Daily Thoughts: Jesus Christ.

Showing posts with label Jesus Christ.. Show all posts

Monday, April 16, 2012

By What Authority

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“You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.” – Romans 14:10

“Dad, can I go to Jake’s house?” said the young boy. “No. It’s almost dinner time and then you need to get ready for bed.” replied the father. “It’s not fare. I never get to play at Jakes.” and the young boy stormed off.

“Mom, can I go to Jake’s house?” said the young boy.

Children will consistently play one parent against another. Living with five children in the house, all under the age of 10, has it’s challenges. There are going to be days when one of them just feels cheated, and that life’s just not fare. Playing the game of dual authority goes on in our house, just the same as I’m sure it did in your house. It’s important that parents are on the same page and playing by the same rules when making decisions pertaining to their little ones. This keeps the playing field even and the children soon realize that regardless of their ploy, the answer is not going to change.

Likewise, God has established the standards and rules by which we are judged. They are consistent, just, loving and enduring. Despite my arguments for justification, the omnipotent God of the universe is not going to change the rules for me. We must recognize that His authority is the only righteous and immutable authority there is. There are but one set of rules and guidelines for living within the righteousness of our Savior. Yet, each of us will twist and bend those rules just a little to accommodate whatever sin we are living in.

It’s easy for Christians to become critics and judgmental of others in the moment. It is not our position to look down upon another who is struggling in sin. It is our position to love them through it without judgment and condemnation. This doesn’t mean you have to accept the sin but rather you must accept the person. For each of us are born into sin, and will live in sin throughout our entire life on this earth. This is why we need the grace of God Almighty to forgive our unrighteousness and grant us access to eternity with Him in heaven. He alone is worthy to judge our sin and unrighteousness.

The bible is clear that we all will come before the Lord one day in humility to lift praises and worship to Him alone. He will judge the good and the bad, and He will separate the sheep from the goats and welcome the sheep into eternity with Him. Not because of anything they have done, but because of their choice to follow the One who washes away their unrighteousness and forgives their iniquities.

The Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, has led them to this place of judgment and will stand on their behalf when the Father judges mankind. This is why we are unable to judge one another. God has already judged us, and by the blood of the lamb we are found to be spotless and worthy of His grace. Who then are we to say that someone is not worthy of His grace? Consider this the next time you wish to cast aspersions or doubt upon another believer. Do not try to overrule what God has already deemed sufficient. Let God be God, He knows what He’s doing.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Jesus' - Words from the Cross #4

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“And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' -- which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'” – Matthew 27:45

In Mark 15:25 we are told that it was the third hour that they crucified him. This would have been somewhere around 8 or 9 AM by our standard clock. The hours were counted from the point at which dawn broke on the horizon. So if daybreak were 5:30 to 6:00 AM that morning, the walk to Golgotha, and the nailing to the cross took approximately 3 hours.

At the 6^th hour, darkness fell over the land until the ninth hour. This would have been mid-day (noon to 3PM) when the sun would have been at it’s apex and high in the sky. As the sky became dark, those that remained behind on Golgotha that day began to see a transformation in this man who was born to save the world. There must have been some sense that this was no ordinary man as the light of the sun was hidden from the world and darkness covered them eerily, like death overcoming light. I can imagine many began leaving the hill during those three hours, fearful that the wrath of God might be poured out on them at any minute.

Then, those that remained behind heard Jesus cry out to His Father in a voice of a child wanting to know why. Was this a weakness in his spirit, or a telling statement that indeed Jesus was alone on that cross? God sent Jesus Christ to the world as a sacrificial lamb to take on the sins of the world and wash them with his blood. His only begotten Son, He sent to the slaughter like the perfect spotless lamb of the Passover. I propose that during the three hours of darkness, as Christ hung upon that cross, the sins of the world were being poured into his spirit. God’s purpose was coming to fruition right before the eyes of those onlookers that day, and Christ was abandoned with the iniquities of mankind.

