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Category: 2025 Messages

Notes from church service sermons, Bible studies, and other topics in 2025.

  • The Riches of God

    stars

    The Riches of God

    Romans 10:33 (NASB)

    33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!

    Riches

    When we think of riches, we might think of a billionaire, such as Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos. Maybe, we think of winning the lottery, or having a really big house and an expensive car. What if you owned everything in the world? Would that be enough? This is what Jesus said:

    Matthew 16:26 (NASB)

    26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

    Soul

    So, it seems that our eternal souls are each worth more than everything in the whole world. That’s why we might talk about someone who “sold their soul” for fame and glory. At the end of this life, we will all come to the conclusion that none of it really mattered. Our souls are more valuable than all of it.
    What does God (the One Who created everything and is smarter than anyone else) consider valuable?

    Treasure

    Matthew 13:45-46 (NASB)

    45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls,
    46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

    This merchant knew the real value of pearls, and he knew he wanted this one, unique, incredible pearl. He had never seen anything like it before; it was spectacular. He valued this pearl more than anything else he had ever seen. Perhaps another person, who did not understand the value of pearls, would not have appreciated this particular one, but he did.
    There is an expression, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” Grammatically, this phrase sounds somewhat silly, but it means that there are subjects that are so foreign to us that we don’t even know what questions to ask.
    For example, if you wanted to build a ship to take you to Mars, would you know where to find the materials to make the outside of the ship, and how to test them? Would you know how to design the spacesuits? How much thrust would each rocket engine need? How much fuel would you need? After you answer all of these questions, you would realize you need to start over and examine everything again, many times.

    Wisdom

    Proverbs 8:10-11 (NASB)

    10 “Take my instruction and not silver, And knowledge rather than choicest gold.
    11 “For wisdom is better than jewels; And all desirable things cannot compare with her.

    In the Bible, the word wisdom can mean either the accumulation of knowledge or knowing how to use that knowledge; we need both. Knowledge (facts) without wisdom (knowing how to use those facts) is wasted.

    James 2:19 (NASB)

    19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

    Acknowledging the fact that God exists means very little, unless you do something about it — the right thing. James says that the demons know that God is real, but that doesn’t mean that they serve Him. They have the facts of God’s existence and His nature, but they are not willing to humble themselves, follow Him, trust Him, and be godly servants.

    The Kingdom of Heaven

    Godly wisdom is precious — more valuable than most of what we value — but what does God value?

    Matthew 4:17 (NASB)

    17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

    Jesus preached that the “kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He spoke of many things, but it all revolved around the kingdom of heaven. Some people think that Christians have to give up all the “fun” things in life. In reality, that’s like saying that in order to have fun, I need to give up hitting myself or eating poison. Just because someone else says that something is fun doesn’t mean that it is good for me — or even fun, for that matter.

    Abundant Life

    John 10:10 (NASB)

    10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

    It’s true that heaven is a wonderful place, but Jesus said that we didn’t have to wait for heaven to experience an abundant life. What He has given us in this life is incredible.

    2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NASB)

    21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,
    22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

    God’s Holy Spirit, the third Person of the trinity, has been given to us as a pledge, a down payment of what God has for us. Who is the Holy Spirit, and how does He help us?

    Power of God

    Romans 8:11 (NASB)

    11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

    This same Holy Spirit Who was given to us is the One Who raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus had been tortured, crucified, then laid in a tomb for three days. His body was being guarded by Roman soldiers. Nothing could stop God’s plan, though. His unlimited power gave life to what was lifeless. Jesus was now in His eternal, glorified body. Nothing that Satan tried could possibly succeed. God’s ways never fail.

    Romans 8:31-32 (NASB)

    31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
    32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

    We go through trials in this life, but compared to the power of God, they are all nothing. We have the same unlimited, eternal power of God’s Holy Spirit in our corner.

    Comfort of God

    John 14:26 (NASB)

    26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

    The word translated “Helper” here means “someone called alongside to help.” This could just as easily be translated attorney, doctor, or friend. Jesus could not possibly fulfill His mission of being with all of us, all the time, in this life, if He had stayed as a man. The Holy Spirit can be with all of us, all the time. He can help us, comfort us, remind us of the words of Jesus, and be with us all the time.
    We never have to feel alone, because we never are. We never have to worry, if we are in His hands. His love, power, and grace have no limits.

    Future Riches

    Revelation 21:10-11, 18, 22-23 (NASB)

    10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
    11 having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper.

    18 The material of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass.

    22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
    23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

    What we have waiting for us is amazing, but what God has given us now is even more amazing. He has given us Himself — salvation, comfort, friendship. God’s riches are incredible, eternal, and here for us now.
    Don’t wait; reach out to Him today.

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  • Near

    person spreading arms near water and mountain range

    Near

    Romans 10:8 (NASB)

    But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart” — that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,

    Walls

    Many times, we think that God is far away — too far for us to reach. In reality, He is closer than we think.
    We know the Kenner floodwall. It’s about 10′-12′ high in most places. If you want to get to the other side, you either have to get a tall ladder and climb over or go a long way around. Either way, you’re not going to simply walk through it.

    Kenner floodwall

    We could be on one side of the wall, and we just want to get to the other side, but it seems like there is just no way. It is solid concrete. I could try hitting it with my fists or kicking it. Either way, I’m not getting through.

    Floodwall

    That’s how it seems sometimes with God. He says that the kingdom of God is “in our midst”, but where is it? How can we break through that wall?

    Luke 17:20-21 (NASB)

    20 Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed;
    21 nor will they say, Look, here it is! or, There it is! For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

    If the kingdom of God is right next to us, why can’t we see it?

    Luke 18:17 (NASB)

    17 “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”

    Pride cannot get us through the wall. Sheer determination will not work, either. Someone might think they can buy it.

    Luke 18:24-27 (NASB)

    24 And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!
    25 “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
    26 They who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”
    27 But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

    We need a way to get through that wall if we are going to reach God. Obviously, we can’t do it on our own. We need a doorway, like a floodgate.

    floodgate

    John 10:9 (NASB)

    9 “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

    Since we could not do it on our own, God provided a way for us to reach Him — Jesus.

    John 14:6 (NASB)

    6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

    Many people try to reach God using many different methods and beliefs. Jesus said that He is the only way, though. We can’t just say that we found another door and try to go through it. Worse yet, we can’t simply fool ourselves and others that it actually is a door. You could even paint what looks like a door, and say that one day, if you do all the right things, you will be able to get through that door. No matter what it looks like, at the end of the day, that wall is still a wall; you’re not getting through by yourself.

    Kenner floodwall

    Matthew 7:13-14 (NASB)

    13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
    14 “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

    Jesus is the only way to reach God. Every other way will always end in failure. If we follow Him, though, we can start on an amazing journey.

    Glory to Glory

    God tells us that we don’t have to stop getting closer to Him after we give Him our lives. He wants us to keep growing, keep getting closer to Him and becoming more like Him.

    2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (NASB)

    17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
    18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

    In the same way that Jesus is the only way to reach God, He is also the only way to draw closer to God. Young children don’t usually grow at the same rate all the time. They might grow a little, but then seem to “plateau”, or stop growing. Then, they will suddenly have a “growth spurt”, and they quickly outgrow all of their clothes.
    Christianity can be the same way. Too often, though, people will get to a certain point, then tell themselves that they are close enough. They will just stay at that point until they die and go to heaven. For me (and I’m sure many others), that’s not enough. If God says that He has more to give me, I want it.

