Luke 23:26-56
Have you ever been falsely accused? Everybody has at one time or another. Think back on that occasion. How did you feel about your accusers? How did you feel about the truly guilty ones? How did you feel in general? Did you even stop to think about what was going on in the minds of those around you including your accusers? If you did think about them, were they thoughts of forgiveness? My basic and usual reaction is defensive. Is yours? It probably is. But not Jesus. His thoughts were toward others.
Carrying His cross down the streets of Jerusalem, He collapsed beneath the load. I would have been having a major pity party at the time. Not Jesus. Women were mourning for Him alongside the street. He tells them their pity is misdirected. He knows of a coming day when the city will be sacked. His concern is for them. Before He came to the cross He was innocent, holy and pure. Before becoming flesh, He was the adoring focus of all the heavenly creatures and constantly proclaimed holy by them. Before His arrest He was protected by angels and ministered to by them. Now He hung between criminals, was mocked by the gawkers and abused by the soldiers. And concerning those He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." Hanging on the cross one of the criminals blasphemed Him. The other thief recognized Jesus' innocence. He begged remembrance when Jesus was to come into His Kingdom. (Now there is amazing faith.) Jesus promised Him that that very day they would be together in Paradise.
It is not recorded in Luke's Gospel, but it is in others. Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" Jesus felt that even God had accused Him. He had. But His accusation was just. The Father placed our sin upon Jesus and then condemned and judged Him. False? Yes and No at the same time. Sinner? Yes, in our place. Sinner? No, before this time, nor since. In the midst of the weight of the judgment upon Him against our sin He says, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit." The Father's true/false accusation killed Him. But He was willing to take it in our place. There is no hint of hatred or defensiveness in Jesus on the cross. Forgiveness and love flowed as freely as His blood. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Friday, May 7, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
May 5, 2010
Numbers 12-13
When the glory of the Lord wanes before our eyes,
The obstacles loom gigantic in size.
Miriam and Aaron complained about Moses’ selection of a new wife. We are not told what happened to Zipporah. Perhaps she died. Perhaps Moses was following the cultural norm by taking second wife. At any rate, Zipporah was the daughter of a Midianite Priest, not from Ethiopia. Do I detect a bit of racism here? At any rate, Miriam heavily criticized Moses for this selection. In so doing her main object was not Moses’ selection of wife. After all, Moses was 81 years old at this time, and she makes a point that God had spoken through her as well. What she really was criticizing was Moses’ authority. Why did Miriam not fear criticizing Moses? It was more important to her that others seen that God spoke to her than to respect the line of authority which began with Moses. Her view of the glory was fixed upon people not the Lord.
God commanded that spies be sent into the land. Ten of the twelve brought back a bad report. After all the miracles they had seen in the last year, why did they not believe that they could take the land? They themselves gave the answer, “There we saw the giants . . . ; and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” They had taken their eyes off of the glory of God, off of the ability of God, and placed it upon themselves. When we cannot see the glory of the Lord, it is usually because we are in the way.
What obstacles are between me and the Lord? Maybe it is my own ability. I choose to look at the glory of the Lord. I will not back down for His glory is before me. I will only back down when He makes it clear that I should. He can overcome any obstacle. He can move mountains. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 23:1-25
At every graduation, schools always pick at least one person to represent the class as a whole. That person is usually the best of the best. The honors they have achieved are announced. Sometimes they are invited to give a speech. This person in a sense is to represent the whole class. They are from the class and represent the class. They represent the hopes of the class. They are in a sense without blemish or fault.
Four days before Passover the Israelites were to select a, "lamb for the household . . . without blemish . . ." For four days the lamb lived among them. It became part of the family. It represented the family. It was one of them. Then it was slain on their behalf that the death angel might pass over them.
Jesus came as the God-Man. He lived among us. He became, as it were, a part of the family. As a man, He was part of the family. As God, He was perfect. As virgin born, He had no sin nature. He was brought before Pilate who declared, "I find no fault in Him." He represents us. He did not have to die because He had no sin that required His death. Yet our King chose to go there. There is no fault in Him.
In our graduations our hopes are for our "best" to go on and achieve great things because they represent us. There is a sense in which we cannot soar any higher than they. We would never consider sacrificing them. Yet, this is what Jesus did. Our perfect representative, our perfect One, was sacrificed in our place. Yet because of His sacrifice He soared to heights undreamed of before. Because He died, our sin was taken care of. Because He was without blemish and had no fault, the penalty of my sin was paid. He is the Faultless One! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
When the glory of the Lord wanes before our eyes,
The obstacles loom gigantic in size.
