Tenants of God’s Vineyard

 Mark 12:1-9 Then He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some. Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. “Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.

Continuing in this small Bible Study in the Gospel of Mark, this lesson states that during the first century AD, the agricultural system of Galilee featured landowners who did not supervise the care of their vineyards directly. Instead, these landowners hired tenant farmers to tend their vines on their behalf. This Bible passage records a parable Jesus told based on the familiar reality of tenant farming. A “parable is a fable or allegorical relation or representation of something real in life or nature, from which a moral is drawn for instruction.

Jesus’ parable of the tenants also borrows imagery from the prophets that is key to understanding His teaching. Isaiah 5:1–7 describes Israel as the special vineyard God planted, so we see a correspondence in Mark 12:1–9 between the vineyard and the old covenant community, and between the owner of the vineyard and the Lord. In Isaiah 5, the vineyard is judged for failing to yield the proper fruit—a strong warning to those who claim to be God’s people that they must bear the fruit of loving service to God and neighbor. But in the parable of the tenants, the tenants are condemned. Without taking away from the responsibility of individual vines in God’s vineyard to produce a good yield, the condemnation of the tenants does point to the great responsibility and accountability laid on the shoulders of those who care for God’s people. The failure of God’s people to bear His good fruit is not disconnected from the failure of their leaders to teach and discipline them properly.

In any case, the tenants in our Lord’s parable are condemned for mistreating first the vineyard owner’s servants and then for killing the owner’s own son. Obviously, the servants represent the old covenant prophets, whom the leaders of the ancient covenant community frequently rejected (see Amos 3:7; Zechariah 1:4–6). The son of the vineyard owner is none other than Christ Himself, the “Son of the Most High God” (Mark 5:7). Essentially, then, the parable of the tenants rehearses the history of old covenant Israel. God called a people out of slavery in Egypt, planting them as a vineyard to bear fruit for Him, leaving them under the care of tenants—kings, priests, and other leaders. Periodically, the Lord sent prophets to investigate the vineyard, but as a rule the tenants left in charge rejected the prophets. Rather than destroy the nation, however, God decided to send one last emissary—His Son. But the Son would be received with even more hatred than the prophets. The tenants killed Him in an attempt to steal the owner’s inheritance.

Psalm 83:2 “For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, And those who hate You have exalted themselves.”

The parable of the tenants was a prophecy to its original hearers of the death of Christ, but it also shows us how much unredeemed people hate God. Let us thank Him for giving us hearts to love Him.

The Lord is Near – Part 2

Philippians 2:1-2 “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”

Continuing Pastor Gilbert’s message: (2) We shut people out. In times when we need someone the most, we tend to isolate ourselves. Most people have an inner circle of three in which they trust to opening talk to in confidence. The worst position to be in is as a “loner” with no one to talk to. Sure, trust and pray to God, but the Lord places trusted like-minded and loving family and friends in our lives to talk to and help us work through anxiety and stress. Also, remember what Jesus said in Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Be in the middle of others that love, care and provide protection to us.

 Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”

The third four mistake that Christians make, which create or add to anxiety in our lives is (3) We focus on the negative. Don’t be a “the sky is falling” type of person. God loves you, but the reality is that there are people who won’t like you in life. Focus on the positive and God’s strength. He is the One that guides and orders our steps along the broken road of life’s journey. The things that we worry about, most likely never come to pass; and the ones that do happen, God has them covered. (4) We forget God. We take for granted the blessings that we enjoy. Deuteronomy 8:11-14 warns, “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God.” With good health, good families, good work and wages, many pleasures and possessions, we have to keep our heart’s eye upon the Lord, our Provider and Sustainer.

1 Kings 19:11-12 Then God said to Elijah, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.”

The name Elijah means “God is my breath”. Is anyone ready for God to walk by today? All-powerful, Almighty God is not in the loud and flashy, but in the calm and quiet, always close to you. It is the enemy that is loud and chaotic. 1 Peter 5:6-7 concludes, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” Be grateful and thank God for His loving favor. We deal with stress, but do not live there. We abide in Christ. We lay it at our heavenly Father’s feet. Thank Him for who He is and what He does, then see Him move in your life.

In Christ, Brian

The Lord is Near – Part 1

Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

This last Sunday, Guest Pastor Chris Gilbert delivered the sermon message. He stated that statistics show that 50,000,000 Americans experience anxiety attacks annually and there is $300 billion per year spend on anxiety medicines. America has mass quantities and quality of food and water, basking in freedoms, liberty and safety above all nations, yet is the most-anxious country in the world. The local and national news focuses on negativity, fueling feelings of stress and guilt. “Be anxious for nothing”; You can’t. Moments of anxiety and stress are unavoidable in this fallen world, but the prison of anxiety and stress is avoidable.