Jesus had to have felt that pain, the anguish, the suffering, the hatred, the evil and the unrighteousness upon his spirit. Where there had only been a strong, loving, merciful presence of God in his life up to that point; he was now being subjected to the sin of mankind. This emptiness of the Father’s presence must have been overwhelming to the Son of God. He had been abused, neglected and punished by mankind up to that point, but he could always turn to his Father. Now, here he was in the ninth hour, alone, isolated and very human. Every breath was a laborious task now. Weakened and in excruciating pain he bore the sins of the world on the cross that day. Taking on these sins separated him from God the Father, who reigns in righteousness and perfection only.

For those of you who are parents, you realize how heartbreaking it is to say “No” to your children at those times when they really need or want something. Some call it tough love and there is nothing more painful than to hear your child cry out for help and you must choose not to. God, the Father, in His sovereignty and love for all mankind; turned from His Son in this darkened hour and allowed the pain and suffering of the world to be placed upon him. He did this knowing full well what was to come 3 days later. The by the resurrection, His Son would be raised once again spotless, blameless and perfect to receive His crown of glory and rightful seat upon the throne.

Why did God forsake Christ during this hardest hour of his life? Because you and I would be born into sin one day and would require the redemption provided on that cross and through the resurrection. His love for you pushed Him to look past His love for His own Son. You are the reason God forsake Christ that day on the cross.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

100,000,000,000,000,000

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“Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer” - Acts 3:17-18

Peter, speaking to those who had gathered to witness a miraculous healing of a man at the gates of the city; made it clear that Jesus was the Messiah, and they had all been a part of the conviction and crucifixion. He represents to those present that only Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of old, that foretold of the Messiah, his birth, his life, the miracles, his death and resurrection.

Many have researched and calculated the odds of any one man fulfilling the prophecies regarding the Messiah. It is demonstrated throughout scripture how Jesus Christ has fulfilled these prophecies, but he can’t be the only one, right? Well, let’s take a look at the numbers. There are hundreds of prophecies related to the life of the Messiah. The odds of any one person fulfilling all of those is an immeasurable number. So let’s look at just a small sampling. Take 8 prophecies : Born in Bethlehem, Born of a Virgin, Be from Nazareth, Descendent of Judah, Descendent of Jesse, Descendent of David, No bones broken and Betrayed by a friend. Jesus had no control over any of these. He could not have caused them or prevented them from happening.

The odds of one man fulfilling these 8 prophecies is one hundred million billion to one. This has been calculated numerous times, by scholars, math PHDs and scientists over the last few centuries. To grasp just how big these odds are, picture this. Take this many silver dollars, and spread them out over the great state of Texas (268,820 square miles). The pile of silver dollars would be two feet deep. Now, color one silver dollar red and hide it amongst all of these silver dollars. Blindfold an individual and ask them to pick up the one red silver dollar. An impossible task, I’m sure you would agree.

Jesus fulfilled hundreds of prophecies and will fulfill the remaining prophecies in the end days. He was sent by God to bring order back to the world, and establish a path of salvation. This is the only way it is conceivable that any one man could fulfill the hundreds of prophecies as were foretold thousands of years before his birth. Personally, I don’t need this proof in my life, for I have faith and trust that He is my Savior, but I realize there are many that do. Many have attempted to disprove Jesus as the Messiah, and not one has been able to overcome this mathematical fact. Perhaps, this little bit of math work will help another come to the same realization that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.

Prayer:
God Almighty,
You alone created the world, the universe and mankind. You alone brought Your Son to create a plan of redemption, salvation and eternal life. Through Your actions You have proven time and time again that Jesus was the Messiah, and that Your love for mankind is real. Help us to see through the rhetoric and confusion of this world, to accept that there is something greater in Your eternal plans for us. Provide us the wisdom to stand strong in Your defense and share Your gospel with others unashamedly. In Your name I pray – Amen.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

I AM WHO I AM

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“God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM' has sent me to you." – Exodus 3:4

Cassius Clay was not a humble man. As a matter of fact, to this day he is quite boastful and filled with pride and arrogance. It was a necessity in his line of work. In life he became world renown for his rope-a-dope and his fancy footwork. He fought hard to win his place in the hearts and minds of people all over the world through the sport of boxing. You might know him more formally as Muhammad Ali, arguably the best boxer of all time. He actually published a book and an audio recording titled, I Am the Greatest, in which he proclaimed himself to be the greatest boxer in history. In his career he won 56 times, and only lost 5; the last time in 1981. He is now 70 years old and doesn’t quite “float like a butterfly or sting like a bee” (a famous quote from his boxing days), but his record has stood the test of time, even though he has slowed in his maturity. He still boasts of his past, and still holds true to his words, I Am the Greatest. Is he? It’s certainly debatable, and many could argue soundly on both sides, but the truth remains – it’s only boxing.