Miriam and Aaron complained about Moses’ selection of a new wife. We are not told what happened to Zipporah. Perhaps she died. Perhaps Moses was following the cultural norm by taking second wife. At any rate, Zipporah was the daughter of a Midianite Priest, not from Ethiopia. Do I detect a bit of racism here? At any rate, Miriam heavily criticized Moses for this selection. In so doing her main object was not Moses’ selection of wife. After all, Moses was 81 years old at this time, and she makes a point that God had spoken through her as well. What she really was criticizing was Moses’ authority. Why did Miriam not fear criticizing Moses? It was more important to her that others seen that God spoke to her than to respect the line of authority which began with Moses. Her view of the glory was fixed upon people not the Lord.
God commanded that spies be sent into the land. Ten of the twelve brought back a bad report. After all the miracles they had seen in the last year, why did they not believe that they could take the land? They themselves gave the answer, “There we saw the giants . . . ; and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” They had taken their eyes off of the glory of God, off of the ability of God, and placed it upon themselves. When we cannot see the glory of the Lord, it is usually because we are in the way.
What obstacles are between me and the Lord? Maybe it is my own ability. I choose to look at the glory of the Lord. I will not back down for His glory is before me. I will only back down when He makes it clear that I should. He can overcome any obstacle. He can move mountains. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 23:1-25
At every graduation, schools always pick at least one person to represent the class as a whole. That person is usually the best of the best. The honors they have achieved are announced. Sometimes they are invited to give a speech. This person in a sense is to represent the whole class. They are from the class and represent the class. They represent the hopes of the class. They are in a sense without blemish or fault.
Four days before Passover the Israelites were to select a, "lamb for the household . . . without blemish . . ." For four days the lamb lived among them. It became part of the family. It represented the family. It was one of them. Then it was slain on their behalf that the death angel might pass over them.
Jesus came as the God-Man. He lived among us. He became, as it were, a part of the family. As a man, He was part of the family. As God, He was perfect. As virgin born, He had no sin nature. He was brought before Pilate who declared, "I find no fault in Him." He represents us. He did not have to die because He had no sin that required His death. Yet our King chose to go there. There is no fault in Him.
In our graduations our hopes are for our "best" to go on and achieve great things because they represent us. There is a sense in which we cannot soar any higher than they. We would never consider sacrificing them. Yet, this is what Jesus did. Our perfect representative, our perfect One, was sacrificed in our place. Yet because of His sacrifice He soared to heights undreamed of before. Because He died, our sin was taken care of. Because He was without blemish and had no fault, the penalty of my sin was paid. He is the Faultless One! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
May 4, 2010
Numbers 11
There it was again, peanut butter and jelly. I was sick and tired of peanut butter and jelly. It was getting toward the end of my seminary career. Never once did Laura and I go without food because it was not available. Granted we did not enjoy the abundance and variety that most Americans are accustomed to enjoying. But we never were hungry because we did not have food to eat. We ate a lot of rice and eggs. Lunch for me at Seminary usually consisted of peanut butter and jelly. It was cheap and easy to fix. On this particular day, I was tired of peanut butter and jelly. I chose not to eat. Did I grumble? Maybe a little bit. But at least I had food to eat.
The Israelites were grumbling for lack of anything else to eat besides manna. In all actuality there was an even greater, more severe and more important famine going on. Yet, they did not complain about that lack. “What was it?” you may ask. It was a famine for the Word of God. The only one that these 2,000,000 people had to speak the Word of God to them was Moses. And what did they do with him? They complained about the menu. What did God do? He did two things. 1) He put the Spirit of the Lord upon 70 of the elders of Israel so that they could speak the Word of the Lord to Israel. 2) He gave them quail until it “came out their noses.”