    Closer

    God wants a closer relationship with us. Are we willing to do what it takes to draw closer to Him? As we just read, we can see the glory of the Lord, but not directly. In Paul’s day, mirrors were usually fashioned, shiny pieces of metal, such as brass or silver. They were not as clear as ours are today. That’s the way it is when we see the glory of God; we can’t see it clearly. It could be that sin is blocking our view. It could be that we haven’t matured fully.

    1 Corinthians 13:11-12 (NASB)

    11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
    12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

    God wants that close relationship even more than we do, but He can’t be in the presence of sin, so that keeps us separated from Him.

    Future Hope

    1 John 3:2-3 (NASB)

    2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
    3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

    There will be a day when we will see Him as He is, because we will be set free from this body of sin, and we will be given a glorified body — one that is pure, redeemed and washed by the blood of Jesus. For now, we need to overcome while we are in this corrupted. Ever since Adam, we have had this curse to overcome. We know that it’s possible, though. Jesus showed us how.

    How Close?

    How close can we get? I believe that God has more than we can even imagine, even in this life.

    Ephesians 2:4-7 (NASB)

    4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
    5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
    6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
    7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

    God took Paul to the third heaven. He gave visions to Peter. He saved Joseph in Egypt and raised him up. If God loves all of us equally, as the Bible says (Acts 10:34), then we could all have the kind of closeness that John, David, Abraham, or Moses had.

    Friend

    Exodus 33:11 (NASB)

    11 Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

    Some people are blessed to have a good friend — someone with whom you can share the good times and the bad, someone who will always be there for you, and you will always be there for them. When you talk with them, it is easy, comfortable, and you feel safe. This is the way it was for Moses.

    Numbers 12:3 (NASB)

    3 (Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.)

    I think the humility of Moses was probably the main reason that he had the close relationship with God. The more that we can empty ourselves of our own foolish pride, the more room we make for God.

    Joshua

    Notice the hunger that Joshua had for the presence of God.

    Exodus 33:11b (NASB)

    When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

    Joshua would stay by the tent as long as he could — even after Moses left. This is the hunger and thirst that Jesus told us we should fervently desire.

    Righteousness

    Matthew 5:6 (NASB)

    6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

    Righteousness is when we are in a right relationship with God, because we don’t have any sin separating us. What are we willing to pay for righteousness? What are we willing to give up? How much are we hungering and thirsting?
    C.S. Lewis, in his book, “The Weight of Glory”, said this:

    It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased. (emphasis added)

    Why are we so often willing to settle for the cheap “trinkets” that sin has to offer, when we can have the priceless treasures that God is offering us?
    Lord, help us to never settle for sin, or even going “halfway” toward You. We want all of You — all of Your presence, all of Your gifts, all of Your glory, and all of the persecutions that come with them.

    …from glory to glory…

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  • A Life Well Lived: Paul (part 4)

    sun reflection on calm water near green mountains

    A Life Well Lived: Paul (part 4)

    Areopagus

    Paul and Silas continued their journey through Greece. When Paul got to Athens, he started speaking to the Jews in the synagogue and the Gentiles in the marketplace. The Greeks wanted to know more, so they brought him to the Areopagus, which means “Mars Hill” or “Hill of Ares.” It was an area where they would hold court, have official meetings, and debate topics of interest. We see Paul’s message in the second part of Acts 17.

    After this, Paul went to Caesarea, then Jerusalem, then he made his way back to Antioch.

    Third Missionary Journey

    Acts 18:23 (NASB)

    23 And having spent some time there, he left and passed successively through the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

    Paul spent some time in Antioch, then he left again through many of the same areas.

    Ephesus

    Eventually, Paul came to Ephesus, which was a port city on the west coast of Asia.

    Here, he left a couple he had met in Corinth, Priscilla and Aquila. They helped strengthen and teach the believers there. Paul went through some of the remote areas by Ephesus. There, he found some disciples.

    Holy Spirit Baptism

    Acts 19:2-7 (NASB)

    2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
    3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
    4 Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
    5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
    6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.
    7 There were in all about twelve men.

    These men had only heard about John’s baptism, which was a baptism of repentance. Paul told them about Jesus and His baptism. They were re-baptized in Jesus’ name, then Paul laid hands on them, and they received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. They “began speaking with tongues and prophesying.” This is the third time we see in the book of Acts where the Holy Spirit baptism is accompanied by speaking with tongues and prophesying.

    Ephesus Revival

    Paul stayed in Ephesus about two years, and God moved in a mighty way.

    Acts 19:11-12 (NASB)

    11 God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,
    12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.

    After these two years, more persecution arose, and Paul went back to Macedonia and Greece. From Greece, went back to Macedonia, and then sailed to Troas.

    Troas

    Paul stayed in Troas for seven days, then was planning on leaving the next day. The people wanted to spend as much time with Paul as they could, so Paul ministered a long time.

    Acts 20:7 (NASB)

    7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.

    Eutychus Resurrected

    Acts 20:8-12 (NASB)

    8 There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together.
    9 And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead.
    10 But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, “Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.”
    11 When he had gone back up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left.
    12 They took away the boy alive, and were greatly comforted.

    Possibly due to a lack of oxygen combined with the heat of all the lamps, Eutychus fell out of a third floor window and was killed. God used Paul to bring him back to life, then Paul went back up and continued meeting with the believers until daybreak. Then he left and continued his journey.

    Paul had his helpers board a ship at Troas, while he went by foot about 20 miles to Assos. God was speaking to Paul, and Paul needed some alone time with God.

    Miletus

    Paul sailed past Ephesus, because he needed to get to Jerusalem by the day of Pentecost. He knew if he stopped in Ephesus, he would have stayed for a long time. So, he called for the elders of the church in Ephesus. There, he told them that God was revealing to him everywhere he went that “bonds and afflictions” awaited him in Jerusalem (Acts 20:23). He told them that he would never see them again, and he encouraged them to remain strong in the Lord.

    Journey to Jerusalem

    They sailed to Tyre, where they spent seven days. The disciples warned him what was going to happen to him in Jerusalem, but Paul said he had to go anyway. What happened to him personally did not matter.
    They then went to Caesarea and stayed with Philip the evangelist. This was the same man who was one of the original seven deacons and who had ministered to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 6, 8). Philip also had four daughters who were prophetesses. Another prophet, Agabus, came from Judea and warned Paul what awaited him in Jerusalem. Paul went anyway.

    Jerusalem Bondage

    In Jerusalem, Paul was worshiping God in the temple, following all the Jewish customs and regulations. Some other Jews from Asia, who had opposed him before, saw him in the temple and stirred up the crowd.

    Acts 21:27-28 (NASB)

    27 When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him,
    28 crying out, “Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”

    The Roman commander who was there heard about the commotion and arrested Paul, both for his protection and because he assumed he had committed some crime.

    Promise

    Once again, Paul had been beaten, falsely accused, and arrested, for doing nothing wrong. How many of us would have quit long before this? Paul was still just a man, and he got discouraged, too. Jesus visited Paul, for his comfort and encouragement.

    Acts 23:11 (NASB)

    11 But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.”

    At the beginning of the book of Acts, about 35 years before this, Jesus had told his disciples that this gospel message had to spread throughout the whole world.

