Monday, September 30, 2013

Rejoice in the Lord

As we approach Thanksgiving here in Canada I want to spend the next couple of weeks focusing on being Thankful.  David wrote in Psalm 33:1, "Rejoice in the Lord, all the righteous for praise is comely or beautiful for the upright."  Praise is a natural outgrowth of a life that is centered in God.  You just want to thank the Lord.  Recently I have been focusing more and more on my prayer life.  I have wanted to draw close to God and what has been happening is God has been doing greater and greater things in my life and world.  It is amazing when you give more of your life to Christ that more wonderful things happen.  David understood this because the Bible says that He was a man after God's own heart.  David understood that praise and worship were attitudes of the heart expressed.  When you love God and are thankful for what He has done in your life you want the whole world to know.  Jesus said, "Those that are forgiven much, love much."  When you know what God has done for you.  You want to shout, boast and give thanks for what He has done.  Paul said if you want to boast, boast in the Lord.  So you say what should I boast about?  First, boast about the wonderful salvation you have been given.  You were a sinner and now you are a saint.  Boast in in constant care and love.   Boast of His provision.  Tell others that God is your friend and your are His.  Boast about how all of heaven is at your disposal through prayer.  Boast about the healing you have through the broken body of Jesus Christ.  Boast about how you are in a huge family called the church or body of Christ.  These are just a few.  Praise is thanking the Lord for what He has done so do that today and others will want what you have. 

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Upper Room Discourse

Sept 29 – the Upper Room Discourse – John 15

1.        Jesus tells His disciples this so their joy and ours will be full.  Greater love has no person than when they lay down their life for a friend.  This shows that we love one another as Christ has loved us.
2.        Jesus calls His disciples and us friends.  He has made everything known to us.  He chose us and the remarkable thing is that even though we did not choose Him He chose us to bear much fruit.

3.        When we bear fruit the Father will give us everything we ask in Jesus’ name.  What a great promise. And truth as we go into this day.

Friday, September 27, 2013

Do you need a doctor?

In Luke 5:31, Jesus said that it was not the well who needed a doctor but the sick.  Jesus is often referred to as the great physician or doctor.  He is the one that can heal any sickness, disease or pain.  He is the one that can heal you this morning.  Whatever type of pain you are in whether it is physical, spiritual, emotional or intellectual.  The great doctor is here to heal you.  The real challenge is to get people to see that they are sick.  Here is a reality.  All people who do not know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior are sick.  They are sick in sin.  They are sick in their mind and soul.  Jesus is the only one who can truly make us whole.  Recently I read about a man who just dropped dead.  He was out walking and there in the street He just dropped dead.  It was discovered through an autopsy that his heart was totally blocked.  Further investigation with His family showed that there were many signs telling him he had a problem but he chose to ignore them.  The result was a family no longer had a loved one.  Today do not ignore the signs that you need the Lord.  He came to set the captive free.  When you do not know Christ you are in bondage.  Sin, the devil and the world have you captive.  Open your eyes and let the great doctor heal you.  Until you admit that you need a Savior you will blissfully go through life unaware that you are heading to a lost eternity.  Today you have been told.  So today let Jesus the great physician come and heal and make you well and whole.

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Doing Something

In Matt 25:46, Jesus said "Blessed is that servant whom the master when He comes will find so doing."  Basicly, what Jesus is saying that when the Master which of course is himself comes He will finds His servants doing the will of God.  Our lives as Christians are not about the gathering of wealth, possession, fame or family.  It is about doing the will of God.  So the question today is, "What is the will of God?"  I will break it down to three things.  First, doing the great commandment.  You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and then you are to love your neighbor as yourself.  You are to have a strong vertical relationship with God that will translate into a strong love for your fellow man.  You will show love in practical ways.  People will see that you love Jesus by the way you love them.  You will love them with an unselfish, no strings type of love.  You will love because you love the Lord.  Secondly, you will do the great commission.  You will go into your world and preach the gospel to all you meet and know.  You will tell others.  You will live your life so well that people will want to know what you have.  The great commission is about telling others by what you do, more than what you say.  The last thing is to be like Jesus.  The old hymn says, "To be like Jesus, all I asked is to be like Him."  Jesus not only told us how to live, He showed us.  Love, accept and forgive others like Jesus and you will touch your world.  So, today be about the master's business because when He comes and finds you doing what He wants you will be blessed.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Jesus' doctrine

