Talk of JESUS . com

Tag: Christ

  • What do I do with this? – Grace

    What do I do with this? – Grace

    ‘Grace’ is a continuation from the ‘Law.’

    The Law convicts us of our sinfulness.

    Some leaders of God’s people and teachers of God’s word use the Law to convict ALL of our sinfulness. (And well they should; for who among us is without sin?) Yet those who have no regard for GOD have no regard for the Law of God.

    Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? – John 8:46

    Pharisees asked Jesus questions in many attempts to convict the Son of God of sin. Yet only Jesus Christ lived a life without sin.

    What about the rest of us? Who can God accept as sinless?

    God’s answer to our conviction by the Law is the redeeming grace of the sacrifice of Christ.

    2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV

    All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

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    Do we use scripture like the Pharisees to convict only? Or unlike most men, do we not only convict ourselves and others of our sin but also show how God has forgiven our sins?

    Are YOU a sinner? (I sin.) Then we need mercy or we cannot live in the love of a Perfect loving God. We are unable to live a Christ-like life. We are sinners forgiven.

    God instructs us in scripture to make us more God-like, a more perfect image of Him. God instructs us through scripture just like a loving father teaching his beloved children. Even the Law of the Father is foundation to the instruction of the obedient child, yet a loving father instructs also in our failings.

    What father does not teach and rebuke his own sons and daughters? What father does not correct and instruct his own children in the righteousness of more abundant life?

    Instruction is the whole training of a child (or adult); not just in school, not just by a teacher, not only by our parents. Correction by our heavenly Father is a redirection back to the Law and the will of our Father who loves us dearly.

    Instruction by God is given in scripture for all who would be children of the Living God.

    We are convicted in the heart: I am a terrible sinner, always turning from the ways my loving Father intends. We need God’s fatherly love even though we reject our Father’s instruction of scripture.

    Can you see the love and compassion of our heavenly Father in sending the loving Son, Christ Jesus, to the Cross to pay the price of your sin and of mine?

    God our Father has shone us not only mercy for our sins, but His grace of abundant love and eternal life.

    What is grace? It is favor and acceptance we do NOT deserve. We are more than accepted by God our Father; we are loved in the fullness of His grace.

    Who would not desire the kindness, the compassion, the gentleness of Jesus?

    Would all mankind not be more god-like if only we would mirror the image of Jesus?

    We sin. We break the Law. We trespass to that place where we do not belong in God’s will. What should we expect? Punishment.

    What if we are caught (by the living God who knows all things)? What if we will come to His judgment at the last day or at the day of our inevitable death? What will GOD have to do to cover our sin we sometimes try so hard to hide from others?

    What if our eternal soul must suffer for our mortal sins of this brief, measured life? What does the Law require?

    GOD did not require grace for you or for me. God required a price to be paid for your sin and for mine. By His own love God paid the Court of Judgment everything just for the love of your soul.

    For the love of our souls Christ died on the Cross that we might have eternal grace and unending love.

    Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. – Hebrews 4:16

    For the sake of Christ’s love, God’s very mercy sacrificed for you, accept the reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness by our heavenly Father; for your soul is sought by His eternal and overflowing love for you and for me.

    Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love. 2 John 1:3

  • Seeing the Invisible Spirit

    Seeing the Invisible Spirit

    How does the LORD use the Bible? How do we use the Bible to show others the Lord Jesus?

    All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

    – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV

    Peter’s powerful sermon of Pentecost is perhaps among the best preaching in the Bible after Jesus is raised from the grave. Yet if you or I had been in Peter’s sandals and new position of leadership, what would we have to say?

    Let’s take a look at the context and application of events confronting this ‘preacher’ and ask of our situation, ‘What do I do with this?’

    Acts 2:

    When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

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    Let’s be clear of the place and condition of the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the LORD GOD, promised by Christ Jesus, Son of the Living God:  “they were all together in one place.” Peter and the Apostles were worshiping.

    Peter and the Apostles were worshiping in Jerusalem where Christ Jesus had been crucified on the Cross outside the gates for our sins; in Jerusalem where Christ Jesus our Lord had risen from the grave to appear to Peter, the Twelve and many (and in many places for fifty days) Pentecost is a celebration of worship, like the Passover, which brought many of the faithful to the city of Jerusalem to worship the LORD.

    5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together…

    The sound of Almighty God draws worshipers to the place where worshipers dwell. Inexplicable, all-powerful Spirit of the Living God, here-present; NOT in the Temple of God (re-built by Herod), nor before only a High Priest behind a veil which separates the Holiness of the LORD from the sinners of God’s choosing. NO! The Holy Spirit of the Living God fell on the Apostles of Jesus and the Twelve began to preach with the Power of the Living GOD.

    “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language?

    Some things only God can do. Perhaps a High Priest might witness the Holy Presence of the LORD.

