I am thankful that Stephannie Solomon had me on The Disciples Emphasis Show yesterday evening on BlogTalkRadio. Stephannie interviewed me concerning my three books:
This type of interview was a first for me, and I didn't know quite what to expect, but I believe that the LORD helped me answer her questions in ways that honor Him. I hope that you will make some time to listen to the interview, and I pray that you will be blessed as you do. You can listen via the player below:
Have you ever felt forsaken? It is not wrong to have those feelings. King David was a man after God's own heart. He delighted in the LORD, but there were times when he felt forsaken.
There were times David felt forsaken by people. He wrote: "But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 'He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!'" (Psalms 22:6-8 ESV).
There were times David felt forsaken by God. He wrote: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest" (Psalms 22:1-2 ESV).
In the midst of these feelings, David did not allow his TRUST in God to waiver. He did not allow his feelings to diminish his TRUST in the LORD. He said: "Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel" (Psalms 22:3 ESV).
David was transparent, telling God exactly how he felt, but not allowing his feelings to destroy his TRUST. In the midst of feeling forsaken, he knew God was still on the throne; God was in control. A heart after God's own heart learns to TRUST God in all situations and circumstances.
David felt he was forsaken by people and by God. At the cross, Christ was forsaken by people, and He, as David, felt forsaken by God. Grasping for his last breath, "Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' that is, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'" (Matthew 27:46 ESV). Jesus felt forsaken by God on the cross, but still trusted God. He suffered and died, but God resurrected and re-glorified Him.
Beloved, continue to TRUST God. God is on the throne; He is in control. Don't trust your feelings. Instead, communicate your feelings to God as David and Jesus did. TRUST the LORD. He will never forsake you. That's a promise He has given in His Word.
May God give you a mighty baptism of His presence even this day. His Word will accomplish this in your heart.
What does it mean to fear the LORD? According to Scripture, to fear the LORD is to greatly delight in His commandments. God's Word says, "Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments!" (Psalms 112:1 ESV). So, when you see the phrase, "fear the LORD" in the Bible, you can substitute it with the phrase, "delight in His commandments." Delighting in His commandments is the beginning of wisdom: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight" (Proverbs 9:10 ESV).
The person who fears the LORD will have a hunger for God's Word and search it, as a hidden treasure, for wisdom and instruction. They will obey God's Word. According to Jesus, we reveal our love for Him by obeying His commandments. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15 ESV).
The main problem in today's society is not a lack of the Word (God's commandments). The problem is that there is a famine of hearing the Word. Amos prophesied, "'Behold, the days are coming,' declares the Lord GOD, 'when I will send a famine on the land-- not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD'" (Amos 8:11 ESV).
I believe that we are living in the days that Amos was prophesying about. It's a day when there is very little fear of the LORD, or delighting in His commandments. Many desire to delight in God's blessings, but not His commandments. Today, a preacher can build a huge church by just proclaiming God's blessings while totally ignoring the proclamation of the LORD's commandments. Sadly, that approach has been taken in some cases, and those churches have grown large in our day. They look successful because of their size, programs, and events, but the fruit has been unchanged people, neighborhoods, communities, and cities. Never attribute church success to church size. Instead, evaluate success on what is being preached. Is the fear of the LORD present? If it is present, lives are being changed, and cities impacted.
We live in the day where there are church buildings on almost every street in America and Bibles in nearly every home, but yet there are many people who do not fear the Lord; they are not delighting in His commandments. These people base right from wrong on what feels right, instead of fearing the LORD (delighting in His commandments). God's word declares these people foolish: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7 ESV).
I dream of a day when multitudes will not just delight in God's blessings, but also delight in His commandments. I pray, "Father, bring a revival that produces the fear of the LORD in our land. Amen!"
Beloved, continue to fear the LORD -- Delight greatly in His commandments. The blessings are eternal!
I am thankful that we are one day closer to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Media has utilized the date setting false prophets of our day to desensitize society to the reality of the return of Christ, but that does not negate its truth. I feel the Holy Spirit compelling me, more and more, to remind people that Christ is returning as He promised, and we are to always be ready.
So many in our day, both inside and outside the walls of the church building, base what is right from wrong on what feels right instead of on Scripture. They are not hearing much different coming from behind the pulpits, and they are not reading the Bible on their own. I often ask myself what Jesus would be preaching in our day. Would Jesus preach on love, grace, and joy, but neglect preaching against sin? Would He preach only about heaven or would He include the reality of a place of eternal torment for unrepentant sinners to reside? Many go to church and only hear about receiving God's blessings; this message mimics many of the popular books written today by popular pastors. What would Jesus preach? Beloved, His message has not changed. Yes, Jesus preached about the blessings of God, but He did not leave out the reality of hell for unrepentant sinners -- He preached about the consequences of sin.
Jesus preached, "Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear" (Matthew 13:40-43 ESV).
The glorified Christ delivered a fiery message near the conclusion of Revelation that spells out some specific sins that will send unrepentant hearts to an eternity of torment. This message is a balance of God's grace and the consequences of sin: "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death" (Revelation 21:6-8 ESV).
Jesus has given us everything we need to conquer our sin problem; He has given us His life, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit. To live ready for His return, which Scripture declares is imminent, we must allow Jesus to live through us; we must know and obey Scripture; and we must rely on the strength of the Holy Spirit to overcome each temptation to sin that comes our way.
In our day, may we echo the message Jesus preached from village to village -- "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15 ESV). I pray, "Father, lift up those in our day who will preach and live this timeless message. Amen."
I wonder if we sometimes get so wrapped up in our situations that we forget who we are walking with on our journey from earth to glory. Martha did when her brother Lazarus got sick. They sent word to Jesus, but He did not come. In fact, He intentionally waited. When He finally came, Lazarus had been dead and in the grave for four days. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died" (John 11:21 ESV).
Like Martha, our faith is tested by what we go through, and there are times when it's easy to loose faith even if it is only briefly. We may question God. Where is He in my time of need? Why is He not answering my prayers? Why do I or those I love have to go through this? Please know today that through it all, and in His grace, mercy and love, Jesus is perfecting your faith.
Martha quickly recovers and in the next breath she says to Jesus, "But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you" (John 11:22 ESV). In all appearances this seemed like a full recovery of her faith. After all, didn't she say the right thing? Maybe she did. Maybe those around heard her comment, and they thought, "What a person of faith!" Sometimes we can say the right words but be dying inside with lack of faith. Despite her words, Martha's faith was still deficient, and Jesus would need to perfect it a bit.
Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? (John 11:23-26 ESV)
Jesus got right to the point; He wanted Martha to see that no matter how bad the situation, He is the resurrection and the life. Nothing changes that -- absolutely nothing. Jesus spoke a word that day and called her brother out of death and back into life. Lazarus came walking out of the cold, dark tomb in response to Jesus' command. Death was defeated, and life came forth out of the darkness.
Beloved, no matter how dark your situation may be today and no matter how little faith you may have, Jesus is still the resurrection and the life. He walks with us, and He talks with us. He leads us, and He guides us. He is our shepherd, and we know His voice. It's the voice that brings calm in the storm and calls life out of death. May we say as David said, "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 (Psalms 23:4 ESV)."
Let Jesus bring comfort to you today in the midst of your crises. In His grace, mercy, and love, He is perfecting the faith that He has already deposited within you. He knows just what you need and the time that you need it. He is never late. He is always right in time.
Recently, I was contacted by a man in Texas who had lost his business, home, wife, and children in the last seven years; he was unemployed and homeless. He told me that the devil wanted him to kill himself, but he knew that the devil was a liar and that he would trust Jesus to bring him through. So many precious people are in similar situations.
I have a word of encouragement today that is fresh from the Lord. It is for all who are found in seemingly hopeless situations, or may be in one tomorrow, next week, next month, next year... Please share it with those you know.
Right before he was murdered by a group of religionists who thought they were doing God a favor, Stephen told them, "But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph. He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive. At this time Moses was born… (Acts 7:17-20 ESV)"
God had raised Joseph up out of a seemingly hopeless situation. His brothers were jealous of him, selling him into slavery, staging his death, and reporting back to their father the lie that Joseph was killed. Later in life, still separated from his family by this lie, Joseph would be falsely accused and imprisoned for something he did not do. God was always working in Joseph's life and situations though, and in God's timing, Joseph was freed from prison and lifted up to a high position in government where he was reunited with his father and brothers, which would prove to save their lives. Joseph's leadership in the government preserved two entire nations -- Egypt and Israel -- from sure death and destruction due to years of famine.
Stephen reminds the religious death squad he is facing of an important piece of their history that was 400 years after Joseph's life -- the birth of Moses. The current king did not know Joseph and he mistreated the ancestors of both Stephen and his persecutors, enslaving them, beating them, starving them, and using them to build comfortable cities and palaces for the Egyptian king and his race. "At this time Moses was born" -- as I read those words, the Holy Spirit quickens them to my heart. You see beloved, God was not caught off guard and without a plan to bring His people through their seemingly hopeless situation. It may not have been quick enough for them, but it was right in time -- God's timing -- and another deliver, like Joseph, was born. Moses would go on to face his own seemingly impossible situations which would include murder and bare existence on the back side of a desert for 40 years tending sheep, but in God's time he was raised up to deliver millions of people from the bonds of slavery. God was working all along.
Beloved, God is working now; He is at work in the midst of our seemingly hopeless situations. When we can not see a way out, God is preparing a way out. We don't have to see it. We are required simply to trust Him. For Stephen's ancestors, God gave Joseph and Moses. For us, God has given Jesus. Place your trust in Jesus today; fix your eyes on Him; follow Him. He will get you through this seemingly hopeless situation, the next one, and every one. There may be a dry patch along the way, or even a dusty, hot desert, and you may get tired and thirsty, but you can always count on Him to get you through. He is working on your behalf. He is never late. He is right on time -- God's timing.