In John  7:16, Jesus told His audience that the doctrine He was teaching was not His own but the one who sent Him.  Jesus was revealing in this verse that what He was bringing to His world was not His own but God's.  Many have said that Jesus was a revolutionary teacher.  He taught a whole new way of thinking.  He one way did and in another way He did not.  In the Old Testament we have all the same things brought forward.  What Jesus did was bring it in a new way.  His ability to simply state things is wonderful.  He taught that God was love, acceptance and forgiveness.  He then showed it in the things He did.  Jesus showed in a pratcical way how God viewed life and people.  Jesus showed the non judgmental aspect of God.  God has always been long suffering.  He took centuries before He judged people.  The only reason He did judge was because the nations had become so corrupt that they needed to be destroyed.  In Jesus Christ God was able to have mankind's sins forgiven and renew a relationship with mankind.  In Christ, God has been able to give mankind eternal and abundant life.  Jesus' doctrine and teaching was from the Father.  Everything Jesus did and teach was direct from the Father.  Jesus was God on earth.  God with a face.  Anything He did the Father would have done.  Jesus said in the next verse that if anyone really wants to do the will of God they will do what I do.  So today if you want to do the will of God follow Jesus' example.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

The Test

In 2 Cor 2:9, Paul writes that testing is designed to find out what you know and what you are made of.  In school teachers tests students to find out if they know the material or not.  I remember the all night study sessions that I did when I was in Bible school.  My friend George and I would recite back and forth the material until it was in our minds.  Paul says that God tests us to know whether or not we will be obedient in all things.  Will we be obedient in our thoughts, words, deeds, attitudes and motives.  The biggest problem with man is that we have an ego.  By nature we are independent and rebellious.  We want our way all the time.  This of course leads us to direct opposition to God.  Thus the battle for the soul.  Paul says if you want to live for God you have to reckon yourself dead.  You have to say no, to the things you want and say yes, to God.  Problems, trials, and hard times are designed to purify us to the point where we say yes, to God and no, to ourselves.  Here is a wonderful illustration from mining.  Metal is heated up until all the impurities are taken out of the metal and all that is left if the pure gold or silver.  That is what God will do.  He will make things so hot that we will be willing to give up all that is impure in our lives to serve Him.  I know this from practical experience.  So today let God test you, refine and take out your life the impurities.  After the testing is over you will obey God in all things for His praise and glory.  

Monday, September 23, 2013

Jesus washes His disciples feet

In John 13:1-20, Jesus knew it was time for Him to leave this world.  Having loved His own, Jesus wanted to show the full extent of His love.  The devil had prompted Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus but Jesus knew that the Father still had things still in His power.  Jesus would soon be returning to the Father.  So He took the towel and washed the feet of His disciples.  Peter tried to stop Him but Jesus said that if He did not wash Peter's feet that Peter would have no part in the Kingdom of God.  Peter wanted Jesus to wash His head as well.  Jesus then replied that no one in their presence was clean.  After He had washed their feet He gave them the following truths.  First, Jesus did this to show by example, that as Jesus was, so shall all the disciples of Christ be first and foremost servants.  We will be blessed if we take this attitude.  The scripture said that the one who shared his bread with Jesus would betray Him.  This was Judas.  Jesus told His disciples these things so that they would believe in Him.  This was another evidence for them to see.  If a person is accepted because of Jesus Christ sends them, those that accept us have accepted Christ and the Father.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Lord's Supper

In Luke 22:14-30, Jesus arrived with His disciples after the meal had been prepared.  The upper room event would have many aspects to it and many lessons to be revealed and learned.  Jesus was glad that He had the opportunity to spend some time with His disciples and to eat with them the Passover meal before He had to suffer.  He would not eat it again until the fulfillment of the Kingdom.  Jesus took the bread broke it and said,, "This is my body that has been broken for you.  Do this in remembrance of me."  After supper He took the cup and said, "This cup is the New Covenant which is poured out for you."  Jesus told them that He would not drink again until He came in His Kingdom.  Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper as a memorial of His broken body and shed blood.  He is the focal point on remembering His death, burial and resurrection.  Jesus also revealed at this time that someone was going to betray Him.  It had been decreed this way to the woe of this man.  He would be judged harshly for this betrayal.  Remember the Lord's Supper today and its significance. 