What was the real need of the Israelites? It was the Word of God. As Moses told the next generation. “Man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” Duet. 8:3. Did they grumble about not getting enough of the Word? No, they grumbled that all they had to eat was manna. How about that! Living on a daily miracle, and they complained about it. Were they the least concerned about receiving God’s word? Apparently not. So God appointed 70 men to teach the word of God. Do I crave the word of God as a newborn craves milk? Do you? The people asked for meat to eat. God gave them more that they could eat. The quail became a nuisance. The people played light and fast with the Word of God. The Lord gave them men to speak the word. But He also gave them all the meat that they wanted and more. Hmmm. . . what does this tell us about finding the glory of God? I think I’ll go eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 22:47-71
In the spring of my freshman year in college, I made a new friend in class. We had American History and Fencing together. He was a walk-on football player. I once talked with him about his plans for the future. He wanted to become a lawyer and earn enough money that he could become one of those guys that controls the athletic program by the way he contributes money. He wanted to be the one who could quietly pull the strings, and no one else knew. He did become a lawyer. Whether he pulls strings behind the scenes for the athletic program, I have no idea. Part of the glory of Jesus is that He both quietly pulls the strings behind the scenes, and He is the focus on the field of play.
In the midst of going to the cross, Jesus remains confident, collected and still looking out for the needs of those whom He loves. Peter, ready to fight to the death, gets a surprise swing in against the High Priest's servant. Missing the mark, Peter severs the man's ear. Jesus rebukes Peter and heals the man's ear. Jesus rebukes the chief priests for coming secretly to arrest Him. Then at the high priest's house, after Peter denied Him 3 times, Jesus turned to Peter and just looked at Him. The chief priests were unable to bring the examination to a successful conclusion until Jesus gave them the precise answer they needed to condemn Him and the only answer He could give that would cause them to condemn Him. He claimed to be the Son of God.
Jesus knew who He was. He guided the events to their conclusion. He was the central character along the line of events. Although not the officer in charge, He controlled the events. Ultimately, He was the One who was both behind the scenes pulling the strings and in front of the scenes as the main actor.
Even today He remains as the One who holds it all together. Nothing happens in my life without His approval or permission. He also is the One in the foreground of my life. He deserves all my attention and yours also. He works behind me and in front of me. That is glory that I can't completely grasp! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
There it was again, peanut butter and jelly. I was sick and tired of peanut butter and jelly. It was getting toward the end of my seminary career. Never once did Laura and I go without food because it was not available. Granted we did not enjoy the abundance and variety that most Americans are accustomed to enjoying. But we never were hungry because we did not have food to eat. We ate a lot of rice and eggs. Lunch for me at Seminary usually consisted of peanut butter and jelly. It was cheap and easy to fix. On this particular day, I was tired of peanut butter and jelly. I chose not to eat. Did I grumble? Maybe a little bit. But at least I had food to eat.
The Israelites were grumbling for lack of anything else to eat besides manna. In all actuality there was an even greater, more severe and more important famine going on. Yet, they did not complain about that lack. “What was it?” you may ask. It was a famine for the Word of God. The only one that these 2,000,000 people had to speak the Word of God to them was Moses. And what did they do with him? They complained about the menu. What did God do? He did two things. 1) He put the Spirit of the Lord upon 70 of the elders of Israel so that they could speak the Word of the Lord to Israel. 2) He gave them quail until it “came out their noses.”
What was the real need of the Israelites? It was the Word of God. As Moses told the next generation. “Man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” Duet. 8:3. Did they grumble about not getting enough of the Word? No, they grumbled that all they had to eat was manna. How about that! Living on a daily miracle, and they complained about it. Were they the least concerned about receiving God’s word? Apparently not. So God appointed 70 men to teach the word of God. Do I crave the word of God as a newborn craves milk? Do you? The people asked for meat to eat. God gave them more that they could eat. The quail became a nuisance. The people played light and fast with the Word of God. The Lord gave them men to speak the word. But He also gave them all the meat that they wanted and more. Hmmm. . . what does this tell us about finding the glory of God? I think I’ll go eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 22:47-71
In the spring of my freshman year in college, I made a new friend in class. We had American History and Fencing together. He was a walk-on football player. I once talked with him about his plans for the future. He wanted to become a lawyer and earn enough money that he could become one of those guys that controls the athletic program by the way he contributes money. He wanted to be the one who could quietly pull the strings, and no one else knew. He did become a lawyer. Whether he pulls strings behind the scenes for the athletic program, I have no idea. Part of the glory of Jesus is that He both quietly pulls the strings behind the scenes, and He is the focus on the field of play.
