What Exactly IS that “Narrow Gate and Way?”

Feb5

Most people are familiar with John 14:1-6 where Jesus comforts his disciples in the light of the horrendous events that are about to happen to Him and to them.
“Let not your heart be troubled.”

You believe in God, well, believe also in me.

I’m going away…
but I’ll be back to get you, so you can live with me forever.
You know the way to the place I’m going, right?

Thomas (panicking) What? No! We don’t know where you are going… how can we know the WAY?

(Oh, Thomas, I know you love me so much and that you would die with me if you could, and that you can’t stand the thought of my leaving… but listen.) *I* (me, Jesus) AM the way…

(There is only ONE way to God, to heaven, to eternal life… and it is very narrow and hard to find. (Matthew 7:13-14)

Few find it.

It’s only about 10 inches wide [speaking picture-wise]. It is the “width” of the post of the cross on which would soon hang the very Son of God, paying the punishment of death for our sin in His own body… being crushed and forsaken by His dear Father as He is weighed down by the horrendous, heinous, sickening sin of all who would believe in Him….bearing it, as only a perfectly sinless being can do for another, taking on the ultimate DEATH SENTENCE.)

THIS is the way, dear fearful but faithful Thomas (and all who will believe). It’s the ONLY way. You must come to God through ME, through my death for sin on that hideous cross, which is the only thing that will satisfy the holiness and justice of God Almighty.

And I am the truth…

(Yes, old Pilate would ask Jesus “What is truth?” but how could he understand what Jesus meant?

Jesus IS the truth of God. The truth that God spoke in His word clear back in the garden of Eden, through all the promises He made concerning a sin-bearer, a devil-defeater, a perfect sacrifice, a mighty rock from which water springs, manna in the wilderness, a bronze serpent impaled on a post and lifted up, a servant, a lamb silent to its slaughter, a son of David, a King, a morning star…. All that God spoke was absolute TRUTH – the truth that is Jesus who fulfilled every single prediction and pattern in the Holy Scriptures.) (Luke 24:26-27)

And I am the life…

(We are all dead in trespasses and sin…. we all are in a living death passed down through Adam and Eve when they first chose Satan over God. The wages of this sin is death. Sure, we may live for 35, 60, 95 or even 110 earthly years, but the end of us all is certain death. The only everlasting life we can have comes through a new birth by the Holy Spirit of God.

In a way, we are Jesus’ “offspring” (Isaiah 53:10). Jesus IS that new life for each of us who will trust in Him. On the other side of that cross is new life and righteousness complete and pure. We shed our sin upon the dying Jesus and come through new born, pure and righteous.. That’s how God sees us in Christ.) (2 Corinthians 5:21)

NO PERSON comes to the Father except through Christ on the cross.

Do you believe in Jesus the truth, the ONLY narrow way to eternal life? Would to God that you did.

Forgetting and Pressing On

Jan1

HAPPY NEW YEAR – 2016

“But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” ~~~ Philippians 3:13-14

Sometime in the future I want to write a post on Forgetting and Remembering – the things that God forgets and the things we are to forget, and the things that God remembers and those we are to remember – but for now, on this first day of January in 2016, I want to write about FORGETTING and PRESSING ONWARD.

Yes, December 31st is always a good time to review the previous year, remembering what happened in those 365 days; how God used them to teach you, discipline you, encourage you, and grow you. A good way is to peruse your journals (if you keep them) or your prayer lists, or even your appointment calendar.

You will find that GOD has been faithful beyond any expectations, and that YOU have failed Him in many ways and at many times. But you will also find, if you have truly sought Him in prayer and Bible reading, that you are – with His omnipotent help – becoming more like Jesus.

In the opening scripture, that is just what the upward call of God IS – to be transformed more and more into the image of His Son.

So, today, on January 1st, resolve (if you make no other resolutions) to press on toward that “upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

How?

