Friday, November 30, 2012
In the beginning God
Thursday, November 29, 2012
The loving person does not remain aloof from life. The loving person is
not disengaged or protected from the brutal realities of this life. The
loving disciple can never neglect the plight of the poor, the weak and
the broken. Rather, God’s love reaches out to us wherever we are. The
children of God who have been grasped by this love, like Jesus, invest
themselves in the lives of broken and wounded people. People who are
shaped by this kind of love are willing to get their hands dirty in the
service of others in God’s world, as Jesus did.http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20090807/NEWS/908079960?Title=Christians-should-want-to-serve
(Click to enlarge)
One of my patio art works in my yard.
The
ceramic vase is a self contained fountain. Water bubbles up to the top
and spills down the side then back into the vase. It makes the most
wonderful water sounds which echo within the vase. The backdrop I made
for it is wooden circles with a small circle of roofing nails that have
slightly rusted just above the fountain. To complement the perpetual
water fountain sound I have hung a professionally designed, musically
tuned, wind chime that resonates in tones that add a spiritual quality
when coupled with the sound of water. The nature of this wind chime
sounds out differing notes that harmonize and resonate together softly
for a few seconds after the wind passes through it. To top off the whole
visual of the art I have a riverbed plant that blooms with delicate
blossoms of bright magenta.
Caiaphas, The High Priest
Principal Characters Involved Against Jesus
Day Five (Continues)
The Illegal Trial Of Jesus Christ
Location:
People's Court
Shekinah Fellowship
Room 101
Ms Suzy, Jurist in this court room:
Ms Susy adjust her glasses and walks to the center of the room. She calmly begins her dissertation of the moment...
Of all the men mentioned in the story of the trials and subsequent crucifixion of the Christ, it must be admited that Caiaphas, the high priest, was the most despicable. And, in making this appraisal of him, we are not unmindful of the treachery of the great betrayer, Judas Iscariot. To be sure, the high priest was even more corrupt.
For eleven years, from 25 A. D. he remained in that lofty position in Judea; and was at all times completely devoid of ethics, honor, fairness, and common decency! And his close friendship with Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, was grounded upon the proposition that they had this much in common- a deep hatred for the Christ, whose teachings they scoffed with an abiding venom. Both were political cowards- men who dreaded the thought of having their heads removed from the public trough!
As the presiding judge of the Jewish court, called the Great Sanhedrin, he was required to take a solemn oath, under the existing Jewish laws, to at all times assume an attitude of impartiality toward every accused person brought before the court; and to manifest complete indiffrence as to the results of any trial therein; that he would not serve as the presiding officer should there arise a case in which there existed enmity toward the accused.
But not that fellow! Being unable to restrain himself, and hide, to some appreciable degree, his deep prejudice toward and hatred of Jesus Christ, we find him even before the arrest was made, conspiring to murder Christ- and seeking false witnesses to appear before the court, against the Master! And that is not the end to his corruption. Next we note that he, the presiding judge of the court, personally makes the charges against Jesus of "blasphemy," and then has the gall to announce, in open court, that there was no need for witnesses! Then, as furthur evidence of his utter unfitness and complete lack of judicial temperment, he begins to tear his own garments from his shoulders to his waistband.
Matthew records how Caiaphas conducted himself as the presiding Judge of that court:
"Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying: He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard His blasphemy! What think ye? They answered and said: He is guilty of death!"
When Jesus replied to the direct inquiry as to whether He was the Christ, the Son of God, and
gave an affirmative answer, He was denounced as a blasphemer. Utterly ridiculous!And, with the open approval of this same high priest, the members of the court, in complete disregard of existing laws, deliberately and cowardly spit into the face of Jesus,
(Jurist pauses with tears in her eyes and obviously choked up with emotion)
and buffeted Him; and others smote Him with the palms of their hands, saying:
"Prophesy unto us, Thou Christ, who is he that smote Thee?"
And with all of that display of rage and temper and ill-will, the high priest was not yet contented. He can now be seen leading the bound and bleeding Christ over to the palace of Pilate, in the dire hope of obtaining a speedy approval of their unholy and unlawful verdict that the Christ should die, because of the accusation of blasphemy! And, before the procession starts upon its journey for the second trial, they place a sharp crown of thorns upon the head of the Master and strike Him several blows upon the head, so as to insure the deep imbedding of the thorns into His precious brow. Hence, He is led to Pilate, because His eyes are by now filled with blood!
What a judge! What a trial! Somewhere, in the old Jewish law, there is this wise and true maxim: "A desreputable and corrupt judge is to be no more respected than the sweat from the blanket of a jackass!"
Indeed, Judas Iscariot betrayed his best friend for filthy silver- and in full remorse, hanged himself- but this Caiaphas committed the greater sin. He utterly and forever discraced the high office of high priesthood through his cowardly and vile conduct as the presiding official in the supreme court of Jewry! Moreover, he became a deliberate law-violater in the following respects:
1. He knew that his heart was filled with poisonous enmity for the Master, but continued to serve and to preside at that trial, after having taken an oath that he had no such enmity toward the accused.
2, His oath to be fair and impartial was made a mockery when he admitted being a party to the corrupt conspiracy with Annas and Judas to have Jesus betrayed into the hands of His enemies, in the nighttime.
3. He raped the law when he personally preferred the charge of "blasphemy," after Jesus had merely admitted being the Son of God!
4.He winked at justice and blinded his eyes to fairness and decency when he went out in search of those "false witnesses" to testify against the accused, in his own court.
5. Being learned in the law- which was a prerequisite to his assuming the duties of that high office- he pretended ignorance of the law which required the production of two witnesses, whose testimony must be in agreement, as to all material details embracing the charge against the accused.
6. He ignored the Jewish legal mandates that no trial be had at night, nor during the feast of Passover; or on a Friday!
7. It was he who called for the vote of the death penalty, and unlawfully recorded it, when the Jewish law, with which he was entirely familiar, prohibited the imposition of the sentence of death. The Roman conquerors had, long before, denied them such authority.