In the midst of going to the cross, Jesus remains confident, collected and still looking out for the needs of those whom He loves. Peter, ready to fight to the death, gets a surprise swing in against the High Priest's servant. Missing the mark, Peter severs the man's ear. Jesus rebukes Peter and heals the man's ear. Jesus rebukes the chief priests for coming secretly to arrest Him. Then at the high priest's house, after Peter denied Him 3 times, Jesus turned to Peter and just looked at Him. The chief priests were unable to bring the examination to a successful conclusion until Jesus gave them the precise answer they needed to condemn Him and the only answer He could give that would cause them to condemn Him. He claimed to be the Son of God.
Jesus knew who He was. He guided the events to their conclusion. He was the central character along the line of events. Although not the officer in charge, He controlled the events. Ultimately, He was the One who was both behind the scenes pulling the strings and in front of the scenes as the main actor.
Even today He remains as the One who holds it all together. Nothing happens in my life without His approval or permission. He also is the One in the foreground of my life. He deserves all my attention and yours also. He works behind me and in front of me. That is glory that I can't completely grasp! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
Monday, May 3, 2010
May 3, 2010
May 3, 2010 Numbers 10
Why did Moses choose to say these things each time that they broke camp or made camp? When they broke camp and travelled, they needed the protection of the Lord as they crossed through enemy territory to the land which He had given them. When they made camp, it was time for them to be refreshed by experiencing the presence of God. So what? You and I have been called out of bondage for two purposes. The first is to be used of Him as a means of setting other people free from their bondage. The second is to enjoy Him. If He has called us to set others free, that implies that they are bound by someone. That someone will not sit idly by and let their prisoners be set free. We would assume that the enemy that has bound them is stronger than we. It is appropriate that, the Almighty God go before us and scatter our enemies as we seek to set them free. When the day is done, we will need rest. The truest rest is found only in His presence (Ex 33:14-16). Are you ready for action or ready for rest? Either way, He is the best solution. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 22:24-46
When I lived in North Carolina, the local Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee had encouraged a "Do Something Campaign" among the youth of the public schools. The intent was to teach service to young people. It is a noble idea. It has its roots in this passage and other passages of the New Testament where Jesus speaks to the issue of wanting to be great. It is something that all of us want. In some area, if not in all of our lives, we desire to be great. We all secretly want others to admire us. Preaching from a passage similar to this one MLK Jr. has a famous sermon called The Drum Major Instinct. He has a familiar line that he repeated in this sermon and outside of this sermon, "Anybody can be great, because anybody can serve."
Peter desired to be great, so did all the other disciples. Jesus points out that greatness is not determined by how many people you govern but by how many people you truly serve in relation to the ability that you have. Peter was a man of great raw ability. Satan saw that he was on a track for service and greatness. Satan desired to "sift him like wheat." Peter still had a problem with thinking that greatness would be achieved with swords and forcing others into submission. No, greatness comes from serving others into submission. In that serving process, we die. Jesus is the prime example. He came not to be served but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. How did Jesus have the emotional, spiritual and volitional power to boldly, powerfully and willingly step up to the cross--His greatest act of service? He received it in prayer. Here in the Garden, the choice was made. Here in the Garden, He saw all that was in the cup that His Father put before Him. Here in the Garden, He saw all the sin of all the people of all the ages. Here in the Garden, He saw that the Father was going to lay that sin upon Him and punish Him in our place. Here in the Garden, for the last time in prayer, He made the choice to step up to the cross and serve us. What amazing glory!
The lesson was not lost on Peter. Yes he slept during this time of prayer. And as a result he stumbled and sinned. But after he was restored, his greatest times of service came in the midst of prayer. Pentecost broke out in a prayer meeting that Peter probably led. Sometime later Peter and John were entering into the temple at the hour of prayer, and they healed a lame man at the gate. That act of service resulted a great preaching opportunity that resulted in many being saved. That preaching opportunity resulted in their arrest, and the arrest resulted in a trial. The trial revealed Peter and John to be bold men who had been with Jesus. They were released. What did they do? They went back and prayed for more boldness for preaching and doing acts in the name of the Father's "Holy Servant Jesus." (Acts 4:30) What happened? They were filled with the Spirit. They preached the word. Multitudes were saved and began serving one another by sharing all things in common. We could go on through Acts tracing the relationship between prayer, evangelism and service. But the greatest example is Jesus in the Garden going to the cross! He has served and is serving us into submission. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Why did Moses choose to say these things each time that they broke camp or made camp? When they broke camp and travelled, they needed the protection of the Lord as they crossed through enemy territory to the land which He had given them. When they made camp, it was time for them to be refreshed by experiencing the presence of God. So what? You and I have been called out of bondage for two purposes. The first is to be used of Him as a means of setting other people free from their bondage. The second is to enjoy Him. If He has called us to set others free, that implies that they are bound by someone. That someone will not sit idly by and let their prisoners be set free. We would assume that the enemy that has bound them is stronger than we. It is appropriate that, the Almighty God go before us and scatter our enemies as we seek to set them free. When the day is done, we will need rest. The truest rest is found only in His presence (Ex 33:14-16). Are you ready for action or ready for rest? Either way, He is the best solution. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 22:24-46
When I lived in North Carolina, the local Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee had encouraged a "Do Something Campaign" among the youth of the public schools. The intent was to teach service to young people. It is a noble idea. It has its roots in this passage and other passages of the New Testament where Jesus speaks to the issue of wanting to be great. It is something that all of us want. In some area, if not in all of our lives, we desire to be great. We all secretly want others to admire us. Preaching from a passage similar to this one MLK Jr. has a famous sermon called The Drum Major Instinct. He has a familiar line that he repeated in this sermon and outside of this sermon, "Anybody can be great, because anybody can serve."
