'I GIVE THEM ETERNAL LIFE"

LET US BASK IN THE RAYS OF OUR RISEN SAVIOR, JESUS CHRST!! 

Jesus Christ suffered more than we can even start to comprehend. He went to the cross and died a humiliating punishment only thieves and murderers suffered after being flogged thirty-nine times, after having a crown of thorns not laid on his head but pushed down on his head, and for several hours battled with Satan to overcome death. Yes, it all truly happened. Its not a myth. Its real!! Crowds saw it!!

Why, after telling you to bask in the rays of our risen Savior, do I remind you of what he endured before there was an Easter? Because we must know what he suffered, what he overcame so we can truly appreciate the gift he gave us. What is this gift you ask? Well, let's see what Jesus says it is.

John 10:27.28, "My sheep listen to my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand."  

What does he mean--eternal life? What is it and when does it start? Well, again, let's see what Scripture says about it. John tells us, "God so loved the world that He gave Hiss one and only Son, so whoever believes in him will have eternal life.....Whoever believes in him is not condemned." Jesus himself tells us, "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life." "Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life."

As soon as you believe you have eternal life!! That is why, for a little while, those who believe can bask in the rays of our risen Savior. Do you want to join us? Tell him to come into your heart, ask him to forgive your sins, and believe he died for you and rose from the dead. Now you too can bask in the rays of YOUR risen Savior. Doesn't it feel good? Do you feel the warmth of His Light, the comfort of His peace, the joy of a pure heart? 

Good Friday

A week of contrasts. To me more evident in this week of his ministry than any other week. We start the week with Jesus’ triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. The crowds yelling, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” It ends with the crowds yelling “Crucify him!” 

It starts with twelve of Jesus’ disciples and hundreds of followers to his followers leaving him and his disciples fleeing from him.

It begins with Peter stating he would “go to prison and to death” with Christ to Peter denying him three times.

The very people, the Pharisees, who were most concerned in abiding by the Law of Moses broke several of these laws in order to rid themselves of the man people were crying out to be their King, their Messiah.

What do all these contrasts mean? You may have been one who cheered him or you may have been one who yelled “Crucify him!”, you may have professed your undying love him one minute and then denied him the next, he may have been your closest friend and then when he needed you most you fled from him; whatever your relationship, “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. 

HOLY WEEK--WHO ARE YOU?

Approximately 2000 years ago yesterday people lined the road into Jerusalem waving palm fronds and yelling:
"Hosanna!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Blessed is the king of Israel!"
The people along the road wanted to proclaim this man, Jesus, their king, the long-awaited Messiah. The one who was going to save them from the tyranny of the Romans and establish his kingdom. How many times have we wanted Jesus this for us? Walking along beside Jesus was his twelve closest friends and followers. Among them was Peter who would with John prepare the Passover meal; who would have none of Jesus washing his feet and then beg Christ to wash his whole body; who would deny him three times? How many times have we denied him? Near Jesus was Judas who would betray him for 30 pieces of silver. How many times have we betrayed him? There were the remainder of his twelve who would scatter upon the arrest of Jesus? How many times have we scattered when something fearful and dreadful has happened to us? Following close behind were the hundreds of disciples who had been following Christ faithfully until he said he was "I am". Upon hearing this they followed him no more. How many of us after hearing Christ proclaim he is the "I AM" follow him no longer. And finally, there was those who cheered him on Sunday and cried crucify him at Jesus' trial. How many times have we been filled with bitter disappointment and hopelessness and cried "Crucify him!"
For anyone who answered yes to any of these questions, which I might suspect we all fall into one of these categories, there is good news!! For this, only the Scriptures themselves  can proclaim the Good News. John 3:16, "For God so loved the world he gave his one and only son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." And,Ephesians 2:8 and 9, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--- and this is NOT (emphasis mine) of yourselves, it is the gift of God--- not by works so that no one may boast." There is nothing you did that is greater than any sin committed in the previous paragraph. Christ lived this week for you, for me. He loved each one of us that much!!