8. He painted a picture of bestiality and contempt by deliberately tearing his own robe in the court room, and then permitting his cowardly cohorts to spit into the face of the prisoner; to strike Him, and ridicule Him with other modes of cruelty, such as forcing into His brow that thorn-covered crown-as a symbol of Kingship.
And it was he who, before Pilate, raised the loudest voice for the release of Barrabas, and for the demand that Jesus be crucified. Still not appeased, he gave minute directions to the Roman soldiers for that commission of furthur acts of brutality while Jesus was prostrate and suspended on the cross!
One can easily get a mental picture of the smirking countenance of Caiaphas as the Christ begged for a few drops of water to cool the raging fever of His parched throat, and received, instead, a sponge soaked in vinegar, while awaiting for his helpless victim to give up the Spirit!
How do you suppose that the high priest really felt on that Friday afternoon, on Calvary's hill, when, standing at the foot of the cross, he heard fall from the lips of the dying Christ that sincere and fervent prayer for forgiveness- upon the premise that His murderers knew not what they were doing?
And what reaction, if any, did Caiaphas have when the earth began to quake, and the lightning began to strike, and he knew that Jesus had died- and he heard one of the murderers, a Roman soldier, say:
"Truly this Man was the Son of God!"
The world will ever remember, with justified disgust and contempt, the sad spectacle of that vicious, immoral, cruel, inhuman, cowardly, prejudiced, unfit, disreputable "judge" of the highest Jewish court who delighted in leading the frenzied mob in its base acts of brutality and cold-blooded murder!
Day Five (Continues)
The Illegal Trial Of Jesus Christ
Tiberius Caesar, The Roman Emperor
Location:
People's Court
Shekinah Fellowship
Room 101
Ms Suzy, Jurist in this court room:
During the time of the trials of Jesus, Tiberius held the high office of Emperor of Rome. He had appointed Pontius Pilate to the office of Governor of Judea.
It is interesting to note that, under existing Roman laws, any Roman citizen, having been found guilty of any offense, in any court in that country, had the right of an appeal directly to the Emperor. We remember that the famous convert, Paul, was given this privilege after his conviction. But since Jesus of Nazareth was not a Roman citizen, he did not have this right of appeal, even if He had had the opportunity to do so, after His unlawful "trials" before the Sanhedrin and before the Roman Governor, Pilate.
The Emperor, in reality, played no significant part in those trials of the Christ; but it will be well to keep in mind that he had the unquestioned power to summarily remove from office this man, Pilate, whom he had appointed to serve in his stead as procurator or Governor. And, being a political puppet of the Emperor, we will note that Pilate was sorely afraid of his political boss in Rome, and kept constantly on guard so that he might not offend the man who was responsible for Pilate's appointment.
"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey
the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth,
crucified among you? This only would I learn from you, Received ye the
Spirit by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so
foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the
flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He
therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles
among you, doeth He it by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of
faith?"-Galatians 3:1-5....
Let's talk a little bit of basic Bible doctrine here, OK? Justification by faith alone is as wonderful, yet simple a truth as there is in all of scripture. Think about it- You were separated from your Creator by your sin. You were helpless to do anything about it. God took the initiative in bringing you back to Himself by giving you His only Begotten Son as a propitiation for your sin. The word 'propitiation' means that Christ's death not only completely satisfied God's justice, in terms of the penalty for all of your sin being absolutely and totally paid, but also completely satisfies His wrath. It was all placed on His Precious Son.....
2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us, "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." The sinless Son of God died on a cruel cross, then rose from the dead. Your sins- all of them- were taken away, and you were guaranteed eternal life by His very resurrection! Now what do we have to do in response? Does God intend for us to jump through some impossible hoops to somehow prove that we're worthy of His love and life? Nope- let's go back just a few verses in 2 Corinthians- It's so simple that we often trip over it! "....
God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:19)." OK, so what is our response to be to the God of all creation? The end of the next verse says simply, "BE YE RECONCILED TO GOD." How about that? There's nothing that we need to DO, we must simply agree with God that we are lost, and cannot help ourselves, and thus must rely ENTIRELY upon the death and resurrection of Christ. As you do that- fully and completely, with no attempt to help God out with your own 'works', you'll find yourself looking up often, and thanking and praising your Savior in utter wonder of His unfathomable Love, rather than constantly asking Him to keep on forgiving you, as if He hasn't already done so.....
The problem with the Galatians (in our first portion of scripture here) was that they began listening to and following the teachings of the Judaizers (Jewish Christians who taught that certain parts of the Law must still be observed by Gentile believers in order to be truly saved) who would visit churches that the Apostle Paul had founded, and attempt to refute the pure Gospel which he preached.
Of course, Paul forcefully defended the Gospel against this aberrant teaching, and while we would all like to think that we would do the same, in reality we still seem to think that Christianity is part Christ, and part our own works or effort. Just listen to believers as they talk about their walk with Christ- In many of us, there is a lack of depth, a lack of thankfulness, and a rather high opinion of ourselves- despite what God has clearly declared about our condition.
You know, you can almost smell self-righteousness. It has an unholy stench to it, a filth, a putrid stink. It is a rare Christian today who possesses the fragrance of the Rose of Sharon, who truly knows that it is all Jesus and none of themselves. These kind of believers exist, to be sure- but you have to look awfully hard to find one. When you do find one though, it is a beautiful breath of fresh air, and well worth the search, for in them, you will see Christ!
Our Savior longs to be seen and known in us- His beloved bride. It is all about allowing Him in- to the exclusion of everything else. Beloved, who or what do you want to present to this lost world- you, or the Law.....or Christ?
En Agape,
Jim Ewing
Day Ten
The Illegal Trial Of Jesus Christ
Changing The False Accusations
Location:
People's Court
Shekinah Fellowship
Room 101
Ms Suzy, Jurist in this court room:
When Jesus was forcibly hailed before the Sanhedrin for "trial," we note that there had not been any charges preferred against Him. Therefore, until some kind of a criminal offense had been first made against Him, He was unlawfully required to be there. It would be just as absurd a proceeding as if a group of soldiers and citizens had captured an individual and then brought him before a criminal court to be tried when no compliant of any kind had been registered with the court!