Peter desired to be great, so did all the other disciples. Jesus points out that greatness is not determined by how many people you govern but by how many people you truly serve in relation to the ability that you have. Peter was a man of great raw ability. Satan saw that he was on a track for service and greatness. Satan desired to "sift him like wheat." Peter still had a problem with thinking that greatness would be achieved with swords and forcing others into submission. No, greatness comes from serving others into submission. In that serving process, we die. Jesus is the prime example. He came not to be served but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. How did Jesus have the emotional, spiritual and volitional power to boldly, powerfully and willingly step up to the cross--His greatest act of service? He received it in prayer. Here in the Garden, the choice was made. Here in the Garden, He saw all that was in the cup that His Father put before Him. Here in the Garden, He saw all the sin of all the people of all the ages. Here in the Garden, He saw that the Father was going to lay that sin upon Him and punish Him in our place. Here in the Garden, for the last time in prayer, He made the choice to step up to the cross and serve us. What amazing glory!
The lesson was not lost on Peter. Yes he slept during this time of prayer. And as a result he stumbled and sinned. But after he was restored, his greatest times of service came in the midst of prayer. Pentecost broke out in a prayer meeting that Peter probably led. Sometime later Peter and John were entering into the temple at the hour of prayer, and they healed a lame man at the gate. That act of service resulted a great preaching opportunity that resulted in many being saved. That preaching opportunity resulted in their arrest, and the arrest resulted in a trial. The trial revealed Peter and John to be bold men who had been with Jesus. They were released. What did they do? They went back and prayed for more boldness for preaching and doing acts in the name of the Father's "Holy Servant Jesus." (Acts 4:30) What happened? They were filled with the Spirit. They preached the word. Multitudes were saved and began serving one another by sharing all things in common. We could go on through Acts tracing the relationship between prayer, evangelism and service. But the greatest example is Jesus in the Garden going to the cross! He has served and is serving us into submission. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
May 2, 2010
May 2 Luke 22:1-23
I wish I would have known in 2003 what was going to happen to real estate values in Brunswick county until 2006. I would be a very wealthy man right now if I had known that. In 2003 a lot on Oak Island could have been purchased for $20,000-$30,000. In 2006 you could not find one for under $250,000, a seven to tenfold increase in value. In my town of BSL in 2003, you could purchase a house lot for $5,000. In May of 2006 an interior lot down the street from me sold for $45,000, a nine fold increase. Had I the ability to know the future, I would have borrowed all the money I could get, and I would have bought all the lots that I could, and I would have made some significant profits. But alas, I do not know the future. God knows the future. If He had wanted me to be rich, I guess He could have somehow maneuvered me into buying lots three years ago. My focus needs to be on Him. He provides all that I need.
Jesus is the God/Man. He has two natures, a divine nature and a human nature. They are forever united in one person without any mingling of the two. As God, Jesus would know the future. As man, He would not know the future. Is that understandable? I understand what is being claimed but I have difficulty knowing for sure how that worked out in His life here during His first appearance upon earth. It would appear from what He said and did, that all that He did as a man He did not do in His power as God but in the power of the Holy Spirit. But the disciples were approaching a very traumatic time in their lives and in His ministry. They needed both explanations before hand and demonstration of power that Jesus knew what was going on. They got it.
