Friday, July 31, 2015

Acts 9:4-7

There are two baptisms given in the Scriptures. The “Baptism of Repentance” and the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit. 

We need to repent of our sins inviting Jesus into all areas of our life and then the power of the Holy Spirit will be able to accomplish that which we cannot. When Jesus eliminated the veil between God and man and He returned to His rightful place at the right hand of the Father it allowed the very Spirit of God to dwell in man.

Acts 19:4-7
Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all.


11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 
Matthew 3:11

I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 
Mark 1:8

16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 
Luke 3:16

17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 
Acts 8:17

17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 
Mark 16:17

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 

Acts 2:4

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Luke 9:1-3

Jesus calls ordinary people to spread the Gospel and to heal others. Through the power of the Holy Spirit He healed the physically ill and the mentally ill always giving them the truth of salvation and the choice to accept the ultimate healing of all…Spiritual healing. We are to prepare the way for His return. 

In the measure that we believe in Him is the measure that we can be used by Him for God’s purpose.

Jesus commissioned His disciples to spread the word about God’s kingdom through preaching and healing.

Luke 9:1-3
Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.


13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. 
Mark 3:13

17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 
Mark 16:17

18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 
Mark 16:18

After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 
Luke 10:1

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 

Matthew 10:8

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Mark 2:17

Do we honestly believe that the Father would send His only begotten Son to die for us if man could have earned it himself? Assuredly not! His plan of salvation came to this earth in the person of a Savior, Jesus Christ, to accomplish what man could not. God wants no one to perish but all to share in eternal life with the Trinity and through Jesus we can choose.

God is more interested in a person’s loyal love than in the observance of external rituals. 

Jesus refers ironically to the Pharisees as the righteous. They were not righteous; that was only how they perceived themselves because of their pious and scrupulous law-keeping.

Jesus did not condone the activities of sinners, but required repentance—a change of mind that recognizes the need of a Savior and recognizes Jesus Christ as the only Savior.

Mark 2:17
17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” 
Matthew 9:13

10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” 

Luke 19:10

Monday, July 27, 2015

The coming of Christ...

The events prior to the return of the Messiah will be turbulent. The succession of any Kingdom is not without its troubles and the coming of the Kingdom of God will be no different. A generation will be here on earth during this who were made for just such a time as this.

succession
noun
1 a succession of exciting events: sequence, series, progression, chain, cycle, round, string, train, line, run, flow, stream.
2 his succession to the throne: accession, elevation, assumption.

Eschatology The study of the end times, including death, the intermediate state, the afterlife, judgment, the millennium, heaven, and hell. Also refers to the time of Jesus’ second coming. The word eschatology comes from a combination of Greek words meaning “the study of last things.”

Eschatology in the Old Testament may be said to begin with the garden of Eden, where God is in full presence with Adam and Eve. After the fall, humanity fell out of relationship with God. The remainder of the Old Testament and New Testament tell the story of God’s plan to restore His holiness among a holy people. For example, in Exodus 25:8, He commands the Israelites to build a sanctuary so that His presence may rest with them wherever they go. In the last chapter of Revelation, John the Apostle illustrates God walking once again with His people in holiness at the end of the age.

To a great extent, apocryphal and other ancient Near Eastern writings parallel the ideas of eschatology presented in the Old Testament. For example, the deuterocanonical book Sirach presents the idea that those who will give praises to God are the persons who have lived a righteous life, but the one who is dead ceases to praise God (17:27–28).

The pseudepigraphal book of 1 Enoch records the author’s vision of שְׁאוֹל (she'ol) as divided into four sections (chapters 17–26).
1. The Bosom of Abraham, where the saints await entrance to heaven.
2. Where the morally good person awaits reward.
3. Where the wicked are punished and will eventually have their judgment at the resurrection.
4. Where the wicked who do not have any hope of resurrection are tormented.

The New Testament writers examined both personal and corporate eschatology that centered on God’s people being reconciled into God’s presence in the New Jerusalem, thereby symbolically returning to the garden of Eden.

