Today

A Tree For Each Of The Three

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And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on Him, saying, “If Thou be Christ, save Thyself and us.”  But the other answering rebuked him, saying, “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this Man hath done nothing amiss.”  And he said unto Jesus, “Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.”  And Jesus said unto him, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise.”
Luke 23:39-43

Each of these three were hanging on their own cross, and each cross was made from the wood of a tree.  The man on the right of Jesus was guilty. The on the left of Jesus was guilty, but Jesus the Man in the middle not only innocent of the charges brought against Him, He was innocent in all His living. He never sinned.

It is evident that the Man in the middle was an innocent Man. How?  You may ask. He never, while being nailed to the tree cursed those who had accused Him, neither did He speak vile words to those who nailed His hands and feet to that tree.  Instead He said, “Father forgive them they know not what they do” Luke 23:34.  Another example is in our text for the day. One of the condemned men, who had previously mocked Jesus on the cross, had realized that He [Jesus] was not a sinner, but the Savior.  Now, he is calling on Him to save Him; not from the cross but for the kingdom’s sake, he said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom,.” How do you suppose he expected Jesus to do this since He was hanging on a tree? He recognized Jesus as the Messiah.

The response of the Man on the middle cross was given, and it was one of forgiveness. You could call the mans salvation, “A death bed confession and faith” because that is what it is.  Was that guilty man saved? Will he be in glory with the Lord Jesus Christ?  Most definitely He will. How do I know that?  Because of the  words of Jesus, the Man on the middle cross said to him, “Truly I say unto you, Today, you will be with Me in paradise.” That very day Jesus and that man went to paradise together.

One guilty man wanted Jesus to deliver them from the cross, one asked to be remembered in the kingdom that is coming, and one Man gave salvation to the who asked. It should have been me dying on that old cross, not Jesus the innocent One, who knew no sin. It should have been you who was hanged there, but just as Jesus took murderer, and insurrection leader’s place He took my place and yours.

Two men hanging on a tree on opposite sides of Jesus; one died in peace, knowing his eternal destination, the other died with darkness, and empty expectations, and is in eternal darkness, and burning flames. What made the difference?  The One on the tree in the middle.  His name is Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God. Yes He died on that tree for our sins. He was buried. He rose again and He lives eternally in a new body of flesh and bone (Luke 24:39).

Life and Death

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I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: that thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20

These final words of Deuteronomy 30 are written for the people of Israel when they are getting ready to enter the land of Canaan – the Promise Land. God has given to them His law, statutes, commandments, and He calls for their obedience to every one of them. They will have life if they obey Him. They will choose death if they  disobey Him.

Which do you choose today? Will you choose life, or will you choose death? That is right this is the message for today. The Apostle Paul has written what the Lord says, “For He saith, “I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee:” behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Now is the day for your salvation.

When Jesus Christ came into the world, He came to fulfill the demands of the law, and He did. All the sacrifices, all the blood shed from bullocks, rams, lambs, goats were telling us about an ultimate sacrifice; that sacrifice of a perfect Lamb of God, His own Son who would be that Ultimate sacrifice for the sins of Adam kind – for me and for you.

Now, today you have a choice. You are already in the way of death if you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You do not have to, you do not need to stay in death. When you call on the Lord Jesus for salvation, forgiveness and cleansing of all your sins, He will hear you, and through Him You will have eternal life.

I have chosen life over death. I want you to join me, so I can meet you in our eternal home with Jesus.

We Have Sinned

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Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.  And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against Thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.” And the LORD said unto the children of Israel,
“Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?  The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to Me, and I delivered you out of their hand. Yet ye have forsaken Me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.  Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.”
And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, “We have sinned: do Thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto Thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.”  And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh.
Judges 10:9-17

The Promise from a Dying Man to a Dying Man

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And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on Him, saying, “If Thou be Christ, save Thyself and us.” But the other answering rebuked him, saying, “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this Man hath done nothing amiss.” And he said unto Jesus, “Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.” And Jesus said unto him,
“Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise.”           Luke 23:39-43

We think that dying men cannot keep promises made while they are dying. However, there is a man who did make a promise to another dying man as they were both dying.

Of course, if you are one of those people who do not believe in life after death, then this will not be real in your realm of thought. It is however true whether you believe it or not.

Jesus Christ, as He was bleeding and dying next to the man on His right and the one on His left is the One who made the promise; and it is certain that He fulfilled that promise to the other dying man who made the request “Remember me.”