PRAY and ask God to give you a heart for Him; a humble, repentant, teachable heart. Ask Him to show you your sins and give you the strength by His Spirit to forsake them and not yield an inch to them…ever. Tell Him of your desire to love and know Him more. Ask Him to guide you every day, and then follow that guidance. IN everything and FOR everything, give thanks to Him (it’s a sacrifice of sorts, I know) for, if you truly want to follow Him, all those things are in His will for you, and will work for your good and for His glory.

READ the Bible a lot! Daily, several times a day. Listen to it being read and explained. Study it. Memorize it as God leads you. Ask Him to open the eyes and ears of your understanding so your knowledge of HIM will increase; not just intellectual knowledge (which brings pride), but heart knowledge (which will humble you). Long to truly know Him, as an intimate friend who will never leave you, as a dear Father who loves you unconditionally, as a constant companion to comfort and guide you, and as the savior of your eternal soul. Soak in the Words of His book. Sing them. Pray them back to God. Rejoice in them.

Baa-baa FAT sheep!

Oct27

Reading Ezekiel 34:1-31 this morning (Yeah, strange, huh? But that’s where the reading list sent me.)

First the Lord condemns BAD SHEPHERDS of Israel: those who reap the wool, milk/curds, and meat of their flocks for themselves, not caring for the animals – neither the good ones nor the sick and weak ones, not looking for the lost lambs, letting the wolves get them.