Jesus tells them where and how to go make preparation for the Passover. "When you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.” I don't know about you, but that would have been pretty freaky for me, especially when it happened just as Jesus told them. I mean, it would be one thing if Jesus told them, "A man named such and such will meet you at a certain place. I have already met him and made all the arrangements, and he will show you to the house." That's kind of a normal thing. But Jesus doesn't give any names. He gives no address. Just do this, and it will happen. I think that it is a demonstration of the Holy Spirit telling Him future events, and the willing hearts of people He had not yet personally met. I think this was designed by Him as an encouragement to the disciples to trust His abilities and His leadership. It was a demonstration of power that He knew what was going on.
In the upper room He gives them a graphic explanation during the Seder of what was about to happen. The cross was coming. He was heading there purposefully. It was not that He could not control the situation. He was orchestrating this. His death was substitutionary for us. This meal from this point on would forever be a remembrance of His purposeful, loving death on our behalf. The King is in control even when it doesn't look like it. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
I wish I would have known in 2003 what was going to happen to real estate values in Brunswick county until 2006. I would be a very wealthy man right now if I had known that. In 2003 a lot on Oak Island could have been purchased for $20,000-$30,000. In 2006 you could not find one for under $250,000, a seven to tenfold increase in value. In my town of BSL in 2003, you could purchase a house lot for $5,000. In May of 2006 an interior lot down the street from me sold for $45,000, a nine fold increase. Had I the ability to know the future, I would have borrowed all the money I could get, and I would have bought all the lots that I could, and I would have made some significant profits. But alas, I do not know the future. God knows the future. If He had wanted me to be rich, I guess He could have somehow maneuvered me into buying lots three years ago. My focus needs to be on Him. He provides all that I need.
Jesus is the God/Man. He has two natures, a divine nature and a human nature. They are forever united in one person without any mingling of the two. As God, Jesus would know the future. As man, He would not know the future. Is that understandable? I understand what is being claimed but I have difficulty knowing for sure how that worked out in His life here during His first appearance upon earth. It would appear from what He said and did, that all that He did as a man He did not do in His power as God but in the power of the Holy Spirit. But the disciples were approaching a very traumatic time in their lives and in His ministry. They needed both explanations before hand and demonstration of power that Jesus knew what was going on. They got it.
Jesus tells them where and how to go make preparation for the Passover. "When you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house which he enters.” I don't know about you, but that would have been pretty freaky for me, especially when it happened just as Jesus told them. I mean, it would be one thing if Jesus told them, "A man named such and such will meet you at a certain place. I have already met him and made all the arrangements, and he will show you to the house." That's kind of a normal thing. But Jesus doesn't give any names. He gives no address. Just do this, and it will happen. I think that it is a demonstration of the Holy Spirit telling Him future events, and the willing hearts of people He had not yet personally met. I think this was designed by Him as an encouragement to the disciples to trust His abilities and His leadership. It was a demonstration of power that He knew what was going on.
In the upper room He gives them a graphic explanation during the Seder of what was about to happen. The cross was coming. He was heading there purposefully. It was not that He could not control the situation. He was orchestrating this. His death was substitutionary for us. This meal from this point on would forever be a remembrance of His purposeful, loving death on our behalf. The King is in control even when it doesn't look like it. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Saturday, May 1, 2010
May 1, 2010
Numbers 8
The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes; then Aaron presented them, like a wave offering before the Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. I was dirty from the stain of sin. My Lord Jesus washed me with His own blood and cleansed me from all unrighteousness. He has presented me as a wave offering before His Father. I have been made at one with the Father because of His Son! That He can do that with some one like me is amazing. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 21:20-38
Off and on for a few years now, Iran has threatened that if the U.S. were to try any military intervention because of their nuclear program that they would destroy Israel and the world's economy. Hmmm. . .
But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Hmmm. . . It could just be another one of those flare ups. But Jesus went on to say:
Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.
Could it be that the His coming with power and great glory is not far off? I don't particularly want to experience the things He says will happen before He comes. But if His coming is near, let them come because the glory of my Jesus is so great that when I see Him, it will be worth it all! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
The Levites purified themselves and washed their clothes; then Aaron presented them, like a wave offering before the Lord, and Aaron made atonement for them to cleanse them. I was dirty from the stain of sin. My Lord Jesus washed me with His own blood and cleansed me from all unrighteousness. He has presented me as a wave offering before His Father. I have been made at one with the Father because of His Son! That He can do that with some one like me is amazing. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 21:20-38
Off and on for a few years now, Iran has threatened that if the U.S. were to try any military intervention because of their nuclear program that they would destroy Israel and the world's economy. Hmmm. . .
