Author: Tim A.

A Coffin and a Promise

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And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father’s house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years.   And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph’s knees.   And Joseph said unto his brethren, “I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”   And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.”
So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.         Genesis 50:22-26

After the creation of Adam and Eve, and their placement in the Garden of Eden we find out about sin and death coming through them due to their disobedience to God who made them. We hear of a global flood, where all air breathing animals, except for those God brought to the ark, drowned in the flood, along with every man, woman, and child, except for Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives.

God is gracious and full of mercy. Because of our disobedience sin, trouble, sickness and sorrow plagues this world. He has given us a way of deliverance.

This book, “Genesis” the book of beginnings, begins in a garden, and ends at a grave. The grave is that of Joseph. He had served as an Egyptian ruler for about 80 years.

Joseph was hated and sold by his brothers at about the age of seventeen, sold to Potiphar in Egypt and served him for about 13 years including the time he spent imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. At the age of thirty he was brought out of the prison to interpret the dream of Pharaoh, which he did and doing so was appointed as a ruler, just under Pharaoh himself, and delivered his people who had sold him, and Egypt and the world. At the age of one hundred ten years Joseph died.

God does not leave us at the grave alone though. There is a promise given by Joseph from God. “God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.” It was a promise that originally given to Abraham, “And He said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.”  Genesis 15:13-14.

God’s promises written in His word, not some that are contrived by human imagination, are always fulfilled. When we read Exodus which takes place about four hundred years later that is what we see; God keeping His promise to His people.

God’s great promise to people today is believe My Son, and you believe me. His Son, Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again. If you do not know Him, call on His name today and be delivered from the condemnation of sin.

The Longevity of Guilt

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And Joseph said unto them the third day, “This do, and live; for I fear God: ‘If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses: but bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die.” And they did so.   And they said one to another, “We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.”
And Reuben answered them, saying, “Spake I not unto you, saying, ‘Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? Therefore, behold, also his blood is required.”   And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.   And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.        Genesis 42:18-24

Joseph, betrayed by his brothers many years before this event, and sold into slavery was now a ruler in the land to which he had been sold for twenty pieces of silver. It was to Joseph the brothers had to see in order to get the food and grain they needed in Canaan, which was suffering from the famine which was affecting all the world.

I deal with personal guilt at times. I have guilt in my thoughts and my heart due to some deed I have done to someone in the past, recent, and sometimes over a thing, or thought that just comes to my mind. It seems that we have been told over the past few years that guilt is a bad thing, and I totally disagree. Guilt is a good thing if it leads us to repentance and renewing.

It is Reuben who speaks of the deed the brothers did to Joseph years before; and keep in mind they do not recognize the brother they had betrayed and sold. Do you see the guilt they are feeling. As well that they should, and suffered from it, probably for all those years keeping the secret from their father Jacob.

Guilt is bad only if you allow it to fester, and make you cold and hard as steel, and never make right the wrong you have done. Sometimes, just confessing it to God, and repenting of the thing or deed is all you can do and that will release you from the debt you owe. I say “debt” because it is a debt or a trespass against God or someone else that needs to be paid.

Joseph was in the process of testing his brothers to see if they were genuinely sorrowful for the wrong they had did. I am certain that when he saw them that he desired to run up to them, revealing who he was, and to show them the fulfilling of his dreams he had shared with them years before as a boy in Canaan. But he was wiser than that.

Guilt is a helper or it can be a crippler. A helper to show us our wrong and lead us to repentance. A crippler that causes the heart to grow stone, steel hard, and cold if we do not cry for forgiveness.

We have sinned against God. In His love He gave us His Son who was despised and rejected by His brethren, by the world even, and was sold for 30 pieces of silver, a guiltless, sinless man, condemned to die on the cross, was buried in a borrowed tomb, and He came out being raised to life He forever lives. Bring all you guilt and condemnation to Him, praying, confessing your sins, believing Him for full redemption and forgiveness. He will hear you and He will save.