Next the chapter talks about BAD SHEEP. Yep, you heard me. The verses describe them as “fat” sheep (as opposed to the “lean” ones).

~~~They eat their fill of green pastures, then tramp the rest of the grass down so nothing is left for the others.
~~~They drink their fill from cool, clear, still waters, then walk all through it to muddy it for the other sheep.
~~~They push and shove and butt each other to get the best for themselves.

MEAN, huh? Surely there can’t be any of those in the Lord’s congregation!

The last third of the chapter speaks of the Sovereign Lord himself as the GOOD SHEPHERD taking care of the sheep, feeding them and letting them lie down in green pastures beside cool still water, binding up the weak and lame, searching for the lost ones and bringing them home.

Reminds me of Psalm 23 (shepherd & sheep)

And of Jesus in John 10:7-16 (the Good Shepherd)

And, on third thought, also of 1 Corinthians 11:17-22 and 33-34 (bad sheep)

DO SOME READING IN THE BIBLE TODAY about sheep and their caretakers – you will be blessed indeed. (click on the above references)

Baaaaa.

My Testimony

Mar1

When I was about 9 years old, I asked Jesus into my heart at an evangelistic meeting at our youth camp at Hume Lake. I confessed that I was a sinner, thanked Jesus for dying on the cross for my sins, and told Him that I wanted to live for him.

Did I understand all that that meant at age nine? No. Was I sincere? Yes. Did I believe I was saved? Yes. WAS I saved? Later, I questioned that very thing.

*****

Already plugged into an evangelical, Bible-teaching, missionary-minded church, I went to Sunday School, morning and evening services, and Wednesday Night prayer meeting with my mom. I prayed to God during those young years – simple, childish requests – and believed that He would answer them. And He did.

I was a part of the monthly missions emphasis in the elementary grades, junior high, and on into the Women’s Missionary Assoc. I learned about our mission fields and missionaries, supported, and later hosted them in my home. At the beginning it was mainly Sierra Leone, West Africa, but later we had missionaries in Hong Kong, Macau, Honduras, Nicaragua, Jamaica, and eventually India.

I never dreamed then that I would ever get to see any of those places, but God has been so gracious to allow me to go to Africa twice since we moved down to OC and came to FBC. How good he is!!

(The old timers that I grew up with in missions at that church are the ones who faithfully supported me through prayer and giving when I went to Malawi.)

I met my husband at church when he moved here from Oregon and was living with his aunt and uncle, who attended. After we were married, we got involved in different ministries in that church, including leading the older youth group for a while, some Sunday School teaching, and the building program.

Sadly in the several years that followed, I strayed from my love and commitment to the Lord. Family trials after we adopted a son (and the bitterness that sprung from them), outside interests (including immersion in Musical Theatre that helped me escape from the anxieties at home – after all, they had romance, carefree songs, and happy endings!), resentments and bitterness (from things not turning out as I’d hoped), rebellion, and unconfessed sin left me feeling distant from God. I continued in superficial service, but my heart was far from Him.

Meanwhile, our little congregation disbanded and sold the church building to a growing Hispanic congregation, and we started going to Grace Community Church. I was faithful in attendance, but only to Sunday School. (The worship services with the huge, multi-voice choir and full orchestra reminded me too much of Theatre, and I’d finally gotten out of that deceptive “world.”) My heart remained cold and withdrawn. I knew I needed to “get right” with God, but I stupidly resisted.

As I listened to the messages each Sunday, I realized that our former church’s doctrine about how a person gets saved was different from Grace. (Arminism & Calvanism)

I had grown up believing that you heard the Gospel and through the Spirit’s “wooing,” you made a decision for Christ. But under the teaching of John MacArthur and Don Green, I began hearing that Jesus’ atonement was not for the whole world as I’d learned in John 3:16, but that God foreknew and chose and called “some” (His elect) for salvation before the world even began.

For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined, he also called, and those who me called he also justified, and those whom He justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:29-30)

Suddenly I began to doubt my salvation. What if I wasn’t one of His elect? How would I know? I hadn’t had a huge night-day conversion like some had. I’d simply asked Jesus into my heart and believed that I was saved. It was true that I had grown in the knowledge of God and love for Him over the years, but what if I was just deceiving myself? What if I hadn’t been “chosen” by God to be saved?

The current rebellion and coldness of my heart made me fear even more.

I went up and down with this issue as FIRST I heard the teaching about God’s sovereignty, and THEN reviewed the details of my life over the past decades. That feeling of distance from God at the time didn’t help. Was I saved or not? I asked Pastor Green how you could KNOW if you were God’s elect. He referred me to passages in I John, which we were studying.