The eschatology in the Gospels centers on the breaking in of the kingdom of God. Opposition to God’s kingdom builds in the Passion Narratives, and Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and the “end of the age” in His Olivet Discourse (Matt 24:3–25:46; Mark 13:3–37; Luke 21:5–36). This continues the temple analogy started in the Old Testament as a symbol of God’s presence with His people. 

Since God’s judgment was pronounced on the temple system, the fate of the temple in Jesus’ time was sealed. The judgment on the temple was not “the end” by any means. Rather, it was the beginning of God’s purposes now being centered upon Jesus and the Church.

In the Gospels, more words are used for the description of שְׁאוֹל (she'ol) and heaven. The word γέεννα (geenna) (Matt 5:22, 29; 10:28; 18:9, for example) originally denoted a valley near Jerusalem, the “Valley of [the sons of] Hinnom,” which was associated with idolatry and child sacrifice (2 Chr 28:3; 33:6; Jer 19:5–6; 32:35). However, in New Testament passages, it is used to describe separation from God’s presence. Those who are separated from the presence of God are described as experiencing a punishing fire (Matt 5:22; 18:9; Mark 9:43).

Paul’s Letters develop personal and corporate eschatology even further. He uses phrases such as “fallen asleep” to describe believers who have died but still await the return of Christ (1 Cor 15:18). At the same time, he speaks about the imminent return of Christ. Paul develops the theme that the kingdom of God is here now, but that Christ still is yet to come (1 Cor 15:24). Believers live within the tension and wait anxiously for the return of Christ. Paul encourages Christians to be ready for the day of Christ’s return, though they do not know the exact day or hour (1 Thess 4:13–18). Until the time of Christ’s return, the temple is no longer in Jerusalem but rather in the heart of the believer (Eph 2:22).

The book of Revelation culminates in chapters 21 and 22, where John speaks of his vision of the new Jerusalem. The description of the new Jerusalem echoes the garden of Eden in its statement of God’s dwelling among people (Rev 21:3) and its inclusion of the tree of life (Rev 22:2; compare Gen 2:9).

A clearer picture of both personal and corporate eschatology appears by the end of the New Testament. The concept of the Old Testament שְׁאוֹל (she'ol) are broadened and deepened to include a vivid description of the eternal destinies of believers and nonbelievers. 

The coming of the kingdom of God begun with the ministry of Jesus finds its fulfillment in the restoration of God’s people, who live in God’s presence at the end of the age.



Friday, July 24, 2015

Harmony in Christianity


There is Harmony in the Gospels and we can have harmony and joy in our lives as Christians by working as a cohesive whole in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

Colossians 3:12-14
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Romans 12:16
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

Colossians 3:14
And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Philippians 2:2
Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

Ephesians 4:31-32
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Psalm 133:1-3
A Song of Ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Romans 15:4-5
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,

1 Peter 3:8
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

Romans 12:10
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Matthew 6:14-15
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

1 Corinthians 1:10
I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

John 3:17-36
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Matthew 5:40-42 
And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Mark 2:19-22

With the coming of Jesus Christ the Old Testament was fulfilled. In order to understand the infilling of the Holy Spirit in man it required a whole new way of seeing and understanding. What was once the spiritual represented by the physical was now the physical representation of the Spiritual. Christ within us in the person of the Holy Spirit allowed God to be made known to the masses in and through us. As believers our actions presented the Trinity to the world. This new wine of the everlasting Covenant required  a whole new paradigm for CHRISTians. The traditions of man needed to pass away and the still, small voice of God needed to be heard in each individual believer.

Mark records only four of Jesus’ parables—two of which he includes here. The comparison implies that the newness of His message, and of the new covenant to follow, cannot fit into the old molds of Judaism.

Mark 2:19-22
19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”

20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 
John 14:20

19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. 21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 
Galatians 3:19–25


Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Family Matters


Matthew 1…Family ties.

From the first chapter of Matthew we are given a glimpse into God’s plan and what He values. He is faithful even when we are not.

Foremost….Family matters to God. 

The Father chooses whom He wills and it is not always the first born male. In the original cast of characters of the Bible not all was peaches and cream. Many of the families would be considered…dysfunctional in the vernacular of today. 