    Acts 1:8 (NASB)

    8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

    Rome was the center of the political and social world at that time. Normally, there would be no way for Paul to meet with the emperor, but God made a way.

    Death Plot

    Even though Paul would have a chance to meet with people at the highest levels of government, it was not going to be the way that he would have preferred. He was still under arrest.
    To make matters worse, forty Jewish men swore an oath that they would neither eat nor drink anything until they had killed Paul. Once again, God protected him.

    Acts 23:16 (NASB)

    16 But the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, and he came and entered the barracks and told Paul.

    Paul had his nephew bring this message to the commander, who then protected Paul with an incredible force, probably because he was a Roman citizen.

    Acts 23:23-24 (NASB)

    23 And he called to him two of the centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready by the third hour of the night to proceed to Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen.”
    24 They were also to provide mounts to put Paul on and bring him safely to Felix the governor.

    Appeal to Caesar

    After two years in captivity, the Jews formed another plot to kill Paul. When they had a trial before a new governor, Festus, they asked that Paul be brought back to Jerusalem, so they could have a “more thorough investigation.” Secretly, they were planning to kill Paul on the way to Jerusalem. Paul saw through their hypocrisy and cunning. As a Roman citizen, he had the right to bring his case to Caesar, the Roman emperor, directly. That is what he did. When he appealed to Caesar, the lower courts had no more jurisdiction. All they could do was arrange for him to get to Rome.

    Shipwreck

    During the late fall and winter, travel in the Mediterranean Sea became very dangerous, because of weather patterns. Paul warned his Roman guard that it was too dangerous for them to be sailing at this time, but the ship’s pilot and crew convinced the guards that it would be okay.
    God miraculously protected Paul and everyone on the ship, but they did lose the ship and all of its contents when they ran aground on the island of Malta.

    Malta Miracles

    The residents of the island saw the shipwreck and when the passengers made it to their island, they built a fire for them. Paul went out and collected some wood for the fire.

    Acts 28:3-6 (NASB)

    3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.
    4 When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, “Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.”
    5 However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.
    6 But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.

    Jesus had said that this is one of the signs that would follow His believers.

    Mark 16:17-18 (NASB)

    17 “These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues;
    18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

    After this miracle, God used Paul to heal the leading citizen of Malta, then many sick people came, and he healed them all. God used a bad situation, the shipwreck, to bring Paul to these people. He then used Paul being bitten by a deadly snake to be a witness to them. Finally, He used miraculous healings to testify that what Paul was telling them was true.

    Rome

    The book of Acts ends with Paul still in captivity in Rome, although he had a great deal of freedom. He had many people come to him, and he was able to meet and minister to a large number of Jewish and Gentile leaders and others.
    The books of Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philemon were probably written at this time.

    Final Years

    We believe Paul was released for a time, and he did more missionary work for a few years. He probably wrote 1 Timothy and Titus during this time, then went back to Rome and was imprisoned again. He wrote 2 Timothy, most likely just before he was martyred. These last books we call the pastoral epistles, because Paul is encouraging his disciples Timothy and Titus, as they were pastoring churches. Paul knew what was coming, and he wanted to make sure that his disciples and the church were prepared.
    Around the year A.D. 66, Nero imprisoned Paul and had him beheaded. Satan, working through Nero and other ungodly people, could not stop what God was doing.

    Today

    The work of God continues to this day, in spite of mocking and persecution all around the world. What does your relationship with Jesus mean to you? Are you ready to give Him everything, no matter the consequences? If so, you, too, can live a life full of miracles (and hardships), just like Paul, and when it’s all over, hear Jesus say, “Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matt.25:34b)

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  • A Life Well Lived: Paul (part 3)

    sun reflection on calm water near green mountains

    A Life Well Lived: Paul (part 3)

    Jerusalem Council

    After their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas went back to Antioch and told them of all that God had done. Some Jewish men came from Israel, though, and started teaching the people that the Gentiles (non-Jewish people) had to be circumcised and follow the laws of Moses. Paul and Barnabas strongly disagreed. The church leaders in Antioch decided that Paul and Barnabas should go to Jerusalem and ask the apostles and elders whether this was true.
    The elders of the church met together and discussed the situation. Peter told them about the vision that God had given him, showing him that he was not to consider Gentiles to be unclean anymore; God had made them clean.

    Acts 11:5-10 (NASB)

    5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came right down to me,
    6 and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air.
    7 “I also heard a voice saying to me, Get up, Peter; kill and eat.
    8 “But I said, By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.
    9 “But a voice from heaven answered a second time, What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.
    10 “This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky.

    There was much debate, because they had all been raised to believe that they were God’s only people. Jesus said in John 4:22, “salvation is from the Jews.” This meant that God’s salvation from sin and death came through the Jewish nation – Jesus. This did not mean that they were the only people who could be saved. It also did not mean that Gentiles (non-Jews) had to become Jews.

    Salvation for Everyone

    Eventually, they agreed to send this letter with Paul and Barnabas, along with some other men, back to Antioch.

    Acts 15:23-29 (NASB)

    23 and they sent this letter by them, “The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.
    24 “Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls,
    25 it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
    26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
    27 “Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth.
    28 “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:
    29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”

    This was revolutionary thinking. They considered the Old Testament scriptures, what Jesus had said and accomplished by fulfilling those scriptures, as well as the testimonies from Peter, Paul, and Barnabas. After praying, it was obvious to them what God had done. There were still many people who disagreed with them – those who were unwilling to let go of the traditions of the past, but they saw that God was doing a new thing, and they did not want to stand in His way.
    After this, Paul became known as the apostle to the Gentiles (non-Jews).

    Romans 11:13 (NASB)

    13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,

    Galatians 2:7-9 (NASB)

    7 But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised
    8 (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles),
    9 and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

    Second Missionary Journey

    Back then, they had no Internet, no phones, no television, no real mail service. The only way to get any news was either by word of mouth or a letter sent by a friend. Paul wanted to see how the new churches were doing that they had established earlier.

    Acts 15:36 (NASB)

    36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”

    Barnabas agreed, but there was a problem.

    Acts 15:37-40 (NASB)

    37 Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also.
    38 But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.
    39 And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.
    40 But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.

    This was yet another very difficult thing for Paul. Barnabas was his mentor. He was the one who first vouched for him to the apostles and Christians in Jerusalem. Barnabas had gone to Tarsus and brought Paul to Antioch, so he could help with the new converts there. Paul owed him a lot. Still, he believed that John Mark was not ready to go on this journey with them.

    Notice how both of these men were godly men. They were both prophets and leaders in the church, yet they disagreed. We do see that they were reconciled later, and Paul even mentions John Mark as one of his assistants who was “useful to me for service” (2 Timothy 4:11). We need to learn how to disagree while still remaining brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus said that others would know us by our love for one another (John 13:35).

    Notice also verse 40 says that Paul and Silas were “committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.” It does not say that about Barnabas and John Mark, though.

    Growing Churches

    Acts 15:41-16:1a (NASB)

    41 And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
    1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra.

    Acts 16:4-5 (NASB)

    4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe.
    5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.

    At first, Paul and Silas were going through Syria (where they started) and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. Barnabas and John Mark went to Cyprus.
    It seemed everything was going great. People were being saved, the churches were growing, and lives were being strengthened in the Lord. Then, they came to Galatia and Phrygia.