During those times when life does not seem to be working out, feeling as if life could have been different, failing to see our impact on others not to mention the world, wishing we had not even been born, we need to realize that it truly is a wonderful life. It's hard to see this throughout the entire year as we deal with the ups and downs of life regardless of the calendar. It doesn't have to be just at Christmas time as in the climatic scene in the classic movie, It's a Wonderful Life, when George Bailey, played by the one and only James "Jimmy" Stewart, found himself in a situation that seemed impossible. George was contemplating ending his life, wishing he had never been born, failing to realize that his life had impacted so many in positive ways until he was shown by an unlikely source, Clarence Odbody (Angel, Second Class) played by Henry Travers, that if he had not been born the people of Bedford Falls would not have had such a wonderful life.
Through it all, the movie projects that God had a purpose for George Bailey and was working through him to help others in ways that would not have materialized if George had not been born. The Bailey house had a merry Christmas that year because God, answering the prayers of people who loved George, sent a messenger to show George his worth just in time.
It's a Wonderful Life is a great movie recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 best American films ever made. In our house, my family and I have traditionally watched it on Christmas Eve although it is a good movie to be watched any time of the year. Because of that tradition, when I think of characters of Christmas, George Bailey is one who pops into my mind.
I wrote my first book, The Characters of Christmas: God at Work in our Lives, to encourage people to realize that God is always working in our lives, even if we can not see it or feel it. The book is not about fictitious characters from a movie, like George Bailey, and it's not just a Christmas book or a book to be read at Christmas time. In the book I take real life characters and show how God worked in their life while making it relevant to each reader by showing how God is working in us, no matter what we are going through in life.
Please know today that you have value. You are favored by God. He allowed you to be born for a purpose. He is working in your life. He is working in your seemingly impossible situation. As you realize this, you will realize that it truly is a wonderful life. You don't have to wait till the Christmas season to read the book. It will speak to you no matter what season of the year or season of life that you find yourself in today. I've prayed that God will use the book as a messenger showing readers and those they recommend it to their worth. With some it will be just in time.
Today, there is more of an infatuation with the end of days than in any other time I can recall during my lifetime. Movies have been made, books written, and predictions made. People are building bomb shelters, buying up precious metals as silver and gold, storing up food, and making sure they have ample supplies of water. Are we living in the last days?
The “last days” began over 2,000 years ago at the cross of Christ when those three powerful words, “it is finished,” were uttered from the parched lips of our tortured and dying Savior. Ever since and throughout the years, many have predicted the return of Christ for His followers prior to the wrath of God being poured out on a world that has rejected Him. These dates have come and gone, but the truth of Jesus’ return remains. Each time a prediction is made and the date goes by, some are swayed into believing that it is nothing more than a myth, but it is not a myth; it is truth and will occur at God’s beckoning, which will not be in response to His creation’s predictions. God will not consult with anyone.
Jesus said, "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:36-44 ESV)”
So, as Christ followers, besides being in a continual state of readiness, what are we to do? Jesus answers that question in a few verses of Scripture prior when He says, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14 ESV)”
The gospel is good news. Jesus showed us what the kingdom is all about through His words and actions when He came into our world to show us how to live and how to die. I’m writing a book this summer that the Holy Spirit has laid on my heart titled “The Kingdom According to Jesus.” I believe that we have missed so much of what God intended in His kingdom as revealed through the life and teachings of Jesus. Please pray for me as I seek to obey our Lord in this endeavor.
The ministries of LGF are now touching 13,739 people around the world per day with the “gospel of the kingdom.” We thank God constantly for the faithful prayer and financial support that we receive.
Through the writing of the Palmist, Psalm 2 comes to a conclusion with a warning from the Holy Spirit: “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalms 2:10-12 ESV)”
The Holy Spirit gives us three imperatives in this paragraph of Scripture, which if followed, will result in blessed living. First of all, the Holy Spirit compels those of our day to be “wise” and to be “warned.” Wisdom and warning come from God’s Word and His Holy Spirit. Christ followers must constantly be people of the Word and the Spirit to live for Jesus as the Word and the Spirit will come together and do a powerful work in our lives. When either the Word or the Spirit is rejected, wisdom and warning is cast away and the result is destruction.
The second imperative given by the Holy Spirit in these verses is to “serve the LORD.” Salvation from the wrath of God that is to come is not complete by only accepting Jesus as your savior; you must make Jesus LORD of your life. You must follow Him and commit your life to His lordship.
The third imperative the Holy Spirit gives us is to “Kiss the Son” which implies intimacy in relationship. Jesus came to earth rejecting religion and religionist, proclaiming and portraying relationship with God instead. You see, it’s not about religion. It’s not about manmade denominations. It’s not about church membership. It’s not about devoting all of your extra time to church activity. It’s all about relationship with Jesus; kissing the Son; having an intimate relationship with Jesus.
Why does the Holy Spirit give us these three imperatives? Because the wrath of God is coming on all those that do not love Him and have rejected His Son, Jesus Christ. Those who will obey these imperatives are found in Jesus and there is wonderful news for them in the face of world destruction like has never been seen before. That wonderful news is found in the last sentence of Psalm 2: “Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
Beloved, take refuge in Jesus, making Him your LORD and Savior, receiving the bountiful blessings found only in Him.
God has lifted Jesus up to be the King of kings and has exalted Him to the holy hill of Zion! Jesus came to earth as the sacrificial Lamb to be offered as a sacrifice for the sins of this world so that whoever believes in Him can be saved from the wrath of God and be given eternal life. Coming into our world, humbling Himself to serve instead of rule, obeying the Heavenly Father in all aspects of His mission, resulted in the Father re-glorifying Him and placing Him back in His original state of glory.
Psalm 2 records God’s response to those in the world who rage and plot in vain against Him: “He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, "As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill (Psalms 2:4-6 ESV).”
Notice Jesus’ response: “I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel" (Psalms 2:7-9 ESV).”
As the result of His obedience to the Father, Jesus inherits the nations, and the earth will be His possession. In the temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11), Satan promised Jesus the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would just worship him. Jesus’ response to him was, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve" (Matthew 4:10 ESV).”
Offering Jesus the kingdoms of this world was not an idle offer made by Satan. The world that we live in is truly Satan’s kingdom. But for the Christ follower, God’s kingdom is currently in them and will be consummated upon Jesus’ return as He rules in total justice and righteousness. God has made the nations Jesus’ inheritance and the ends of the earth His possession! Satan’s offer to Jesus was temporary. God’s offer was eternal. Jesus declined the temporal for the eternal.
What will you do? Satan constantly offers us temporary gratification in return to our disobedience to God and His Word. God offers us eternal life. Follow Jesus and chose the eternal over the temporal!
Psalm 2 is both a prophetic and messianic psalm that points to Jesus and that which is to come. The present condition of our world is described prophetically in the first three verses: "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, "Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us (Psalms 2:1-3 ESV).”
Jesus said, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30 ESV),” but, in our day, nations and rulers have decided that God’s yoke declared through Jesus, the Word that became flesh, is “bonds” and “cords” restraining them from fulfilling their fleshly desires birthed through selfish ambition. Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Son of God, has been denied by entire nations, their rulers and their religions.
Nations fight against God through rejecting His Anointed, Jesus Christ, His only begotten son. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him (John 14:6-7 ESV).” If Jesus is rejected, God Himself is rejected; If Jesus is received, God Himself is received.
Set apart are two words that demand separation of their subject from the group that it occupies in order for it to be used for something specific. When you set something apart, you separate it from multiples of the same or from distinctly different items, in order for it to be utilized for a specific purpose. Throughout Scripture, from tabernacle utensils to entire nations, from donkeys to kings, from fishermen to doctors, God reveals that He sets apart for His purposes. Jesus Christ came into our world and set apart His followers, and He continues to do so today. Christ followers are set apart for His service and they realize it.
The Apostle Paul knew that he was set apart by Jesus as told in his words: ”Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God (Romans 1:1 ESV).” You can read about the beginnings of Paul’s setting apart in the book of Acts of the Bible, in chapter 9.
Beloved, please know that you also have been set apart for the good news of God. You are no longer your own. You were bought by God. The purchase price was more precious than money. The purchase price was the blood of Jesus Christ the son of God. Now you are no longer your own doing your own thing in a world that grows increasing out of step with the good news of God. No, you are called and set apart by God to live and to share the good news through your actions and words.
A set apart life is such an exciting life to live. Our life is not our own. We are living for Jesus and Jesus is living within us. We are in this world, but we are not a part of this world. We have been separated and set apart from this world for the good news of God! Praise the Lord for His good news! Praise the Lord for buying us back from sin with His blood and setting us apart! Praise the Lord for His goodness, His mercy and His grace!
The good news of God calls all people, regardless of race, to obedience that comes by faith. Concerning Jesus, Paul says, ”through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:5-7 ESV) “
Sad to say today, people discriminate. You find discrimination all around you. It’s in the work place. It’s in school. It’s even in churches and denominations. A big issue right now in America is immigration. You may have very strong feelings on immigration. Let me share a perspective with you that you may not have thought about. America was founded as a Christian nation or a “good news of God” nation. God has made it possible for people of all races to come to America to have opportunity to hear about God’s good news and to see it lived out by example. They think they are coming for a better life. God is bringing them and placing them next to you in the work place, in the school house, in the market place and in your neighborhood so that you can share the good news of God with them through your actions and through your words.
May we never close down a door of opportunity that God has given us. May we constantly be reminded by the Holy Spirit that there will be those from all nations around the throne of God, worshipping Him for all eternity. It’s a dream that Martin Luther King had that has now become a reality to him around God’s throne. Let’s pray and live as Jesus taught: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
It’s all about Jesus. The Old Testament points to Jesus. The sacrifices, the feasts, the tabernacle, the furniture in the tabernacle, the placement of the furniture in the tabernacle; everything points to Jesus. Studying the types of Christ in the Old Testament is fascinating and faith building as the student sees God’s wonderful plan of redemption foretold in such detail.