The high priest and the scribes engaged in a brief conference, checking to determine if their "false witnesses" had been notified to be before the court, to testify against Jesus. Having determined that they were present, Caiaphas called upon them to make their accusations. Here is what then happened:
"At last come two false witnesses, and said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the Temple of God, and build it in three days."
Such a statement as that never fell from the lips of the Christ! Here are His exact words, on that subject, as related by John:
"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
These two characters, in testifying against the Master, had purposely, corruptly and deliberately perverted the true language of Jesus in order to make it appear that He had actually threatened to do physical violence to the Temple of God. Such might be expected to come from those whom the high priest himself had denominated as false "witnesses!"
Jesus was, of course, referring to His Own Body as the "temple" which they had boasted of soon destroying. He was merely saying that, in such an event, He would raise His Body in three days. John gives the same explanation:
"He spake of the temple as His Body."
Regardless of the efforts to distort the words of the Christ, we find that the two witnesses were not in agreement as to their attempts to quote what each claimed to have heard Jesus say. And so, the testimony broke down, and the false charges had to be abandoned.
Up until this time Jesus had not spoken a single word. He gave evidence of His great contempt by His majestic silence! Indeed, even the hot~headed raging of the high priest failed to extract a single expression from the mouth of their prisoner. They were filled with consternation. How, they reasoned, would they be able to make Him talk. Then, like a flash, a clever thought was born in the warped brain of Caiaphas. He rushed from his seat, toward the body of Jesus, and in a loud and angry tone, exclaimed:
"I adjure Thee, by the Living God, tell us, art Thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"
That was the one question which Jesus would answer, readily, even though it would of necessity, be the affirmation of His Divinity- and His condemnation- and death. So, without a moment’s hesitation, and in a clear and distinct tone, the Master replied:
"I Am, And ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of Heaven."
Not only did He tell them that He was indeed the Son of the Blessed, but that, after they had taken His life- as He well knew they would- they would see Him, after the resurrection, being lifted upon clouds into Heaven where He would be seated at the right hand of His Father, God Almighty!
The admission of this great truth greatly intensified the anger of the high priest, and he began tearing his robe, while stating to the other members of the Sanhedrin: "What need we any further witnesses? Ye have heard the blasphemy! What think ye?"
Being of one accord, they replied: "He is guilty to death!" What a trial! What a spectacle to behold! What a scene in the Jewish court, dedicated to the scared cause of liberty and equality and justice! What an indictment could be made against such rude, preposterous outbursts of hatred and cowardly conduct! There we see the presiding officer of the high court of the Jews personally making the accusation of "blasphemy," and then concluding himself that the court had no need for witnesses!
What was it the members of the court heard? Only the expression of truth- an admission by the Christ that He was the Son of God! And for having spoken the truth, they pronounced, unlawfully, the penalty of death! They knew that they had no such authority, for their Roman conquerors had stripped them of that power, years before.
They all condemned Jesus to be worthy of death! Because, as they said, He was guilty of blasphemy! Was the Christ guilty of blasphemy? An absurd inquiry! Nowhere could there be found any authority, anywhere, to make what Jesus had said the basis for such an accusation.
"Blasphemy" consists of cursing God. We have the benefit of a Biblical definition of that word, as found in the Revelations of John:
"And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacles, and them that dwell in Heaven."
The accusation of the high priest was the utterance of a frenzied and prejudiced mind, amounting to nothing more than an illiterate conclusion!
Now we observe them taking the tired and sleepy Christ, before the break of day, to the palace of Pilate, the Roman Governor. Their purpose in doing this was to get Pilate to quickly and summarily approve of the supreme penalty that they had unlawfully imposed upon Jesus. They were hoping for an informal hearing, that they might begin their execution. But the Roman Governor was not only impatient but without affection for the Jews and their numerous religious controversies. He entertained no love for them whatever, and did not wish to be bothered with their many bickerings and disputes which, he felt, they themselves should settle. As soon as Pilate learned of their presence at the palace, he met them at the entrance gate, and said:
"What accusations bring ye against this Man?"
It was then that they replied with an air of snobbery and presumption:
"If He were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered Him up to thee."
Pilate told them to "take Him and judge Him according to your law."
Quickly realizing that they could not, lawfully, condemn one to die by the judgement of the Jewish courts, and doubting that Pilate would approve of their finding Him guilty of blasphemy, they made up an entirely new charge-without a moment’s notice to the prisoner or anyone:
"And they began to accuse Him, saying, we found this fellow perverting the Nation, and forbidding the giving of tribute to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ a King."
Jesus remained silent before the Governor of Rome. Well did he know that the charge of having "perverted the Nation and forbidding the giving of tribute to Caesar" was false to the very core. Therefore, Pilate marveled greatly that the Christ said not a word! Then Pilate took Jesus into the judgement hall, and said unto Him: "Art Thou the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered him:
"Sayest thou this thing thyself, or did others tell it thee of Me?"
Pilate then wanted to know what Jesus had done. And He answered:
"My kingdom is not of this world: If My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is My kingdom not from hence."
Pilate soon became thoroughly convinced that Jesus had done no wrong; that the accusations made against Him were without foundation in fact, and he brought the Christ back to the high priest and his followers, and made this solem announcement:
"I find in Him no fault at all!"
That was a verdict of acquittal-a judgement of the Roman Governor that should have effected the release of the Prisoner. And it was the one verdict that fell hard upon the ears of the bewildered enemies of the Master. Having heard it, they seemed stunned and in a quandary. Then they came fourth with an entirely different accusation-this was the third-when they told Pilate this:
"He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place!"
That last charge, while entirely false, was their clever way of telling Pilate that Jesus was from Galilee. Being a Galilean He would have to be tried before Herod, king of Judea. So, Pilate sent Him to Herod, who was in Jerusalem at this time.