But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Hmmm. . . It could just be another one of those flare ups. But Jesus went on to say:
Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.
Could it be that the His coming with power and great glory is not far off? I don't particularly want to experience the things He says will happen before He comes. But if His coming is near, let them come because the glory of my Jesus is so great that when I see Him, it will be worth it all! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
April 30, 2010
Numbers 7
“Cushing.” Now there was a bizarre thought. I immediately dismissed it from my mind. I had been reading Numbers 7. If you just read it, you may have reacted like me. You may have found the first 88 verses to be rather boring. So it was with me, until I came to verse 89. For days I had been wondering about how we “hear the voice of the Lord.” The summer before I had thought I heard the Lord speaking to me, saying, “Return to the land of your fathers.” But nothing had worked out that would enable me to do that. I was questioning whether I had really heard the voice of the Lord. Then as I stumbled on verse 89, I began to meditate upon the typology of the ark and hearing the voice of the Lord. The ark is a type of the Messiah. The word ark simply means box. In Genesis 50:26 it is translated coffin. Think about it. The ark is a coffin. The ark is a type of the Messiah. In Jesus the Law is placed. Our transgression of the Law required our death. When we are placed in Jesus, we are buried with Him in His death. The mercy seat is placed upon the coffin. The blood of the atonement is sprinkled upon the mercy seat covering my sin. The blood of Jesus covers my sin. The Cherubim, the protectors and proclaimers of the holiness of God, overshadow the mercy seat. From this position of holiness where the transgression of the Law is hidden in the coffin and covered by the blood of the mercy seat, Moses heard the voice of the Lord. We hear the voice of the Lord from the same position.
As I was meditating upon this, “Cushing” popped into my mind. That was weird. Cushing is where my maternal grandparents are buried. I dismissed the thought and continued. Later in the day I collected my e-mail. There was a letter from my wife. It was sent about the time that “Cushing” popped into my mind. The e-mail simply said, “I had an overwhelming desire to look at real estate in Cushing and saw this house that I liked.” She attached the web page to the letter. This incident happened in October of 2006. May 1, 2009 I moved into Oklahoma, the land of my fathers. It took a while to place things in order. But here I am, and I can do no else.
Where and when do we hear the voice of the Lord? Only from a position of holiness that is found in Jesus the Messiah. Isn’t He amazing? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 21:1-19
I had the privilege of attending Explo '72 the summer before my senior year in High School. It was a great experience. I also seemed to be getting into situations where I had to exercise patience. They were handling large crowds, and even the best planning usually has its glitches. When you have to wait in line for each meal with 5,000 other teens, it can get a little testy. And shipping 80,000 people back and forth across the city of Dallas from various places to the cotton Bowl and back can be challenging. ON the whole, the organizers did an amazing job of planning and coordinating the event! But as you can imagine the logistics were overwhelming and we spent a lot of time hurry-up and waiting. It called for a lot of patience from everybody. Teens in particular are not known for their patience. Patience was a virtue which, as the week wore on, we had to learn. Patience was exercised in meal lines, bus lines and getting in and out of the Cotton Bowl.
Toward the end of the week, we had an hour or two of free time at State Fair Park, where the Cotton Bowl is. My roommates and I decided to ride the sky way. We were at the highest point when it broke down. We hung suspended in the air for what seemed like a whole hour. Patience was once again a thing we were learning.
The disciples were excited about being in Jerusalem for the Passover. Admiring the beautiful temple architecture (and it was an amazing thing), they commented on the temple beauty to Jesus. This launched a whole discourse by Jesus about His second coming. In the middle of warnings about the events preceding His coming, Jesus says, "By your patience possess your souls."