Paul says “which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, (Romans 1:2-4 ESV).”
This speaks of the humanity and the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was both man and God; a concept that is hard for our feeble minds to understand, but a truth that we as believers receive by faith. It took a man to stand in the gap for our sins, but the man had to be sinless. God came into our world through Jesus Christ to be a sin sacrifice; a sinless offering for our sins. Jesus was a descendant of David and was birthed through a virgin. He was crucified as an innocent man. He was resurrected the Son of God and being re-glorified, He was placed back at the right hand of the Father.
Beloved, the good news of God is that He loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to take care of our sin problem. God wants to spend eternity with us, but sin separated us from God. At the cross, Jesus took our punishment for sin, which is death, so that we can have eternal life. We are God’s inheritance and He longs to spend eternity with us. Isn’t that good news? That’s the good news of God!
When Paul says “which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, (Romans 1:2 ESV),” he is referring to the Old Testament as the New Testament was currently being written with two thirds of it being written by Paul under the Holy Spirit’s unction. Throughout the whole Old Testament, we are given the promise of the good news of God. Everything in the Old Testament points to the good news of God, which is Jesus Christ.
Many people today have devalued the Old Testament since we are now living under the new covenant. Beloved, never devalue the Old Testament; read it; study it; understand it. It will strengthen your faith as you understand that God did not randomly react to our sinful condition. No, God did not randomly react; He graciously had a plan of redemption in place. The Old Testament points to and reveals God’s good news of redemption through Jesus Christ.
You will be hard pressed today to pick up a newspaper, turn on a newscast, or surf the news feeds on the Internet and find any good news. The world is in turmoil and local news is not any better. In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, he immediately begins to talk about good news and specifically the good news of God. Check out these powerful words:
(Romans 1:1-7 NIV) "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God-- {2} the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures {3} regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, {4} and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. {5} Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. {6} And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. {7} To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ."
Four words continually jumped out at me in this paragraph of Scripture – “the gospel of God.” “Gospel” means “good news.” In the letter to Romans, Paul is writing about the good news of God.
Beloved, when the problems of this world get you down, meditate on the good news of God. When life’s problems get you down, meditate on the good news of God.
I prayed and asked the Lord to give me a word for you today and He laid Hebrews 1:3 on my heart to share with you. In this verse of Scripture given to us in the midst of everything that comes our way; we are pointed to Jesus Christ.
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (Hebrews 1:3 ESV)
Becky and I hear daily from people nearing the end of their rope, not knowing what to do, or where to turn. Some are torn by broken relationships, painfully haunting, weighing constantly on frail emotions, leaving the one desiring better wondering why the other is so rejecting and seemingly disinterested in making mends and building back that which has been ripped away. Some are hardly able to make it on limited or drying up finances, making paying rent, keeping the house, buying medicine, receiving adequate healthcare, putting food on the table all stressful happenings instead of normal living, leaving one wondering day to day if they will even survive the next day, week, or month. From the mother who is one week from being homeless, to the husband whose wife has fallen in the arms of another, to the parent who is heartbroken with a rebellious child, we minister daily the only way we know how. We spend our life pointing the hurting, suffering, and seemingly hopeless to Jesus.
Life is seldom easy, often messy, proving difficult on more occasion than not, but can be lived graciously and victoriously because of Jesus and what He has done for each of us. God loves us so much, He sent Jesus into our world. Jesus loves us so much; He willingly came, experiencing how we live in this world filled with pain, heartache, suffering and death. He willingly gave his life, so that we can have life in Him, not only now, but for all eternity.
Beloved, whatever you are going through right now, rest assured that Jesus knows, He cares, and He is praying that your faith will not fail even though you may be going through the greatest sifting of your faith that you can recently remember. You will come through this trial, the next, and every trial victoriously as you fix your eyes on Jesus who “upholds the universe by the word of his power.”
We thank God constantly for the faithful prayer and financial support that we receive for LGF. It is allowing us to touch 12,609 people per day with the love and gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The hunger for God can only be satisfied by a love that is face to face, person to person. It is only in the eyes of another that we can find the Icon of Christ. We must make the other person aware we love him. If we do, he will know that God loves him. He will never hunger again.
Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." James 4:13-15, New International Version
May the will of God be done in your life today and always!
I clearly recognize that all good is in God alone, and that in me, without Divine Grace, there is nothing but deficiency... The one sole thing in myself in which I glory, is that I see in myself nothing in which I can glory. -- Catherine of Genoa
In over two decades of teaching, preaching, and pastoring, I have taught parishioners that any time you read a promise in the Bible, you need to start looking around for the conditions to obey in order to receive the promise. If you do your part in obeying the Scripture, God does His part, and the promise will be realized in you. It's a central theme throughout the Bible. The "Bible Promise" books that have been so popular over the years leave the conditions of the promises of God out, leaving people standing on the promises, but ignorant to the conditions to obey in order to receive them.
Now we have a book that explains how to read and understand Scripture finding the conditions that lead to fulfilled promises, and it is written by a friend and mentor of mine, Robert P. Holland, who has been pastoring since 1965. First a word concerning Pastor Holland, and then I will talk more about his book which I have completed reading and highly recommend for all those who are serious about understanding and receiving the promises of Holy Scripture.
Pastor Holland is one of my heroes of faith. I have known him for two decades and had opportunity to sit under his ministry for a short season prior to pastoring my first church in the early 1990s. Pastor Holland has a keen understanding of Scripture that is reflected in his life. He portrays the image of Christ more than any other person I have had the privilege of knowing. His ability to communicate and teach the Word is a gift given to us by God. Those who have had the privilege of sitting under his ministry have not experienced a famine of the Word under it, and have instead been given a bountiful feast that brings growth in the Lord.
I just finished reading his book, Some Understand 1 + 6 = 7, and highly recommend it. The book begins with an explanation of the title which is fundamental to the 44 chapters which follow. In each chapter, which Pastor Holland refers to as "Wisdom and Promise workshops", a Scripture promise and its conditions (Pastor Holland refers to as "Wisdom") are identified and proper exegesis, application and exhortation is given.
For those who will read the book, I believe that the Holy Spirit will bring attention to the areas of life where proper wisdom is not applied, and where promises are not being realized, allowing for proper application of Scripture to take place. I"m sure that every reader who has a desire to please God and live for Him will be able to properly apply wisdom and receive promises as they prayerfully read and glean from each chapter.
There have been some great books that I have read that I commit to reading again. With this book, I plan to incorporate it into my daily discipline of reading, studying, and meditating on Scripture, by reading a chapter each day for a while to come. In the days ahead, I will also be tweeting (@Gregory_Johnson) some quotes from the book and posting some quotes on my Facebook page (GregoryAJohnsonPage).
I encourage you to get a copy of the book today, read it, and let God speak into your life as you discover the wisdom and promises that God would have you receive. The book is available as a paperback and as an ebook on Amazon. Click here and get your copy today - Some Understand 1 + 6 = 7: Finding Wisdom and Receiving Promises.
The trouble with nearly everybody who prays is that he says "Amen" and runs away before God has a chance to reply. Listening to God is far more important than giving Him your ideas.
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
-- 1 Peter 4:9-10 nlt
Know that you are loved,
gaj
Posted by: Rev. Gregory A. Johnson AT 11:14 am
| Permalink
| Email
With Good Friday and Easter Sunday of Holy Week this weekend, I invite you to listen to a message that God laid on my heart titled, "The Cross and the Empty Tomb". This is probably one of the most important messages that I've been honored to deliver in more than 20 years of ministry.
My prayer is that this message will minister encouragement to you as you listen, and that if you feel led , you will use it to encourage others in your family and sphere of influence.
You can listen on your PC, laptop, or mobile devices including phones and tablets.
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
"If a person knows my commands and obeys those commands, then that person truly loves me. And my Father will love the person that loves me. And I will love that person. I will show myself to him." Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But Lord, why do you plan to show yourself to us, but not to the world?" Jesus answered, "If any person loves me, then he will obey my teaching. My Father will love that person. My Father and I will come to that person and live with him."
We all have done things in the past that we would do differently in the present.
We were not perfect in the past, nor are we in the present.
As we follow Christ, there are improvements along the way, until one day, when our journey here is completed, we achieve that which we have long awaited.
The struggle is over.
The battle is won.
What a glorious day that will be.
In the meantime, we follow Him.
John Ortberg says, "God sees with utter clarity who we are. He is undeceived as to our warts and wickedness. But when God looks at us that is not all He sees. He also sees who we are intended to be, who we will one day become."
I have a natural tendency to worry and be anxious.
I know those who do not have as much of a tendency, and I admire them.
I'm married to one such person.
Becky and I will celebrate our 29th wedding anniversary tomorrow.
We were wed on March 6, 1982.
Throughout our marriage and ministry together, at times I have leaned toward panic instead of faith.
Not Becky.
She has a solid and childlike faith in our Father.
For all those who have the same tendency as I, let me share a quote with you that will encourage:
The secret of Christian quietness is not indifference, but the knowledge that God is my Father, He loves me, I shall never think of anything He will forget, and worry becomes an impossibility. -- Oswald Chambers
The instruments used to communicate God's words to us were imperfect humans, yet the words are God breathed.
Kings, murderers, physicians, and fisherman were among some of the writers.
The Creator gave the created the flexibility to write words shaped by their intelligence, individual style, and experience, yet each author of the Bible wrote under the unction of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is what makes the words holy, true, powerful, life changing, sharp, and encouraging.
The words give direction and build faith in the reader and listener.