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Preparations for Passover

In Matt 26:17-19, we find that it is the feast of the unleavened bread.  Jesus told His disciples to go and prepare for the Passover.  Jesus gave them the following instructions.  Go into town and you will see a man carrying a water jar follow him to a house and when you get there tell him the Master needs it.  The man will show you a large upper room all furnished and you will make preparations for the meal.  They found everything the way Jesus had told them and they prepared the meal.  The lesson we can learn from this story is that when the Lord tells us what to do He has already ordered everything ahead of time for it to be done.  The will of God will not take you any place where the Lord has not already put everything in place you need to stay there.  The grace of God will keep you there until all that needs to be done had been done.  You can trust the Lord.  He goes before you and has everything in place so you can succeed and do His will.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Judas' Plan for Betrayal

In Matt 26:14-16, Judas Iscariot after the rebuke of Jesus and other possible areas of disillusionments went to the chief priests and said he would betray Jesus for a price.  There have been many interpretations for what motivated Judas to betray Jesus.  This of course is speculation.  What we do know is that the price of Jesus' betrayal was thirty pieces of silver.  This was told about in the book of Zechariah.  From that moment on Judas would be looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.  What we also know is that satan would enter Judas and he would be the instrument of betrayal and the sign of this betrayal was a kiss on the cheek.  The lesson we learn is that if we do not guard our hearts even the mostly connected person we are in relationship with could betray us or the Lord.  So keep you heart right, watch and pray.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Anointing of Jesus

In John 12:2-8, Jesus was in the home of Simon when Mary came with an alabaster jar of ointment worth one year's wages.  She broke the seal of the jar and poured the ointment over Jesus' head and feet.  She then proceeded to wipe His feet with her hair and clean His feet with her tears.  Simon criticised her for her lifestyle and Judas Isacariot criticised her for her waste of precious resources.  Jesus rebuked both of them, Simon because he did not see the valuable thing she had done and Judas because he was a thief and he was only thinking about the money.  Mary anointed Jesus for burial and prepared Him for death.  Jesus never looks at the exterior but always sees the heart of a person.  He was also quick to defend someone who was less fortunate.  Like Jesus we need to see the heart of others and defend them when they are misunderstood or maligned.  This story Jesus said would be told where ever the gospel was preached and this would be told im memory of her.  Today pour out your life for Jesus and ask for His anointing so the precious gift you are, can be used for His praise and glory.  Live out your story for Jesus Christ.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Doing Exploits

In Daniel 11:32, we have this wonderful promise that in the last days when men are wicked, coming against God's people and trying to win us over with flattery.  God will raise up people who will know their God, be strong and do exploits.  This is such a tremendous promise.  When wickedness is reigning and working hard God will raise up people who will know Him and do great things for Him.  My question is, do you want to be one of those people?  Today Canada is in moral decline and it is getting worse everyday.  It seems like every time you hear something in the news, it just confirm this thought.  Yet God is not finished with this nation or us.  To battle the wickedness of the day Daniel make it clear what has to happen.  First, you have to know God.  Your relationship with God cannot be a causal encounter.  A once a week time with Him.  It must be a daily relationship.  You have to love him with everything you are.  You must spend time with Him in prayer and the word.  You must go to His house and share Him with every one you meet.  You have to know Him.  Secondly, you need to be strong.  Being strong is s decision.  You set your the course of your life.  You say to youself, "I am going to get to know God, find out His will and then follow it."  Your time, talents and resouces are His.  You deal with your past, dedicate your present to Him and want His will for the future.  Then God's promise is that you will do exploits.  God is looking today for a Joshua, Jeremiah, Deborah, Esther or John the Baptist.  Will you be the Elijah of your world?  When you decide to know your God and be strong.  God prmises to use you to do exploits. 

Sunday, September 15, 2013

End Times

Sept 15-  Parables of the End Times – Matt 25:31-46

                Jesus closes off this chapter with the parable of the sheep and goat nations.  This is a powerful and practical parable on the type of work we should be doing while we are watching and waiting.