By this we know we have eternal life….

If we walk in the light (1:7)…
keep/obey His commandments (2:3, )…
walk as Jesus walked (2:6)…
does the will of God (2:17)…
practice righteousness (2:26)…
don’t practice sinning (3:10)…
love and sacrifice for fellow believers (3:16-18, 4:7)…
believe in the name of Jesus (3:23)…
the witness of the Spirit (3:24, 4:13)…
believe that Jesus is the promised savior (5:1) and the Son of God (5:13)…
and love the Father (5:2).

I tortured myself asking how I measured up to all those “by this we know” verses.

I was still anxious and confused inside (okay, I was DOUBTING) when we moved to south Orange County and began attending Faith Bible Church. One of the first sermons I heard was Pastor Koh quoting John Piper asking if we would be satisfied in heaven if Jesus was not there. My heart answer scared me. Did I truly love Jesus supremely? If not, was I truly saved? Sometimes I just wished I’d led a horrible life of debauchery before, so I could see a huge difference at my conversion.

Sunday sermons kept hammering on the question of true salvation, urging us to examine our hearts to make sure we weren’t just living a “good Christian life” without truly knowing the Savior.

Gradually, during my quiet times (Yes, I had begun them again) I began to see the resentment, rebellion, and sin in my heart that I needed to deal with. I confessed those sins and more as God brought them to my mind, pleading his mercy, and receiving His forgiveness. Like the prodigal son I was coming home, but that big “election” issue still remained unsettled.

I knew Jesus had “died for my sins,” but I hadn’t then grasped the awesome truth of what that meant.

I prayed that God would just settle this question for me. To somehow SHOW me I was a Christian. Couldn’t I just see His “stamp of approval” on me – you know, instead of the Antichrist’s “666” on my hand or forehead, a “777” just so I could be SURE!

Then one morning when I was praying, begging, for some sign, I suddenly realized what a great sin I was committing. I was asking God Almighty, Creator of the universe, to single me out and show me special treatment just so I could believe, that I was one of his chosen.

I was like the Pharisees – having Jesus in their very presence, preaching and doing miracles, they had the gall to ask Him for some “sign” to prove to them who he was, before they would believe.

I was asking God to prove something to me too instead of just believing His Word!!

When God showed me my heart – revealed this great sin of unbelief – I was horrified and I crumpled before Him. Such audacity! Such great pride! I couldn’t get low enough before Him even if I fell through the floor and kept going.

Oh, my God! I cried. I’m so sorry! How could I not just believe what You’ve said your Word instead of putting You to the test? Oh, what sin! What a sinner I am! Oh, God, please forgive me!

And with His great love and grace, He showed me the complete forgiveness of my sins. All had been paid for on the cross. He’d said it in His Word, but my sin, and doubt had blinded me.

Suddenly the gospel scriptures I’d read had fresh meaning.

In this the love of God is made manifest among us, that God sent his only son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation (accepted punishment) for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10
But God shows His love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2).
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5).
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14
For our sake He (God) made Him (Jesus)to be sin, who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

What a glorious moment of assurance. Despite being a prideful, arrogant sinner, one who had strayed disgracefully away from Him, I was His child. He knew me, loved me, chose me, and sent his Son to save me.

All God’s righteous wrath was poured out on His innocent Son because of my sin. Jesus stood in for me and took the punishment I deserved. Then God raised Him up to prove that He was sinless in Himself.

God sees me through the blood of His Son – which blots out all my sin – and sees only righteousness. I don’t know how that can be, but God said it, and I now totally believe it.

I still need to read the gospel verses over and over to remind me of my position in Him, especially when I’ve allowed sin and distractions to take my eyes off Him. And I still struggle with pride, self-righteousness, conceit, love of glory, disobedience, and stubbornness.

*****

Recently I’ve been asking God to show me how to kill these sins in life, and He reminded me that the Holy Spirit uses His Word (the “sword” of the Spirit, Ephesians 6:17) to do that, so I’ve been reading the Bible more, with more thought. I’ve also asked Him to teach me to obey quickly, to submit to Him and to other authority, and to humble myself before Him.

It’s a tough learning process, and I’ve only begun. And sometimes He’s had to take me through some dark places. But it is WORTH IT.

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

“We Three (gifts of the) Kings”

Dec19

My favorite Christmas carol has always been We Three Kings, written by John H. Hopkins, but I know it’s not one of the most popular Christmas songs. I think everyone gets hung up on the “O-o-o, star of wonder” part, or maybe even the minor key in which it’s been written.