The Bible is worthy of attention, study, and consumption on a daily basis.
It is priority in the life of all those who long for God, wanting to know, and obey Him.
Origen said, "The Word is stronger than all the evils in the soul. The Word is the healing power who dwells in him".
I don't know about you, but I find myself having to intentionally work at listening more and speaking less, questioning myself "am I a slow learner, or just struggling with the human nature?" I'm probably a slow learner if no one else, but me, has to work on these.
Instead of being slow at learning, maybe the slowness can shift to my human tendency of getting angry. In dealing with these and other inheritances of the human nature, I thank God for prayer, the Holy Spirit that dwells within, and God's grace.
...And of course, I thank God for His Word which guides us to proper behavior.
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. ~ James 1:19, NLT
Know that you are loved,
gaj
Posted by: Rev. Gregory A. Johnson AT 10:35 am
| Permalink
| Email
For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.
Today, I’m finishing my first half century hoping the second half goes a lot slower, while still allowing me to contribute.
I’m thankful for God, family, and friends who love me in spite of all my imperfections.
I’m still realizing, day by day, how truly amazing God’s grace is.
I’m sure that I have hurt many, as sometimes my youthful ambitions and shortage of wisdom blinded me from seeing clearly, that it is all about people and nothing else.
I can only hope that I have helped some.
For the remainder of this marathon called life, I desire to keep my eyes fixed on Jesus who will lead me to the finish line, where the celebration of life, and the race that is run, truly begins.
Until that day, I will continue to run the race to receive the prize, receiving the needed endurance along the way from Him.
Our life is full of brokenness - broken relationships, broken promises, broken expectations. How can we live with that brokenness without becoming bitter and resentful except by returning again and again to God's faithful presence in our lives. -- Henri Nouwen
Through it all, God will never leave or forsake us.
He is faithful.
And His presence is always with us.
He will give us the strength, grace, and peace in our time of need that will give us the needed endurance on our exciting journey from earth to glory.
Many years ago as a child in church camp, I was taught a song that I have never forgotten. It goes like this:
Father Abraham had many sons
Many sons had father Abraham
I am one
So are you
So let's just praise the Lord!
Many think today that God only blesses one nation.
In my country, America, you always hear people say "God Bless America."
Some believe that Jesus is returning for one physical nation.
Some believe that Jesus is returning for a physical piece of land in the middle east.
Check out what God promised Abraham:
Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. (Genesis 17:4-5 ESV)
According to the Bible, God is for all nations.
God's heart is that none should parish, but that all have everlasting life through His son, Jesus Christ.
Color of skin does not matter to God.
Language does not matter to God.
Gender does not matter to God.
Economic status does not matter to God.
Physical location does not matter to God.
Jesus is not returning for one physical nation.
Jesus is not returning for a piece of land in the middle east.
Jesus is returning for His faithful followers who have denied self and taken up the cross.
Jesus' return is the consummation of His Kingdom here on earth that is already within His followers and He is ruling over it.
His Kingdom is full of love, grace and peace with race, gender, economic, and health equality for all.
His kingdom already consists of people from all nations.
Life is full of much uncertainty with no one knowing what today or tomorrow may bring. Some say to live life to it's fullest with total disregard of following any path that is void of your own will. Although temporary satisfaction may be the result of such a lifestyle, the end result may lead to a destiny that is far less than desirable for the self absorbed individual.
What about the one who trusts God and submits to the will of God? Does that bring a certainty in life? Does one find satisfaction in the will of God? A life of losing one's will for God's will does not provide certainty for day to day living nor does it always provide a temporary satisfaction, but the end result leads to a satisfaction and destiny that is far above anything we could obtain, achieve or imagine by following our own will.
Losing our will for God's will often leads us into uncertainty and if we are not careful it will lead us into a fear that will cause us to not reach the full potential of what God has for us to do. Fear is not of God, and when it begins to show it's frightful head, we are in risk of missing the life that God is leading us into and we will miss it if we allow the fear of uncertainty to overcome us.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, was hand picked by God to bring Jesus into our world. Her submission to God's will for her life would bring much uncertainty, ridicule, and even pain to her. When the revelation of God's will came to her, fear came with it. The revelation was from God; the fear was not. In the midst of oncoming fear, God gave her the reassurance she needed through His Word. We can always count on Gods Word for the reassurance needed on our journey.
And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." (Luke 1:30-33 ESV)
Through Mary, the Savior of the world was born and the kingdom of God was established on earth through Him. His kingdom now is within Christ followers and Jesus is ruling over it. As each Christ follower loses their will for the will of Christ, they will follow Him in total abandonment and Jesus' kingdom will be enlarged on earth as faithful followers stay busy continuing His point of need ministry until He returns with the consummation of His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
I encourage you today to move forward in total abandonment to Jesus and His will for your life. Take it a step at a time and always remember to keep your eyes fixed on Him. He will take you on a wonderful journey and His kingdom will be enlarged in you and through you. You will be satisfied!
Know that you are loved,
gaj
You can get your copy of my book The Characters of Christmas on Amazon. Please be one of the first to read it and post a review for it on Amazon.
I just completed writing my first book and it is available on Amazon. The title is "The Characters of Christmas: God at Work in our Lives".
In this simple and easy to read book, I attempt to take the characters of Christmas – Mary, Joseph, Herod and the Magi – and bring to the readers attention that nothing is impossible for God, God’s plan for us is best, God delivers us from evil and God is at work in our lives. I call these God themes. God themes are found throughout the Bible. Although the word “Christmas” is in the title of this book and I use the characters of Christmas throughout, these God themes are relative to us during any calendar season or any season of life.
My prayer is that the words written will encourage, strengthen and build faith in each reader. May God open the windows of heaven and pour out all of His spiritual blessings on each one as they read.
The book is only available as an e-book. You can read it on your Kindle or you can read it on you Windows PC, Ipad, Iphone, Mac, Blackberry, Android or Windows 7 phone by downloading the FREE Kindle reading apps. Click here to download the FREE Kindle reading apps.
Click here to get your copy of The Characters of Christmas. Please be one of the first to read it and post a review for it on Amazon.
We stay strong and courageous because of God’s abiding presence. God tells Joshua "No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Joshua 1:5 NIV) God also tells Joshua "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9 NIV)
God is not telling Joshua that the journey is going to be easy. No, it is going to be everything but easy. Get your Bible out and read the book of Joshua and you will see how uneasy it was. God didn’t say it would be easy, but God did say that no one would be able to stand against him so there is no need to be terrified or discouraged.
In the midst of huge obstacles, Joshua was able to overcome and not be terrified or discouraged because of God’s abiding presence. God told Joshua that He would be with him wherever he went and that God would never leave him or forsake him. Joshua found out in all situations that if God is with you, it doesn’t matter how big the obstacle is, you will prevail.
Beloved, what obstacles are you facing in your journey? What seems to be insurmountable? What’s taking your joy? What’s taking your peace? What do you lie awake thinking about? Know this, that if God is with you, it doesn’t matter how big the obstacle is, you will prevail! You will overcome! When you look at that big obstacle, don’t be terrified and don’t be discouraged. God is with you and you will prevail!
The moment that you decided to follow Jesus and accepted the work He did for you on the cross, the Holy Spirit set up residence in you. He abides in you! You are now a temple of God. You house His Holy Spirit. That is the abiding presence of God in you.
It’s all because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. He took our punishment. He shielded us from the wrath of God. He suffered, bled and died so that we could experience the abiding presence of God for now and for all eternity! And now God has set up residence in us. In earthen vessels that are nothing but jars of clay. Everywhere we go, God goes with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us! He will get us through every obstacle on our journey from earth to Glory!
Praise God Beloved! Don’t be terrified! Don’t be discouraged! God is with you and has given you His Word. Talk about it! Meditate on it! Do it! God will give you the strength and the courage to be successful on your journey from earth to Glory! Nothing, absolutely nothing will prevail against you! No obstacle will hinder you on your Journey! God is taking you out of the wilderness and into His Promised Land. Be strong and courageous!
We stay strong and courageous by knowing and obeying God’s written Word. God tells Joshua "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1:7-8 NIV)
God’s instruction to Joshua was 1) Talk about the Word 2) Meditate on the Word 3) Do the Word. God was telling Joshua to make God’s Word the authoritative guide for all beliefs and actions.
Beloved, we are to make the Bible the authoritative guide for all of our beliefs and our actions. It is so vital, especially in the day that we are living. The Word of God is the only absolute truth that we have to stand on. As we talk about the Word of God, as we meditate on the Word of God and as we do the Word of God, we will obtain strength and courage for the journey ahead of us. Whatever obstacles that we are confronted with, we will be able to overcome! Nothing, absolutely nothing will conquer us on our journey from earth to glory!
Joshua is an Old Testament type of Christ. Joshua points to Jesus. The name Joshua means “the Lord saves” and the Greek form of the name Joshua is Jesus. Jesus came to earth and showed us how to be strong and courageous on our journey. He talked about the Word, He meditated on the Word and He did the Word. He fulfilled everything that was written about Him in the prophetic books of the Bible. From His virgin birth to His death on the cross to His resurrection; He did the Word. He overcame every obstacle including an old rugged cross and a cold damp tomb.
Hallelujah Beloved! Talk about the Word of God. Meditate on the Word of God. Do the Word of God. God will strengthen you. God will give you courage. God will take you out of the wilderness and place you in His Promised Land! Glory Be to God!
Know that you are loved,
gaj
Posted by: Rev. Greg Johnson AT 09:00 am
| Permalink
| Email
Levi’s tax booth is located at the Sea of Galilee so that taxes (a small business tax) could be imposed on all of the fish that the fishermen where catching for their livelihood (Mark 2:13-14). Jesus, just days earlier had called four fishermen at the same location to follow Him and He would make them become “fishers of men” (Mark 1:16-20). Now Jesus takes these four individuals, Simon, Andrew, James and John, back to the same booth where they were extorted taxes from throughout their careers as fisherman and He shows them that He not only came to befriend the fishermen, but He also came to befriend the tax collector.