    Centuries before the great silence of God in defeated Israel and defeated Judah, on occasion the Voice of God would be heard out of the mouth of the LORD’s Prophet. It is one of these great Prophets this uneducated Galilean fisherman taught from and rebuked the unbelieving people who had witnessed the Crucifixion less than two months ago. It is a fisherman speaking in languages of gentiles and of Jews who all amazingly understand the Apostles. It is the Spirit of the LORD instructing Jews and gentiles through faithful worshipers, rather than by educated Pharisees like a Saul of Tarsus, who would later witness the risen Christ.

    What was it the Apostle Peter reiterates in Jerusalem of Judea from the Prophet Joel of 800 years before Christ?

    [Joel (meaning “one to whom Jehovah is God,” that is, worshiper of Jehovah) seems to have belonged to Judah. – Commentary by A. R. Faussett ]

    What had worshipers in Jerusalem forgotten in the short weeks since a dramatic blood moon at the Crucifixion of Jesus and the tearing of the veil of the Temple?

    What have some of us forgotten since the worshipful festival of Easter just a few Sundays ago?

    Joel 1:

    1 The word of the LORD that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel: 2 Hear this, O elders, And listen, all inhabitants of the land. Has anything like this happened in your days Or in your fathers’ days?…

    8 Lament like a virgin wearing sackcloth for the bridegroom of her youth.

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    Was Israel not the Chosen Bride of the Living God?

    Was the Bridegroom not crucified by those rejecting God’s promised grace of Perfect forgiveness?

    The Spirit of the LORD poured forth from Peter and the Apostles. Worshipers of GOD were drawn to the Invisible Word spoken through these servants of Christ Jesus.

    Acts 2:

    17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
    that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
    and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
        and your young men shall see visions,
        and your old men shall dream dreams;
    18 even on my male servants and female servants
        in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
    19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above
        and signs on the earth below,
        blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
    20 the sun shall be turned to darkness
        and the moon to blood,
        before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
    21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

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    Peter is not reading from a scroll in the Temple. This uneducated fisherman is reminding Jerusalem of not only infrequently heard words of the Prophet Joel, but of the dramatic events of just two months earlier when the sun turned to darkness and the Bridegroom of Righteousness cried out from a cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

    Peter now preaches by the Spirit of what Joel had foretold of these very last days, begun on a Cross just weeks before.

    22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

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    The bold fisherman of Galilee again quotes scripture from the hymnal of the Jews, the words of Psalm 16 :

    25 For David says concerning him,

    “‘I saw the Lord always before me,
        for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
    26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
        my flesh also will dwell in hope.
    27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
        or let your Holy One see corruption.
    28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
        you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

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    The Spirit then gives Peter not only more scripture to speak to the souls before him, but application to their salvation. Speaking of King David, a man after God’s own heart, Peters says:

    31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

    Speaking of what some in the crowd surely had witnessed in Jerusalem at the previous feast of Pentecost, Peter proclaims:

    32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.

    33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit,

    he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

    God’s chosen worshipers are once again witnessing the invisible and inexplicable signs and wonders in the Apostles, signs and wonders not unlike those many had also witnessed personally in Christ Jesus of Nazareth.

    The Spirit and Peter confront their souls with the evidence of the Messiah, sacrificed and risen. Jesus is not a King like David; Jesus is more than a King of the Jews and of Jerusalem.

    34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

    “‘The Lord said to my Lord,
    “Sit at my right hand,
    35     until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

    36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

    Peter, by the power of the Spirit and the convicting words of scripture has applied the Word of God to the very moment of salvation for those with ears to hear.

    The Bridegroom of the church speaks by the Spirit to those with ears to hear:

    • Will you hear the conviction of the Savior you crucified in the words of Peter?
    • Will you turn from your sinful ways to take up your cross and follow Christ Jesus?
    • Has Jesus’s love drawn your soul to the wedding feast which will come on the clouds of these last days?
    • Will this Spirit-filled sermon make any difference in your days?
    • Will the Lord Jesus be your Lord?

     

    God IS in Person, Christ Jesus!

    The Spirit of the I AM, the LORD, calls out to you.

    • What must you do?

    Acts 2:37-47

     

  • Blessings and Woes – 2

    Blessings and Woes – 2

    “Blessed are you who are poor…

    “Blessed are you who are hungry now…

    “Blessed are you who weep now…

    22 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!

    “But woe to you who are rich…

    “Woe to you who are full now…

    “Woe to you who laugh now…

    26 “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

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    WAIT! This doesn’t seem right.

    Doesn’t that smilin’ prosperity preacher say God will BLESS you who are rich? God will fill up the baskets in our mega-church. And Jesus gives us every reason to laugh and smile and (don’t worry,) be happy. 🙂

    This is NOT what Jesus is teaching. Jesus is saying the poor are blessed. Jesus encourages those who are hungry now and those who weep.

    tyre-sidon-galileeThere were great crowds from everywhere who came to Jesus, hoping that He IS the Messiah of God, hoping that Jesus would have mercy on their many troubles.

    Don’t we hope that?

    Wouldn’t your troubled friend, who does not know Jesus, hope for that?