The Lord Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Abide in Christ and remain in the Word of God; the Holy Bible. Give worship to God and pray to the Lord continually. Rejoice in the Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sure, we can grieve a serious loss in our lives (it’s truly hurts), but do not grieve forever. Give it to God and be C.A.L.M. (“C” stands for Celebrate God’s goodness, “A” stands for Ask for help, “L” stands for Leave your concerns with the Lord, and “M” stands for Meditate on good things. Know that Almighty God is in command, has a plan and has everything under control.

1 Kings 19:3-12 “And when he (Elijah the prophet) saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough!”

Pastor Gilbert asked: “Ever have enough?” From Elijah’s example, He list four mistakes that Christians make, which create or add to anxiety in our lives. (1) We ran ourselves into the ground, wearing ourselves out. We are worn out, but the Lord is near us. Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. But, don’t overburden yourself with “wants and needs” that create a crazed frenzy rat race that keeps you running. And do not let fear drive you. Lighten the load by picking two or three, but not too many. Make devotional time a priority and focus on Jesus for peace. He said in Luke 21:33-34 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.”  You don’t sprint a marathon; pace yourself on the path of life’s journey.

   

Let’s continue Pastor Gilbert’s message in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

How I Know Jesus is God – Part 2

Continuing Pastor Kennedy's message, He states, I want you to understand something about Jesus Christ. Many people today say that Jesus was a good man. Categorically, that is a lie. Jesus Christ was not a good man. Do you remember when the rich young ruler came to Him and said, “Good Master”? He said, “Stop right there! Why do you call me good?” He just finished teaching that all men were sinful and someone comes and calls Him good? Jesus said, “There is none good but One, that is God.” If Jesus was merely a man, then He was not good, for all men are sinful. If Jesus was good, then He was God.

Oxford and Cambridge Professor C.S. Lewis wrote: “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him [that is, Christ]: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse…. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” Jesus said that He was the only way to Heaven ... that all who trusted in Him would be everlastingly saved. On the other hand, if anyone denies Him, that they would be denied before the Father and would be shut out from paradise in Heaven. Based upon those teachings, many Christians have suffered agonizing deaths in the arena, covered with tar and lighted as torches in Nero’s garden, place in sacks with vipers, thrown to the lions and killed in the cruelest ways that depraved man could invent. If Jesus was not God, then He was a great demon or the deepest arch-deceiver of all time.

But, the Christian church, in all it’s branches, all historic Christian denominations (excluding the cults) have held that Jesus Christ was 100% God and 100% human. He was God and He was man. He was the Anthropos; the God/Man. All churches, whether Presbyterian, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Congregational, Episcopalian, Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox or any other, they have all held that truth. One of the sure signs of a cult is that they deny that Jesus Christ is God.

What does the Bible, our  ultimate and final authority, say? Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

In the New Testament, all of the attributes of Deity are ascribed to Jesus Christ. Eternal, Omnipresence, Immutable, Almighty, Incomprehensible, yet comprehending all things, Creator, Governor, Preserver of all things, Searcher of the heart, and Most High Judge. All attributes are ascribed to Christ, except one. That is the attribute of invisibility because Jesus Christ came to manifest the Father and to make Him plain. In Him, we see the image of the eternal God.

There is another interesting evidence. There is repeated Scriptures in the Old Testament which are prophesies of the coming Christ which are fulfilled in the New testament by Jesus, but refer to Jehovah. Example: Isaiah 40:3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord.” and Mark 1:3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord.” The Biblical evidence is so luminous.

Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced.” and John 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. Jehovah is the Triune God; the Father is Jehovah, the Son is Jehovah and the Holy Spirit is Jehovah – the great “I Am”.

Jesus Christ is God, for if He was not, then He could not be our Savior. The Scriptures are clear that no man can redeem his brother. No man could pay the penalty of all the sins of the world. It took an infinite God/Man to do that. No mere man can hear and answer our prayers. Jesus Christ is God. Who do you day Jesus is? Can you say “My Lord and my God” to Jesus Christ? Have you come to know Him as your Divine Redeemer that took upon Himself the Cross at Calvary; the guilt of all your sin and suffered at the Hands of Father God the wrath that sin deserves so you would be spared and taken to Heaven? Eternal life in God’s kingdom will only be when you receive Him, the Way, the Truth and the Life, and without whom no one will enter into Heaven. Who do you say that Jesus is?