The two guilty men had been mocking Jesus along with the unbelieving crowd. Something happened in the heart and mind of the one, and he believes Jesus is the only real answer for what lies ahead. He calls out to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

On the cross Jesus gave him the promise of being with Him in “Paradise” that very day. Why did He give him his request? He believed the Lord was who He said He is.

There is a blessed eternal life of joy, peace and rest with Jesus through faith in His death on the cross, the burial, and bodily resurrection.

Believe Him and call on His name today, and you will have the assurance that He will keep His promise.

Faithfulness and Truth

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“O LORD, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name; for Thou hast done wonderful things; Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.” Isaiah 25:1 (KJB)

The prophet Isaiah has warned the Judah and Israel of the coming Babylonian invasion, and the judgment God will not only bring on His own people, but that which will come on Babylon as well.

Isaiah knows that the word of the Lord GOD is being spoken.  He exalts the LORD in these words, and the following as well.

May we, the followers of Christ Jesus, in 2019 rejoice in God our Savior who does judge all sin; rejoicing in His faithfulness and His Truth.  His counsels of old, His plans and purposes planned long ago are faithful and true.  Since that be so.  Since that be true; then so it is for today as well.

Remember, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Joel 2:32; Romans 10:13). Call on the name of the One who bled and died on the cross for our redemption, was buried, and rose again.  His name is Jesus the Christ – Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11).

Have a Blessed Lord’s Day.

He is the Same

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“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8 (KJB)

Jesus Christ the second member of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God, God the Son is Immutable just as the whole of  the Godhead.

This verse is referring back to  verse 7, and prepping the reader for verse 9.  This is the same Jesus Christ who worked in the  Old Testament; died, was buried, and rose again according to the gospels; ascended into Heaven; and He lives forevermore.

The following commentary is from the  Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary…

“This verse is not, as some read it, in apposition with “the end of their conversation” (Heb_13:7), but forms the transition. “Jesus Christ, yesterday and to-day (is) the same, and (shall be the same) unto the ages (that is, unto all ages).” The Jesus Christ (the full name being given, to mark with affectionate solemnity both His person and His office) who supported your spiritual rulers through life even unto their end “yesterday” (in times past), being at once “the Author and the Finisher of their faith” (Heb_12:2), remains still the same Jesus Christ “to-day,” ready to help you also, if like them you walk by “faith” in Him. Compare “this same Jesus,” Act_1:11. He who yesterday (proverbial for the past time) suffered and died, is to-day in glory (Rev_1:18). “As night comes between yesterday and to-day, and yet night itself is swallowed up by yesterday and to-day, so the “suffering” did not so interrupt the glory of Jesus Christ which was of yesterday, and that which is to-day, as not to continue to be the same. He is the same yesterday, before He came into the world, and to-day, in heaven. Yesterday in the time of our predecessors, and to-day in our age” [Bengel]. So the doctrine is the same, not variable: this verse thus forms the transition between Heb_13:7 and Heb_13:9. He is always “the same” (Heb_1:12). The same in the Old and in the New Testament.”

Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow

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“From where come wars and fightings among you? Come they not from this, of your lusts that war in your members?  You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not.  You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume upon your lusts.
You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy?’  But He gives more grace. Wherefore He says, ‘God rejects the proud, but gives grace unto the humble.’
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse hands, sinners; and purify hearts, double minded.  Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and joy to heaviness.  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.  Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaks evil of brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law, and judges the law: but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge.
There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you that judges another?
Go to now, you that say, ‘To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:’ you who do not know what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.  For that you ought to say, ‘If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.’  But now you rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.  Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does not, to him it is sin.” James 4:1-17

REFERENCES: Job 7:7; 22:29; Proverbs 3:34; Ephesians 4:27; 1 Peter 2:1; 5:9; Matthew 7:1; Romans 1:20; 2:1; Acts 18:21; Luke 12:47

Christmas Day One Hundred and Seventeen

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What do I want for Christmas today?

I want to so live my life; even unto death if need be; that others will know and see the living Lord Jesus Christ  in me and desire to know Him too.

Read Daniel 3 of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego).

God Brought Salvation

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For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”  Titus 2:11-14 (KJV)

The salvation which God brings to the world through His Son Jesus is a great salvation. Those who are in the faith of Christ are assured that that salvation will be finalized by the “blessed hope” the coming of Christ for His own, and the redemption of the world, and all creation at His glorious appearing.  Christian; live like He could come today.

Come quickly Lord Jesus.

-T.A.