Faith In Praying

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And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, ‘Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:’   I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which Thou hast shewed unto Thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.   Deliver me, I pray Thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.   And Thou saidst, ‘I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ”             Genesis 32:9-12

Jacob was about to come in contact with Esau, his brother who had threatened to kill him twenty plus years before when Jacob had deceived their father Isaac out of the family blessing. Rebekah had urged Jacob to flee to her homeland of Haran to her brother Laban which he did.

After these years of working with Laban, raising cattle, sheep, and goats, the LORD tells Jacob to return to Canaan the land promised to Abraham and Isaac, and now promised to Jacob as well. He is still fearful of his brother, and after some time planning Jacob, Rachel, Leah, their handmaids, all of Jacob’s children, other servants, and all the livestock head for Canaan.

God has called Jacob to return, yet there is distress, fear of meeting Esau. “How will he receive me?”, must have been in his thinking, “Will he forgive me or kill me, and all that is mine?” He prays the prayer above and expresses his faith by reminding God of what He has said.

When the Christian is facing distress, fear or any other problem of anxiety, doubt, or trouble of any kind it is good for us to go to God with the fear and anxiety the trouble and express it to Him. If God has called us to do something that has caused this fear and distress, we must keep heading toward what He has called us to do while reminding Him of His calling, which most times on my part is a reminder to me that God has said, and God has promised, and He will do and accomplish all that He says.

When God told Jacob, “I will surely do you good, and make your seed as the sand of the sea,” then Jacob, and all who have came to Him can trust that He will do as He says.

Only through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the grace through faith that saves us, and answers prayer.

On The Third Day

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Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.  Genesis 22:4

Abraham, the father, had been directed by God to sacrifice his only son.  Father and son were going to a certain place, to carry out the command of the Most High God.  Remember Abraham had been promised that through “Isaac his seed would be called”, and that God would make of him a great nation.

Keep the word of faith spoken by Abraham in mind which he spoke in verse 5, and Hebrews 11:17-19. Abraham was certain of God’s delivering power.

Remember now the third day following the sacrifice of God’s only Son Jesus, if you will; now consider this.  When Abraham and Isaac went on together; in the mind of Abraham Isaac was already sacrificed, that is what he was doing, where he was going.  On this third day Isaac was delivered by a ram caught by his horns in the bush; now consider this Isaac’s resurrection .

Jesus and the Father were at the cross, the sacrifice for our sins.  What Jesus did He did alone for you and me.  He bled, He died, He was buried, and three days later He came out of that grave bodily; and He forever lives.

Believe Him and be saved.

The LORD’S Visit

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And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as He had spoken.      Genesis 21:1

The LORD had promised Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son. God had promised them that Abraham would be a father of nations, and through him all the world would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). Much time had passed when this promise is fulfilled.

At the age of 86 Abraham had gone along with the scheme of Sarah to have a son with Hagar. This was not what God had promised. Maybe in concocting this plan Sarah thought they would be fulfilling the will of God. God’s promise to Abraham for a son was for Sarah too.

When Abraham was 100 years of age, and Sarah was 99 the promise of God was fulfilled. Sarah gave birth to Isaac which means “Laughter”, because she had been laughing. Just as nothing was too hard for God to do for Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 18:14), so it is for the Christian today. Also for the lost soul to receive forgiveness and peace and rest.

When God the LORD shows up He will do all that He has said.

He has told us that He loved us so much that He gave us His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). That Son is Jesus Christ who died on the cross, was buried, and He rose again. That is the LORD’S visit today. Call on His name repent and believe.

Staying Where God Leads

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And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.  And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.  And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai; unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.                 Genesis 13:1-4

God had led Abram to the land of Canaan, but when a famine had come he set his eye on Egypt for the provision of his family. We have all done it. We know we are where God wants us to be, but suddenly we find things going opposed to what we think they ought to be and we think there are “greener pastures” over there somewhere.

Abram had set up an altar of worship at Bethel; a place of worship; and then he goes down to Egypt.