But the words! It’s the words that sell it for me.

The Bible does not say how many “kings” or “wise men” or “Magi” came to worship Jesus. It only mentions the three gifts they brought; valuable tokens of their esteem, and very useful “cash” for Joseph & Mary to use as they fled with Jesus to Egypt to escape Herod’s murderous madness.

Herod, as you recall, was very jealous to hear that a new King had been born, and so inquired of the visitors when they first saw the star. Using that time frame he ordered all boys – age two and under – to be killed. Killed! Innocent babies, precious sons, destroyed!

But by this decree we can be pretty sure the visitors from the East did not make an appearance at the stable, but came to a house in Bethlehem, “where the Christ child lay.” That’s where they presented the gifts, on bent knees. Gold. Frankincense. Myrrh.

And this is where THE WORDS to the carol, We Three Kings come in. They explain what these gifts represented; what they told of the life of Jesus, the Messiah.

We three kings of Orient are; bearing GIFTS we traverse afar, field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.

Refrain: O star of wonder, star of light, star with royal beauty bright, westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect Light.

Okay, now let’s look at the GIFTS presented to the Christ child:

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain, GOLD I bring to crown him again, KING forever, ceasing never, over us all to reign.

GOLD to represent Jesus as King, the promised descendant of King David, one day to be hailed as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

FRANKINCENSE to offer have I; incense owns a Deity nigh; prayer and praising, voices raising, worshiping GOD on high.

FRANKINCENSE was used in the worship of Almighty God, the Holy One of Israel. Not only is Jesus KING, He is also GOD

MYRRH is mine; its bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom; sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb.

MYRRH was a very costly ointment used to mask the odor of a body when it is buried. When Mary Magdalene broke an alabaster jar of it and poured it over Jesus as an act of extreme love and devotion, Jesus said she had “anointed Him for burial.” Now look again at where verse four leaves Jesus: crucified and buried in a “stone-cold tomb.”

But hallelujah! Praise God! See how verse five brings us to His resurrection!

Glorious now behold him arise; KING and GOD and SACRIFICE, Alleluia, Alleluia, sounds through the earth and skies.

We Three Kings is a carol of worship and praise. It’s why I love it. Jesus, my King, my God, my living Sacrifice for sin. The visitors traveled half way around the world to worship Jesus. Let US open our hearts and let our praises rise to the skies!

Oh, and don’t get hung up on the Star of Wonder – wondering perhaps (sorry for the pun) if it actually moved before the travelers, or if it was a juxtaposition of several stars that alerted them to the birth, or if it was maybe a comet, or a “shooting star.”

If it bothers you, just remember that Jesus is called the Morning Star in Revelation 22:16, the Day Star in 2 Peter 1:19, and the Light of the World in John 1:5-9 and 8:12. Could it have been Jesus who drew these “wise” men to Himself? A thought.

Paid in Full

Jun11

My reading today was from John 19:23-42.

“After the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they….”

Wow, what a “ho-hum!” Just another day’s work in the life of a Praetorian Roman soldier.

“…They took His clothes and divided them among themselves, four ways, and gambled (cast lots) for his one-piece tunic.”

Their eyes were down, intent on His things, greed in their hearts, lusting with their eyes, jovial in their competitiveness… all the while, the Son of God hung above them, bearing their sins and the wrath of God Almighty for their sake. Unmindful were they of the pain and anguish and the drops of blood silently hitting the dust. It was His life in His blood shed for them, and they didn’t see or understand.

“But standing and watching with pain and sorrow in their hearts were His mother Mary, His aunt Salome, Mary the wife of Clopas, Mary Magdalene… and John, his beloved disciple. ”

Jesus gives the care of His mother (even on the cross, His obedience to the sixth commandment is seen) to John (the disciple who will live the longest; the disciple who will receive the Revelation). And his disciple took responsibility for Mary for the rest of her life. (None of Jesus’ half-siblings believed him Him at this point.)

“Everything else done, Jesus requests liquid for his parched mouth. Sour wine (vinegar, to squeeze out the last bit of saliva from his glands) is given to Him. Then, with a clear loud voice and a last burst of strength, Jesus cries out, “IT IS FINISHED.”

The sin-debt for mankind is PAID IN FULL! The reason for his birth as a man and the suffering He endured is fulfilled. His mission is complete. He has glorified His Father (In three days, the Father will glorify the Son!).

“And Jesus gave up his spirit.” (He handed it over at his own will. No one took it from Him. HE laid it down. John 10:17-18)

The Jews: “Break their legs so they’ll die quicker. All this must be cleaned up by Sabbath’s start.”

Such insensitivity! Such cruelty!