DEEP WATERS

Jesus calls to us and says "Follow me..." There are many ways one can follow Christ; but the only way to be effective is to surrender completely. This sounds easy but most of the time its not. It's hard. A ruler asked Jesus what he must do to have eternal life. He told him to obey the Law of Moses, the ruler said he already does this. Then Jesus told the ruler he had one last thing he had to do; he had to sell all his possessions and give to the poor. The ruler could not do this. Complete surrender, no less is what Christ wants. Can you?
Jesus told the ones following him that "that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them." And many of his followers left him. Complete surrender, no less is what Christ wants. Can you?
Jesus borrowed a boat from a fisherman and sat in it as he spoke to the crowds. When he finished talking to them, Christ turned to the fisherman and said, "Put out into the deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." This made no sense to the man called Simon. He and his partners had fished there all night and not a single fish. The sun was high, this was not the time of day to go fishing. But yet, Simon answered Jesus, "...But because you say so, I will let down the nets?" Complete surrender, no less is what Christ wants. Can you?
This same man, Simon Peter, later stepped out of the boat and walked on water until he focused on the world and not Jesus. Complete surrender, no less is what Christ wants. Can you? Later this same Peter denied knowing Christ three times and yet this is the man Jesus chose to build his church. Yes, complete surrender is what Christ wants but he knows we are human. We turn our focus from Jesus to  enticements of this world and he forgives. He picks us up, dusts us off and asks us for complete surrender one more time. Can you?

FAITH

Faith. Why is it we can believe when we put our key in the ignition the car will start but when God tells us to do something we don't trust He will equip us to complete the task? We can be very strong in our faith yet we can waver over and over again because we FEEL weak, inept, insecure, underqualified, and the adjectives keep on coming.
This picture is my Christmas cactus on its third blooming. Why am I showing you? Because after reading on how to get your Christmas cactus to bloom, I did what it said, had faith that it would happen, and it is now on its third blooming with buds still coming. This is what God does with us. He plants the seeds, waters them, and waits; knowing in His perfect timing we are going to bloom and we will keep on blooming. 2 Timothy 2:13 tells us, "if we are faithLESS, He remains faithFUL, for he cannot disown Himself".
Jesus is asking each one of us to step out of the boat, come join Him on the water. If He has called you, He will equip you. Don't let the enemy convince you differently. He attempts it  with me concerning my writing on a regular basis. That's the reason I haven't posted for several weeks but it's not how I feel but do I have the faith God will give me the words, the message. The answer will always be YES because God is faithful, He can be no other way!!

WHO/WHAT IS YOUR GOLIATH?

I Samuel 17 tells the story of David & Goliath. Stop, get your Bible, and read this true-life tale of how a young man slay a giant because He knew and believed His Friend, God. In particular, focus on verses 45-47. This story is one you and I have heard so many times, we miss the jewels that are hidden in these verses. We go, “Yeah, yeah, yeah.  This little runt of a man comes up and against this giant and kills him with only a rock and a slingshot.” Then we say to ourselves, “I know it’s a story about the weak overcoming the strong.”
However, take a really intense look at chapter 17 and discover the pearls hidden in these verses.  Before we get started, we must look at some solid facts. Goliath, according to Scripture is between 9 and 11 feet tall. The American Standard Version states he is 11’3″. His armor weighed 5,000 shekels or  approximately 125 pounds. The iron point on his spear alone weighed 600 shekels or about 15 pounds. While David’s height and weight are not revealed, historians place him to be about 17 years so they feel he was around 5′ tall give or take a few inches. In all probability, David probably didn’t weigh anymore than Goliath’s armor and spearhead!! One of Goliath’s legs more than likely equaled the person of David in height and weight. None believed David could defeat this giant. His own brother thought he was being a conceited braggart. The king even questioned his ability to slay this giant. Finally, in the 40 days this Philistine taunted the Israelites army, there is not one mention of anyone consulting God. No priest, no prophet, no sacrifices were made to receive God’s instructions. How many times, as we are facing our Goliath, do we not even think to talk with God?
God has given us six steps to slay our Goliath. First, David knew his God. It is 
easy to say “Duh!” at this point but for 40 days several thousand men faced this giant and quaked in their boots. They cowered in fear. Why? They looked at Goliath with their physical eyes and not their spiritual eyes. What is your Goliath? Who is your God? David’s God was all-powerful. This giant was nothing in comparison to God. Is your Goliath more powerful than God?
Second, David believed God could do exactly what God says He can do. “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of The Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day The Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth….” David knew what God would do for his children, the Israelites. Too many times, we forget our Father is the all-powerful God What is your Goliath? Who is your God?
Third, David remembered his past experiences with God. When asked by Saul if he could slay this giant; David replied, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep.  When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear.” David knew God had given him the means to kill these animals. This gave David the confidence to know God was going to give him the means to slay this giant. What is your Goliath? Who is your God?
Fourth, David knew God worked in unconventional ways and was willing to be obedient. David had probably heard how a farmer named Noah had built an ark on his property even though there was no water anywhere in the vicinity. Why? Because God told him to. The result, Noah became the second father to the human race. David, every Passover, learned how a prince of Egypt had murdered an Egyptian official, fled to the wilderness, listened to a burning bush, and eventually led the Israelite people to freedom. Are you willing to do whatever God tells you, even if it doesn’t make sense? What is your Goliath? Who is your God?
Fifth, David had the right perspective. Everyone looked at this giant and said he was too big to defeat. David looked at this giant and said he was too big to miss. Too many times we look at our Goliath with our physical eyes rather than our spiritual eyes. What is your Goliath? Who is your God?
Finally, and most importantly, David was not killing this giant for his own personal gain. David was killing this giant for God’s glory. David states, “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that The Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give all of you into our hands.” Why are you wanting to overcome your Goliath? For your own personal benefits or to show others what a great, loving, caring God we have?
God has given us in these verses our own personal plan in overcoming our Goliath:
1. Know your God. Study your Bible daily.
2. Believe your God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do.
3. Remember  those times you’ve seen God work in your life.
4. Keep your focus on God. Stop looking with your physical eyes and start looking with your spiritual eyes. Is Goliath stronger than God?
5. Ask yourself, “Is this for my  glory or will  I  tell others how God has slay my  Goliath?
Look at your Goliath and tell him you “come against him in the name of The Lord Almighty…This day The Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head.” 