    Forbidden to Preach

    When we think of someone forbidding people to preach, we might think of people in communist China being thrown in prison for telling people about Jesus, or a school saying you can’t have a Bible study there. This situation was totally different.

    Acts 16:6-8 (NASB)

    6 They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;
    7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them;
    8 and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

    The scripture doesn’t say how the Holy Spirit forbade them to speak the word. It could have been through a prophetic word, a vision, or even a dream. It also doesn’t say why. God doesn’t always give us a why; sometimes, it’s just a where, or even a simple “Go.”
    They passed all the way through Galatia and Phrygia, areas where they had experienced persecution before, and Paul was even stoned. They went anyway. Since the Holy Spirit told them not to preach in Asia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but “the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them” (Acts 6:7), so they kept going, until they got to Troas.

    Traveling

    Paul knew that he was called to preach and teach the word. They had seen what God was doing in the churches in Syria and Cilicia. For some reason, though, they were traveling over 400 miles, and they were not allowed to speak at all. This probably took them at least a month or two, possibly more. Many people would be discouraged, but we see Paul and Silas continuing on, because they knew that they were called by God.
    When they arrived at Troas, which is a port city on the northwestern edge of ancient Asia, they stopped. I’m sure that they had been praying all this time, asking God for direction. After this lengthy dry spell, they finally got their marching orders from God.

    Macedonian Call

    Acts 16:9-10 (NASB)

    9 A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
    10 When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

    Paul did not try to explain away the dream as a bad bagel or cream cheese. He knew this was the voice of God. They immediately got on a ship and went to Macedonia. They continued on their journey, preaching the word of God to many people, and establishing churches.

    Philippi

    After they crossed the Aegean Sea, from Troas, they landed at Neapolis, then Philippi. There, they shared the Word of God with many people, and the church was growing. After Paul cast out a demon from a fortune-telling slave girl, her masters got angry, because their way of making money was now gone. They started a riot, and Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten with rods (more painful than whips), and thrown in jail. To make it even worse, their feet were locked up in stocks (Acts 16:24).

    Acts 16:23-24 (NASB)

    23 When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely;
    24 and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

    So, they freed a slave girl from demon possession (a very good thing), were arrested for that good thing, beaten with rods, thrown in prison, and locked up in stocks, so they could not even move. All this, just because they did a good deed that was not illegal.
    We don’t see Paul and Silas, though, complaining to God or asking, “why me?” Instead, they were worshiping God.

    Acts 16:25 (NASB)

    25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

    A Shaking

    Acts 16:26 (NASB)

    26 and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.

    God supernaturally opened all of the prison doors and released the chains. Paul, Silas, and the other prisoners could have easily escaped. They knew that meant the jailer would be tortured and killed, though.

    Acts 16:27-28 (NASB)

    27 When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
    28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!”

    Salvation

    The jailer was devastated. He had been hearing Paul and Silas singing and praising God, in spite of their circumstances, then when they had the chance to escape, they didn’t. He probably had never seen anyone like them before.

    Acts 16:29-32 (NASB)

    29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas,
    30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
    31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
    32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house.

    The jailer, along with his whole family, got saved and baptized that night. He fed Paul and Silas, and washed their wounds.

    We never know who is watching and listening to us. When Paul and Silas decided to worship God instead of cursing God, they had no idea what God would do. Even if He had not moved in a miraculous way that night, they were still going to praise Him.

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  • A Life Well Lived: Paul (part 2)

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    A Life Well Lived: Paul (part 2)

    Taught by God

    It seems that after Saul’s conversion, he needed to get alone and meditate on what had just happened to him. He also needed to spend time with God, without any distractions.

    Galatians 1:15-17 (NASB)

    15 But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased
    16 to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,
    17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia, and returned once more to Damascus.

    Discipleship

    Understandably, most people in Damascus were not believing that Saul had suddenly, completely changed. I’m sure they wanted to believe, but their lives were at risk if they were wrong. There was a godly, generous man in the church in Jerusalem, named Barnabas. He had even sold some land and given the proceeds to the apostles (Acts 4:36-37), so that they could distribute it to whomever had needs. This man met Saul and saw what God was doing in his life.
    Three years later, Saul went to Jerusalem.

    Acts 9:26-27 (NASB)

    26 When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.
    27 But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.

    Saul even met with Peter for fifteen days (Cephas is Peter).

    Galatians 1:18-19 (NASB)

    18 Then three years later I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him fifteen days.
    19 But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord s brother.

    Because of Barnabas, the Christians in Jerusalem were accepting and even embracing Saul. Some of the Jews, however, felt that Saul had betrayed them, and they plotted to kill him, so his fellow believers rescued him and sent him to Tarsus, where he had been born. He probably still had relatives there who could keep him safe.

    Syrian Antioch

    In the meantime, some believers had preached the gospel to people in the Syrian (Gentile) city of Antioch, so the apostles sent Barnabas to Antioch to establish the new church there. Barnabas saw what God was doing in Antioch, and he went to Tarsus to get Saul.

    Acts 11:25-26 (NASB)

    25 And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul;
    26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

    By the way, this term, Christian, is only used three times in the New Testament: here, Acts 26:28, and 1 Peter 4:16.
    During this time, Saul had established himself as a faithful servant of God. Some prophets had come and prophesied that there was going to be a worldwide famine. The Christians in Antioch wanted to send a contribution to the Christians in Jerusalem, because they were already going through persecution, including the loss of some of their homes and possessions. They trusted Barnabas and Saul to deliver this offering to the Jerusalem church.

    Back to Syrian Antioch

    Acts 12:25 (NASB)

    25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.

    After they came back from Jerusalem, Saul continued in the church in Antioch, where he grew in the Lord, and learned how to be a true disciple and leader in the body of Christ. Barnabas was one of the leaders in this church, as well as Saul.

    Acts 13:1 (NASB)

    1 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

    Notice how Saul, at this point, was mentioned last. Many times in scripture, this indicates position or office. Saul was one of the teachers/prophets, but still learning. Little did he know that God was about to do much more in his life.

    Calling to Evangelize

    Acts 13:2-3 (NASB)

    2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
    3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

    Notice how there are many different ways that God calls us – to be saved, to different ministries, or other major life events. God is never boring, and He won’t be “put into a box.” Some people might say that they have one aspect of God figured out, and they come up with a “formula” to how He operates. That’s usually when God will do something totally different. God called Saul to salvation through a blinding light and a vision on the road to Damascus. He then calls him to this ministry during a prayer meeting. Many people were saved by the preaching of Peter on the Day of Pentecost. Every calling was legitimate, and they were all different.
    Now, Barnabas and Saul were called by God for a specific work. They left with the blessing, and probably assistance, of the church in Tarsus.

    First Missionary Journey

    Barnabas and Saul went to Seleucia, a port city close to Antioch. From there, they went to Cyprus. They went through the different towns and cities, telling the people about the gospel of Jesus Christ. When they arrived at the western end of the island, a magician by the name of Elymas was opposing their message. God used Saul to perform a miracle.

    Acts 13:9-11 (NASB)

    9 But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him,
    10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?
    11 “Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand.