1.        The Son of Man will gather the nations.  The sheep nations will be gathered on the right and the goat nations will be gathered on the left.
2.        The sheep nations will be blessed because they looked after the hungry, clothe the poor, invited in strangers, looked after people when they were sick and visited those in prison.  All very practical expressions of God’s love.
3.        The goat nations were the people who did not do this. 
4.        When we are doing things Jesus says, we are doing it unto Him.  One time Mother Theresa was asked how she could minister to the lepers of Calcutta.  She said, “She looked at them as Jesus in His distressing disguise.
5.        On that day the Son of Man will say to the nations on His right, Well done, good and faithful servant, enter in my rest,” To those on His left He will say, “Depart from me for I never knew you.  The unrighteous
Will go to an unrighteous end where as the righteous will go to their eternal reward.
How we treat people is a practical expression of our faith.  James says, “You say you have faith.  I will show you my faith by what I do.  I hope that is your testimony and motto as well

Friday, September 13, 2013

Honor and Favor

In Psalm 84:11, David says that the Lord God is our sun and shield.  He is the one who brings light and protection in our world.  His light guides our way through life and He protects us as we walk.  What a wonderful promise to know the Lord will give His light to where ever we walk and He will keep us safe.  Then David says, that the Lord bestows favour and honor.  As the Lord's beloved we have been given divine favor.  We did not get what we deserved because of Jesus Christ.  Jesus is that bridge between us and God.  The grace of God has been given to us and we are the righteousness of God in Christ.  The Lord honors us.  He tells every one that we are His child and He is proud of us.  The Lord looks at us with rose colored glasses.  He look at us through the blood of Jesus Christ.  Then David says that no good thing will He with hold from us.  It is marvelous to know that when we pray the Lord not only hears us but answers quickly.  Jesus said, "Ask anything in my name and you will have it."  What a wonderful promise.  James reminded us in James 4:2, that we have not because we ask not.  What is it you want to see from God?  Ask and you will receive.  The Lord will not hold any good thing from us.  David then closes off this verse with this thought.  The condition for all these blessings is that you walk blameless before the Lord.  You love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and then love you neighbor as yourself.  You must make a concentrated effort to serve the Lord.  It requires you to watch your speech, thoughts and words.  It means presenting your life to the Lord everyday and when you sin, ask for forgiveness right away and keep short accounts with God.  The blessings of God are wonderful and all you have to do is walk in God's love.  So today do that for His praise and glory.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Health and Prosperity

In Job 36:11, is a promise that if we obey and serve the Lord that we will spend our lives in prosperity and contentment.  Following the Lord is a wonderful opportunity to make an impart on our world.  It begins with a decision to serve the Lord.  The speaker here brings the thought of service and commitment.  He says that if we obey and serve the Lord two things will happen.  We will spend the rest of our lives in prosperity and contentment.  One is conditional on the other.  If you want to have prosperity and contentment then you need to obey and serve the Lord.  Joshua made this declaration to Israel in Josh 24:15, He said, "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord."  John said, in 3 John 2, that if you want to be in good health and prosper you have to allow your soul to prosper.  Both were saying that contentment and prosperity begin from the inside out.  You allow the Lord to have your life.  You make a decision to surrender your time, talents and resources to the Lord.  Your past, present and future are in His hands.  You choose to obey and serve Him and then comes prosperity and contentment.  Jesus put it beautifully, in Matt 6:33, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and then all these things will be added unto you."  You want prosperity and contentment.  Serve and obey the Lord.  It is your choice.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Full Inheritance

In Proverbs 8:21, Solomon writes the Lord bestows a rich inheritance on those who love Him and He makes their treasuries full.  God is so wonderful.  He gives full eternal and abundant life.  When we give our lives to Jesus Christ the Lord has in store for us a wonderful inheritance.  One man wrote that if God were to show us what He has in store for us in heaven, it would slay us right there on the spot.  Jesus told His disciples that they would get a 100 fold whatever they lost in this life in the next.  God has promised to replace anything you lost in serving Him a 100 fold.  What a great promise.  Solomon knew that this life was just a dress rehearsal for eternity.  Here he points out that God is preparing a place for us.  Jesus said that in the book of John.  Our treasuries will be full.  Already we have eternal and abundant life but even more is coming.  Paul said, "that God would supply all our needs according to His riches in glory."  Yet there are even greater things coming.  Paul also said in Eph 3:20, "that the Lord will do exceeding, abundantly more than we can ask or imagine."  How big is your imagination?  God is bigger than that.  Solomon knew during the writing of this proverb that when you love God your present treasury will be full but a rich inheritance is also waiting for you.  So today live in your present abundant life and then remember you have a great inheritance waiting for you just on the other side of the portal of death.  Remember this is not the best.  The best is yet to come.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