Abram comes back to that place when he returns from Egypt, and he calls on the name of the LORD once again.

Have you strayed from where God wants you to be? Return to the place where you left Him. No! He has never left you, and He never will. That is why we, the child of God, always come back to the place where we left Him.

If you have no clue as to what I am writing about, then maybe you do not even know GOD. He loves you. He gave His Son Jesus to die for your sins on the cross, He was buried, and He rose again. He says to you, “Come to Me and I will give you rest and peace.” Do so today.

The Pleasant Name

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Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.       Genesis 4:22

I began reading through the Bible this year, and my schedule is to read it through in six months. I did not read it through in 2021, but I read the Gospels through every month with the exception of combining them with the book of Acts in January and February.

It does a Christian good to his heart, soul and mind to read the Bible on a regular basis. Some think one through reading should be enough. I disagree with that sort of thinking due to the fact that there is no way the mind or heart can grasp all of what you read. Another thing is it is God’s love letter to His people. Why not read again and again and again.

I tell you all of that to say that the above verse caught my attention while I was reading this morning and I do not think I had noticed it before. The statement, “The sister of Tubalcain was Naamah” is what caught my eye. Tubalcain was a son of Zillah the second wife of Lamech in the lineage of Cain, the man who killed his brother Abel, and was marked by God. Lamech was the first mentioned to marry two wives, and they were blessed with children.

What is so special about this and particularly Naamah? First of all there is nothing known of her Scripturally. There is much conjecture from legends and such that she was Noah’s wife, and others that she was Ham’s wife (Ham the son of Noah). It is quite likely that Moses knew who she was and what she did and whose wife she was, but there is no Biblical record, so evidentiary proof.

Her name means “Pleasantness” so she may have been a beautiful woman. Let us be assured that there is no hope in beauty, or even in pleasantness, or being pleasant.

I hear the names of children today given to them by their parents and I think, “What?” A name has meaning. Naamah’s name should reflect one who is a pleasure to be with, enjoyable, and one giving pleasure to others. Those all depend on the heart.

Was there salvation available for the line of Cain? How about Naamah and the others in the line of Cain? Only by turning to the One who would die on the cross for their sins, and His name is Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God. Our only was of salvation today is through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God. Now there is a pleasant name. Jesus.

Discern What You Hear

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Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, “He shall not die;” but, “If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?”  John 21:23

On this eve of a brand new year may we who are Bible reading, Bible believing, blood bought, redeemed believers in Jesus Christ be sure we hear Jesus, and all of Scripture rightly. Let us ask God to enable us to let the Bible say what the Bible means, and not what we think or feel that it means.

The above verse is the conclusion of Jesus’s conversation with the apostle Peter in verses fifteen through twenty two; which began with Jesus asking Peter “Do you love Me” and finishing up by telling Peter “Follow Me.”

O how we often miss what Jesus is saying. I am praying that I am a better listener to the words of all of Scripture, Genesis through Malachi, and Matthew through the Revelation. That I might rightly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ with the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Ignorance Is Not Bliss

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The high priest then asked Jesus of His disciples, and of His doctrine. Jesus answered him,
“I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou Me? Ask them which heard Me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.”
And when He had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Answerest Thou the high priest so?” Jesus answered him,
“If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou Me?”
Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest.                        John 18:19-24

Just because the officers did not know whom they were striking does not mean they are without charges themselves. They had just struck the face of the Creator of all that is (Genesis 1; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16-17). They thought they were doing God service by protecting the honor of a high priest who knew who He is (John 11:49-52).

Jesus, of course, spoke no evil. He simply gave an answer that should have been known. It was the blindness, and the darkness of evil that was working in the heart of the high priest Caiaphas that was the real issue. Willful ignorance, especially, is not bliss when it comes to knowing who Jesus is.

If you have came to this site, and have taken the time to read any of the information posted here on Jesus Christ I pray that you will hear the Holy Spirit of the Lord speaking to your heart and mind, and that you will have your eyes opened to the truth of who Jesus is – the Christ, Son of the Living God. He died for our sins, was buried and He rose again; and He is coming again. Repent, believe and receive Him.