    This is the first time that we see scripture referring to Saul (which means desired) as Paul (which means small or little). After this display, the leader (proconsul Paulus) believed and was saved. God used this miracle to confirm the words being spoken by Paul and Barnabas. It’s also after this point that we see Paul’s name being mentioned before Barnabas’s name. God was raising up Paul and making him into the man he needed to be.
    Unfortunately, John Mark left them after that incident. We don’t know the exact reason; perhaps he was overwhelmed by the enormity of what he had just seen. He did not go back to Antioch, from where they were called, but to Jerusalem, his hometown.
    Paul and Barnabas continued on through areas of modern-day Turkey, preaching the gospel and seeing a number of miracles.

    Lystra

    When they reached Lystra, they saw a man who had been “lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked.” (Acts 14:8) While Paul was speaking, he looked at this man and saw that “he had faith to be made well.” (Acts 14:9) He told the man to “Stand upright on your feet.” The man leaped up and began to walk. The crowds were so amazed that they started calling Paul and Barnabas gods in their own language. They were about to sacrifice to them, but when Paul found out what they were doing, he stopped them and told them that they were only men. Then, the pendulum swung the other way.
    Jewish men from nearby towns were jealous of Paul and Barnabas, and they came to Iconium and managed to convince the crowd that Paul and Barnabas were not gods, but were somehow evil.

    Acts 13:19 (NASB)

    19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.

    It is incredible how quickly public opinion can change. In the same day, the “mob mentality” went from considering Paul and Barnabas to be gods, to stoning Paul and leaving him for dead. Paul was not scared away, though.

    Acts 13:20 (NASB)

    20 But while the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe.

    Throughout his ministry, Paul was persecuted many times.

    2 Corinthians 11:23-27 (NASB)

    23 Are they servants of Christ? – I speak as if insane – I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.
    24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
    25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.
    26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;
    27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

    Return Trip

    After ministering in Derbe, Paul wanted to go back through all of the places where they had been, so they could encourage the believers to continue on in the faith. This included Iconium, where Paul was almost stoned to death. He knew that his life was in God’s hands, and what Jesus had done for him was worth far more than whatever suffering he might go through. This is what he wrote:

    Romans 8:18 (NASB)

    18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

    Opposition to Peter

    Men and women of God are not perfect. We all make mistakes, and we all need correction at times. This was also true of Peter.

    Galatians 2:11-13 (NASB)

    11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.
    12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.
    13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

    Paul found himself in a position where he had to confront the leader of the church, Peter, as well as his mentor, Barnabas. It is not clear if this event happened before or after the Jerusalem council. Regardless, God had already shown Peter that Gentiles could be saved, the same as Jews (see Acts 10). Barnabas had seen God save many Gentiles in Antioch and during their first missionary journey, which was in Gentile countries.
    As Paul did, we need to make sure that we stay humble and know that we have heard from God before we oppose our spiritual leaders. At the same time, we can’t shy away from our calling to help each other walk this journey with purity and faithfulness to God.
    Paul is now being raised up by God in the eyes of the church people and the church leaders. They can see that God has called him to be an apostle.

    To be continued…

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  • A Life Well Lived: Paul

    sun reflection on calm water near green mountains

    A Life Well Lived: Paul

    Background

    The apostle Paul wrote two thirds of the books of the New Testament. He was possibly the greatest apostle ever, but how much do we really know about this man? Where did he come from? What motivated him? What can we learn from his life?

    Childhood

    Paul was born in Tarsus of Cilicia. In this image, you see Cilicia above the northeastern part of the Mediterranean Sea.

    Tarsus was a colony of Rome, so this made Paul a Roman citizen. As a Roman citizen, he had special rights that non-citizens did not have. For example, it was a common practice for a prisoner to be whipped and possibly tortured as part of their questioning. Unless a Roman citizen was accused of a capital crime, such as murder, it was considered treason to put a Roman citizen in chains or whip him. Those who committed treason were put to death, so his Roman citizenship gave him special privileges.
    At some point in his childhood, he moved to Jerusalem.

    Jerusalem was the capital of the nation of Israel. Even though they were subject to Rome, there was a great deal of autonomy. They were allowed to govern themselves for most things, and they could conduct business on their own.
    Jerusalem was the center of all Jewish activity. It’s where the temple was located. The Jewish seat of government was located there, as well. It was also where the best Jewish scholars and tutors were. One of the most prominent scholars was Gamaliel.

    Acts 5:34a (NASB)

    34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, respected by all the people, stood up in the Council

    Education

    Gamaliel was a very well-known, respected teacher. As such, probably only the best families could afford to have their sons educated by him. Paul was from one of those familes.

    Acts 22:3 (NASB)

    3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.

    There was an educated, Roman procurator (governor) who was impressed by Paul’s incredible learning and knowledge, though not in a good way. Paul’s training and knowledge were quite apparent to everyone around him.

    Acts 26:24 (NASB)

    24 While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad.”

    Zeal

    Paul was raised as a privileged Jew with great zeal for his own nation. He believed strongly that the Jews were the only people chosen by God, and that everyone had to convert to Judaism. He was willing to put people in prison or even death, if they opposed his way of thinking.

    Acts 22:3 (NASB)

    3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as you all are today.

    Stephen

    After the resurrection of Jesus and the Day of Pentecost, the early church was growing very rapidly. The apostles were spending too much time trying to handle all of the daily needs of the people, though, so they decided to choose “seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” to help out with serving the people (Acts 6:3).

    Acts 6:5 (NASB)

    5 The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.

    These men are usually considered to be the first “deacons.” The Greek word for deacon means “servant.” Their job was to minister to the physical needs of the believers. They were more than just that, though.

    Acts 6:8 (NASB)

    8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.

    Some of the Jews did not like how much the new church was growing, and Stephen was a big part of it, so they brought Stephen to the “Council.” This was part of their legal system. The Council’s decisions were final; there were no appeals. The Jews falsely accused Stephen of speaking blasphemy against “Moses and God.” Of course, they were lying, but they did manage to convince enough people to convict him and put him to death by stoning.

    Acts 7:58, 8:1 (NASB)

    58 When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
    1 Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

    This young man, Saul, was later called Paul.

    Persecution

    Mob mentality took hold of the Jewish people, and they were persecuting their fellow countrymen simply because they had become followers of Jesus. Saul (Paul) was one of the leaders of the persecutors.

    Acts 9:1-2 (NASB)

    1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,
    2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

    Saul was not doing this because he was mean. He truly believed that this was how he was supposed to serve God. Simply being dedicated or “having faith” is not enough. We need to believe and follow Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). Saul was going full speed in the wrong direction, but God had other plans for him.

    Road to Damascus

    Acts 9:3-6 (NASB)

    3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;
    4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
    5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,
    6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.”

    Jesus met Saul (Paul) while he was on his way to persecute Christians. Notice how Jesus said that Saul was persecuting Him, not His followers (see Matthew 26:31-46). After Saul got up, he was blind. Those who were with him led him by the hand to Damascus. When he got there, he didn’t eat or drink anything for three days. Then, God sent someone to help him.

    Ananias

    Acts 9:10-12 (NASB)

    10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
    11 And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying,
    12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.”