    Luke 6:

    Jesus Ministers to a Great Multitude

    17 And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.

    19 And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.

    WOW! A Rabbi, a Prophet, a man of compassion with the Power of the LORD GOD YHVH! Jesus, whose Name was unknown had become known for His miracles and His teachings throughout the land, from Dan to Beersheba to Tyre and Sidon, in the rich homes of Jerusalem and the poor villages and and in the cities far distant from the hills of Galilee.

    The Living Christ not only teaches the hope and contrast between the godly and ungodly, Jesus teaches those in the crowds with ears to hear: why.

    Why will the poor inherit the Kingdom of God, rather than the rich who have inherited the blessings of the generations of their fathers? Jesus has come to us as one of us, a poor man of simple flesh – yet a Prophet and Teacher with Power more potent than the most powerful King or Emperor (whose Royal Robes and riches the Lord did not desire).

    Miracles! Mercy. Messiah!

    Now hear the rest of the blessings as Jesus taught.

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    The Beatitudes

    20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:

    “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

    21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.

    “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

    22 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!

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    Imagine the JOY of those in the multitudes, surrounded by the lame dancing, the blind seeing the beauty of their loved ones, the deaf hearing the laughter of children, the discouraged singing with praise and thanks giving. Imagine the HOPE of the defeated sons of Abraham and the hopeful and hated Samaritans from that West Bank. Image even Syrians from distant Tyre and Sidon accepting the love of the One true God.

    The new life in the crowd and anticipation of the spoken Logos, the Very Word of God, must have celebrated this moment as a free crowd gathered for the Super Bowl, the World Cup and the ancient Olympics all drawn here to a hillside in insignificant Galilee.

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    23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.

    My GOD! He IS on our side. Jesus loves us as our rulers and managers of the Temple do not. He is the King to come – the Promised One!

    Then the Messiah speaks against those who oppress us.

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    Jesus Pronounces Woes

    24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.

    25 “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.

    “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

    26 “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

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    We will follow a King like that anywhere. Let Him lead us into Jerusalem, into the captive lands, even into Rome itself! (Will the ushers be taking up a collection for the blessing of swords now?)

    On to the Nations! On to the Riches! On to the oil fields (as false prophets of the sword would say in this day).

    But WAIT! (as the pitch of a recent century once built anticipation.) There’s MORE. (Do you have ears to hear?)

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    Love Your Enemies

    27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

    29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

    32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you?

    For even sinners love those who love them.

    33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.

    34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.

    35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

    36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

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    I don’t know if I can do that. In fact, I don’t want to do that.

    What happened to our victory and our blessing? What happened to the King passing judgment of evil and killing our enemies? Is this a King I would follow?

    Come on Jesus. Give us all swords and we’ll cut off their heads and drive them back into the sea!

     Syria 2015 – video

    Judging Others

    37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap.

    For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

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    But ROME? Godless men from other lands invading our promised land… What of them?

    IF a “man of god” will not lead by the sword and execute judgement on evil what hope have we?

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    “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?

    40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.

    41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

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    Dear brother, dear sister in the Lord,

    Do you desire to be like your Teacher?

    OR do you still desire evil for evil, as taught by the rulers of this passing world and dead prophets of the sword?

    We judge men of false gods and evil unmerciful rulers; but what of a Saul of Tarsus? What of a Muslim who Christ draws unto Himself?

    Are we not murders of these men in our own hearts?

    Yet we do not remove the evil of our own hearts with even a scalpel, let alone extracting the cancer of our chronic wickedness, mercifully covered by the love of Christ’s Blood sacrificed for us on the Cross.

    Where is our fruit of the Lord’s mercy and grace of God’s love in these last long difficult days?

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    42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye?

    You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.

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    And I gently suggest to our enemies of the Cross – Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist, agnostic and atheist – are you not also one judging Christ’s saints without mercifully removing the blinding log of tradition and rebellion against God from your own eye? Are we not all hypocrites in need of much mercy before God for the unrepentant wickedness of our own flesh?

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    A Tree and Its Fruit

    43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit,44 for each tree is known by its own fruit.

    For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.

    45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

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    Therefore beloved friend, skeptic and critic of every other Christian and every other man made in the image of God seeking to do what is right: What has the love of a Righteous King, a son of man like you taught you this day of blessing? What has Christ Jesus taught you about the woes of this world?

    Do you choose the fruit of reward of the dust and ashes of your grave? Would you inherit the kingdom also ruled in Hell by the false angel who rebelled against Almighty God?

    IS CHRIST JESUS not a teacher of mercy: that our Father God, in whose Image we are made, is known to our soul; that the Creator of all men and judge of all creation did send us Great Grace, in the love of  Christ Jesus, He IS the only Son of Redemption who could possibly have the riches of eternity sufficient for my sin!

    What must you do, IF you are to have eternal blessing in Christ Jesus, in place of the rotted fruit of your sin and woes of our wickedness?

    What must you do, beloved friend, to inherit the eternal Kingdom of Christ Jesus?

    For Jesus IS Lord and King forever. Amen.