The soldiers, done with their job and the haggle over Jesus’ clothes, picked up the mallets used to pound in the spikes (or perhaps the blunt side of their swords) and slammed them into the shins of the two thieves, shattering bone and causing them to put their full weight on their arms, which crushed their lungs and suffocated them to death. At Jesus’s cross they realized He was already dead. (Hadn’t they heard his last words or seen his body slump as He released His spirit?)

A Soldier: “Let’s make sure. We don’t want to get in trouble for not doing our job.” He thrust his sword up under Jesus’ rib cage and into his heart. Blood and water came out, proving the Creator of the universe, the perfect Son of God, the Giver of all life… was already dead.

It was just as Scripture foretold, John explained. Jesus was lifted up on a tree (crucified) and pierced (with thorns, nails, a sword); and dead by the foreknowledge and will of God.

Joseph of Arimathea: “Pilate, can I take Jesus’ body down and bury it?”

Pilate: “What? He’s dead already? Hey, Centurion, is this true?”

Centurion: “Yes, Sir, I pierced His heart myself. He is dead.” (I saw Him die, felt the earthquake, saw the sun shrouded. Truly this was the Son of God!!)

Pilate: “Well, okay then. Take the corpse and bury it.”

Joseph and Nicodemus carried Jesus’ dead body to Joseph’s nearby, never-used, garden tomb. They wrapped it in linen cloths, tucking in 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes that Nicodemus had brought. Then rolled a stone across the entrance.

Dead and done.

“But He was wounded for OUR transgressions, he was crushed for OUR iniquities, upon Him was the chastisement (of God) for OUR peace, and with his stripes WE are healed. He has borne OUR griefs and carried OUR sorrows. He was smitten of God, afflicted, stricken… for OUR transgressions. He was killed that WE might have eternal life. (from Isaiah 53)

“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that HE loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (just payment) for our sins.” John 4:6-10

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

BELIEVE in Him.

Believe the truth – against all understanding – that the sinless Jesus bore your (my) sins on himself, and that the holy, righteous, just Almighty God crushed and killed him for those sins (instead of killing us), that the sacrifice Jesus made was ENOUGH punishment – once and for all time, for all who would believe.

“For God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to BE sin for us, that we might BECOME the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

Lazarus, Come out!

May30

Today, my Bible reading was John 11:1-44

My first amazing insight came from verse 5, about Martha and not Lazarus. It gladdened my heart because I am so much like Martha.

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.”

Martha – concerned with many “things,” irritated, jealous, self-pitying Martha; Jesus loved her. Bossy, critical, no-time-for-sitting-and-listening-to-Jesus-because-of-all-the-things-that-needed-to-be-done Martha; Jesus loved her. Martha – resentful, accusing Jesus of not loving them enough to come to them in their need; Jesus loved her. Prickly, unyielding, yet willing to believe and obey Martha; Jesus LOVED her. He loved Martha!

(But Martha will have her day in John 12.)

So a certain man, Lazarus of Bethany, was ill and his sisters sent to Jesus to come help (heal) him. Jesus told his disciples that Lazarus’ illness did not lead to death, but that it was for the glory of God, so that the Son of God would be glorified through it. And He lingered by the Jordan River for TWO MORE DAYS.

Then he told his disciples, “Let us go to Judea again. Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep and I go to awaken him.”

Hey, he’s sleeping, he must be getting better, thought his disciples.

Nope. Jesus said plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for YOUR sakes I’m glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.”

Martha met Jesus as they were coming. “Lord, IF YOU HAD BEEN HERE my brother would have not died!”

“But… even now,” she conceded, “I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give you.”

Jesus: “Your brother will rise again.”

“Yes, I know he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

Jesus: I AM the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die”

How would Martha, in mourning for her little brother, respond to this?

In faith. “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Then, seeing their sorrow & weeping, and the compassion & question of their fellow mourners, Jesus came to the tomb. “Take away the stone.”

Practical, realist Martha said, “Lord by this time he stinks for he has been dead four days!”

lazarus3b “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the Glory of God?”

So… Martha told them to take away the stone.

After looking to heaven and thanking His Father… Jesus shouted, “LAZARUS, COME OUT!”

And the dead man heard and came out, his hands and feet bound with linen burial strips.

“Unbind him, and let him go,” said the Creator and Sustainer of life.

Oh, Lord, command that I be unbound too, from worldliness, from love of things, from selfishness, self-righteousness, vainglory and pride! Jesus, command that I be let go, freed from these things that weigh me down and keep me from abundant life in You!