In Christ, Brian

How I Know Jesus is God – Part 1

Matthew 16:13-17 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

This week, our church's Wednesday night Video Bible Study group continued in the "How I Know" series by the late pastor D. James Kennedy. In the Bible passage above, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say I am?” In a recent Gallup Poll on “How America Sees Jesus”, it was revealed that 81% of Americans profess themselves to be Christians, 5% professed to be Atheists, 2 % claimed to be Jewish, and 12 % other. 80% of those polled believed that Jesus Christ was the son of God. However, only 42% believed that Jesus is God among man. That is a tremendous discrepancy. 

Who is Jesus Christ? Next to the question whether there is a God, this is no doubt the most important question that can be urged upon the human mind. Jesus asked: “Who do you say I am?” Who I this One upon our hope of Heaven depends? Who is Jesus? What is meant by the term “Son of God”? It is interesting that in the motion picture titled “Oh God”, John Denver’s character Jerry asks God (played by George Burns), “Is Jesus your Son?” And God replied, “Yes, Jesus is My Son. And so is Buddha. And so is Mohammad, etc.” What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of God? Is that something different than the fact that Jesus is God Himself? You will receive many answers. Some have said that Jesus is just a man. Others have said that He was the Son of God. Probing to see if they understand what they are saying, we could ask “since we are sons and daughters of God too, is Jesus any different than us?” Anyone who thinks that Jesus Christ is no different from us knows little about either of us. For if we did, we would know that there is an infinite gulf between us.

Would is this Jesus of Nazareth? What does it mean that He called Himself the “Son of God”?  Now, He frequently called Himself the “Son of Man”. That is a Messianic title that is taken from the book of Daniel. Daniel 7:13-14 “I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.” The Son of Man coming to judge the world. That is an Old Testament picture of the Messiah.

What did Jesus mean by the Son of God”? The Jewish people had no difficulty understanding it, where millions of Americans seem quite perplexed and confused. The Jews knew quite well what He meant and when Jesus said that He was the Son of God, they took up stones to kill Him, because they became enraged by the statement. When Jesus asked why they were going to stone Him and asked for what good work , they said that it wasn’t for any good work, but rather because He being a man makes Himself God. By calling God His Father, He was making Himself equal with God. They understood well what that meant.

For those who believe that Jesus was just a man, there is rather startling and astonishing news. According to the Bible and the historic Christian faith, Jesus of Nazareth was and is the infinite and eternal Creator of the Universe. Many have never heard this fact before, but have always thought that it is the way it ought to be. That is precisely the way that it is. Jesus Christ is God; not a mere created being. The Trinity does not consist of the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the creature, but of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. This is the most basic, the most important, and the most distinctive teaching of the Christian faith; that Jesus Christ is God incarnate (God in human flesh). Only Jesus claimed to be Divine and only Christianity claims its founder to be Divine. Not Buddha, Mohammad, Confucius or any other religious teacher, but only Jesus claimed to be God.

Many people today think that the essence of Christianity is the teachings of Jesus. That is not so. The teachings of Jesus are very, very secondary to Christianity. In fact, you might be surprised to know that if you read the Epistles of the Apostle Paul, which make up most of the New Testament, there is almost nothing what-so-ever said about the teachings of Jesus. Not one of his parables are mentioned. In fact, throughout the rest of the New Testament, there is little reference to the teachings of Jesus. And in the Apostle’s Creed (the most universally held Christian Creed), there is no mention to the teachings of Jesus. There is no reference to the example if Jesus. We read that He was born of the Virgin Mary, he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified and died. There are only two days of Jesus’ life that are mentioned in the Creed; the day of His birth and the day of His death. You see, Christianity does not  center in the teachings of Jesus, but in the person of Jesus as the incarnate God, who came into this world to take upon Himself our guilt of sin and die in our place.

Another remarkable thing is that, people in the ministry are repeatedly told in seminary that they are not to preach themselves. It is a very significant flaw in any minister’s preaching to continually preach of themselves … what they do and their accomplishments. This is considered totally out of place in the pulpit. And yet, Jesus Christ, the master teacher and great exemplar preacher Himself. I m the Good Shepherd, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, I am the door, I am the Light of the world, et cetera. Christ was always preaching Himself because it is in “the person of Jesus Christ that our hope of salvation is to be found.

Let's continue Pastor Kennedy's message in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

Rise Up Oh Men and Women of God – Part 2

Michael continues that to meet our Lord, we must meet Him at the foot of the cross. What happened at the cross: Jesus died to save you and me! That is the truth that we must embrace, knowing that there is no more pressure on you to perform or to do good things to “buy” God’s love.  In one amazing act He did all that was required to save us! He came to rescue us from the power of the world and deliver us unto His kingdom. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. If we're living for anything other than our Lord, these things of this world will pass away. However, the Word of God lives and abides forever. Everything in this world, whether trials and tribulations or blessings and riches, shall pass. The things of this world will "take wings and fly away." That which is seen is temporal, but that which is unseen, the things of the Spirit of God, will last forever. 