    God supernaturally called a Christian to lay hands on Saul, so he could receive his sight. He also showed Saul that Ananias would be coming. God could have healed Saul Himself, but He chose to use a person. He doesn’t need any of us; He chooses to use us, for His own glory, and so we can be part of His plan and His kingdom.
    Although Ananias was fearful of the prospect of going to Saul, because everyone knew he was there to persecute believers, he obeyed God. Many times, God will call us to do things that make no sense to us. We just need to obey, then we will see and be part of His miraculous plan.

    Acts 9:17-18 (NASB)

    17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
    18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized;

    Saul is just beginning a journey that will change his life, and the lives of many others, for eternity.

    To be continued…

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  • A Grain of Wheat

    wheat field

    A Grain of Wheat

    Alone

    John 12:23-25 (NASB)

    23 And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
    24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
    25 “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.

    It takes about 14,400 grains of wheat to make a loaf of bread. Eating one grain by itself would definitely leave you still hungry. If you plant that grain, though, it could yield many more grains of wheat that could be used. The original grain of wheat, though, is “lost” in the process. Was it worth it?
    Each wheat stalk (plant) produces an average of five heads. Each head produces about 22 grains or kernels. That means that one grain could produce about 110 grains, if it is planted and is fruitful. That is more than 100 times the original single grain – 10,000% growth!

    Draw All Men

    John 12:32 (NASB)

    32 “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”

    A few verses later, Jesus tells us how much He was about to produce. If He sacrificed Himself, He would draw (call) everyone to Himself. The amount of suffering that Jesus endured is more than we can imagine. He considered the cost and the benefit, and He determined that we were worth it. His love was greater than His suffering.

    Die to Yourself

    Mark 8:34-37 (NASB)

    34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.
    35 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.
    36 “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?
    37 “For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

    Jesus didn’t tell His disciples that they just needed to give up a couple of things or be nicer to people; He told them that they had to deny themselves (all of their desires), take up their own crosses (crucify their own flesh), then follow Him. At another time, recorded in Matthew 10:38, Jesus said, “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”
    We are not even worthy of Jesus unless we die to ourselves. What does that mean?

    Service

    Just because people are godly doesn’t mean they are perfect. The 12 disciples left everything to follow Jesus. They ministered to Him, helped Him minister to others, and learned from Him, all while being supported by the generosity of others. Many times, they did not even know where they were going to sleep. They sacrificed much, but they were not perfect.

    Luke 9:46-48 (NASB)

    46 An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest.
    47 But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side,
    48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”

    Jesus had just told His disciples that He was going to die at the hands of evil men. The Bible says that they did not understand what Jesus was saying at that time. Instead of asking Jesus about it, though, they started to argue about which one of them was the greatest. Jesus gave them the perfect example – a young child.
    Usually, a child knows that they need their parents. They don’t have jobs, their own places to live, or even how to cook. That’s how we are; we need God for everything. Sometimes, a child will leave home, wanting to be “all grown up.” They soon realize that being an adult is harder than it looks. We all need to come to this realization with our heavenly Father. Without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5).

    Foot Washing

    John 13:2-4 (NASB)

    2 During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him,
    3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God,
    4 got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself.

    Throughout His life here on earth, Jesus showed us what it means to be a servant and die to yourself. He knew what Judas Iscariot was going to do, so when the devil himself entered Judas, He was not surprised. For the three years or so of His ministry, He ministered to Judas, entrusting him with carrying the money (John 13:29), and treating him like the rest of the disciples. Even at the end, when Judas was about to actually betray Him, Jesus washed his feet, the act of the lowest of servants.
    This was one of His last acts here on earth. He had been teaching the disciples all along about humble service to God and others, but they still didn’t get it. If we begin to think that maybe we have done enough, and just maybe it’s our turn to be ministered to, we need to remember what Jesus did, how He served us, even when we rejected Him. He never stopped serving, even knowing that it was His last night on this earth as a man.

    Deity

    John 1:1-3 (NASB)

    1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
    2 He was in the beginning with God.
    3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

    Jesus has always been God. He was not created. In fact, He created everything, along with His Father and the Holy Spirit. Every indication that we have tells us that He is just as powerful, just as much “God” as His Father. At the same time, He has always willingly submitted to His Father, not just here on earth, but for all eternity.

    Greater

    John 14:28 (NASB)

    28 “You heard that I said to you, I go away, and I will come to you. If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

    How is the Father greater than Jesus? Is He more capable? No, they both have unlimited power. Did He create Jesus? No, we just saw that Jesus has been from the very beginning. Is He more loving? No, Jesus gave His life to show us how to live, then He took all of our sins and nailed them to the cross.
    The only way that I can see that the Father is greater is that Jesus, the Son of God, has willingly submitted Himself to the Father’s authority.

    Not Equal

    Philippians 2:5-7 (NASB)

    5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
    6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
    7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
    8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

    Even though Jesus was equal in power, ability, and deity (being God), He placed His Father above Himself.
    Verse 6 says that Jesus existed in the “form” of God. The Greek word used here, morphe, describes something that is intrinsic, something that we see because of who or what it is, rather than just what it looks like on the outside. The same word is used in verse 7, where it says that He took the “form of a bond-servant.” In verse 8, though, where it says that He was “found in appearance as a man”, the word translated “appearance” is schema, which refers more to what someone or something looks like, as opposed to what it actually is.
    Jesus actually was God; He actually was a bond-servant, but He looked like only a man. He was fully man, but He was also fully God.

    Love

    John 13:34-35 (NASB)

    34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
    35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

    The example of love that Jesus gave us is what He expects from each one of us. He doesn’t just expect it, here He says that it is a commandment, just like not murdering, not lying, or any of the other commandments.

    Submission

    Earlier, we saw that Jesus was and is just as much God as the Father is, yet He willingly submitted Himself to His Father’s authority. Submitting to someone and serving them in no way indicates that you are any less (or more) capable than they are. It does not mean that you deserve any less (or more) blessings or praise from God or people. All that it means is that we are doing what Jesus commanded us to do.

    Ephesians 5:21-22 (NASB)

    21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
    22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

    Some people focus on verse 22, but they overlook verse 21. In the church, and in the home, we should humble ourselves and look for ways to serve each other. God has set up positions in the home, in the church, in businesses, and in governments, because without this structure, we have chaos.
    In the beginning, God created order out of chaos and nothingness. Order is part of His nature, and it is what is best for us – individually and as a family, church, and nation.

    Work

    1 Peter 2:18, 21-24 (NASB)

    18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.
    21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
    22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH;
    23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;
    24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

    Maybe you work for someone that you don’t think appreciates all of your hard work. Maybe you feel like you deserve more money. You might even know more about their business than they do. It could be that you are right. God, however, wants us to show others, even ungodly people, His love and His grace. In the same way that He loved us, served us, and died for us, we should be willing to do that for others. God shows us over and over that if Jesus can do it, we can, too. We can’t live a godly life in our own strength, but with His help, and by His grace, we can.

    Jesus

    Philippians 2:8-11 (NASB)

    8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
    9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
    10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
    11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

    Jesus deserves our praise simply because of Who He is – our loving, eternal God. On top of that, though, He died in our place, humbly showing us how to live. That is why everyone who has ever lived or ever will live will one day bow their knee and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
    By willingly giving up Himself in this life, His individual grain of wheat has yielded a crop greater than anyone could possibly imagine. Are we willing to follow His lead and sacrifice our individual grains of wheat, so that the kingdom of God can blossom and grow, yielding a tremendous crop for all eternity?