It was noteworthy that there was a decided departure from the original charge lodged against Jesus before the Sanhedrin. For the Sanhedrin found Him guilty of "blasphemy." But when He was hailed before Pilate, they changed the charge to that of treason, and then to sedition. The Christ was guilty of neither.
Let us note what took place before King Herod, the reprobate:
"And when Herod saw Jesus he was exceedingly glad: for he was desirous to see Him for a long Season, because he had heard many things of Him: and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by Him."
Herod the murderer of John the Baptist, was still conscious of his wrongdoing in that respect, and was certainly unwilling to have his official acts, regarding the Christ, reported to his political boss, the Emperor of Rome.
Instead, then, of conducting what might be considered a serious and dignified examination of the complaints made by the Jews, Herod concluded, in his semi-drunken condition, to make sport of the Prisoner, in the hope of amusement for himself and the members of his court.
"Then he questioned Him in many words; but He answered him nothing."
Jesus was well acquainted with the character and reputation of this unfit king, Herod, who had, shortly before, sent a messenger to the Christ threatening to have Him killed, unless He left the country. But Jesus stood still there like a brave soldier, and answered him nothing!
And that same group of His enemies stood by, vehemently accusing Jesus before the King. Through it all, the Master maintained a majestic silence, as if ignoring the proceedings completely. It is highly probable that Jesus, being well versed in the laws of that day and time, felt that Herod had no right to question Him at all.
"And Herod, with his men of war, set Jesus at nought, and mocked Him, and arrayed Him in a purple robe and sent Him back to Pilate."
Once more we see the Christ standing before Pilate. By now Jesus was enveloped in fatigue, from loss of sleep and lack of food and rest. Pilate appears irritated. He frankly tells the high priest and the others there that they have done a vain thing. Here are the words, on that occasion:
"Ye have brought this Man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined Him before you, have found no fault in this Man touching those things whereof ye accuse Him: No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto Him. I will, therefore, chastise Him, and release Him."
What had Pilate just said? Once more, for the second time, he found Jesus guilty of no wrong-and reminded the mob that Herod had done nothing to Jesus. But, said Pilate, before I release Him, I will chastise Him! Since Pilate had said that Jesus was innocent of those charges made against Him, then for what earthy reason should the Christ be "chastised"? It was nothing less then a cowardly subterfuge. He thought that if Jesus were scourged, that would pacify the demands of those evil-hearted demons. But they were greatly dissatisfied with Pilate’s decision, and showed their anger in no uncertain manner.
Still seeking some way to get from under the burden of the situation, and, at the same time, trusting that he might appease the high priest and his followers, Pilate then proposed that, since it was the custom, during the Passover Feast, to release any prisoner they desired, he said to them:
"Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered Him."
Here was Pilate placing the self-confessed seditionist and murder beside the sinless Christ, and asking that wild mob which of the two they preferred to be released! Pilate had hopes, though faint, that they might have a change of heart. But not that crowd, for murder filled their hearts, as they remained determined to take the life of Christ!
What a compromise to offer-what a proposal to be made by the Roman Governor to a mob of angry Jews!
"But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus."
Here,again, we see the scheming Annas and his common son-in-law, Caiaphas, urging the mob to call for the release of Barabbas. Release Barabbas-so that they might destroy Jesus! What a wild scene! What a disgraceful picture!
"The Governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you!"
They said "Barabbas!"
Pilate, somewhat exasperated and impatient, said unto them:
"What shall I do with Jesus which is called Christ?"
Why, oh, why, ask such a question! What had Jesus done? Pilate had repeatedly said he was not guilty of any wrongdoing. What he should have done with Jesus was to release Him. But he was afraid to do so, afraid of that band of Jews whose continued anger he sought to avoid.
"They all said unto Him, Let Him be crucified!"
Pilate ignored the plea of his wife to "have nothing to do with that just Man." He called Jesus back into the inner court of the temple, to question Him further, but Jesus remained silent, as before. Then Pilate, for the third time, said he found no wrong in Jesus. Then the Jews cried out:
"Away with Him, Away with Him, crucify Him!"
Yes, it must be admitted that while Pilate sought several times to release Jesus, he just didn’t have the courage of his convictions. He was, truly, a coward!
Then Pilate said to them:
"Shall I crucify your king?"
The mob, quick to respond, said "We have no king but Caesar."
Sensing that Pilate feared them, because of his dread that they might report him to the Emperor, placing his job in jeopardy, they hurled the defiant threat toward Pilate:
"If thou let this Man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend; whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar."
That did it! Those last remarks placed the pallid flag of fear into the face of Pilate, and he gave in to the demands of evil men. He deliberately ignored all sense of justice and sacrificed his self-respect to quite the howls of a raging mob!
"Then released he Barabbas unto them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the Governor took Jesus unto the common hall, and gathered unto Him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped Him, and put on a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him, and mocked Him, saying: Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon Him, and took the reed, and smote Him on the head. And after that they had mocked Him, they took the robe of from Him, and put His own raiment on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him."
Therefore, with no friend near who was willing to speak a single good word in His behalf; no friend there to protect Him in His legal rights, Jesus was led away by the fiendish and cruel mob, in preparation for the great ordeal-death, alone, on Calvary’s cross!
This final word:
The record reflects that, through it all, the Son of God never once made a single murmur or compliant over the many insults heaped upon Him. No, not even when they crushed the crown of thorns so deeply into His precious brow that His eyes became filled with blood! Yes, He was brave enough to bear it, alone, in the true spirit of voluntary submission. He knew that He was then carrying out the will of His Heavenly Father, and fulfilling the prophecies without neither counting the cost nor complaining of the great pain! And the true measure of that pain and that anguish, which He silently bore, for the sins of mankind, is far, very far, beyond the pale of human imagination!
Obedience, above Sacrifice
I feel compelled to begin a study on obedience in what the Lord calls us to do. Also with a special emphasis on being holy and pure, as He is Holy.
Let’s start with scripture. (Always a good place to begin)
I Samuel 15
Verse 1 : " Samuel said to Saul. ‘I am the one the Lord sent to annoint you king over His people Israel: so listen now to the message from the LORD’.