The Lips of the Wise

In Prov 14:3, Solomon writes that a fool lashes out with pride but the lips of the wise protect them.  Solomon knew that people react because they are reacting out of basic instinct.  There was a study done years ago about why people do what they do.  According to the study there are five basic streams or expressions of responses people give.  There is fight, flight, self worth, security or significance.  Yet if you notice these five basic expressions of life there is one motivation behind them all and that is pride.  Pride makes people want to fight or run.  Pride makes people want to have security, show they have value or are significant.  The question that comes into play here, can pride be regulated or channeled?  I say yes.  It can when it is under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  We can find our desire to fight for example channeled into fighting for the right of those who do not have a voice.  We can run to the Lord when we are fearful or not sure about life.  We can find our security in Christ.  He promised to supply all our needs according to His riches in glory.  We can have our need for signifcance and self worth met when we know that in Christ we can become all things through Him.  Jesus Christ came to give us eternal and abundant life.  He came to meet and enhance mankind's basic needs.  The wise has their tongue controlled by the Lord.  The fool control's His own.  Today turn your tongue, thoughts, actions, motives and attitudes over to the Lord and let Him show His glory through you.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Jesus King of the Jews

In John 19:19, Pilate had these words written on a title or piece of wood on the cross above where Jesus hung, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."  We know that Pilate had these written to annoy the Jewish leaders but reality God was using this sign to announce to all who viewed it that this person was Jesus who came from Nazareth and He was the King of the Jews.  His title was not given to Him by man but by God.  Jesus coming to the earth was God's idea.  He knew that mankind could not save himself and needed a Savior.  Sin was a manmade creation and it had eternal consequences.  The only one who could solve this manmade and eternal problem was an eternal man.  So God Himself provided the solution.  Jesus who is the eternal man came to die and redeem man.  Jesus was 100% God and a 100% man.  He was God with a face.  The perfect union of the divine and the natural.  The Bible says that He who knew no sin became sin for us.  Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life and then offered His broken Body and shed blood on the cross for our sins.  Jesus knew the price that had to be paid for our sins and He paid for us.  The results of that sacrifice are that we have both eternal and abundant life.  So today take full advantage of this and live your life for the Lord.  Follow Him with every fibre of your being and make a difference in your world.  Introduce as many of friends, relatives and acquaintances to Jesus.  Tell everyone you know.  Be His ambassador in your world.  The world needs to know that they can have eternal and abundant life and He wants to use you to spread the good news of salvation.  Let us do for God's glory and praise.   

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Jesus weeps over Jerusalem

Sept 7 – Jesus cries over Jerusalem –  Matt 23:37-39

        This account is one of the most powerful in the New Testament because it portrays how God views cities and people in general.  Jesus says:

1.       Jerusalem killed the prophets and Christ wanted to gather them in as a hen gathers in its chicks.
2.       Jerusalem was not willing to repent so it would be left desolate.
3.       They would not see Him again until they were ready to say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” 
4.       A time is coming for the city of Jerusalem for another visitation.  Is it ready and are you?


Friday, September 6, 2013

Imitate Christ

In 1 Cor 11:1, Paul states that we are to imitate Christ in all aspects of our lives.  When Jesus was on the earth He was love personified.  He talked and walked love.  Jesus showed this love by the way that He dealt with people.  When a woman was brought to Jesus caught the act of adultery Jesus did not condemn her.  He did not condone or approve of what she had done but He did not condemn her.  Love does not over look or wink at sin.  It confronts sin and wrong in love.  It states what God's standards are and then enforces them in love.  When one cries acceptance in the name of love they do not understand that love stands for truth and righteousness.  God is love, acceptance and forgiveness.  Yet He also is righteousness, holiness and justice.  To satisfy His justice side God sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross in our place.  Love was extended and forgiveness was able to flow.  So to imitate Christ we are to love with no conditions but also to live the standards.  When we imitate Christ people will see moral purity and behavioral truth.  They will see love and holiness.  They will see a hatred of sin but a love for ther sinner.  Jesus never once let down His standard for the sake of popularity, fame or greasy grace.  That is why people loved Him.  They saw His love but they knew He was the one who could lift them to a new height of moral purity.  When Jesus came into Matthew's life for example, he left his life of tax collection and became a man of God.  When Jesus came into the life of Mary Magalene, the demons left her and she became a new woman full of purity and power.  Jesus can make us into what God wants us to be.  So today imitate Christ and be His light and reality in your world and others will want to be like you as you follow Christ.  They will say, "now there goes a real Christian."