In ourselves, we cannot love our loved ones the way they deserve to be loved. If our spouses were married to Jesus Christ, they would be married to the perfect spouse. Love suffers long and is kind, love vaunts not itself, is not puffed up.  It's not easily provoked, never rude, never boastful, never resentful, never thinks evil.  Love never fails. To love like Jesus, we need to love from the heart of Christ in us, the hope of glory. Love is to demonstrate His heart behind our heart, His eyes behind our eyes, His feet behind our feet, His hands behind our hands, and His tongue behind our tongue. Be like Jesus.

Paul said that his mission is to be poured out as a drink offering and a sweet smelling savor unto God ... for we preach not ourselves but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. In times of trial, distress, and pain, the devil will question God's motives. Satan says, "God doesn't really care. He doesn't really love you." The enemy's job is to sow seeds of doubt. The first mission field is in our own mind. We must settle in our minds whether the word of God is truth. Jesus said, "Come unto me all you who are weary and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." Our power against the devil is when we rest in God's power. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness from on high.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;). Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

God calls us to join together within the body of Christ to create an environment where He can come help Himself to our lives. Through our lives God will demonstrate His love, mercy, grace and loving kindness. He has called us as his living epistles, his love letters, known and read of all men. He has called us as living stones fitly framed together as His dwelling place, His holy temple. That He would show forth by His church the manifold wisdom of God. Therefore, rise up oh men and women of God. Be done with lesser things. Give heart and soul and mind and strength to serve the king of Kings. And in so doing, may we live to the praise of the glory of His grace!

Your brother in Christ, Michael

Rise Up Oh Men and Women of God – Part 1

This week, Michael writes: The lyrics of an old hymn “Lift high the cross” says, "Rise up oh men of God. Tread where His feet have trod.  As brothers and sisters of the Son of Man rise up oh men and women of God. The Bible tells us and the actual lives of everyone show that people seek pleasure in the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life. Worldly happiness in this world is fleeting happiness in this world is fleeting. These ephemeral pleasures last only for a moment. 

Matthew 16:26 “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

However, when we delight ourselves in the Lord, he will give us the desires of our heart. The things done outside of the spirit of God will come to naught only that which is done in Christ. Our credentials are in Christ. The Apostle Paul said, that which you have heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit you unto faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. We're to pass what we've learned of the Word of God to faithful men, women and children.  Jesus said, in order to follow me, you have to count the cost. Unless you leave mother, father, sister, and brother Jesus said, you cannot follow me. The meaning is that we must count the cost of being a disciple. There is a cost, and that is the point of the passage. What's the cost of following him? In order to be a disciple, we must be willing to give up everything for Jesus. But, it's not about the cost, it's about the value. What is it that you value most? Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” 

John 14:23-27 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loves me not keeps not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Jesus said, "I have to leave so that the Holy Spirit can come."  John 16:7  “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, the one who comes alongside to help. The Holy Spirit will lead you to the all truth. The Holy Spirit reveals the truth of the Word of God. 

How do you pass the word to faithful men and women?  You have to receive it in order to pass it on.  According to Luke 6:45, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” When we saturate our hearts with God’s holy Word, then He will use our words and actions to teach others the truth of His word. Jesus said in Luke 9:23-25, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?”

Let's continue Michael's message on Christian living in the next post.
In Christ, Brian

The Authority of Jesus

Mark 11:27–28 “As [Jesus] was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, ‘By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?’ ”.

This study of Mark points out that first-century Jews who were privileged to be eyewitnesses to the ministry of Jesus saw many amazing things: the feeding of thousands of people with only a few morsels of food, the restoration of sight to the blind, the resurrection of the dead, and many other miracles our Lord performed. But in addition to Jesus’ mighty works, people also found Christ’s teaching particularly compelling. In fact, they were astonished, “for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:22).

Mark highlights the matter of Jesus’ authority by recording an exchange our Lord had in the temple with the chief priests and the scribes and the elders not long before He went to the cross. After witnessing the amazing truths that Jesus had said and the supernatural things that he had done, the religious authorities wanted to know the authority that gave Him the right to do such acts. The temple, symbolic of God’s authority, was a particularly apt place for such a question to be raised, and the query itself was an attempt by the leaders to trap Jesus. If Jesus were to answer that His authority came from man or that no one gave Him any authority, the religious leaders could safely tell others to ignore Him. In that case, God did not send Jesus or appoint Him, so why listen to Him? On the other hand, if Jesus were to reply that God gave Him His authority, the leaders could charge Him with blasphemy. For Christ to claim a divine commissioning would be to claim to be God Himself, since He had earlier assumed the prerogative of forgiving sins.