What a lesson for these new followers to learn about Jesus and His Kingdom. It was a lesson revealing equality for all which is an attribute of His kingdom. To answer the call of Jesus to follow Him meant that people would have to leave their professions and livelihoods. It was a tough decision to make on very little information. The fishermen Jesus had called earlier had an easier decision than Levi though, because if things didn’t work out with Jesus, they could always go back to fishing. But if Levi left his very lucrative government profession, he could never go back.
Beloved, please know that it is all about choices that we make. Today, as in Jesus’ day, He is still calling people to follow Him, but we must choose. God will never make the choice for us. He loves us so much that He desires to spend eternity with us, but He will not choose if we follow Jesus or not. If He did, He would override our human will and in doing so would not be a just God. But, God is just, so He calls us and allows us to choose if we will deny self and follow Jesus, making Him our Lord and our Savior.
Much of our difficulty as seeking Christians stems from our unwillingness to take God as He is and adjust our lives accordingly. We insist upon trying to modify Him and bring Him nearer to our own image.
While many non-profits have went under during this great economic recession, Becky and I are still committed to live by faith and obey what God has placed on our heart for Loving God Fellowship (LGF) while steering it through these difficult times. Launching the LGF mobile site last week is testimony of this.
I'm excited about taking LGF mobile because it allows us to potentially reach 3 more billion people with the Gospel of Christ in support of our point of need ministry model. People will be able to listen to Christ Centric Bible Messages while they are on the go with their mobile devices. Our potential on the Internet is 1 billion people, so this now raises our potential to 4 billion out of 6 billion people in the world. I'm excited about this opportunity and feel that LGF needs to take full advantage of it.
Although our mobile site just has the basics now, more and better functionality will be provided as we go. Please take a look at http://mobile.lovinggodfellowship.org . If you like it, be sure and check the "like" button.
The next thing we need to add to LGF mobile is a signup for SMS texting. To provide this functionality will cost $19 per 100 users that sign up to receive text messages such as Be Encouraged! and notification of new Bible Messages on their mobile devices. Would you consider a monthly donation? A donation of $19 per month will enable us to reach 100 people around the world through their mobile device. If you desire to do more than that, each $19 will enable us to reach 100 people with the Gospel of Christ on their mobile devices.
Please know that all donations are an answer to prayer as we are not endowed by any group or denomination and we don't pass an offering plate in any church service. LGF functions only on what is donated by loving Christ followers from around the world who believe in what LGF is all about.
It is unfortunate that not everyone has equal and affordable access to heath care in our day. I believe that this grieves the heart of God because every person, regardless of location and finances, are God’s children. He loves each one and expects us to make available to each one, the same opportunities for healing and ease from suffering. Beloved, as we do, more people will realize the kingdom that Jesus is ruling over.
I thank God for hospitals that churches have founded such as St. Mary's in Huntington, West Virginia. Let’s make make these healing facilities available to all people in our day.
There are still some in our day who believe that going to a doctor or taking medicine is a lack of faith. It is not. There have been many parents who have been tried in court because they prayed, but they refused to take their child to a doctor or give them medicine when it was an option to them, only to result in the child’s death. That is not faith. Faith is taking full advantage of every process of healing that God has made available to us. Medical professionals, medical procedures and medicine are instruments of healing that God has made available to us in our day and we can exercise our faith by allowing God to bring healing to us through these processes.
Dr. Tom Dannals in Huntington, West Virginia, is on a mission to do everything he can to bring better health to that city. West Virginia leads the nation in heart disease which is the number one killer in the United States.
Most heart disease is preventable and can even be reversed through proper diet and exercise. Dr. Dannals introduce the city to the Dr. Dean Ornish program of heart disease prevention and reversal. Dr. Dannals also founded HealthyHuntington.org along with founding and directing the annual Marshall University Marathon, half marathon and 5k held on the first Sunday of November every year. It’s a wonderful marathon with a stadium finish.
Through these processes, Dr. Dannals is using his life to bring healing to that city and is saving countless number of lives from the grip of heart disease. God is using Him. People are being touched at their point of need.
I’m so thankful for medical professionals. They minister at the point of need. Sure, many do not realize it and some are in it just for the monetary rewards, but God uses them nevertheless to bring the healing needed.
I’m fortunate to have a sister-in-law, Shelia, who has been a nurse taking care of the ill and ministering at their point of need for over 20 years. She now teaches nursing. The beautiful part is that her daughter Kristen was one of her students and is following her mother’s steps in using her life to help others. It thrills my heart. I’m also fortunate to have a cousin, David, who is a surgeon. I’m sure that you also have friends and family in the medical profession. God is using each of these to bring much healing and ease of suffering.
I was fortunate to be raised by Christ following parents who used their God given abilities to minister at the point of need and take care of felt needs just as Jesus did. I grew up seeing them do without and give of their time, talent and treasure so that the needs of others would be taken care of. I’m glad that they did not teach me to leave the needs of others in the sovereign hands of God. I am glad that Jesus did not teach us to leave the needs of others in the sovereign hands of God. I am glad that so many people get it and are continuing the point of need ministry of Jesus and not just merely attending a church service expecting God to take care of people.
Mom and Dad are now in their senior years of life and I will take care of them and their needs. I will do it out of my love for them and in obedience to Scripture, just as they taught me by example.
But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8 ESV)
Some Christians today feel as though we should leave the care of others in the hands of a sovereign God. Some believe the care of others should be left up to the government, but yet they get upset at government if they raise taxes due to providing social programs. What is the answer that Christ gives us? What is the answer that Scripture gives us? I’m often reminded of this Scripture found in James 2:14-18 that helps us with the answer: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (ESV)”
Beloved, if God reveals a need to us and if He has given us the ability to meet that need, it is His expectation that we do so. We don’t have to pray about it. The need is the call. God takes care of the needs of people through us.
In Mark 1:16-20 we are told that Jesus and the freshly called fishermen were in the Synagogue on the Sabbath. Scripture tells us that the people are astonished at His teaching. His message was about the Kingdom that was being established in Him and was different than the teaching they were accustomed to and delivered by religionists who demanded obedience to manmade rules, regulations and traditions. As Jesus teaches, there is a collision of good and evil which is manifested in a sudden interruption.
And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
(Mark 1:23-28 ESV)
Jesus not only taught about the Kingdom of God, but demonstrates the kingdom of God through His actions that will be described throughout the Gospel of Mark. Mark’s writing style is to get the reader to understand the meaning of events instead of giving details of the events he writes about. As we read and study Mark, we should always be looking for the meaning of the events that take place and this event is no exception.
Jesus introduced to the world the kingdom of God, not only through His words, but through His actions. With Jesus coming into our world, Satan’s kingdom was disturbed. Satan’s kingdom realized who Jesus was and what authority He had as the Son of God even though the people did not. In these five verses of Mark we see the two kingdoms collide, but it’s just the beginning. Jesus will not only be victorious over demons, but also sickness, disease, hunger and death. He will show through his actions that the Kingdom of God breaks through the powers of evil that seeks to destroy people. His authority as the Son of God ensures His victory. He walks the earth conquering the powers of evil and He dies on an old rugged cross. On the third day He was resurrected and defeated death which is evil’s greatest weapon and people’s greatest enemy.
At the cross, Satan was defeated, the power of sin was broken and God’s Kingdom became available to ALL people through Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Jesus accomplished His mission on earth and because of His obedience to Father, He was re-glorified and placed back at the right hand of Father (John 17:1-5). Jesus is now ruling supreme over His Kingdom. As we fix our eyes on Jesus and follow Him and continue His point of need ministry, those around us will realize the wonderful kingdom that He places in each follower. Why? - Because their felt needs will be met through Christ followers continuing His point of need ministry.
I received the following email that I feel led to share:
Just wanted to let you know that I am enjoying the study of Mark. It is so convenient how you have set it up that the student can view the discussed scriptures right as you are teaching them. How you did that is beyond me! Also another plus to the study is that you can progress at the rate you want. Some of the studies have been so good that I have listened to them several times and each time I gain benefit!
Each study in Mark is only 9-13 minutes long. If you are not yet following along in Mark with us, please join us . Please take a moment to invite your friends to join us also. Each study can be listened to individually or in a group setting. You can even facilitate a LGF gathering right where you are at!
Beloved, we don't have to wait for God's kingdom to come in some future event as we are already a part of His kingdom and He has imparted it into our lives through the Holy Spirit. We are to spend our lives revealing to the world His kingdom in us.
The apostle Paul taught that the supreme gift is love. Christ said that the world will know that we are His followers by our love for one another. As we love God and ALL people ministering at the point of need, His kingdom is revealed to the world and many will desire to be a part of it. That is so much more than mere church attendance.
Church attendance is not bad unless we replace serving Christ and revealing His kingdom with serving the institution. It then becomes an idol and the fruit is communities not realizing that the kingdom of God is at hand and Christ is already ruling supreme. There can be a church on every corner in the city with the city not realizing the kingdom of God. They see the church buildings in their community, but don't see the kingdom of God in action. I believe that we can change that in our day and have been called to do so as Christ followers. Be free in Christ! Know that you are loved,
gaj
It is God’s heart that every person serves Christ and walks in the freedom that He provides. Jesus’ teachings and actions revealed the heart of God. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day taught rules and regulations that were manmade. Jesus taught about being in harmony with God’s Kingdom that was being established in Him. He is now ruling supreme over that kingdom and leads His followers to reveal it to the world.
THE SPECIAL CARE GIVEN TO THOSE AROUND THE THRONE OF GOD MAGNETIZES ME TO IT.