(Hmm…were Lazarus’ hands and feet bound individually? Were they bound tight together like a mummy? Did Lazarus rise as a single form and… float out???)

Regardless of how, Lazarus HAD to obey Christ’s command. And if Jesus had not specifically named Lazarus, ALL the dead would have come forth from the tombs!

And one day they will.

I Thessalonians 4:16 says of Jesus’ second coming, “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command… And the dead in Christ will rise!”

O glorious day!

_______________________________________________________________

Colossians 2:13-14: “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses by canceling out the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting LIFE.”

For victory over death and the grave, and for eternal life, thank You, Jesus!

The Good Shepherd

May27

Today’s Bible reading brought me to John 10:1-30

In these verses Jesus says He is…

…The SHEPHERD of his people

Psalm 23 lists the many benefits the Shepherd provides for his people – take a moment to read it (see below). One of those benefits may be needed in your life right now, and you can ask God for it. (Lord, lead me in paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake!)

The sheepfold is where God’s people dwell in safety and satisfaction. His sheep know this place and eagerly follow the Shepherd through the door. Everyone who enters the place of safety by Jesus will be saved, and go in and out and find pasture.

…The DOOR of the sheepfold

Jesus is also the Door, the only true entrance and access to the sheepfold. (“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. NO ONE comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6)

…The GOOD SHEPHERD guarding the door or gate of the sheepfold with His own life

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, not a hired hand who cares nothing for the sheep, but the Good Shepherd who loves his sheep and lays himself down at the gate, or door, to protect them all through the night. Jesus laid down his life on the cross, in order that his people might be saved.

The Bible calls us…

sheep

…The SHEEP

It’s not really flattering to be compared to sheep.

They are dumb, they wander off and get into trouble, they lay down in places where they can’t get up, if they stand too deep in moving water to get a drink, their wool gets saturated and pulls them under and away. They get frightened to the slightest unfamiliar noise or movement. Burrs and bugs cling to their wool and they can stink, and the follow each other blindly… even over a cliff.

The Bible says of us, “All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6

For you were like straying sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:25

BUT… “My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:27-28

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, the Son of God, but He came to earth as a man, to identify with us (sheep), to show us how a life pleasing to God is lived, and to be the substitute sacrifice for our sin.

John the Baptist called Him…

…The Lamb

“Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world.” John 1:29

Jesus (God Himself) humbled Himself and took on the form of man. He lived a perfectly righteous life before God and man. Then this “spotless Lamb” became the sacrifice for our sin. “God laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Then he crushed him (punished the sin of all who would trust in Him) so that we might live (eternally).

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

SHEPHERD who cares for me, LAMB who was sacrificed for me: JESUS. Thank You!!

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PSALM 23

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Our Daily Bread

May19

John 6:37-66 I read this section this morning and pictured the scene.

The crowd of 5000 men (plus women and children) had been fed by Jesus the previous day, by breaking a little boy’s five small loaves into pieces, blessing them, and giving out them out until everyone had had their fill and then some!

Jesus had to slip away into the mountain, because He knew the would come – mob style – and make Him their king. (Imagine someone who could miraculously feed you from almost nothing!!

The next morning they found him again, intent on more of the same…..

Give us BREAD!” Cried the thousands! “Give us bread! BREAD like Moses gave us! BREAD so we won’t hunger! BREAD so we won’t have to labor! BREAD! Give us bread every day and… we will make you KING!”

“I am the Bread of Life, he who comes to me shall never hunger.”

“GIVE US THIS BREAD FOREVER!”

“My father gives you the TRUE bread. The Bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

“Wait, what does he mean he came down from Heaven? Isn’t this Joseph and Mary’s son?’

“I am the Bread of Life. He that believes on me has everlasting life.”

“Grumble, grumble.”

“I am the Living Bread that came down from heaven. If anyone “eats” of this bread he shall live forever.”

“This is a HARD saying, who can listen to it? Man, all we wanted was bread.”

(“You ask and don’t receive because you ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lusts.” James 4:3)

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How often I am concerned only with “my daily bread” and forget the rest of the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples about how to pray.