The question the leaders asked of Jesus was not worthy of a direct answer. It was clear to anyone who actually cared about the truth that Jesus operated under divine authority, for as Nicodemus recognized in John 3:2, no one could do the things Jesus did without being commissioned by the Lord. Deep down, the priests, scribes, and elders knew the truth, but they were suppressing it in wickedness; they were the highest authority in Israel and did not desire to relinquish their power and position. Christ did not make a direct reply to them . . . because they wickedly and shamelessly interrogated him about a matter which was well known.

Mark 11:29-33 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men’ ”—they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Thus, Jesus answered them indirectly, posing a question of His own about John’s baptism. The leaders’ reticence to answer, lest they be trapped by their words and deeds, shows that they did not really want to hear what Jesus had to say in the first place. So, Christ saw no need to answer them. Jesus’ response to the Jewish authorities also reveals His own authority. He was not compelled to answer them. For the Christian, Christ is the highest authority. Therefore, we submit to His words, namely, all of Scripture, as our highest authority; our Lord. Whose is charge of your life?

The Realities of Death and Doubt – Part 2

Psalm 91:1-11 “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.”

Continuing Pastor Kyle’s message, he asked, when people are troubled, so we bring comfort to them or unhelpful questions. This side of heaven, there are many things that bring discomfort to our souls; our mortality being one of them. We need to make an godly impact for the Lord in our world in light of it. A couple things we all need to continually remind ourselves about doubts. (1) Believing in faith and following Jesus as a devoted disciple, we are going to get into heaven. Death equates to being with Jesus. When we go down, we go up. To give hope, the item hoped for must be real and grounded in reality. Heaven is a real place where we spend eternity with the Lord; the perfect place with no sin, no troubles, no fears, no tears and no doubts. 

In John 14:4-10 Jesus said, “And where I go you know, and the way you know.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.”

(2) Even the most devout saints (those who have been sanctified) doubt and struggle. It is what we do with our doubts that determine whether we sink our faith or re-build it on the rock-solid foundation of Christ. We need to ask more constructive questions than destructive questions. In Mark 9:23-24, Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Hasn’t Jesus Christ proven Himself as Savior and Lord or does He need to show us more? Can we truly look at everything Jesus did for us and say “not quite enough”? Satan sows the seed of doubt.  Doubt is contagious and spreads like wildfire, negatively impacting those around you..

Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Ask “how a just and holy God save me?” “Who am I that Almighty God would love and save me?” God is the all-powerful eternal Creator of all. It’s humbling to realize that we are unable to reach God in heaven on our own, so God reached down and gave us a Savior. Blaise Pascal once stated the wager that everyone makes about faith: “If I do not believe in God and there is no God, there is nothing lost. If I believe in God and there is no God, there is nothing lose? But, if I do not believe in God and there is a God, there is everything to lose eternally, and if I do believe in God and there is a God, there is everything to gain eternally.” The point is that we have everything to gain by responding in faith and absolutely nothing to lose. You will benefit by believing God by faith and doing what He says in the Word of God. Believe God and believe Jesus. Hope has a name; His name is Jesus. We have victory in Him alone and He is calling your name.

 In Christ, Brian

The Realities of Death and Doubt – Part 1

John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; 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.”

This last Sunday, Pastor Kyle continued in our sermon series through the gospel of John with Chapter 14, stating that since the dawn of time, all have wrestled with the same fundamental questions. Where do we come from? Why are we here? Is there a God and is He involved with His creation or just spin it in existence and let it run? Is God personal, love and care about me?  Why is there evil in the world? Why is there diseases, sickness and death? If God is all-powerful why do children die of cancer? What happens when I die? Did God create the heavens and the Earth or was it time, chance and natural selection through evolutionary processes? Secular Humanism is born out of these type of questions.

Job 12:7-10 “But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the air, and they will tell you; Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; And the fish of the sea will explain to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?”

Yet, obvious design and order in the cosmos, along with scientific irreducible complexity in DNA, in nature and in life point directly to intelligent design and a Designer “Creator” God. The existence of a soul (mind, will and emotion) in a living being is sufficient evidence of an all-powerful Creator. There has to be a God. Yet, being fallen finite creatures, we all have sin, struggle and doubts. Jesus of Nazareth was a real person in history, confirmed by non-Christian historians of that time. Disciples died testifying that Jesus Christ was God incarnate and the Christian church exploded in growth from then until now upon that fact. This world needs hope and it is found in Christ alone.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 “Now we do not want you to be uninformed, believers, about those who are asleep [in death], so that you will not grieve [for them] as the others do who have no hope [beyond this present life]. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again [as in fact He did], even so God [in this same way—by raising them from the dead] will bring with Him those [believers] who have fallen asleep in Jesus.”