They said That He was Making Himself God

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Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them,
“Many good works have I shewed you from My Father; for which of those works do ye stone Me?”
The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we stone Thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that Thou, being a man, makest Thyself God.”       John 10:31-33

There are religious cults who say that Jesus Christ was not God. One even goes so far as to change what they call their version of the scriptures to read that He was “a god,” they would be saying that He was making a false claim about Himself.

One way to properly interpret what the Bible says, and what Jesus says is to study the culture of the time we are studying and the teaching, in this case of the religious leaders.

The Jewish leaders of Jesus’s day knew what Jesus was saying when He said, “I and My Father are One” (John 10:30); and there are many other references in John 8 through 10; as well as other verses in other chapters of the gospels; where Jesus clearly calls Himself Deity.

Jesus tells us in John 8:24 “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.”  The words Jesus spoke in this verse are clearly of deity. For Him to say that they would die in their sins if the did not believe that He is who He says He is will be their death in their sins; their damnation eternally.

Dear friends, will You receive Jesus Christ for who He says He is? He is the Christ – the Messiah – the Son of God, and the Incarnation of God, God the Son who came to die on the cross for our sins, He was buried, and He came out of the grave with a flesh and bone body (Luke 24:39), and is eternal.

Division Over Who Jesus Is

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Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, “Of a truth this is the Prophet.”  Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Shall Christ come out of Galilee?” Hath not the Scripture said, “That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”
So there was a division among the people because of Him.  And some of them would have taken Him; but no man laid hands on Him.  John 7:40-44

In 2021 there is probably more division over the identity of who Jesus is than in any time in history. The evidence of who Jesus is is best found in the Scriptures of the Bible of the Old and the New Testaments. The Law of Genesis through Deuteronomy. The Historical books of Judges through Esther. The books of Poetry of Job through the Song of Solomon, and you could include the Lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah. There is proof in reading the Prophets Isaiah through Malachi. Then, of course the Gospels which are about the coming, life, death, burial, resurrection and second coming of Jesus. The book of Acts which shows the work of the Holy Spirit’s coming of His Church – the body of Christ. The writings of the apostle Paul, the apostle Peter, and the brothers of Jesus James and Jude, and the last book The Revelation of Jesus Christ as given to John by Jesus Himself.

Get to know Jesus. Not by what you hear from others, but from what the Book of books says about Him. Read it for yourself with the guidance of the Holy Spirit you will come to the conclusion of the Scripture. Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God; and He is God the Living Son.

You Must Be Born Again

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There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, “Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him.  Jesus answered and said unto him,
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus saith unto Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”  Jesus answered,
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, ‘Ye must be born again.’  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, “How can these things be?”  Jesus answered and said unto him,
“Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that We do know, and testify that We have seen; and ye receive not Our witness.  If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?”                     John 3:1-12

The Baby who was born in a stable, and laid in a manger for a crib, grew up and met Nicodemus and had the above conversation and taught him what one needed to see God and be with Him for eternity. You must be born again.

Jesus died on the cross, not a baby, but the Man Christ Jesus, and He died for our sins. When the Spirit of God turns the spirit within us to Himself, then we are born again. That is when we believe and trust Him with all our hearts. Hear Him. Believe Him.

Have a very Merry Christmas. It is all about Jesus Christ, crucified, buried, and rose again. He is coming again.

He Was, He Is, and Forever Shall Be

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In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.  In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.  John 1:1-5

It is the week of Christmas. The day set aside for the remembrance of the birth of our Lord and Savior. How many of us really realize and know who He is. He is often spoken of in the past tense in ways like, “He was a good man” or “He was a good teacher”, and even some who profess Jesus and faith in Him say, “He was the Christ of God.” He was all those things, and He is all those things, and He forever shall be those things.

