him to help!
Enjoy the victory!
[1] Exodus 13 with quotes from verses 6, 11-14, 21-28
[2] Psalm 136:13-15
[3] Mark 4:37-41
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