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  • Freedom

    brown bird flying over the mountain

    Freedom

    Free as a Bird

    The other morning, I heard a bird singing, and it sounded like it was shouting, “Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!” When you think about freedom, what do you think about? A bird soaring above mountain peaks, without a care in the world? Being independently wealthy? Walking along a beach, building sand castles and collecting seashells?
    Jesus came to give us freedom – the kind of freedom that can’t be taken away, can’t be earned, and lasts for eternity.

    Freedom for Brokenhearted

    Isaiah 61:1 (NASB)

    1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;

    This life has a way of tearing us down. People have a way of breaking our hearts. Circumstances have a way of making us prisoners. Jesus came to set us free from all of this. We might still have the problems, but He shows us how we don’t have to be controlled by them. We can rise above our problems and soar on the wings of freedom that He gives us.
    We were called to be different; we were not called to stay in our captivity to sin, but to be free from sin. Sin is our taskmaster. It makes us do things we don’t want to do, and it uses that to control us.
    We need to stand up and speak to the sin that is controlling us, “I am a child of God. Jesus paid the price, He has made the way, and He has set me free. I will walk in that freedom!”

    Untangled Freedom

    Hebrews 12:1-2 (NASB)

    1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
    2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

    Have you ever gotten tangled up with something – maybe a net, a rope, or even a piece of clothing? That’s what sin does to us. We think we are going along great, no problems at all, then all of a sudden, we fall flat on our faces. Sin will blind us to what is really happening in our lives. I have seen people who thought that they had it all. They had a good job, a good family, and their own secret sins that no one knew about. Then, all of a sudden, it all came to light, and they wound up losing everything. The sin that they thought was bringing them freedom was actually getting them tangled up. Their downfall was inevitable.

    Freedom From Sin

    Galatians 5:1, 13 (NASB)

    1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

    13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

    Some people think that freedom means that they can do anything that they want – including sinning. Unfortunately, that only makes them slaves to the thing that they thought was bringing them freedom.

    Sin is slavery.

    1 Peter 2:15-16 (NASB)

    15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.
    16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.

    We should never use “freedom” as an excuse to do whatever we want. God has called us to holiness, not bondage to sin: free from sin, not free to sin.

    Freedom from Selfishness

    1 Corinthians 10:28-29 (NASB)

    28 But if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience sake;
    29 I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience?

    There are times when what I do could cause someone else to stumble or not understand. If what I do becomes a problem for someone else, I should be willing to change what I do, for their sake. Christian love always puts others first, not ourselves. We hear some people ask why someone else should dictate whether they can do something, just because the other person thinks that they shouldn’t do it. Why not turn that around, and ask ourselves, “What can I do to help my neighbor/friend/relative get closer to God?” If avoiding movies, certain foods, or other things will help, those would be small sacrifices viewed in the eyes of eternity.

    Philippians 2:3-4 (NASB)

    3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
    4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

    Eternity is forever. Souls are forever. Everything we do should be for the sake of eternal souls, our own and everyone else we can reach.

    1 Corinthians 10:30-33 (NASB)

    30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?
    31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
    32 Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God;
    33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.

    Freedom For Others

    2 Peter 2:18-19 (NASB)

    18 For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error,
    19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.

    Jesus said in John 8:44 that the devil “is a liar and the father of lies.” Satan hates all of us, because he hates God, and we were made in the image of God. He will promise things that sound good and look good, but they are actually leading to our slavery and eternal death.

    Luke 16:13 (NASB)

    13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

    Jesus tells us that we have to pick a side; we can’t stay in the middle. We have to either live completely for Jesus or not. If we think that we can just be a little good, do good deeds now and then, and “slide through” life, we are mistaken.

    Jude 1:22-23 (NASB)

    22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting;
    23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.

    Are we willing to do what it takes to save others from the very real fire that is waiting for everyone, unless we repent? Hell is real; what are we going to do about that?

    Freedom to be On Fire

    In Revelation, Jesus tells the church in Laodicea to get in or get out; you can’t “ride the fence.”

    Revelation 3:15-16 (NASB)

    15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.
    16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

    True freedom is living for Jesus, no matter the temptations or what others might think.

    John 8:34-36 (NASB)

    34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.
    35 “The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.
    36 “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

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  • Lamb of God

    white sheep

    Lamb of God

    Easter

    We just celebrated Easter, the day that we remember when Jesus rose from the dead. Let’s take another look at this, focusing on the sacrifice that God made for us.

    Fifth Gospel

    Isaiah 53:7 (NASB)

    7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.

    Many people have called the Old Testament book of Isaiah the fifth gospel (along with the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament), because Isaiah prophesies so much about Jesus – 700 years before Jesus was born.
    One reason Isaiah referred to Jesus as a lamb was because He did not defend Himself when He was on trial. If He had, He certainly could have refuted all of the false accusations that were made against Him. He also could have proven that He actually was the Son of God, not a blasphemer; but He didn’t do any of that.

    Matthew 27:13-14 (NASB)

    13 Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?”
    14 And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.

    Jesus knew that this was His ultimate purpose – to take our place on the cross, to become the true Lamb of God.

    John the Baptist

    John 1:29-30 (NASB)

    29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
    30 “This is He on behalf of whom I said, After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.

    John the Baptist recognized Jesus, because of the sign that He saw where the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus like a dove and remained on Him.

    John 1:31-34 (NASB)

    31 “I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.”
    32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.
    33 “I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.
    34 “I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

    John freely admitted that he was not the Messiah or the Christ. God called and sent him to prepare the way for Jesus, the Son of God, the Lamb of God. Every Jew, including John and most of the people coming to him, knew that lambs were sacrificed for the sins of the people. He also knew that was what Jesus would do for us. He was the ultimate, and final, sacrifice.

    Vicarious Sacrifice

    A vicarious, or substitutionary, sacrifice is where someone or something takes the place of the original sacrifice. Many years ago, people would sacrifice animals. These sacrifices would temporarily cover over their sin, but they still were not enough.
    At the direction of God, Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac, his son of God’s promise, the one from whom God said he would bring multitudes of descendants. Abraham was completely distraught, but he knew that God could raise Isaac from the dead, even though he had never seen it happen (Heb. 11:17-19). At the last moment, God Himself stopped Abraham and provided another sacrifice for him.

    Genesis 22:12-14 (NASB)

    12 He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
    13 Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.
    14 Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.”

    God always seems to come through at just the right moment. It might seem like it’s too late sometimes, but it never is. He provided another sacrifice, a vicarious sacrifice, so that Abraham did not have to offer Isaac as a burnt offering.
    When we are in our darkest hours, we need to be reminded of what Jesus did for us. He took our place. He bore the penalty for what we have done. He did what no one else could do. He gave us freedom – freedom from sin, shame, and death.

    Suffering

    Isaiah 53:1-3 (NASB)

    1 Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
    2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
    3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

    Jesus didn’t come so that He could rule over all of us. He came and lived as one of us, to give us the perfect example, and show us that it is possible to live a truly godly life. He wasn’t dressed up in royal robes, and He didn’t have an entourage and guards. When people saw Him, they did not consider Him to be rich, powerful, or influential. People who were hungry for God, though, saw Him for who He truly was – the Son of God.

    Our Healing

    Isaiah 53:4-5 (NASB)

    4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
    5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.