That Incarnation of God; God becoming Man; throws some people into a hissy theological fit, because they cannot grasp God becoming Man. That is exactly who Jesus is. When Jesus came as the God-Man it was as a Babe in the stable, laid in a manger for a crib. He cried like all babies, yet this baby grew and never sinned. At the age of 12 He was found in the temple teaching the Bible scholars, and growing in the wisdom and knowledge of God.

It is that same Boy who grew to be a Man, called disciples to follow Him and He taught them, and many others for three years. He performed many miracles, including raising dead people to life, touching and healing lepers and giving sight to a man born blind.

He came from His position in Glory with the Father to go to the cross to die, and in His death take all the sins of the world upon Himself, taking the wrath of God Himself for our sins. He died, was buried, and He rose from the grave and to never die again. He was our Lord and Savior, and He is our Lord and Savior, and He will forever be our God, Lord and Savior.

Do you know this One who was, who is, and forever shall be? You can make this Christmas a very Merry Christmas by calling on the name of Jesus Christ the Son of God who is God the Son.

God of the Living

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Then came to Him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked Him, saying, “Master, Moses wrote unto us, ‘If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.’ There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children.  And the second took her to wife, and he died childless.  And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died.  Last of all the woman died also.  Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? For seven had her to wife.”
And Jesus answering said unto them,
“The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.  Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.  For He is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto Him.”
Then certain of the scribes answering said, “Master, Thou hast well said.”                     Luke 20:27-39

Those who do not believe in the resurrection asking a question of how marriage works for those who are in the resurrection. It may have been a sincere question, but not likely. Most likely they; the Sadducees; were trying to trick Jesus into error of His thoughts.

Something we can learn form Jesus’s words is that first of all one must be accounted worthy to obtain the world of those who will receive the resurrection of life. Secondly, Jesus says  that those in the resurrection will be similar to the angels, and like the angels will never die, but are the children of God.

We are assured by the words of Jesus that there is a resurrection of the Just when He says that “He is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not a God of the dead, but of the living…”

Now, who are those who are counted worthy of this eternal life?  Only those who believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that He was buried, and that He rose from the dead, and is alive forevermore. Believe what He says, repent of your sins and be saved.

The Self Righteous and the Sinner

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And He spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank Thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”                                         Luke 18:9-14

The Bible tells us in Romans 3:10 that “There is none who are righteous, no not one,” and in verse 23 “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” I write this because there are far too many people who think, “Well, Jesus died for sinners, and I am a righteous person. I love God, and I love my neighbor, so I need no savior.” That thought puts them at odds with God. Actually making God and the Scriptures their enemy.

One man, a Pharisee, a greatly religious man considered himself better than the other. Being full of himself he prayed “with himself”. Did you notice how Jesus said that. God did not hear that man’s prayer. Full of himself separated from God.

The other man, a publican, to us a tax collector, despised by the Jewish people, because these men were Jews themselves taking their people’s money for the Roman government. He came to the temple to pray, and prayed simply, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” He knew his need of forgiveness and cleansing, and he left the temple “Justified,” but not the Pharisee.

The way to forgiveness and cleansing of sin is by way of the cross of Jesus Christ. The only way of forgiveness of sin is because Jesus died for us, was buried and He rose again.

The Psalmist wrote, “A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).

The Father Runs to His Returning Child

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And He said,
“A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.’ And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.  And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.  And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
And when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.’  And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.  And the son said unto him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.’
But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.  And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.  And he said unto him, ‘Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.’  And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.  And he answering said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: but as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.’  And he said unto him, ‘Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.  It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.’ “                                   Luke 15:11-32

There are three main characters in this story:

The first is the Father; the second is the younger son; and the third is the elder son.

The younger son asks for his inheritance early, receives it, then finds himself starving, and basically living with swine. He realizes his situation, is reminded of his father’s home, and that he is a blessed man. He decides to return to his father if only as a servant, and seeks forgiveness.