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Friend with God.

In John 16:14, Jesus says that you are my friends if you do whatever I command you.  Recently, I started a study in the Book of Romans at the church I pastor and one of the things of Romans is the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  Jesus states to be a friend of God you must be willing to submit to the authority of Jesus Christ.  Jesus had in the previous verses talked about loving one another as an expression of our love for Him.  The commandment Jesus was giving here was to walk in love.  We are true friends of Jesus Christ when we love one another as He has commanded us.  That expression of love happens when we are willing to lay down our lives for one another.  Love is not love until it has been shown in some tangible way.  Love is action.  James the brother of Jesus said that when you submit to God, you can resist the devil and he will flee from you.  The devil hates when someone walks in true unselfish love.  Jesus demonstrated true love when He gave His life for mankind on the cross.  Jesus literally laid down His life for us.  He showed us the path of love and so in like manner we are to love one another.  This is one commandment He has left for us to follow.  He says if we love one another we truly are His friends.  So today follow His command by going and expressing in a tangible way your love for Him and others.  It will beautifully illustrate God's Lordship in your life and it will change those you come into contact with.     

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Bear much fruit

In John 15:16, Jesus told His disciples that He chose them to bear much fruit and whatever fruit they bore would remain.  God has called all of us to bear much fruit.  We have been called to touch others for Christ.  Whenever we tell someone about Jesus Christ we are sowing seed and in time that seed will bear fruit.  That is why Paul could say as He did in Galatians that we must not grow weary in well doing because in time we will bear a harvest.  As Christians our job is to sow seed and tell others about Jesus.  We do this by the way we think, talk and how we live our lives.  We are the Bibles that most people read.  I always ask myself this question, "Lord am I good letter for you or have I miss something?"  I love this saying, "Live your life so well that the town gossip will vouch for you."  The most important fruit that we should bear is love.  People will know that we are Christ's disciples by the way we love each other.  Love is the foundation for faith and hope.  Love will break down opposition and draw people to Christ.  The last phrase of this verse says that we can ask Father anything in His name and we will have it.  When you realize that you are chosen to bear fruit, that this fruit will remain, then you have confidence in prayer.  So today ask the Lord to make you fruitful, that whatever you do it will remain for His glory and pray until you have it in Jesus name.  Those in your world are waiting to see a real Christian and you can be that person.   

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Sit here

In Mark 14:32, Jesus while in the Garden of Gethsame told His disciples to sit while He prayed.  What followed is the greatest battle in prayer in history.  Jesus deciding whether or not He was going to go to the cross and die for our sins or let mankind continue in their state of sin.  He of course decided to do the will of God and die in our place.  As He was praying the Bible says, He sweat drops of blood.  His intercession for mankind and the will of God was so intense that His physical body was deeply affected.  Jesus went through this battle in three sessions.  Each time returning and finding His disciples asleep.  This is a commentary of what is going on in the church in the Western world today.  Jesus is praying and most of us are asleep.  Today there is a rallying cry of the Holy Spirit for the Church of Jesus Christ to rise from our slumber and sleep and hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.  The question I have for you today is are you awake?  Are you ready to rise up, pray and get to work for the glory of God?  You say to yourself.  O.K. what must I do?  I will leave with you this today three short thoughts.  First, do the great commandment.  Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.  Secondly, do the great commission.  Go into your world and preach the gospel with you mouth and your life.  Be part of discipling and church life.  Lastly choose to love.  This is the mark of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.  If we do these things then we will not just touch our world's for Jesus Christ but shake them to their very core.  Jesus fought for us in the Garden of Gethsame.  He did the will of God.  We must do the same as well.  Our world is waiting.

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Jesus and religious leaders

Jesus Confronts the religious Leaders – Matt 21:42-46

                Jesus has been in conversation with the chief leaders of the temple.  He has given them, parables and truth on whose authority He speaks on behalf.  He closes off this discussion with a last groups of facts and truth.

1.       The stone the builders rejected is the cornerstone.   The Lord did this and it is wonderful in our eyes.
2.       The Kingdom will be taken away from the Pharisees and given to those who will produce fruit.  Those who fall on this cornerstone will be crushed,
3.       The Pharisees knew that Jesus was talking about them and they were going to arrest Him but they were afraid of the crowds. 

4.       There is a reality and that is that we can be spiritually aware but miss the simplest of truths.  Let us not reject the cornerstone but embrace it.