    His suffering bought our healing – physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.

    Physical Healing

    1 Peter 2:24 (NASB)

    24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

    Healing is part of the good news of Jesus. Whether we receive a physical healing today or in eternity, He already paid for it.

    James 5:14-15 (NASB)

    14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
    15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.

    Not everyone who is prayed for receives their healing immediately, but many do. We need to always believe God for the healing, even when we don’t see it right away.

    Emotional Healing

    1 Peter 5:6-7 (NASB)

    6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
    7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

    There are so many reasons to have anxiety in this world: money, social media, friends, loved ones, parents, children, work. We were never intended to do this on our own, though. God wants to help, if we will only let Him.

    Matthew 11:28-30 (NASB)

    28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
    29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.
    30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

    Trying to “do life” on your own is really hard. Carrying your own burden is really hard. Being yoked with Jesus and having Him help is easy, and His “burden is light.” Notice that humility is one of the keys. We need to be willing to humble ourselves and admit that we need help, and that Jesus is the One Who can help.

    Spiritual Healing

    Ephesians 2:1-2 (NASB)

    1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
    2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

    Before Jesus, we weren’t just having a hard time; we were dead. Just as when our souls and spirits leave our bodies, bringing physical death, when our spirits are separated from God, the Author and Creator of our spirits, we are spiritually dead. Jesus paid the price and showed us the way for us to have spiritual life, true life, abundant life.

    John 15:13-15 (NASB)

    13 “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
    14 “You are My friends if you do what I command you.
    15 “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

    Jesus calls us His friends, not His slaves or servants. All we have to do is what He commands us to do. The great thing about keeping His commands (not just the Ten Commandments) is that this is how we can live the abundant life, free from sin, guilt, and shame.

    Home

    John 14:2-3 (NASB)

    2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
    3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

    Jesus said that He was going to prepare a place for us. He loves us so much that He wants all of us to live next door to Him. He also promises to not leave us here on this earth, in this sometimes good/sometimes bad life. If He goes to prepare that place (which He did), He promises to come back and get us, so that we can be with Him forever.

    Don’t wait. Start your new life with Jesus today. Click/tap here to start your new life. We would also love to have you join with us walking in the light of God’s love. Reach out to us here.

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  • Commitment

    empty tomb looking out at a cross

    Commitment

    Love

    Can God be taken by surprise? Of course not. He knows all things, sees all things, and lives outside of what we call time. He truly is the Great I Am – always present. When Adam and Eve sinned, was God surprised? Definitely not. He knew that we would fail, but He created us anyway. Before my wife and I had children, we knew that they would struggle at times and not be perfect, but we decided to have them anyway. Just like we looked forward to loving our children, in spite of whatever mistakes they might make, God did the same. Because of His love for us, He created us. Just like we treasure spending time with our children and grandchildren, God loves spending time with us.

    Chosen Beforehand

    Ephesians 1:3-4a (NASB)

    3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
    4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.

    God chose us (everyone who will come to Him) “before the foundation of the world.” He didn’t have to do it, but He did. His love compelled Him. In the same way that I made a commitment to my children before they were born, God made a commitment to us before He created us. He chose to love us, protect us, and be with us, while also allowing us to have a free will. True love is only possible when it is a choice. God allows us to either choose or reject Him.

    His Purpose

    2 Timothy 1:8-9 (NASB)

    8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,
    9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity,

    We were not created “on a whim.” God had and still has a purpose for each one of us. God’s purpose is for us to receive his gift and grace that He has given to each one of us. Each one of us has a “holy calling.” This calling is not because of any good deeds that we have done. We can’t earn God’s love; He gives it to us freely. If we were to try to buy it, we couldn’t afford it, anyway.

    God’s Love

    Ephesians 2:4-7 (NASB)

    4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
    5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
    6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
    7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

    When Jesus committed to loving us, He held nothing back; He was all in.

    Philippians 2:5-8 (NASB)

    5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
    6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
    7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
    8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

    Jesus, the Creator of the universe and everything in it, “emptied” and “humbled” Himself to the point that He became a man. He not only became a man, but a servant of men. He did not come to rule, but to serve. He showed us and told us that was how we should serve each other.

    Perfect Time

    Galatians 4:4-5 (NASB)

    4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,
    5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

    The “fullness of the time” means that Jesus did not come too soon or too late; He came at the perfect time. He did not hesitate. He committed to us before He created us, so at the right time, He came and lived among us.

    He Became a Curse

    Galatians 3:13 (NASB)

    13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us or it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”

    We were under a curse, just like Adam and Eve were, because of our sins. We have all sinned; we have all fallen short of God’s calling for each one of us (Rom.3:23). Jesus knew that would happen, and He also knew that there was only one way that we could be reconciled to Him.

    2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB)

    21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

    Jesus took our sins on Himself when He was on the cross, so that we would no longer be under the curse of sin. He then put that curse to death, because He had no sin Himself, making His sacrifice the only possible perfect sacrifice, completely fulfilling the justice that our sins deserved.

    He Condemned Sin

    Romans 8:3-4 (NASB)

    3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,
    4 so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

    Sin no longer controls us, if we are living in Christ, and are walking “according to the Spirit.” We can now walk (live) freely, without being controlled by sin.

    Our Debt is Canceled

    Colossians 2:13-15 (NASB)

    13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
    14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
    15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

    Jesus took our sin debt that we all owed, and He “nailed it to the cross.” He did this publicly, taking away the power of death that Satan was able to hold over our heads. We no longer have to fear death, if we are living in Christ. Satan, his demons, and all those who choose to follow him, have no right or authority over us; we now belong to Jesus!

    Freedom

    Hebrews 2:14-15 (NASB)

    14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
    15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

    The fear of death is something that is common to almost everyone. Before we were born again, we rightfully feared death, knowing instinctively that death was not a good thing. This made us slaves all of our lives. When we found Christ (or were found by Him), He set us free from this slavery. He bought our freedom with His own blood, with His unimaginable sacrifice for us. We no longer have to fear death; we no longer have to worry about what others might do to us.

    No Fear

    Luke 12:4-5 (NASB)

    4 “I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do.
    5 “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!

    The only One Who we need to impress is our all-loving God. He paid the price for us and showed us the way. Jesus even came and gave us His perfect example of how to live. We can now live without fear. If someone threatens my life, I will not allow that to control me. I only have to fear God – no one else, and He loves me more than I can understand. God is love (1 John 4:8).

    Our Part

    Ephesians 2:8-10 (NASB)

    8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
    9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
    10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

    Jesus paid the price, He taught us, He gave us the perfect example of how to live, and we see that He even planned out the best way for each one of us to live. He has laid out things for each one of us to do. Just like He had a calling and purpose, we do, too. He made a commitment to us before He even created us. He then followed through on each step of that commitment.
    We made a commitment to God when we said that we would follow Him. We now need to follow through with that commitment, no matter the cost, no matter how difficult, no matter what we might think. He always knows best.

    Love One Another

    1 John 4:9 (NASB)

    9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
    10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
    11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

    As Christ loves us, we should love each other. As He forgave us when we didn’t deserve it, we should forgive each other when we don’t deserve it. As He gave His all to show His love for us, we should give our all to show our love for others.

    More…

    We would love to speak with you or have you worship the Lord with us. Please let us know how we can serve you.

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