The father is anxiously awaiting his younger sons return. Maybe he was out in the field working, and looks up the road in the direction he believes his son will be returning, he sees and image coming, getting closer, and closer, then he can make out the features of the face of the man coming toward him. The father drops his tools and all that he is doing and runs; that is right, he runs; because he has recognized that person as being his younger son. He runs until he reaches him, and gives him a hug, and a kiss, and another hug and kiss, and he takes him to his house and clothes him in raiment fit for a king. He then calls for a feast, having the fatted calf killed for that feast, and the celebration begins.

The elder son comes in from the field where he has been working hard all day, and he hears a racket of rejoicing and celebration, dancing, singing, joyous rejoicing. He becomes angry with envy. He complains to the father, “This rebellious son has taken all his inheritance and spent it up on foolish and debaucherous living. I, on the other hand have been faithful to stay, and work and wait until the inheritance is mine.” The elder son is not rejoicing. He is rejecting his brothers return.

We need to keep in mind that this story as well as the “Lost Sheep”, and “Lost Coin” stories are addressed to the Pharisees as they had just accused Jesus of eating with publicans and sinners.

Now in this story we see an elder son who believes he has been good to maintain his inheritance, but he is angry with the father for receiving the wayward son – this is the Pharisees.

The younger son represents the child of God that has gone astray, going his own way, rejecting the word and will of the Father finding himself bankrupt, full of sin, unclean, hungry and cold; comes to himself realizing he has sinned against God repenting returns to the father if only to be a servant.

The father is a picture of our Heavenly Father who with great love awaits all who have departed from His word, will and way. When He sees the repentant returning child returning, He runs to Him and clothes him with the best, puts a ring on his fingers, and has a glorious celebration.

Do you find yourself outside the will of God? Have you reached a point of despair, pain, hunger, loneliness? Are you ready to come back home to the Father? He is waiting, watching, and when He sees you coming, He will run to greet you.

Best Investment

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And one of the company said unto Him, “Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.” And He said unto him,
“Man, who made Me a judge or a divider over you?”
And He said unto them,
“Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”
And He spake a parable unto them, saying,
“The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: and he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?’ And he said, ‘This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.’ But God said unto him, ‘Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?’ So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”                                                            Luke 12:13-21

Division in a family is not a good thing, especially when it comes to financial or material things. A man has come to Jesus seeking aid from Him in dividing an inheritance for this family. Jesus uses the opportunity to teach of the dangers of covetousness. A person’s life is not measured by the things we possess; but rather by our relationship with God.

Jesus tells a story of a man who was so well off that he decided to tear down his old barns and build new ones; probably better and bigger to hold his possessions. It is not that what he did was wrong, but what was wrong is that he never gave any accounting to God.

Do you measure your life by the money or things you possess? Now, I am not a financial adviser, I am however a follower of Jesus Christ, and I know that my life cannot be measured by what I possess, but rather by the fellowship I have with God through His Son Jesus Christ.

The best investment we can ever make does not cost a dime, but realizing that He invested His life for us when He died on the cross, was buried and rose again.

Jesus Taught in a Friend’s Home

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Now it came to pass, as they went, that He entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard His word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to Him, and said, “Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.” And Jesus answered and said unto her,
“Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”                                                       Luke 10:38-42

Jesus and his disciples  were invited to the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Lazarus is the one raised from the dead in John 11; and he had been in the grave for for four days.

To sit at Jesus’s feet is to sit in learning by hearing him, and growing in him to know Him and the Father better and more intimately.

Martha was one who was concerned about feeding and taking care of her guests, and no one can find fault in that. Serving others is truly a trait, and calling of all who will follow Jesus. Evidently Martha had asked Mary to help her serve their guests, but Mary was pleased to remain at Jesus’ feet hearing Him and learning.

It is important for us to serve others. It is of the utmost importance, that before we can rightly serve others we must learn from the  words of Jesus; hearing Him, growing in the knowledge and grace and growing deeper in our love for Him.

Our time should be mostly spent growing in Christ Jesus, learning at His feet by way of the reading of Scripture (His word), and in prayer. When we do that we will be more able servants, as well as better witnesses for His name.