First off my lips should be a realization and praise for who God is – holy, almighty, immutable. Praise Your name forever!

My desire after that should be for HIS will to be done, and HIS righteousness and HIS kingdom to come, and how He could use me to accomplish it in my small way.

After recognizing who God is and giving myself to Him, Jesus then said I can confidently – as a small child approaches her Daddy – ask for my daily needs, with sure expectancy that they will be supplied according to my Heavenly Father’s riches in heaven.

Confession of my sin – for which Jesus has ALREADY paid, and the acknowledgement and thanksgiving for His forgiveness of them all – past, present & future – should raise JOY in my heart.

A plea for help in temptation and deliverance from evil as I walk in His will and his way will remind me to seek his face, listen to the Holy Spirit’s promptings and obey his Word.

Bread (daily sustenance) is vital to life, but this life will eventually pass away. Believing in Jesus – the True and Living Bread of Life – is the only way I will have ETERNAL life and be raised alive again in that last day. Thank You!

Mother’s Day

May11

My Bible reading today was so appropriate to MOTHER’S DAY. (Thank you, God!) It was from John 2:1-12

Jesus, with five of his new disciples and his mother Mary, attended a wedding in Cana. They were probably family or close friends with the couple.

Towards the end of the ceremony the wine ran out (a BIG no-no). Mary went to Jesus for help. For maybe 15 years she had been depending on her oldest son to “take care of things” since she was probably a widow by then. It was “natural” for her to do so now.

But Jesus, at 30, had just embarked on “His Heavenly Father’s Business,” his mission as the Messiah and Savior (sin-sacrifice) for his people. Perhaps Mary didn’t know about his recent 40 days of fasting in the wilderness, or his baptism, or the sign of the Holy Spirit descending on him, or John the Baptist calling him “the Lamb of God.”

She only knew Jesus was her son and he could somehow (she may not have expected a miracle) take care of this embarrassing family problem.

But the time had come to set things straight. Jesus firmly, but tenderly, let his mother know that their relationship had changed. She would now have to depend on her other sons for physical help. He had different work to do.

Perhaps not understanding, she nevertheless told the servants to do what he said. Jesus, honoring his mother (the 6th commandment), performed a miracle, changing the water in several large pots into premium wine.

John calls this the FIRST SIGN (out of 8) that would be Jesus’ credentials as the Messiah, the Son of God.

AFTER THE WEDDING, verse 12 says that Jesus, his disciples, his brothers, AND HIS MOTHER went down to Capernaum for a few days.

I wonder if during this time Jesus tenderly reminded Mary of what the angel had told her and Joseph before he was born – that he was the Son of God, and that his mission was to be the Savior of his people.

Did Mary remember her own words to the angel, “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word?” [i]

Did Mary then remember old Simeon’s prophetic words to her when they went to the Temple to dedicate Jesus? “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is (violently) opposed, AND A SWORD WILL PIERCE THROUGH YOUR OWN SOUL ALSO, so that thoughts from many hearts will be revealed.” [ii]

Was she now beginning to feel that sword pricking her soul as she watched Jesus withdraw from her and begin to fulfill his Heavenly mission?

Did Mary’s thoughts also revisit that panic time in Jerusalem, when she and Joseph had searched for the 12-year-old Jesus, finally –after three days – finding him in the temple sitting among the teachers, listening to them, asking them questions, and amazing all who heard at his answers.

Did she remember his words? “Know you not that I must be about my Father’s business?” [iii]

It must have been HARD for her to let “her boy” go. To become his servant instead of his mother. To finally believe in him as the Savior of the world…. as HER own savior.

A further shock came to her when shortly after this time in Capernaum they went to Jerusalem for Passover and Jesus – her son, the Savior and Son of God – took cords and violently turned out the animals and merchants and money changers from the temple, saying, “Do not make my Father’s house a house of trade!” [iv]

There would be other revealing times, but Mary eventually learned this lesson: Jesus considers ALL who “do the will of the Father” as his mother and brothers and sisters. [v] The Father’s will is for us to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. [vi] Those who do, become God’s children [vii] and joint heirs with Jesus. [vii]

Mary’s soul would be pierced through as she watched her beloved son hang in agony on a cross. But oh, the joy that would flood that soul to see Him resurrected in glory.

My Lord and my God!

Think about Mary on MOTHER’S DAY! Remember her joys, her sorrows, and the important lesson she began to learn at a wedding celebration in Cana.

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[i] Luke 1:38

[ii] John 2:34-35

[iii] Luke 2:49

[iv] John 2:16

[v] Mark 3:35

[vi] John 6:40

[vii] John 1:12

[viii] Romans 8:16-17

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