Notice the loving care they receive. They continually stay in God’s presence. "Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them." (Revelation 7:15 NIV) They will never again experience separation from the presence of God.
God protects them from pain and suffering. "Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat." (Revelation 7:16 NIV) This life is full of pain and suffering. People around the world are in pain and suffering today. The beloved will spend eternity in God’s presence where there will be no pain and suffering.
God wipes away their tears. "For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (Revelation 7:17 NIV) There will be no crying around the throne; just joy unspeakable and full of glory!
There is so much about God’s presence and spending time with Him for all eternity that I don’t understand or comprehend, but I know one thing – I want to be a part of the great multitude wearing white robes. I want to be found in this beautiful picture painted for us in God’s Word. Only now on this earth are we given opportunity to wash our robes.
The angels fall prostrate before God and begin to worship Him "saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"" (Revelation 7:12 NIV) These angels are not able to sing redemption’s song, but in all humility they praise and honor God. They give their creator all glory! They also are full of joy in bearing witness to the multitude of the redeemed shouting praise to God.
Here we see glorious angels who have never sinned praising God in all humility. How much more should we who have sinned and been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ humble ourselves and worship Him?
Beloved, salvation is only by God and Jesus. God desires to save us from sin, guilt, death and wrath. As a person places their faith in Jesus, God saves them by His grace. They are placed among the beloved and will be around the throne shouting God’s salvation! They are full of joy because they know without God’s grace, they would not be there.
"And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." (Revelation 7:10 NIV)
In what does one believe? Jesus said “repent and believe in the gospel.” One must believe that Father loves them so much that he placed in motion a plan of redemption from sin even before they were created. He wants to give us His very best to show His love for us, so He sent Jesus, His only begotten son, to be the sacrifice for our sin. We must believe in that good news. It is the good news of God. We must believe in the love of Father. We must believe that Jesus is the Savior, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
Jesus made it simple – repent and believe. Those who truly repent and believe will experience the kingdom of God now and be participants in growing His kingdom here on earth as we await the return of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ.
Beloved, Jesus’ message has not changed. It’s the same today as it was when He walked this earth over 2,000 years ago. He brought the good news of God which is that God loves us and the kingdom of God is near. We can participate in it now. We don’t have to wait for a future age. All we have to do is repent and believe. Praise the Lord! To God be all the glory! Amen.
At this time of Jesus, the Jews believed in two ages. They believed in the present age of sinfulness ruled by Satan and they believed in an age to come when God would destroy Satan and evil once and for all. Jesus comes along and preaches something different than what they believe in. He says the “kingdom of God is at hand”. The people would not have to wait until a future age because Jesus brought the kingdom to earth. This kingdom will ultimately include the restoration of all creation, but we can be a part of God’s kingdom today. It is all about the kingly rule of Jesus. Jesus rules in the hearts and minds of those who follow Him. He not only is their savior, but Jesus is their Lord!
After Jesus’ startling announcement of the immediacy of the kingdom, He is quick to point out how one can be a part of that kingdom with two words – repent and believe. It’s not about walking and aisle and repeating a prayer asking Jesus to come into your heart. Jesus did not teach that. In fact, you will find it nowhere in Scripture. Beloved, we need to get back to what Jesus preached – repent and believe!
Time is something in which we are much attuned. We look back on our life and wonder where all the time has gone. We can not account for all of it, but we have milestones along the timeline of our life that are very meaningful. For me those times are when I graduated from college, when I got married, when I had children, when I was ordained as a minister of the Gospel and when I finally realized what it meant to follow Christ, taking up the cross and beginning this wonderful journey from earth to glory.
Throughout the time of the Old Testament, from Abraham through the Prophets, Christ was anticipated and expected. As we today read through the Old Testament, we see that Christ was typified throughout. We learn that the salvation of man through Christ is not a random act, but very well orchestrated by Father. Father loves all people so much; He had a plan of redemption in place even before the foundation of the world was formed. But it would not be in man’s timing. It would be in Father’s perfect timing. Jesus came into our world and announces that the time is fulfilled, and indeed it is fulfilled through Jesus Christ.
Jesus fulfilled the old covenant which identified our sinfulness and He brought us a new covenant that would bring deliverance from the power of sin. Under the old covenant the power of sin was identified, but not broken. Under the new covenant, the power of sin has been broken through what Christ accomplished at the cross of Calvary. And in Father’s perfect timing Jesus came into our world. Beloved, God is and has always been in total control.
May God lift up those in our day who will choose the genuine over the entertaining. May we be those who will reveal to our city God’s kingdom through words and actions resulting in repentance, believing, baptizing and social change.
Many today have turned to entertainment which appeals to the flesh, but does nothing to reconcile us to God and man, nor does it grow God’s kingdom. What is needed today is a genuine move of God through Christ followers who are willing to reveal God’s kingdom through their words and actions resulting in people repenting, believing and being baptized. In Acts 8:9-13 we see a contrast in the impact that an entertainer and a Christ follower has on the public.
Notice the contrast between Simon the magician and Peter the Christ follower.
Simon the Magician:
Was a popular entertainer
Drew attention to himself
Amazed the people with his magic
Peter the Christ Follower:
Revealed the good news about the kingdom of God through his words and actions
Pointed people to Jesus instead of self
Baptized believers as a sign of conversion
The great conclusion of Acts 8:9-13 is that even an entertainer realizes that there is need for something more and that they desire the real over the entertaining.
The kingdom of God is good news to all who will listen, repent and believe that it is here through Jesus Christ. Entertainment will bring temporary satisfaction, but becoming a citizen of God’s kingdom provides eternal fulfillment.
As we follow Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to use us in continuing the point of need ministry of Jesus, we will discover that Christ is for the entire world. We will put faith before country and develop a worldview that includes all of God’s children no matter where they live. May God bless the world!
Beloved, as we follow Jesus into the wilderness, the place of helplessness, we will learn that it is there that we grow dependent upon God. It is God that leads us there because He desires to do a work in us that will allow us to reach our full potential in His Kingdom. God does this work in His timing and not ours. Temptation will come to us and as we make the right choices instead of believing the lies of the devil, we will be given strength and endurance for our journey as God ministers to us right there in our wilderness.
Know that God will minister to us in the wilderness. Beloved, as you make the right choices and not give into the temptation that comes in the wilderness, God will strengthen you. He will sustain you. He will lead you out of the wilderness in due season. He will make a way where there seems to be no way. And when He leads you out, He will lead you in to a work for Him that will be awesome. It will be mindboggling. It will be God.
The wilderness is not easy. We will be tempted to take matters into our own hands. We will be tempted to do it our own way. We will be tempted to get back to the safety and comfort of what we have grown accustomed to. We will be tempted to try to go back the way we came. Temptation will come and we will be given a choice. God will lead us into the wilderness, but he will not make choices for us there that will override our human will. If He did, he would not be a just God. So, He leads us into a position where we can become more reliant upon Him, but the enemy of our soul will try to distract us and try to get us to make the wrong choices. All the devil can do is tempt us. He can’t make choices for us and God won’t. We will have to decide to allow God to do a work in the midst of our wilderness or believe the lies of the devil. Beloved, allow God to do a work in the midst of your wilderness. You will be glad that you did.
As we follow Christ on our journey from earth to glory, it is the Spirit that drives us into the wilderness. It’s a God thing. He desires us to draw close to Him and allow Him to prepare us for the ministry ahead of us on our journey. Each Christ follower has great potential in God’s Kingdom and revealing that Kingdom here on earth, but they must be prepared. Beloved, the wilderness is where such preparation is made.
The timing of us entering the wilderness is in God’s perfect timing. In Jesus’ case, the Spirit did not waste any time. After Jesus submitted to the will of Father which was pleasing to God, the Spirit “immediately drove Him out into the wilderness”. If you are not already in the wilderness being prepared by God for the next step in your journey, you have either just came out or you are getting ready to go in. The timing is God’s. Beloved, allow Him to do a full work in you as you focus entirely upon Him.
The wilderness is a place of utter helplessness. It is where a person can be drawn close to God. It’s where we learn to trust and depend on God instead of trusting and depending upon our own abilities or the abilities of others. I have found that we can go through many wilderness periods in our life as God prepares us for what is ahead of us as we follow Christ and continue His point of need ministry. The key for us is to recognize that we are in the wilderness and utilize our time there to draw closer to God. We should not be focused on getting out of the wilderness or the time that we are allocated to stay there. Instead, our focus should be on drawing closer to God and trusting Him more.
A true Christ follower allows God to direct their steps and can recognize God’s hand upon them as they journey from earth to glory. Along the way, they learn that it is good for them to release more of their self dependence and become more God reliant. As they submit to the will of God, they receive all the strength and endurance that they need for the journey that is not void of wilderness periods.
Beloved, submit to God and His plans for your life letting him direct your every step. Follow Christ. Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him. And be assured that you are baptized into the body of Christ by the Spirit that dwells within you.
We are to submit to God and His plans for our life. As we do, we will experience the Father’s pleasure as Jesus did.
I have found out in life that our plans are not always God’s plans. We will make our plans for our life and we have a choice to either follow those plans or allow God to direct our steps. If we allow God to direct our steps, we will find that the way He takes us is not the way that we would have gone.
We have the tendency to take the easy and the comfortable way that will cause us less pain. God’s way takes us into and through difficulty. As we allow Him to direct our steps, we will learn to trust Him totally with our life and everything that we have. Our rewards on this earth may not be much, but we will have rewards waiting for us in heaven.
Beloved, always remember that rewards on earth are temporary. Rewards in heaven are eternal.
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." (Mark 1:9-11 ESV)
As John was baptizing all of the people who were repenting of their sins, Jesus appears on the scene. This is the most unlikely time for the Son of God to show up. Jesus had no need to repent of sins because He was sinless. But yet, He allowed John to baptize Him. His baptism was not for sins, but was to identify with people in their sin showing His willingness to submit to God’s judgment of their sin.