Jesus Taught Out of a Boat

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And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon Him to hear the word of God, He stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.  And He entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And He sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.                    Luke 5:1-3

O, how I would have loved to have been there that day. Seeing Jesus, hearing Him teach, listening to every word He was speaking. Jesus was sitting in a fishing boat, with many people on the shore of the Sea of Galilee (“Lake of Gennesaret”), and He had their attention. Some of them would hear Him on this day, believe His word, and would follow Him.

There is the key. To hear Him, believe Him, and follow Him. To follow Him is not merely with our words, “I will follow Jesus”, but it is leaving all, forsaking all other things for His sake, and doing His will at all cost.

I must ask myself this question, “Am I following Jesus as it really means to follow Him?” I believe I have. He is my Lord and Savior. Everything under my feet to the very computer that I am writing at today is His. He is my portion; and I am His.  I know and practice that I am only a steward of all in my hand. I pray that I am always faithful to this, but I know that sometimes I fail, and sin against Him.

He is always faithful to renew and restore me and get me back to where He wants me to be.

Do you know the One who went to the cross and paid the price for our sins? He died on the cross, was buried, and He rose again for our justification. He is teaching us today through His word and the power of the Holy Spirit. Hear Him and believe.

Keeping Watch…

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…There were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them,
“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”  And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.  And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.  And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.                                Luke 2:8-20

It is that season of the year when Christians are remembering the coming of Messiah; the Lord Jesus Christ; to do His work among His people. It is a very special thing to remember His birth. His birth shows us that He is the incarnation of God; and first of all that God loves the world (John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9) .

Though, I do not believe that Jesus was born in December, this is the time His birth is remembered so I will give Him the praise and glory for such remembrances. I believe lambs were born mainly in the Spring of the year, weeks before the Passover, and there would be many lambs offered for the sin sacrifice for each family. I cannot be dogmatic about that, but it seems quite clear in my thoughts and heart.

Jesus was the ultimate Passover Lamb who would die to take away our sins (John 1:29); and He did.

As we think of the shepherds, they were the lowest of the people of Israel. It is said that they could not even testify at trials and such as that. This the people God chose to reveal the birth of His Son to as first witnesses. Who better to reveal the Lamb of God to but the shepherds; and what better place for a lamb to be born than in a stable, laid in a manger.

Let us remember Him as the Baby in a manger; never forgetting He is the crucified, buried, and resurrected; ascended and coming King of kings. No longer a baby, meek and mild, but the Judge of all the earth.

 

The Blessed

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And Mary said, “My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.  For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.  For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His name.  And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation.’
‘He hath shewed strength with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.  He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.  He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away.  He hath holpen His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy; as He spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to His seed for ever.”  Luke 1:46-55

Mary was a blessed woman, a virgin who conceived a Son by the Holy Spirit of God. She is not a redeemer, neither a co-redeemer with Jesus. She is not an intercessor between sinners and Jesus, and He to the Father.

Mary was a sinner in need of a Savior, and that Savior is the Son she brought into the world. Mary says so in the words above, “…my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior”.

Mary was a sinner chosen by God to bring His Son Jesus into this world as a baby, and she would remain a virgin only until after her First Born Son, Jesus was born. She then had more sons and daughters by her husband Joseph (Matthew 12:47; 13:55-56), to teach otherwise is not of the Scriptures.

I am sure that if Mary could speak to people today she would tell us that Jesus Christ alone is her Redeemer, Savior, and Lord; and in Him alone is salvation. He alone went to that old cross, was nailed to it, bled on it, and He alone suffered the wrath of God for all the sins of the world, and He died there; then was buried and He rose again.

Jesus Christ alone is our Redeemer. Any supposed other redeemer is a lie spawned right out of the depths of hell.

Turn to Jesus Christ. He is the one calling out to you. Hear Him. He alone is your Mediator between God and men (1 Timothy 2:5).