One man stood in a courtyard, beaten and bloodied one day many years ago. He stood amongst a crowd of enemies and was spit upon and ridiculed. He was posed this question from his accusers; “Are you the King of the Jews?” to which Jesus replied, “Yes, it is as you say.” (Mark 15:2 They charged him with blasphemy and after flogging him mercilessly, they led him off to be crucified. Unable to accept that the Messiah walked amongst them, they feared his presence in their midst. He wasn’t a rebel like the others who had come before him, in the sense that the others had wanted to overthrow the government by violent means. He came in peace, love and the word of God was constantly upon his lips. They were unable to find any unrighteousness in his actions, so why were they blind and afraid of this man? He spoke the truth, that is why. He saw into the hearts and minds of the leaders in that day and called them out for their iniquities. He challenged them to clean their own soul before they tried to “save” and lead others to Jehovah.

Jesus claimed the following:- "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;"
- "You are from beneath; I AM from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.”
- "I AM the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
- "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."
- "I AM the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture."
- "I AM the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep”
- "do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?
- "I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”
- "I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
- "I AM the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.”
- 'He said, "I am the King of the Jews."'
- "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads."

Having made all of these claims during his life, we are led to believe that: a) he was delusional, b) he was a liar or c) he was telling the truth. If a) then he would have been banished to a remote area of Israel to live amongst others who were likewise delusional or crazed. If b) then his legend would have died with him, for who would have continued telling the lie to the point of their own death after he was crucified. If c) then we each need to take a stand for his truth and follow his examples, his teaching and commandments. Jesus, self proclaimed in truth, his divinity. He was challenged by the Pharisees, the Priests, the people on the street, the Rulers and even his disciples. Yet, through his actions, his love, his death and resurrection he consistently demonstrated the truth in his claims.

Each of us must decide which of these we believe. I wholeheartedly, without a doubt, believe option C. Jesus Christ, is the Son of God, and my Savior and Lord. What do you believe?

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

But Why Do You Believe?

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"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" - Matthew 5:6

Why are you a Christian? To avoid Hell, you put a checkmark in the box and move on with life.

Did you become a Christian because of an emotional response to a problem you were having in life? Many of us come to that point in life when there seems to be no other way to make it through the struggles of the day. So we give our life to Jesus.

Or are you a Christian because your parents were and their parents were? It is often something that becomes a part of our character simply through association with others that have gone on before us.

Do you recall a point in time during your Christian walk that you were actually hungry for the Word of God? When there just wasn’t enough time in the day to take it all in, when you just didn’t want to put it down and walk away.

Most of these questions, if not all, should be leading you to the root of your Christian faith. We are called to be more than followers of Jesus Christ. In this life we are called to be His ambassador, His servant and disciple. We are to learn more and more each and every day as we walk this earth, and then share that with those we meet. Take the challenge of standing up for Jesus Christ in situations at work, school, play groups or at the grocery store. His righteousness is our goal and there is nothing that should come between us and the pursuit of that goal.

You see, we are all comfortable in life. Many of us accepted Jesus because we knew that if there is a heaven and hell, we surely don’t want to go to hell. Well, that was a good choice, because there is a hell and you’re right – you don’t want to go there. But that is not what being a Christian is about. Committing your life to Jesus Christ involves much, much more. It means He becomes Lord of your life. He is the One in charge, the leader and the director of your life. This isn’t the first time you’ve heard this, all throughout scriptures the disciples who walked daily with Him referred to Him as Lord. In Acts 2:36, Peter says to those in Jerusalem, ““Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

We hunger for His love and His guidance in helping us find our purpose in this life. Today, I want to ask you to actually consider making Jesus Christ the Lord of your life and all that this implies, and then you will begin to see the path which He has for you. A path of righteousness and hunger for His word to be made known to all mankind. Seek Him today.