Jesus’ submission to the Father’s will, which meant certain death on a cross, was pleasing to the Father and demonstrated by the Father’s words and the Spirit’s descent upon Jesus. Notice that all three persons of the Trinity was present – the Father, the Son and the Spirit.
It is hard for us to comprehend what is taking place. Jesus came into our world to die for our sin. He was sinless and had no need to die for Himself. It was all about us. The Father loves us and wants to spend eternity with us so much that He sent Jesus. The Father wants us to experience life in Him and not death. And Jesus submitted to the will of the Father and He came. He left the glory of heaven and the splendor of the Father’s presence to come into our world to live and to die. He came as the son of man and He came as the son of God. He was 100% human and 100% God. As the son of man, he lived his life as an example for us to follow. As the son of God, He died for our sin taking God’s judgment for it upon Himself. And here at His baptism He, as a man, is indwelt by the Spirit just as all those who are born into God’s Kingdom would be.
Jesus lived a life on this earth that pleased the Father. It is our hearts desire to please the Father through living in Jesus. We can glean and learn much in the example that Christ gave us as He walked this earth as the Son of Man full of the Spirit while heading to the cross to die for our sins as the Son of God.
Our relationship with Christ is what transforms us into servants that can be used of God. This relationship will mold and shape us to reach our full potential in the Kingdom of God. It is not about religion, tradition or a code of conduct. It’s about a relationship with Jesus that transforms our mind, our heart, our life and our actions. This relationship includes trusting Jesus, confessing Him as Lord, following His example, following His teaching and being transformed by it. It also includes being prepared to face the same kind of suffering that Jesus faced for the sake of others.
Mark jumps right into truth as he begins the Gospel of Mark. In the first eight verses we are introduced to John the Baptist and Jesus Christ is exalted.
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'" John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (Mark 1:1-8 ESV)
The very first verse of Mark is short, but it speaks volumes – “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1 ESV)” Throughout the entire Gospel of Mark, we are told about Jesus. It is good news to all who learn of Him, but this good news did have its beginning with Mark’s Gospel. Jesus was proclaimed throughout the Old Testament and the Prophets and Mark is implying to this with a reference to Isaiah.
Mark declares that Jesus is the Son of God and the Christ. The name “Jesus” means “Yahweh is salvation”. Matthew brings particular attention to this meaning – “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21 ESV)”
Christ is a title and means “the anointed one”, or “the Messiah”. So here at the start of the Gospel of Mark we have the declaration that Jesus is the son of God and the Messiah who saves us from our sin and delivers us out of its captivity and bondage.
I thank God that He sent Jesus into our world!
Putting faith into action is the right thing to do. Putting faith into action costs us something. Putting faith into action will advance God’s kingdom.
As we follow Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to use us in continuing the point of need ministry of Jesus, we will put our faith in action advancing God’s kingdom beyond any ethnic, racial and gender boundaries and extend it to ALL people in our sphere of influence and beyond. It will cost us something, but Christ followers counted the cost when they denied their self, took up their cross and followed Jesus.
If you have been a quitter and returned to where you started it doesn’t mean that God is through with you. He desires to use you and will take your failures and use them to mold and shape you into what He has for you to accomplish. Don’t beat yourself up. Don’t take to heart the criticism and rejection of others because of what you have done. Pick yourself up and become a different person. Allow your failure to propel you forward into the destiny that God has already prepared for you to walk in by His grace. The best is yet to come in your life!
As in Jesus' day, we still have religionist trying to contain and confine God to a specific place or a set of rules and regulations.God is the Creator; how can the maker of everything be confined within man-made structures?Jesus came and replaced the Temple and fulfilled the Law.He has made God’s children the dwelling place of God and everywhere they go, God is there.
God is neither contained nor confined to an individual country or religious structures including finite theological boxes, multi-million dollar mega church facilities and small local church buildings.God is with His children and His activity is never inhibited.
God is everywhere. He is with us through all periods of our life. He is with us through the good times and the bad times constantly molding and shaping us to enter into our destiny. Some will refuse to ever change with us and some will reject us because of our stand for faith and justice, but God will be with us. He will never reject us or forsake us.
Some think holy ground is found in a church building, at an altar, a certain location and piece of land or country. We need to understand where to find holy ground.
Holy ground is not found in a building, in a certain location, among a particular group of people or associated with any land. Moses found holy ground on the back side of the desert tending sheep. Moses learned that the holy place is wherever God may be and that God is always with us.
Holy ground is where God is and God is everywhere we go. May we learn it, believe it and always trust in it.
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:3-7 ESV)
Do you feel that you are in a hopeless situation? Nothing you try to do helps and you don’t know what to do next. Please know today that no situation is hopeless.
The central theme of the book of Acts in God’s Word is found in one verse given to us by Jesus Christ. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Act 1:8 ESV)
Throughout the book of Acts we see this fulfilled. Stephen preached Christ to the Jews in Acts 7. In Acts 8, Phillip preached Christ to the Samaritans who were half Jews. In Acts 10, Peter preached Christ to the house of Cornelius who was non Jewish or Gentiles. The rest of the book of Acts focuses on the preaching of Christ to all people regardless of their race or social status.
Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. (Act 11:19-21 ESV)
Many Gentiles had lost their confidence in their idols and were looking for something better. Their situation looked hopeless, but God was working on their behalf. He broke down religious tradition and practices in people and sent them to Antioch to preach Jesus. Through the preaching of Christ, many non Jewish people turned from their idols, received the forgiveness of sins and became followers of Jesus Christ.
You may be saying about now, "how does this help me?" "My situation seems hopeless and I don’t understand how this is relevant to me."
Beloved, these three verses of Scripture are relevant to us today, in the midst of our seemingly hopeless situations, because God’s heart is revealed to us in them.
God goes out of his way to rescue perishing people and provide hope to the hopeless. God does not want people to be hopeless no matter where they live, what they have done or what they have become. He sent Jesus into our world to give us the hope of eternal life. Jesus showed us by example how to live a life dependent upon God, He died for our sins and on the third day He defeated the hopelessness of death giving us resurrection life.
God uses people to help others out of their hopeless situations. In God’s infinite wisdom, He uses people to help people. It is God that gives a person the heart to go out of their way utilizing their time, talent and treasure to help other people. If you are in a situation that seems hopeless today, know that God is preparing others and He will send them just at the right time to help you at your point of need.
The power of God is manifested in the midst of hopeless situations. If your situation seems hopeless, you are ready for the power of God to be manifested in your life. He will work undeniable miracles in ways in which He will be exalted.
Where Christ is exalted, hopelessness turns to faith. God’s Word is what grows our faith. Christ is exalted throughout God’s Word. As we read God’s Word and we listen to God’s Word proclaimed through His messengers our hopelessness turns to faith. As our faith in Christ grows through the consumption of God’s Word, we become strong in Him and nothing will move us.
Be encouraged today! God is for you and not against you. He is working on your behalf even when you do not realize it. As you wait on the Lord, His power will be manifested in the midst of your situation and He will be exalted in and through your life. Know today that there is no situation that is hopeless with God!
God is not partial and He does not show partiality to one group of people over another based on status or race. God loves all people and He has sent the Holy Spirit to baptize us all into one body.
Peter was preaching a simple but yet powerful Christ centric message as recorded in Acts 10:34-43. His audience was of a different nationality, but Peter had learned that God shows no partiality. God loves all people and desires that all people come to Him through Jesus Christ. As Peter told this house full of foreigners about Jesus, faith rose up within each hearer. And we know that God’s word declares that faith comes from hearing the Word (Romans 10:17) . It was saving faith springing up within them like a gushing fountain and they were receiving the forgiveness of sin that Peter told them would come through believing (Acts 10:43).
While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, "Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days. (Act 10:44-48 ESV)
As Peter was speaking, there was a holy interruption. He did not conclude his message with a story and a prayer, nor did he precede his message with a joke to break the ice. He didn’t ask for a show of hands of those who would like to receive Jesus into their hearts. He did not ask people to come forward to receive Christ. He simply spoke God’s message and the Holy Spirit did the rest.
The six Jewish brothers (“the believers from among the circumcised”) that he brought with him were “amazed”. They could not believe that God was pouring out the gift of the Holy Spirit on these foreigners as He had poured out on the Jews on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). And they would have never believed it if they had not come with Peter and witnessed what God was doing at this God gathering. They were witnessing God baptizing believers into one body by His Spirit. It is as the Apostle Paul would write in 1 Corinthians 12:13 “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks”.
When Peter realized that these people had just received the Holy Spirit as He had earlier, he immediately pointed them to water baptism which is an outside indicator and testimony of what God has done on the inside. All through the book of Acts and early church history, Christ followers did not wait to baptize a new Christ follower in water. When a person was baptized into the body by the Spirit, they immediately looked for a hole of water deep enough to follow their Lord Jesus Christ in water baptism.
Beloved, in this paragraph of Scripture, some of the heart of God is revealed to us:
He desires to use preachers to communicate the good news of Christ to all people.
He has ordained the preaching and hearing of the Word to produce and grow saving faith in people.
He does not need manmade gimmicks that produce “converts” or “church members”.
He is not partial.
He loves and desires for all people to be baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ regardless of race, regardless of status, regardless of what they have done and regardless of what they have become.
God is no respecter of people. What He does for one, He will do for another. May He lift up preachers in our day who will deliver God messages and allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in baptizing all people, Jews and Gentiles, into the body of Christ. And may we be quick to follow our Lord Jesus Christ in water baptism as an outward testimony of a spiritual rebirth.