 

The Vineyard

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And He began to speak unto them by parables.
“A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. And they caught and beat him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.’
‘Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, ‘They will reverence my son.’ But those husbandmen said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.’ And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. And have ye not read this Scripture; ‘The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner: this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes’?”
And they sought to lay hold on Him, but feared the people: for they knew that He had spoken the parable against them: and they left Him, and went their way. Mark 12:1-12

Jesus is speaking here of the vineyard called Israel. They have rejected God’s ownership of the vineyard, the nation. They have rejected His servants that He sent to receive from them what is due Him and that is their love, respect, and obedience to His word. Also see Isaiah 5:1-7.

The last show of grace and mercy God would give to them was by sending His only begotten Son (John 3:16), and they rejected Him, beating Him and finding nothing in Him worthy of death sentenced Him to die on the cross; the cruelest means of death, by the Romans.

Dear reader, today that show of grace and mercy of God’s Son Jesus; His dying on the cross; was for the redemption of all people who will hear Him, believe His word, and call on His name. He died for you, was buried, and He rose from that grave and came out alive. All who come to Him, He gives eternal life with Him. Reject Him no more. Believe Him.

Hear Jesus

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And He said unto them,
“Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.”
And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and He was transfigured before them. And His raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.” For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son: hear Him.”
And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. And as they came down from the mountain, He charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of Man were risen from the dead. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.                              Mark 9:1-10

Jesus states it many times in the Gospels that if we hear Moses and the prophets we will hear Him. He has also taught that if we hear Him we hear the prophets and Moses.

The Father tells us in the above passage that we are to “Hear Him”, but that does not mean the words of Moses and the prophets are null and void; it does mean all that Jesus says is to hear all that has been spoken of Him.

Hear Jesus today. He is the only way of salvation and eternal life (John 14:6).

He Opens Blind Eyes

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And He cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto Him, and besought Him to touch him. And He took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when He had spit on his eyes, and put His hands upon him, He asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, “I see men as trees, walking.”
After that He put His hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. And He sent him away to his house, saying,
“Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.”                         Mark 8:22-26

For those who desire to see; He will open blind eyes.

On The Way

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And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched His garment.
For she said, “If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole.” And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that virtue had gone out of Him, turned Him about in the press, and said,
“Who touched My clothes?”
And His disciples said unto him, “Thou seest the multitude thronging Thee, and sayest Thou, ‘Who touched me?’ ” And He looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before Him, and told Him all the truth. And He said unto her,
“Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”                  Mark 5:25-34

This is an event tied with the story of Jairus’s coming to Jesus to ask healing for his twelve year old daughter. Matthew gives little attention to Jairus in chapter 9 of that gospel account. Mark gives more detail of the event with Jairus, and Luke give account of it in chapter 8.

This woman is not named, neither her nationality, but either way she is “unclean” according to Leviticus 15:25. She has suffered not only from this disease like a scourging of continuing grief, weakness, and the physicians taking all that she had (v. 25). She had heard of Jesus and longed but to touch the hem of His garment. O that we would all long to touch Him in our sicknesses, weaknesses, pain, scourging sin, and longing from Him to receive cleansing and forgiveness.

Remember, Jesus is on the way to Jairus’s home. He is surrounded by a mass of people bumping into one another, some brushing up against Him, and here is this woman in pain who deliberately reaches Him, touches His garment, and she is immediately made whole. The bleeding stops, and she is now clean.

On the way to another place Jesus is touched by a woman who was afraid, timid, and may not have wanted Him to know that it was her who touched Him; but Jesus sensed that someone with faith in Him had touched Him. Jesus asked who it was that had touched Him. I think He already knew. He was calling the one out so that the miracle of her faith would be known, and would be an enabler for others too.

Are you on the way somewhere right now? If you have a need for hope, trust in Jesus. He is the only source of genuine hope and faith. On your way stop at Jesus, and in your pain, sin sickness, uncleanness and disease reach out and touch Him. He is waiting.