Samuel tells Saul, that he better listen up, because the Lord has an important message and instructions for him. Now if an undisputed prophet from the Lord came to you and told you that he had a message from the Almighty God specifically for you, you would be jotting down notes and breaking out the tape recorder!
Verse 2: "This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3) Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them, put to death men, and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’
Let’s take a look at what the Amalekites did to tick the Lord off.
Exodus 17: 8-14 While the Israelites had just escaped Egypt, the Amalekites sent an army of men to attack the Israelites. Joshua chose some men and went out to fight them. As long as Moses held up his arms, the Israelites were winning, but if he lowered his arms, the Amalekites were winning. You remember the story, he had Aaron and Hur stand beside him, holding up his arms, and Israel was victorious.
Verse
14: "Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this on a scroll as something
to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will
completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under the heaven’. Verse
15, Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is My Banner. He said,
"For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord, The Lord will be at
war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.
Also in Deuteronomy 25: 17-18 we get a clearer picture of what the Lord promised to Moses, and what he intended to do about it. "Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind; They had no fear of GOD"
And
here is the prophesy that is to be fulfilled in Samuel 15…verse 19:
"When the Lord your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you
in the land he is giving you to posses as an inheritance, you shall blot
out the memory of Amalek from under the heaven. Do not forget!"
Okay, back to Samuel 15. Verses 4 – 9…Saul gathers up an army of men and goes to attack the Amalekites. But he did not follow the Lords instructions to a tee. He took the King of the Amalekites , Agag, alive. He killed everyone else, but spared the best of the sheep and cattle and lambs, everything that was good, he kept.
God
told him to destroy everything! He specifically told him to kill all
the cattle ect. But I’m sure Saul, when he saw all those beefy looking
animals, was thinking what a waste it would be to destroy perfectly good
sheep and cattle. How many times do we reason our way out of obedience?
We can use logic to talk our way into just being half obedient.
To be continued….
Day Eight
The Illegal Trial Of Jesus Christ
Annas Was Without Jurisdiction
Location:
People's Court
Shekinah Fellowship
Room 101
Ms Suzy, Jurist in this court room:
Having taken the Christ into custody, they immediately led Him to the house of His bitterest enemy, Annas, who was the dominating influence over not only the Sadducees but the Sanhedrin as well- and whose son-in-law, Caiaphas, was the presiding judge.
"And led Him away to Annas first."
Why was He taken there? In order that Annas might have personal knowledge of His arrest, so that he could then contact his disreputable son-in-law, and have him call the nighttime session of a select group of the Sanhedrin, while the friends of Jesus were still asleep.
The private examination of Jesus by old man Annas was illegal for three reasons: (1) It was conducted at night, in violation of the Hebrew laws; (2) no individual, not even a judge, had the right to question the accused judicially; (3) private examinations of anyone charged with crime were not permitted by the Hebrew law.
Here is a question from the Jewish law, applicable to the situation:
"An accused man shall never be subjected to private or secret examination, lest, in his perplexity, he furnish testimony against himself."
Can it be said that Annas, who, with his five sons had served in the high office of high priest for about fifty years, was not familiar with that law, which, incidentally, had been in force for over two hundred years? Certainly he was acquainted with that and all of the other laws of the Hebrew society; but, in his desperation to be rid of the Christ, he trampled upon the law, in the hope of obtaining some kind of incriminating statement from the lips of Jesus, and thereby have some basis for the filing of criminal charges. Knowledge of the law, followed by a deliberate breach of it, is the best evidence of willfulness!
No judge, sitting alone, could conduct an examination of the accused. The lowest Hebrew court was known as the court of three- consisting of three judges, who sat as a group. Moreover, we know that Annas was not a judge, but a former high priest, with no authority whatever.
This was a good and wise law for judges, for the full protection of anyone against whom some criminal charge had been filed. It served to protect him from making some incriminating statement, which could be used against him on the trial of his case.
When Annas had Jesus before him, we note that he inquired as to His disciples and His doctrine. And Jesus answered and said:
"I spake openly to the world; I even taught in the synagogue, and in the Temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. Why asketh thou Me? Ask them which heard Me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said."
Jesus was certainly well within his legal rights to make such a reply. In effect He was merely calling attention to the fact that, without exception, His teachings were all made public, which many heard.
It was then that one of the petty officers, in the home of Annas, violated the Hebrew law by striking the Christ in the face! And this corrupt, political boss merely smiled in approval at such unlawful conduct. And Jesus did not complain, but made this pertinent remark:
"If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil, but if well, why smitest thou Me?"
This was perfect illustraction of courage, as well as logic and truth.
Biblical history reveals that, at the times referred to herein, Annas, Caiaphas, Pilate and Herod all lived just a short distance apart from each other- hence the convenience of being in close contact with the situation, with a minimum of effort or loss of time. And the time element was to be a factor- since they were in a great hurry to have Jesus condemned before His friends became aware of His plight.
Annas was smart enough to know, whatever might be the nature of the Kingdom which Jesus was advocating, there would be certainly no position therein for him or his colleagues. Kings do not mix with swine!
Not being able to obtain any sort of incriminating statement from Jesus, at that secret, after~midnight examination, Annas directed the group of men to take the Christ before Caiaphas for trial. And, far from being a trustful individual, he personally led them to the palace of the high priest. Moreover, he remained there at the palace of his son-in-law, giving directions and orders as to the proceedings before the Greater Sanhedrin. Indeed, this cheep, weather~beaten Annas was not going to miss an opportunity to supervise the cowardly "Trials" of the Lowly Nazarene.
Annas had been before the selected group of the Sanhedrin but a very few moments when he began to engage in a whispered conference with Caiaphas. "Was the stage all set?" "Had any details been over-looked?" "Had Caiaphas summoned only the known enemies of Jesus?" He was demanding an affirmative answer to each inquiry! And, it must be admitted, he had no occasion to be dissappointed with the answers which fell upon his obnoxious ears!
Yes, everyone was ready- even the Christ- although He was all alone; friendless but unafraid!