Prayer and Scripture is the conduit for God's revelation. Be patient though. It's in the waiting that you learn Scripture and receive His strength. His strength gives you the endurance needed to do that which is revealed and Scripture is the litmus test as to the authenticity of the revelation.
Pray.
Read and learn Scripture, especially the New Testament, since Christ came and fulfilled the Old.
Wait.
Strength for endurance will come.
Revelation will come and it will be confirmed through Scripture.
If we seek God, He will find us. As we place all of our trust in Him and allow our faith to control us, He will lead us into all that He has for us and it will be good.
In Acts chapter 10 we see God breaking down racial prejudices so that the Gospel can be shared with all people regardless of their race. There is no room for any discrimination within the church of Jesus Christ. Discrimination will always divide and never unite. In the body of Christ there is unity.
In the beginning of Acts chapter 10 we are introduced to Cornelius. We learn about him and his desire for God. We also learn that if we seek God, He will find us.
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, "Cornelius." And he stared at him in terror and said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea." When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
(Act 10:1-8 ESV)
Caesarea was the capital of Judea and was about 30 miles north of Joppa, where Peter was staying with Simon the tanner on the coast (Acts 9:43). God was doing a deep work in Peter and breaking down all prejudices as we will see further evidence of in Acts Chapter 10.
Cornelius, stationed in Caesarea, was a centurion and part of the Italian Cohort. A cohort was a group of 6 centuries which were 100 men each, so a cohort was 600 men. Each century was under the command of one Centurion. Centurions were the backbone of the Roman army and would be equivalent to a modern day Captain. Each Centurion was paid well at five times the pay of an ordinary soldier.
Cornelius was socially prominent and wealthy. Cornelius is proof that it is possible for a person to be socially prominent and wealthy while being a person of faith. Cornelius did not allow his prominence and wealth to control him. He allowed his faith to control him as we know from this paragraph of Scripture.
The evidences of his faith are:
He was devout and feared God. “God-fearer” is a term used in New Testament times for a Gentile who had attached themselves to the Jewish religion. They did not accept circumcision and the Law; but they attended the synagogue and believed in one God.
He gave generously to meet the needs of people. His search for God had made him love people and desire to meet their needs.
He prayed to God continually.
He was quick to obey God’s message when it came.
Cornelius was a Gentile and not a Jew, but he attached himself to the Jewish religion instead of the pagan beliefs of his surroundings. He wanted all that God had for him and really trusted the Lord to guide him in all things. He was certain that what God had for him was good.
Allow your faith to control you. Put all of your trust in the Lord today. He will guide you in all things. All that He has in store for you is good. As you seek Him and do all that you know to do, He will lead you into all that He has for you. Be quick to obey Him. Seek God and let Him find you.
God’s love for us and His desire to be with us amazes me. He created us to be His inheritance and He has gone out of His way to be with us. It blows me away because there are times I don’t even want to be with me! Yet God does! Isn’t that awesome? Think about it. With all of the imperfections we have, God who is perfect wants to be with us. Amazing! That’s what it is. It’s amazing grace. God loves us so much and wants to be with us so much, He has come into our world through Jesus Christ. Everything He does, He does to benefit us and our well being on this journey that we are on from earth to Glory.
Through the unction of the Holy Spirit allow me to point out a few nuggets from the Word to you today. In Mark 2:1-12, we see and sense the heart that God has for each of us.
Jesus preaches the Word.
The Word of God says (Mark 2:1-2 NIV) "A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. {2} So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them."
The first chapter of Mark tells us that Jesus came to Capernaum preaching a message of repentance for the Kingdom of God is at hand. He called people to follow Him. He set people free that were bound by evil. He healed the sick. And He went to other towns doing the same. In the second chapter of Mark Jesus comes back to Capernaum and is probably once again at the house of Peter. The house is packed with people that need God to touch them. The church growth “experts” of our day tell pastors and church leaders in America that people will not come to church if they are crowded. They have told leadership that once a building reaches 80% of capacity you have to build a bigger facility. They have told leadership that people have to be in a comfortable setting with padded seating, just the right colors on the walls and floors with the air temperature not too hot and not too cold but just right. And the sound and acoustics have to be perfect; not too loud and not too soft, but just right. Because of this, many churches have went into loads of debt and because of their debt load, the poor and needy in their communities are neglected and their city is not impacted by the love of God through the church.
The Bible tells us something different than what the church growth “experts” of our day tells us. The Bible tells us that people will come to where Jesus is present. They don’t care if they are crowded. They don’t care if the seating is not comfortable. They don’t care if it’s too hot or too cold. They don’t care if the sound and acoustics are not perfect. They just want to be in Jesus’ presence. And that’s the setting we have here in this passage. May God lift up pastors and church leaders in our day that will refuse to listen to the “experts” and get back to what God says in His Word. It is God’s Word that is the authoritative guide for all of our beliefs and actions. We must listen to God and not the “experts” in order for us to impact cities in our day.
Notice what Jesus does in this packed house setting. In verse 2 it says “he preached the word to them.” He did not entertain them. He did not start a program or conduct a special event. God knew that they did not need that because none of that would help them on their journey from earth to Glory. It would only make their flesh temporarily feel good. They needed more than that. They needed food for the spirit and soul. Jesus PREACHED THE WORD!
Beloved, in our day we need the Word of God preached! It’s only the Word that builds faith. If you are involved in a church where the Word has been diluted or replaced by entertainment, you need to run as far as you can from it. Find a church that has a pastor and church leaders that love Jesus and His Word. Find a church where the Word is preached and lived out in daily life. You don’t need entertainment. You need the Word. Entertainment will gratify the flesh, but the Word will build faith in you and sustain you on your journey from earth to Glory!
Jesus forgives sins.
The Word of God says (Mark 2:3-5 NIV) "Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. {4} Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. {5} When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven.""
God has come into our world forgiving sins. We look at people and see their great physical needs that are obvious. God looks at people and sees their greatest need and that is the forgiveness of sins. This is a need that only God can meet. Only God can forgive sins.
The religionist of our day believe that people need to come to God through their perfections. Because of this the church today has grown intolerant to those that are struggling on their journey. God help us! We don’t come to God through our perfections; we come to God through our imperfections. It’s through our imperfections that we realize we need God.
God’s Word says: (Isaiah 64:6 NIV) "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." (Romans 3:23 NIV) "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (1 John 1:8-9 NIV) "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. {9} If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
God has come into our world forgiving sins. He knows that is our greatest need. A perfect God comes into an imperfect world riddled with sin and He reaches out to imperfect people forgiving them in the midst of their imperfections. Come to God just as you are. Don’t wait until you are good enough. If you do, you will never come to Him. Come to Him as this paralyzed man did. Come just as you are in the midst of all of your imperfections. He offers you forgiveness.
Jesus brings miracles to our lives.
God’s Word says (Mark 2:6-12 NIV) "Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, {7} "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" {8} Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? {9} Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? {10} But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic, {11} "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." {12} He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!""
Wow! Jesus does not buckle under the pressures of the religionist. Instead, He works a miracle in this man’s life. God has come into our world working miracles. This man was carried into the presence of Jesus full of spiritual and physical imperfections. He walked out completely forgiven and made whole.
Beloved, that’s the God that we serve. He blows away the ideas and teachings of the religionists of our day that have put Him in a theological box that they can explain and control and He ministers to imperfect people. God has come into our world preaching the Word, forgiving sins and working miracles. That’s just what I need in my life. I don’t need entertainment. I don’t need comforts. I don’t need the religionist of my day. What I do need is the Word of God, forgiveness of sins and miracles in my life. And God has come into my world to do just that.
O how much He loves me. O how much He loves you. Rejoice Beloved! Rejoice! God loves us so much He has come into our world!
By God's grace, we are called to pick up our cross, deny self and follow Jesus.
We choose to follow or not.
He does not choose for us.
If He did, He would not be a just God.
And He is just.
So the choice is ours.
As we follow Him, a wonderful and supernatural work happens within us on our journey.
We develop His mind.
We develop His heart.
He changes the way we think.
Our behavior toward others change.
His love develops within us and extends to those in need around us.
We stand for faith and justice no matter what it costs us.
That's true religion my friend... that's true religion.
Henry Scougal said "True religion is a union of God with the soul, a real participation of the divine nature, the very image of God drawn upon the soul, or in the apostle's phrase, it is Christ formed in us."
We complete a task or a project and sit back taking pleasure in our accomplishment.
We get that one thing that we always wanted, not knowing how we could continue to live without it, and we take pleasure in obtaining it.
What does God take pleasure in?
He has created all things.
As I stood 11,000 feet above, atop the wonder of Mt. Hood in the beautiful state of Oregon, I looked around at the majesty of God’s creation and I took pleasure in it.
As I sat in the crispness and silence of a pre-dawn morning in the woods of Kentucky surrounded by nothing but nature and awaiting the sunrise, I took pleasure in the quietness of anticipating another awakening of God's creation to the rays of light and warmth.
Oh the joy of taking pleasure in God’s creation recognizing Him and His greatness in it.
But, what does God take pleasure in? The beauty, vastness and majesty of what He has created?
God’s source of pleasure is more specific.
God takes pleasure in you.
Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre! He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry. His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. (Psa 147:7-11 ESV)
Copyright 2005-2013 Loving God Fellowship, Inc. Compliance with copyright restrictions requires that no portion of this site (written, audio, or visual) may be reproduced in any form without written permission of Loving God Fellowship, Inc.
"Loving God Fellowship" and the Loving God Fellowship logo are registered trademarks of Loving God Fellowship, Inc.
, to encourage people to realize that God is always working in our lives, even if we can not see it or feel it. The book is not about fictitious characters from a movie, like George Bailey, and it's not just a Christmas book or a book to be read at Christmas time. In the book I take real life characters and show how God worked in their life while making it relevant to each reader by showing how God is working in us, no matter what we are going through in life. 
.