LESSONS OF CHRISTMAS--MAGI & KING HEROD

Before starting this lesson, it's necessary to clarify information regarding the presentation of Jesus. Jesus's circumcision and naming occurred on the 8th day. Jesus's presentation at the temple and Mary's purification happened 41 days after his birth in accordance with the Laws of Moses. When the wise men came they found Jesus in a house in Nazareth at some point within his first two years of life.
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It was my initial intent to address the wise men and King Herod, chief priests, and lawmakers (Matthew 2:1-14) in two separate lessons. However, what these two groups teach us is so closely intertwined they really can't be separated.The wise men were seeking Jesus with there hearts. The note in THE COMPANION BIBLE for Matthew 2:6 gives us our first insight into today's lesson: "This incident shows that intellectual knowledge of the Scriptures without experimental delight in them is useless.....The scribes had no desire toward the person of this 'Governor' whereas the wise men were truly wise, in that they sought the person of Him of Whom the Scriptures spoke and were soon found at His feet. HEAD KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT HEART LOVE MAY BE USED AGAINST CHRIST (my emphasis as this is point 1 of today's lesson). When we are seeking this person Jesus of Him of Whom the Scriptures spoke whether it be the first time or several, it is with our heart that we must seek. According to Charles Spurgeon "true friendship...means identifying with someone in thought, heart, and spirit". POINT 1: It is at the feet of Jesus we will find our answers if we come with a sincere heart.
In this event we see the who, what, why, where, when, and how of the reason Jesus came to earth. The who is the Holy Spirit that guided the wise men to Jesus just as the Holy Spirit guides us to Jesus. The what is the desire in which we seek Him; is it with our head or with our heart? The why is the reason we seek Him; are we seeking Jesus to crucify him or are we seeking Jesus as our Savior? The where is where we will find the answer to our quest; we will find the answer to this quest at the feet of Him of Whom the Scriptures spoke. The when is when the Holy Spirit speaks to your heart to seek out this One called Jesus, Savior, Immanuel, Prince of Peace. The how is the manner in which we seek this Babe; is it to crucify or is it to "love with all your heart, your soul, and your mind" Him who offers you abundant life? POINT 2:It is at the feet of Jesus we will find our answers if we come with a a sincere heart.
The wise men came to the feet of Christ for no other reason than to bestow gifts on Him. It is important we bring gifts of thanksgiving, of praise, and of rejoicing to Him of Whom the Scriptures spoke on a regular basis. All to often we come to Him with our petitions and we forget our gifts. For  the same reason we enjoy hearing thanks from our parents, children, friends, superiors; our Savior enjoys it. POINT 3: Bring our gifts of thanksgiving, of praise, and of rejoicing to the Him of Whom the Scriptures spoke.