Caiaphas, in considering the plight of Jesus, had said: "It is expedient for us that one man should die for his people." And by that statement he conveyed the idea that it was thought best to take the life of the Christ, for the sake of the people whom he represented.
It was ironical that Jesus, in quite a different and more reverent sense, likewise felt it was, indeed, "expedient that one men should die for His people:"- and He would be that Man; ready to die, all alone, for a sin-cursed world, whose only redemption could be found in the precious blood of a crucified Christ.
Another observation can here be made, respecting the series of unlawful acts which were done by those evil enemies of the Christ:
The Hebrew law expressly prohibited the condition of "any proceedings, involving a capital case, at night." A capital case is one wherein the penalty of death may be imposed.
We have already pointed out, beyond question that, after the arrest of Jesus, beyond the midnight hour, He was immediately taken to Annas for the examination. Therefore, the unlawful examination was had in the nighttime, contrary to existing laws on the subject! So, we find Annas deliberately, knowingly and willfully trampling upon the solemn laws of his own society. With men of that calibre in Judea, there is little wonder that a sense of unrest and turmoil could be observed everywhere.
Alive Unto Christ...
2 Corinthians 5:14&15- "For
the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one
died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they
which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him
which died for them, and rose again."
We must
remember what a destructive and frightening man the Apostle Paul had
been before Christ apprehended him on the Road to Damascus in order to
really appreciate what he is saying here. We can see of his devotion to
his Savior, Jesus Christ, just from reading his epistles, but previous
to that, he had been zealously and aggressively persecuting the Church,
consenting to the stoning of Stephen, the Church's first martyr, looking
for Christians high and low to imprison for their faith- the man was
certainly on a mission! He was also very educated in the scriptures,
having studied under the scholar Gamaliel. He was a Pharisee. He knew
the Old Covenant Law. He lived it.
Why then, did he seek
to destroy the Church? Well, he believed that he was doing God's will.
He was zealous for the Law of God, no doubt..... After his very dramatic
conversion though, we see a man who, by the time he began ministering
to the Body of Christ, was so steeped in the love of his Lord that he
devoted the rest of his earthly days to Him. He had learned the enormous
difference between Law and Grace. He knew from personal experience that
Christ was not a philosophy, not just a great teacher, but that He was
literally LIFE in a world of death, and that He offered, and continually
offers that LIFE- He Himself- to those lost in sin and death, to the
end that the very apex of His creation- man- would come to know Him and
the forgiveness of sins, and Life Everlasting. Paul knew HIM, not just
ABOUT Him.
"For to me to live IS Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21)."
Now, Paul was referring to physical death here, but he was fully aware
that to be alive in Christ necessarily meant that he was now dead to
self. Remember, beloved- it is the grace of our God- not the Law- that
allows us to die to self.
The Law could never bring about
death to our selfish bent, it only made it pop its ugly head up at the
worst possible times- simply because the Law could never really change a
heart. The Israelites wanted to obey the Law of God, and after Moses
read God's commands to them, they all said, "We will do all that you
command us!" That lasted for about a minute, because the Law could not
give life (remember, man lost that in the Garden of Eden), but Christ's
resurrection did!
We all speak of the Cross of Christ- and
rightly so, for that act of Love is what took our sins away. But let's
never forget that His resurrection from the dead is what guarantees our
own resurrection to eternal life! How blessed! Resurrection follows
crucifixion- they go together. God made sure that nothing was left
undone in our redemption. No greater news could given to fallen mankind,
could it?.....
Back to our scripture, "the love of Christ
constraineth us"...It may have been his devotion to the LAW of God that
constrained Paul to persecute the Church prior to his own conversion,
but what was the result of that- even in his own heart?
Let's
look at just a quick clip of Acts 9:1 "And Saul (AKA Paul), yet
breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the
Lord..." Do you see what's in Paul's heart here? He was dedicated to the
Law of God all right, but what was the fruit of that dedication? Where
is God's love in Paul at that time? Now compare that to the same man's
heart after Christ becomes his Beloved Lord- "The love of Christ
constraineth us..." See the difference? Same individual, but oh- such a
changed man, yes? Paul's heart is now filled with a divine love for the
bretheren.
This is precisely what the love of our Savior
does- it constrains us ( the NIV translates the word 'controls', Beck's
translation says 'compels', Amplified adds 'urges')- You can bank on it-
Paul's passion for the Law never brought him to this! Paul offered that
it is the LOVE of Christ which brings us to the end of the love of our
own selfish way of life- for His sake, that we should not henceforth
live unto ourselves, but unto Him Who died for us, and rose again! Is
that not absolutely magnificent?
En Agape, Jim Ewing
All Things Are Possible
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cynx/sets/72157594163284422/show/
EMF Radiation Reality?
Quite possibly living proof that electromagnetic radiation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_radiation
can do us great harm...
Left-sided Cancer: "Thus, as we sleep on our coil-spring mattresses, we are in effect sleeping on an antenna that amplifies the intensity of the broadcast FM/TV radiation. Asleep on these antennas, our bodies are exposed to the amplified electromagnetic radiation for a third of our life spans."
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=left-sided-cancer-blame-your-bed-an-2010-07-02
http://www.mercola.com/article/emf/emf_dangers.htm
http://antiradiation.org/computer-radiation-is-harmful/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_radiation
Left-sided Cancer: "Thus, as we sleep on our coil-spring mattresses, we are in effect sleeping on an antenna that amplifies the intensity of the broadcast FM/TV radiation. Asleep on these antennas, our bodies are exposed to the amplified electromagnetic radiation for a third of our life spans."
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=left-sided-cancer-blame-your-bed-an-2010-07-02
http://www.mercola.com/article/emf/emf_dangers.htm
http://antiradiation.org/computer-radiation-is-harmful/
Get The Glory Lord
I did some studying today and came up with this compilation:
Ezekiel 3:12
Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place.
Zechariah 2:5
For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.
Habakkuk 2:14
14For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Did you know that there are Christians who are offended by the Glory of God?
Luke 7:22-23
22Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
23And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
We must be very careful that we do not reject that which we have been waiting for. We could miss out on the Glory of God.
