Talk of JESUS . com

Tag: Jesus

  • Times of Difficulty – 4

    Times of Difficulty – 4

    Who will you believe?

    “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.

    The Lord commissions the prophet Jeremiah, who must warn nations of their sins against God. Like any true prophet, Jeremiah has nothing to gain by the Lord’s choice to make him a messenger. Who will believe the Lord’s message and messenger?

    Jeremiah 1:

    And the Lord said to me,

    “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

    Generations Earlier

    The Lord saved Noah and his family from a great flood.

    Ark Encounter

    Do you suppose Noah’s neighbors had questions of why this crazy old man was building a huge ark? Yet did any return to the Lord rather than embrace their sins?

    Even today man refuses to believe God would condemn the whole earth, saving only a righteous man. We deny judgment, refuse the warnings of the Lord’s true messengers and dismiss scripture.

    In Times Long Ago

    Egyptians worshiped Pharaoh as a god. The Lord worked mighty miracles by the hand of Moses allowing an enslaved Hebrew people to migrate to Canaan. Powerful middle east princes practiced ritual evil worshiping idols which are no god. 

    Why would such self-serving men as Pharaoh or a middle east prince believe that Moses spoke for the Lord? For that matter, why would this self-serving generation believe that the Lord has spoken to any?

    9th c. B.C.

    1 Kings 18:

    21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.

    We prefer to worship gods of our making rather than Almighty God. Mortal man revolts against any authority other than our own.

    7th-6th c. B.C.

    Jeremiah 2:

    5 Thus says the Lord:

    “What wrong did your fathers find in me
    that they went far from me,
    and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?

    6 They did not say,

    ‘Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that none passes through, where no man dwells?’

    7 And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things.

    But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination.

    8 The priests did not say, ‘Where is the Lord?’

    Those who handle the law did not know me; the shepherds transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit.

    The rule of righteousness set by the Lord means nothing to men who define their own sin. False prophets and war-like men lead multitudes to lives of destruction and evil. Is anything new under the sun?

    People will believe or disbelieve whatever they want.

    Jesus Messiah

    1st c. A.D.

    Into an era dominated by Rome, a nominal jewish leadership asks their Messiah Jesus to perform more miracles.

    Show us a sign.

    Did first century jews want to bow down to a king any more than we do? Even if Almighty God appears to us in the flesh, will we believe and obey?

    Instead, the Son of Man warns believers to be on guard.

    Jesus is not a King who would conquer land. Neither is He a conquering mortal prince whose claim of the sword comes from God’s angels.

    Jesus IS! He is a King above all kings, Creator of men from dust. And to dust we will return!

    The Lord commands the sea, sun and stars. He IS Creator of men and women who will return to dust, Creator of these souls which live in the bounds of flesh and will be judged in the court of the Almighty King of all creation.

    God is a righteous judge,
    and a God who feels indignation every day. – Psalm 7:11

    Grace for Sinful Man

    The Lord came to man in the flesh and became a willing sacrifice for our sins. In light of the love of God our heavenly Father, in light of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus and in light of the eternal life breathed into the dust of your soul by the Holy Spirit; what is your response to these times of difficulty?

    Who do you believe?

    And what must you do in these last days, hastening times which began on a Cross?

    To be continued…

     

  • Times of Difficulty – 3

    Times of Difficulty – 3

    Watch Yourselves

    Luke 21:

    34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

    Watch yourselves! A warning of apocalypse.

    “Be on guard,” states the King James, with the same Greek word where Jesus warns to ‘beware of false prophets.’ And in case you missed it, Jesus reiterates the warning. “Stay awake;” “keep on alert,” the King James Version warns. Matthew records Jesus using these warnings together as one.

    [ctt title=”‘Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.’ – Mark 13:33″ tweet=”Do the cares of this life obscure the Light of eternal life? Watch yourselves!” coverup=”Kj6Z5″]

    Who does Jesus warn?

    21st century readers could easily dismiss this. Jesus is just preaching to the people of His day. The Temple will be destroyed and Israel will be destroyed. And that’s the end of it.

    Not quite. Although these events of which Jesus warned did take place, as is so often the case, prophecy also applies to other times. Just because you and I live in a different place and a later time does not exclude us from the truth.

    Jesus warns of impending disaster: ” and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.” How often over time does this apply to so many.

    [ctt title=”For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.- Luke 21:35″ tweet=”Disaster prophesied by Jesus: not just for a forgotten time centuries past.” coverup=”1nRD9″]

    Not just Jerusalem. A disaster of the scope of Sodom and Gomorrah comes more to mind. (Lot was on watch. Only Lot sought to obey the Lord by fleeing sin.)

    Jesus does not speak of only ancient Judea, Samaria and Galilee which Rome would destroy later. The Lord warns, “all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.”

    Do those who ignored the warnings of Noah also come to your mind?

    Judgment!

    We don’t like it, the thought of being judged by another. Yet a sovereign God surely rules in righteousness and will judge the living and the dead! We prefer to see Jesus as our humble example of living to love God. Jesus invites us to think of God as Father. Jesus challenges us to love others.

    Yet He often warned of a judgment to come, a judgment with eternal consequence. Here is just one more example of the Almighty authority of Christ Jesus (which could be easily dismissed).

    The Son of Man

    Allow me to isolate what Jesus warns.

    “… But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength… to stand before the Son of Man.”

    Judgment! Jesus clearly warns the He will be our judge. And you will not stand in your own strength, but in His.

    Jesus IS the Son of Man! Jesus also clearly states for all with ears to hear:

    “I and the Father are one.” –John 10:30

    Revelation 14:14-16

    Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.

    And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud,

    “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.”

    So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

    To be continued…

     

     

  • Times of Difficulty – 2

    Times of Difficulty – 2

    Signs of the Times

    [Introduction to this this series – part 1, in case you missed it.]

    Matthew 16:

    And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

    Pharisees, teachers, men of authority, including Sadducees who wielded great power over corporate worship want to debate with Jesus. Knowing the great signs Jesus has done for others they ask to see a miracle. (Perform for us, if you are the Son of God.) Show us a sign.

    He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’  And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’

    You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

    An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.

    Are we so different? Are we not learned men and enlightened women? What sign of the risen Christ do we show those who live ungodly lives?

    Prophesy of Jesus

    Later Jesus would warn those of the present day of the Apostles, Pharisees, Sadducees and Roman occupiers even more things of these last days.

    Luke 21:

    5 And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6 “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

    7 And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?”

    Jerusalem

    8 And he said, “See that you are not led astray.

    For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’

    Do not go after them.

    9 And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.”

    Did Rome destroy Jerusalem and the Temple? Have many gone after false prophets who have led astray?

    Jesus Foretells Wars and Persecution

    10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

    11 There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences.

    And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.

     

    12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. 13 This will be your opportunity to bear witness.

    How soon we forget our unity in terror and faith under God.

    24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

    The Coming of the Son of Man

    25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

    27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

    To be continued…