Death is one of the things that people fear. People in Jesus’ time thought that the Messiah was not supposed to die, but establish God’s ever-lasting kingdom of Earth. The path to Heaven is through Jesus Christ alone – the Way, the Truth and the Life. Let not your hearts be troubles, when our souls are troubled, the Lord responds with comfort. The Lord is our refuge. Jesus is a shield to discomfort in life. The Lord is our dwelling place and He has given us a Comforter in the Holy Spirit for this life. Life is short, for sure, and death is a reality that we all face, but we do not need to worry about it (if we follow Jesus). Because of what our Savior did for us on the Cross for the atonement of our sins, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.  The hope of Heaven and the eternal perspective in this life are a reality. Heaven is real but the only way to get in is through Jesus Christ. Would we rather live in a world of troubles or live in hope, faith and peace?

Let’s continue Pastor Kyle’s message in the next post.

In Christ, Brian 

The Spirit and the Word

Romans 8:8-9 “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”

A devotional reading on this Bible Verse points out that the Holy Spirit indwells everyone who is a true believer, a child of God. Each believer is “born again” through the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls, for faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

Jesus said in John 14:15-17, 25-26“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. These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” 

But the role of the Spirit of God and the Word of God in our salvation only begins the Christian’s relationship to them, for we are enjoined to be filled with the Spirit in the same sense that a drunkard is filled with and controlled by wine, and to let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. These two entities equip us to be effective representatives of Him here on Earth.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, and teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. A Spirit-filled Christian, knowledgeable in the Word, just can’t quit singing! Nor can they stop giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

May we always manifest the work of the Spirit and the knowledge of the Word by our thankful hearts and the songs on our lips.

The Truth Shall Make You Free – Part 2

Continuing Michael's message on being set free by Jesus Christ, he writes that the religious leaders of His day had made up a series of laws that no one could follow. Romans 8 says, “there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the spirit of life in Christ has made us free from the law of sin and death.  For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit.”

Jesus asked the crowd, "Why do you call me Lord and yet do not do the things that I say?'' Jesus said, "If you continue in my word then you are my disciples indeed."  Followers of Christ are those listen to what the Lord says and who do the Master's will. Doing the will of the Lord goes way beyond sin management; it is who you are. The Greek word for sin is "hamartia."  It literally is an archery term that means "to miss the mark."  However, the emphasis is not on the missing but rather on the mark itself. The way to keep from sinning is to press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 

Jesus said, If you're compelled by law to carry a Roman soldiers' burden one mile, then gladly carry his burden one more mile. The first mile is motivated by obligation to Roman law but the second mile is motivated by love. According to Galatians 5, the freedom that we have in Christ is not a license to sin, but to serve one another in love. When the people asked Jesus about His plan, He pointed to Peter, a lowly fisherman and Matthew, a despised tax collector and said, "those guys, they are the plan." We who were dead in trespasses and sins are God's plan. Jesus said, the works that I do shall they do also and greater works shall they do because I go unto my father. The greater work is to lead others to salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. For He who was without sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” ]Amen.

We have a moment by moment decision to walk in fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ. A disciple is a disciplined follower and learner of the Lord. Oswald Chambers said that if God has to break your heart to teach us what is really important, then thank Him for breaking our hearts. He'll pick up the threads of our broken hearts and weave them together again. In the doing of the Word, then we shall know the truth by experience and the truth shall make us free.  Jesus came to heal the broken-hearted, reveal the truth and to set the captives of sin’s bondage free. Galatians 5 says, Stand fast therefore in the Liberty wherewith Christ has made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.  Only use not Liberty as a license to sin, but in love serve one another.  Our freedom is to serve Him by serving others from a heart of love.

May we ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!

Your brother in Christ, Michael

The Truth Shall Make You Free – Part 1

This week Michael writes, a prayer from the Puritan prayer book says, "Gracious Lord, I see the smile on your face. You have reconciled me and have anointed the shield of faith to strengthen me for every conflict by your grace to conquer every foe. As a floodgate of your tender mercy, quicken me and strengthen me. Strengthen me so I will hold on to you and not let go. Let me walk humbly to do the work to be engaged in. May I never forget that your eye always sees and your ear always hears. That your word is a light unto my path and a lamp unto my feet."