The people of Israel were waiting for their Messiah, but when He showed up the religious community rejected Him. Yes, even though He was Who they had prayed and hoped for and worked miracles.
Elijah the prophet didn't miss much. He had vision and was out in front of what God was doing because of it. The slightest clue and he knew what was about to happen before it actually happened. That is active faith and belief.
1 Kings 18:44
44 The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea."
So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.' "
If you don't want to miss out you have to see what God is going to be doing and when it comes you have to be prepared and ready to act upon that window of opportunity.
That cloud as small as a man's hand represented firstfruits. The small manifestations of God's glory in our gatherings together speak of much larger things to come.
James 5:7
Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
The land was in a long period of drought, which had produced widespread famine, but Elijah began to declare that a new outpouring of rain would soon come. In the Spirit he could hear something,"the sound of abundance of rain"
1 Kings 18:41
James is the same way as Elijah and tells us to be patient for the coming of the Lord. The rain is coming!
Since the magnificent Jesus People Movement and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit during that period of time there have been pockets of rain and torrential rain here and there but nothing in comparison to the Jesus People Movement.
Zechariah 10:1
Ask ye of the LORD rain in the time of the latter rain...
For the crops to flourish, there is obviously a need for rain, both when the seed is planted as well as abundant rain just prior to the harvest.
The imagery of rain in abundance is used to depict the righteousness of God: Isa 45:8 "Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I, the LORD, have created it."
God also likens His Word to the rain which waters the earth and brings forth fruit:
Isa 55:10-11
(NIV) As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it
yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is my word that goes out
from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Hos 10:12 (NIV)
Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and
showers "sprinkling", or "autumnal
showers of righteousness on you.
Joel 2:28:
"I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh…"
For Joel's prophecy to reach completion, a second outpouring of the Spirit of God-the rain of righteousness, in the form of these latter spring rains which bring the crop to maturity-must take place just prior to the return of Jesus Christ.
God never gives of His Spirit purposelessly; rather, He pours it out powerfully to fulfill His great Plan.
Lately I have been hearing people out there who are expecting something big on the horizon...
David Get The Glory Lord
Do You Have A Religious Spirit? Most Modern Day Xthians Do You Know
This spirit
operates out of old religious structures and attempts to maintain the
status quo, favoring tradition over a genuine, intimate relationship
with God. It influences believers to live the Christian life based on
works instead of grace. Similar to the Greek way of thinking, the
religious spirit depends on human effort to acquire spiritual knowledge
and favor from God.
God save us!
Religious Spirit Self-Assessment
o You believe your faith life should remain separate from your work life.
o You’re motivated to share Christ out of duty.
o You can’t relate to non-believers because you’re afraid of rejection.
o You display a “better than they are” attitude toward nonbelievers.
o You are viewed by others as dogmatic and rigid (not simply a person of conviction).
o You feel compelled to be involved in religious activity and you can’t relax in your faith.
o You often feel guilty (not the same as the conviction of the Holy Spirit) for not sharing Christ with others.
o You often engage in religious debate.
o You need a packaged presentation in order to share the gospel.
o When talking about spiritual matters to strangers, you tend to talk about your church or ask about their church involvement versus talking about Jesus and their personal relationship with God.
o You have a difficult time socializing, loving or accepting those who do not believe the way you do.
o You are motivated by your church leadership out of guilt and Christian duty instead of loving devotion to Christ.
o You discourage change, preferring religious tradition.
o You believe that the ministry gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 and Ephesians 4:11 are no longer applicable today; or, if you believe they are valid, you think that they are for religious professionals, not for you.
o You form relationships for the purpose of achieving a religious activity rather than developing community from which Christ-like ministry flows naturally.
o Your loyalty to denominational structures is greater than your commitment to the kingdom of God and the entire Body of Christ.
o You view government as an “evil empire” from which we must separate instead of influence for good.
o You don’t see the need to work with other Christian ministry groups in a common effort; you usually feel that your way is the primary way and everyone should join your endeavor so as to not compromise your belief or doctrine.
o You believe your faith life should remain separate from your work life.
o You’re motivated to share Christ out of duty.
o You can’t relate to non-believers because you’re afraid of rejection.
o You display a “better than they are” attitude toward nonbelievers.
o You are viewed by others as dogmatic and rigid (not simply a person of conviction).
o You feel compelled to be involved in religious activity and you can’t relax in your faith.
o You often feel guilty (not the same as the conviction of the Holy Spirit) for not sharing Christ with others.
o You often engage in religious debate.
o You need a packaged presentation in order to share the gospel.
o When talking about spiritual matters to strangers, you tend to talk about your church or ask about their church involvement versus talking about Jesus and their personal relationship with God.
o You have a difficult time socializing, loving or accepting those who do not believe the way you do.
o You are motivated by your church leadership out of guilt and Christian duty instead of loving devotion to Christ.
o You discourage change, preferring religious tradition.
o You believe that the ministry gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 and Ephesians 4:11 are no longer applicable today; or, if you believe they are valid, you think that they are for religious professionals, not for you.
o You form relationships for the purpose of achieving a religious activity rather than developing community from which Christ-like ministry flows naturally.
o Your loyalty to denominational structures is greater than your commitment to the kingdom of God and the entire Body of Christ.
o You view government as an “evil empire” from which we must separate instead of influence for good.
o You don’t see the need to work with other Christian ministry groups in a common effort; you usually feel that your way is the primary way and everyone should join your endeavor so as to not compromise your belief or doctrine.
In the New Testament, the Galatians started their Christian life simply by believing and having faith in God. However, somewhere along the road, they were influenced to live their lives by focusing on rules and regulations and to live according to their own human effort. Read the apostle Paul’s words as he confronted the believers in Galatia about the effect of the religious spirit on their lives:
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
Gal. 3:1-5
Living according to rules and regulations and by our own human efforts is a trap set by the religious spirit that we can all fall into. However, it is not the abundant life that Jesus promised (see John 10:10). In Galatians 2:20-21, Paul describes how we should live our lives: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
In the Gospel of Matthew, we also read about a rich young ruler who was prevented from making a commitment to the one true God because of the religious spirit. Although he considered himself religious because he followed the laws, he had an idol in his life that prevented him from making a total or "sold-out" commitment to Jesus.
Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." "Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, "‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’""All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth
Matt. 19:16-22.
The rich young ruler wanted to gain God’s approval on his own terms by fulfilling the law. However, Jesus cut through the religious spirit by speaking to the heart of his issue.When the Early Church expanded its leadership, it commissioned Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, to active ministry.
"The word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people" (Acts 6:7-8). Notice how Stephen began to make an impact on his city—by performing signs and wonders.
However, his work also stirred up the religious spirit, and Stephen became the first person martyred for his faith.
God save us from our religious spirit!
"The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, 'Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When any of you brings an offering to the Lord...he is to offer a male without defect...he is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. He is to slaughter the young bull before the Lord, and then Aaron's sons the priests shall bring the blood and sprinkle it against the altar on all sides at the entrance to the tent of meeting....'
" Hebrews 8:6 "But now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises" ....
Due to time and space constraints, I did not fully type out all of the scripture excerpts from the texts, so I encourage you to go over them more fully afterwards...
I believe there is som e confusion among today's believers concerning the new covenant, as opposed to the old. Many believe that the new covenant is simply a continuation of the old covenant, with the exception that it is the Sacrifice of Christ that now covers our sins, but there is in fact a monumental difference and a completeness of sacrifice that I wish to deal with here. Under the old covenant, God decreed that the blood of bulls and goats would cover Israel's sins up to the point of the sacrifice, and ONLY up to that point. Then their sins (and the need for additional forgiveness) would again accumulate, and the process would continue, over and over again, year after year after year.
They had to continually offer the sacrifices for whatever sins they would knowingly commit, as well as those sins that they had unknowingly committed. God was pointing them, throughout this process, to the Cross. They had to see the immenseness and the seriousness of their sins, and p unishment for disobedience was swift and severe. The important thing to remember is that it was the CROSS OF CHRIST that the Father was always leading them to...
When Messiah came to His earth, lives a sinless, perfect life, died, and then rose from the dead, the wonderful redemption that He purchased for Israel, AS WELL AS FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD was absolutely complete.
Whereas the blood of bulls and goats merely 'covered' sins, Christ's Precious Blood TAKES AWAY our sin- as the hymn declares, 'My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more'. That alone is glorious beyond words, but God desn't stop there! Our Savior's RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD is the very guarantee that WE will also rise from the dead unto eternal life!- Let's go way back to the garden of Eden... what did man lose on that very day of his first sin? He lost his very life! Remember, God had told Adam and Eve, 'In the day that you eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt surely DIE', and the moment they ate, they surely did. Christ's death on the cross gave us God's forgiveness of our sins once and for all, but without His resurrection, we'd be a bunch of forgiven corpses!
His resurrection from the dead is what gives us life- the life that the first man and woman lost way back in the garden. I'll repeat what I said in a previous message- God never goes only part-way with us! His Love is complete, our redemption is certain, and will be made complete the moment our bodies put on 'incorruption'. 1 Corinthians 15:53 says, "for this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality". Praise God, the new covenant is superior to the old, just as the latter rain is greater than the former rain. We are certainly living in the days of the latter rain. Child of God, look up now, as God is a bout to pour His Spirit out like never before!
En Agape,
pastor Jim Ewing
My Toyota Camry Has a Radio With A Cassette Deck
My Camry has always been maintained on a regular basis, so it is in perfect condition and still drives like a new car. So the life span is way past the in~dash technology that it came with. The cassette tape player still works.
"Automakers are striving mightily to bring their in-dash systems into the modern age, providing integration with smartphones and other advanced features. The problem: while smartphones go in an out of vogue every few years, modern cars have lifespans of a decade or more. Add in the fact that many (though not all) manufacturers have no plans to allow software upgrades to their systems, and you might end up driving a car with a fancy in-dash computer system that's completely useless for much of the time you own it."
Like to share files? Just came across this storage solution for the financially challenged.
Here is another site where you get an account and can share your files with others or just keep private for yourself. And if you like the service it will allow bigger files of 1 GB (Also unlimited storage space of those files) for only $5.00 a month which is an incredible price point for this type of a service. Most cloud storage services cost way more then that and have limited storage. Sure the files are only allowed to be 1 GB but you can split your larger files into parts. With unlimited storage space you won't find a better deal for $5.00 a month.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Strangers and You
He will separate men into two groups, as a shepherd separates sheep from the goats, and He will place the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left.
Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "You have My Father's blessing; come, enter and possess the kingdom that has been ready for you since the world was made.
For when I was hungry, you gave me food; when thirsty, you gave me drink; when I was a stranger you took me into your home, when naked you clothed me; when I was ill you came to my help, when in prison you visited me."
Then the righteous will reply, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and fed you, or thirsty and gave you drink, a stranger and took you home, or naked and clothed you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and come to visit you?
And the king will answer, "I tell you this: anything you did for one of my brothers here, however humble, you did it for me."
Then he will say to those on his left hand, "The curse is upon you; go from my sight to the eternal fire that is ready for the devil and his angels. For when I was hungry you gave me nothing to eat, when thirsty nothing to drink; when I was a stranger you gave me no home, when naked you did not clothe me; when I was ill and in prison you did not come to my help."
And they too will reply, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and did nothing for you?"
And he will answer, "I tell you this: anything you did not do for one of these, however humble, you did not do for me." And they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous will enter eternal life.'
God has always desired the stranger to be treated with love.
Leviticus 19:34
But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
God has always desired the stranger to be fed.
Leviticus 23:22
And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.
When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
Deuteronomy 24:21
When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
God desires the stranger to be included.
Deuteronomy 16:14
And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.
God cares about the stranger.
Jeremiah 22:3
America do you care about the stranger in your midst? You should...
Hebrews 13:2
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
And
And he will answer, "I tell you this: anything you did not do for one of these, however humble, you did not do for me." And they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous will enter eternal life.'
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