Now here is a patience that far exceeds waiting in hour long lines for a meal or bus or being suspended in the air for an hour. This speaks of a patience exercised in wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilences, persecutions, trials and martyrdoms. Where does one get patience like that? A bus line is a mere trifle compared to that. The implication is that it can only exist in view of the second coming of Jesus. Are we so convinced of his magnificent glory that we know that every trial which we endure during the wait will be worth the beauty that we shall experience at His coming? We were able to endure the long lines at Explo because we enjoyed the sessions in which we were involved. They were worth the wait. Is He worth enduring through war? Is He worth remaining steadfast in the long aftermath of disasters like earthquake or hurricanes? Is He worth enduring through the hunger of famine? Is He worth waiting for even through long pestilence or illness? Is He worth remaining faithful for during persecutions? If you do not think so, then I say you need to look at His glory some more. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
“Cushing.” Now there was a bizarre thought. I immediately dismissed it from my mind. I had been reading Numbers 7. If you just read it, you may have reacted like me. You may have found the first 88 verses to be rather boring. So it was with me, until I came to verse 89. For days I had been wondering about how we “hear the voice of the Lord.” The summer before I had thought I heard the Lord speaking to me, saying, “Return to the land of your fathers.” But nothing had worked out that would enable me to do that. I was questioning whether I had really heard the voice of the Lord. Then as I stumbled on verse 89, I began to meditate upon the typology of the ark and hearing the voice of the Lord. The ark is a type of the Messiah. The word ark simply means box. In Genesis 50:26 it is translated coffin. Think about it. The ark is a coffin. The ark is a type of the Messiah. In Jesus the Law is placed. Our transgression of the Law required our death. When we are placed in Jesus, we are buried with Him in His death. The mercy seat is placed upon the coffin. The blood of the atonement is sprinkled upon the mercy seat covering my sin. The blood of Jesus covers my sin. The Cherubim, the protectors and proclaimers of the holiness of God, overshadow the mercy seat. From this position of holiness where the transgression of the Law is hidden in the coffin and covered by the blood of the mercy seat, Moses heard the voice of the Lord. We hear the voice of the Lord from the same position.
As I was meditating upon this, “Cushing” popped into my mind. That was weird. Cushing is where my maternal grandparents are buried. I dismissed the thought and continued. Later in the day I collected my e-mail. There was a letter from my wife. It was sent about the time that “Cushing” popped into my mind. The e-mail simply said, “I had an overwhelming desire to look at real estate in Cushing and saw this house that I liked.” She attached the web page to the letter. This incident happened in October of 2006. May 1, 2009 I moved into Oklahoma, the land of my fathers. It took a while to place things in order. But here I am, and I can do no else.
Where and when do we hear the voice of the Lord? Only from a position of holiness that is found in Jesus the Messiah. Isn’t He amazing? Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john
Luke 21:1-19
I had the privilege of attending Explo '72 the summer before my senior year in High School. It was a great experience. I also seemed to be getting into situations where I had to exercise patience. They were handling large crowds, and even the best planning usually has its glitches. When you have to wait in line for each meal with 5,000 other teens, it can get a little testy. And shipping 80,000 people back and forth across the city of Dallas from various places to the cotton Bowl and back can be challenging. ON the whole, the organizers did an amazing job of planning and coordinating the event! But as you can imagine the logistics were overwhelming and we spent a lot of time hurry-up and waiting. It called for a lot of patience from everybody. Teens in particular are not known for their patience. Patience was a virtue which, as the week wore on, we had to learn. Patience was exercised in meal lines, bus lines and getting in and out of the Cotton Bowl.
Toward the end of the week, we had an hour or two of free time at State Fair Park, where the Cotton Bowl is. My roommates and I decided to ride the sky way. We were at the highest point when it broke down. We hung suspended in the air for what seemed like a whole hour. Patience was once again a thing we were learning.
The disciples were excited about being in Jerusalem for the Passover. Admiring the beautiful temple architecture (and it was an amazing thing), they commented on the temple beauty to Jesus. This launched a whole discourse by Jesus about His second coming. In the middle of warnings about the events preceding His coming, Jesus says, "By your patience possess your souls."
Now here is a patience that far exceeds waiting in hour long lines for a meal or bus or being suspended in the air for an hour. This speaks of a patience exercised in wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilences, persecutions, trials and martyrdoms. Where does one get patience like that? A bus line is a mere trifle compared to that. The implication is that it can only exist in view of the second coming of Jesus. Are we so convinced of his magnificent glory that we know that every trial which we endure during the wait will be worth the beauty that we shall experience at His coming? We were able to endure the long lines at Explo because we enjoyed the sessions in which we were involved. They were worth the wait. Is He worth enduring through war? Is He worth remaining steadfast in the long aftermath of disasters like earthquake or hurricanes? Is He worth enduring through the hunger of famine? Is He worth waiting for even through long pestilence or illness? Is He worth remaining faithful for during persecutions? If you do not think so, then I say you need to look at His glory some more. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John
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