The passing of friends, family and loved ones reminds us that every relationship in this world will end in pain and sorrow except for one. Jesus said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Although we grieve for believers who have passed away, we grieve not as others who have no hope. We look forward to the coming of our Lord when we shall see Him as He is. The joy is in the rejoicing in the hope that we have in our eternal life and fellowship with our Lord. We can celebrate the memory of those who have gone before us. That is how “all saints day” originated.

In John 8:31-32 Jesus said to the Jews who believed on him, ..."If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed;   And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Those who believed are those who were convinced in their hearts that Jesus was their Lord and Savior. Most of the people in the crowd were not really His “true” disciples.  Jesus said, “If you continue in my word, then are you my true disciples.” The Jews recited Deuteronomy 6:4-5 known as the the Sh'ma, the Hebrew word for hear: “Hear O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord.  And you shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.” Those who abide and remain in Him and continue in the truth of the Word of God, then they shall know by experience the truth of the Word of God.  Psalm 1 reminds us that “blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.  But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law does he meditate day and night.”

We're encouraged to commit our minds and hearts to meditate upon the Word of God. For all scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, and correction, for instruction in righteousness. The purpose is that the man and woman of God may be thoroughly furnished unto all good works. When we live according to the word of God, then we are fully equipped unto the works to which he's called us. When the world cheats, slanders, and humiliates us, are we furnished and equipped to be about our Father's business? The word of God and prayer is our defense and offense in the spiritual battle. 

In Romans 5, Winning the battle means that tribulation works patience and patience experience hope and hope makes not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given to us. We live in an upside down culture where the world calls good evil and evil good. By definition, the devil is the accuser and Satan is the deceiver. Jesus said, you are of God little children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Jesus turned his world upside down. 

Let's continue Michael message on being set free by Jesus Christ in the next post.
In Christ, Brian

Conditional Forgiveness (Part Two)

Continuing from the last post, Forgiveness, similarly, is unconditional from one perspective and conditional from another. It is unconditional in that we do nothing to merit the Lord’s pardon. We cannot earn forgiveness by our good works or righteous deeds, for as sinners we cannot obey perfectly to deserve God’s love. Moreover, we have incurred infinite wrath by sinning against an infinite being—God Himself—so only an infinite person—God the Son, who took on human flesh—can purchase our forgiveness. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 affirms, “you are not your own? For you were bought at a price.”  Because we cannot earn divine pardon, forgiveness is unconditional— receiving God’s forgiveness involves our recognizing that we have sinned, that we cannot merit absolution, and that we can appeal only to the Lord’s mercy.

Romans 3:21-25 “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,  even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness.”

Yet, that we must confess our sin and ask for mercy shows that God’s forgiveness is conditioned upon our repentance. 1 John 1:8-10 proclaims that “if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” We must ask for forgiveness even though we do not earn our pardon by repenting. God does not forgive us unilaterally; He requires repentance. We must recognize that we owe God everything and yet cannot pay. We must see that He owes us nothing but wrath, that our only hope is in His mercy by grace through faith. Those who approach the Lord in such a way, receiving His forgiveness, recognize that if God, the perfectly holy One, shows mercy to the unworthy, we who are imperfect and unholy must do the same. Jesus pronounced in Luke 6:37, “Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”  If we do not forgive those who ask for our forgiveness, we show that we have not really seen our own need of God’s forgiveness. And if we have not really seen our own need of God’s forgiveness, we have not truly asked the Lord to show us mercy.

Colossians 2:11-14 “In Him [Jesus Christ] you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

As always, God is most concerned with our hearts, and our forgiving hearts indicate that we have seen our sin and have truly cast ourselves on the Lord’s mercy. Amen

Conditional Atonement (Part One)

Mark 11:25 “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Back to this little Bible study in the Gospel of Mark, we come to the issue of “forgiveness”. Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines the word “forgiveness as: 1. The act of forgiving; the pardon of an offender, by which he is considered and treated as not guilty. The forgiveness of enemies is a Christian duty. 2. The pardon or remission of an offense or crime; as the forgiveness of sin or of injuries. 3. Disposition to pardon; willingness to forgive.

This lesson states that, in our culture, we often hear about God’s “unconditional love” for humanity, but the notion of God’s unconditional love is frequently misunderstood. Love is an attribute of God and the Lord does love sinners unconditionally in that nothing in ourselves moves Him to love us. We do not meet a condition that makes us lovable; in fact, He loves us when we are most unlovable. That is Paul’s point in Ephesians 2: 1-5 and Romans 5:6–8: God loved us to such an extent that Christ died for us when we were set against Him in our sin and had nothing to commend us to Him. Still, God’s saving love is not wholly unconditional. It is conditional in one important respect: God cannot show love and mercy to sinners at the expense of His holy justice.

In our hearts, we would view with contempt a court judge who is overly lenient with convicted offenders. Sin must be condemned and justice must be preserved. So it is with God. Habakkuk 1:13 says, “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness.” Romans 6:23 tells us, “the wages of sin is death” (meaning that we earn it by our sinful thoughts, words and actions).  Ezekiel 18:20 clarifies that, “the soul that sins, it shall die.” Holy, just and righteous God must punish sin. Sin has already been judged and all who commit sin are found guilty already. Hell is the default. But God is loving and merciful and desire to forgive us. God in His infinite wisdom devised a solution. Jesus Christ is God’s answer to the predicament.

John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 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.”

Our Creator’s extension of His saving love that results in our redemption is conditioned on atonement. Plain and simple, No belief, no atonement and no atonement, no salvation.

Let’s continue this message on God’s conditions in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

Blessed Are You If … Part 2

Ephesians 1:3-14 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,  to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

Thirdly, the washing of the disciple’s feet speaks to our “salvation”. If Jesus doesn’t wash us from the inside out then we are not clean before the Lord. If you have made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, then you are washed clean in the blood of the Lamb of God. But, if you have not accepted Christ, then, even though you may have many things (possessions, position, power, et cetera), you do not have the wholeness of the soul, the communion of the Spirit, reconciliation with God and Jesus can have no part with you. Jesus said in John 3:3, 5,  “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Without Jesus, you cannot be blessed. Fourthly, His washing of the disciples feet was an example of what they were supposed to do. As the Lord does, go do likewise. Follow His teachings and examples to serve others with godly compassion and care. Teach others who are ignorant of the truth, that they may find their own forgiveness, redemption and salvation at the foot of the Cross of Jesus Christ. Love your God and love your neighbor.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

Jesus loves the whole world. The Cross was how our Savior was going to depart for His disciples, dying for their sin that they may live, showing how much He loves us. English groups all types of love into one word. The types of love we experience are (1) Eros – sensual/romantic love, (2) Storge – love of family, (3) Philia, brotherly love of others and (4) Agape - God's immeasurable, incomparable love for humankind. It is the divine love that comes from God. Agape love is perfect, unconditional, sacrificial, and pure. To love Jesus means to love the things that Jesus loves. Jesus loves His church and gave Himself for it. Jesus said in Matthew 12:49-50, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” Blessed are you if you love the fellowship of the Believers. The children of God are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ as our spiritual family. When we are in the fellowship of Disciples of Christ, we naturally do godly things for them out of your heart. Love shows up; doesn’t give up.  

Philippians 2:5-11 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Blessed are you if you consider others more important than yourself. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 12:3, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Follow Jesus’ example and serve others for Heaven’s sake. We cannot reach God, so God reached out of Heaven to us. All of us are separated from God by our many sins. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But, God send His Son as our redeeming Savior. Remember the Cross because our power comes from Jesus’ atoning sacrifice for us on that Cross. Jesus overcame sin and death at the Cross and because of Him, so can we. Christ dies for our sin and reconciled our separation from God by bridging the gap with His life. That is the power of the Cross. It’s everything we can ever need. Rejoice and be grateful always.

In Christ, Brian

Blessed Are You If … Part 1

John 13:1-17 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And  supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.” So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

This last Sunday, Pastor Kyle continued in our sermon series through the gospel of John. As Rabbi and Master, Jesus gave tangible examples, that His disciples should do as He has done to them. A disciple is defined as (1) A learner; a scholar; one who receives or professes to receive instruction from another. (2) A follower; an adherent to the doctrines of another. Hence the constant attendants of Christ were called his disciples; and hence all Christians are called his disciples, as they profess to learn and receive his doctrines and precepts. A disciple of Jesus is a dedicated student and devoted follower of Christ. The demonstration of washing His disciple’s feet communicated four principles. First, it was practical because in those days people wore sandals and the dirt roads made their feet dusty and dirty. Though a person may be clean everywhere else, their feet needed to be cleaned when entering a home.

1 Corinthians 6:11 “But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

Secondly, Jesus wants His disciples to allow Him to wash their feet, purifying what is dirty in their life. Peter did not feel worthy to have his feet washed by Jesus because in that culture, the unbuckling, removing of sandals and the washing of guests feet was performed by the lowest ranking servant of the house. But, in reality, we cannot be blessed by Jesus until we have been washed clean by Jesus. This act foretold the cleansing of sin by the blood of Christ. Hebrews 9:13-14, 22 says, “For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no  emission.” We must see the grace of God and the peace from sin’s wrath through our loving Savior in this symbolism. Revelation 1:4-5 explains, “Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.”

Let’s continue Pastor Kyle’s message on washing and being washed in the next post.

In Christ, Brian