God’s promises are sure. Our task is to cooperate.

sure
adjective:
guaranteed, unfailing, infallible, unerring, assured, certain, inevitable

What determines a person’s value to the Trinity? 

Their heart. Those who love much and were forgiven the most were used by God to carry out His plans for humanity. We are humbled by His love and forgiveness. In turn it becomes about Him and not about us.

We will all battle with the human side of ourselves but the Father cares enough about us to let the battle exist so that we can be refined in that furnace. One thing for certain His eyes are always on us through out the process and He will never give us more than we can handle. The more difficult our life is can be an indicator of the work He is forming us for.

To God be all the glory!

30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 
Acts 2:30


Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Mark 3

What are the guidelines for leading a Christ led life?

 Mark 3 provides an assay on what not to do if you are on the road to salvation. From this we learn to give others respect, even if they disagree with our views. Allow God to choose whomever He wills.  Compassion always trumps the law. It is always right to do good. And the only unforgivable sin is to call the very Spirit of God and His power that dwells in you and others evil.

Tread carefully. Be compassionate. Respect others. Judge no one. Pray always.

I always fall back on Micah 6:8 :
     He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?

Mark 3:

 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”

13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. 

 21 But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”

22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”
23 So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. 27 No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.
28 “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”30 because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”


34 And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”

Monday, July 20, 2015

Luke 16:13-15

The Father knows that you need money to survive in the world. He also knows that our stewardship of the things that we are provided is a big part of our Christian walk with Him. We are blessed to be a blessing not only to our family but to the world. We need to make sure that the money in our life does not become our god.

mammon (Gk. mammōnas) Strong’s #3126: The Greek word is a transliteration of a common Aramaic word mamona, which means “wealth,” “money,” or “property.” It is impossible to serve this god called “mammon” and the true God at the same time. In ch. 16, this word is used for “riches,” considered an idol, master, or god of the human heart that is in conflict with the true God.

Luke 16:13-15
13 “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. 15 And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 

Matthew 6:24

Monday, July 13, 2015

Jeremiah 52:15-16

God left a small remnant of His people,the poor and humble, to rebuild the land. 

The exalted shall be humbled and the humbled exalted. We need to be very aware of the importance of all of His children to the Father. 

The entire city of Jerusalem was burned, from the temple to the royal palace to the houses. The city walls were demolished. Leading citizens and some of the poor were deported under Nebuzaradan’s command, leaving only a remnant of peasant farmers to work the fields, vineyards, and orchards.

Jeremiah 52:15-16
15 Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive some of the poor people, the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the craftsmen. 16 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers.

6And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. 

Psalm 27:6

Friday, July 10, 2015

Matthew 27:51-56

The world would never be the same! The physical signs of the Son of God’s death and resurrection reverberated through, not only the Jewish world, but also the Gentiles. He came into the world to give hope to the marginalized of society…..women, children, elderly and the alien. The veil that had separated the common man from God was gone. 

In Jesus, through Him and in the unity of the Holy Spirit everyone is invited to enter into God’s rest.

The temple had two veils or curtains—one in front of the Holy Place and the other separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. It was the second of these that was torn, demonstrating that God had opened up access to Himself through His Son. Only God could have torn the veil from the top. 

The fact that the people who were raised appeared to many in the holy city implies that they had been contemporaries of the people who saw them. The supernatural signs convinced the Centurion and those with him that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. Significantly, this confession of faith came from a Gentile.

Matthew 27:51-56
51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
55 And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.


31 “You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. It shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim. 
Exodus 26:31

38 Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 
Mark 15:38

and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, 
Hebrews 9:3

and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities—Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, 
Luke 8:2

and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 
John 19:25

39 So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!” 

Mark 15:39

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Ezekiel 21:25-27

There is only One worthy, the only begotten Son of God, all God and all Man slain by the very people that He came to save. But evil did not prevail. By the power of the Holy Spirit Jesus was raised from the dead and sits at the right hand of the Father. It is His right alone, who gave His life in exchange for mans, to judge.

To God be all glory! Our only righteousness is in His.

The turban and the crown stand for the priesthood and the kingship. Both would be removed from Judah. The priestly and kingly offices would not return until the coming of Him whose right it is—the Messiah.

Ezekiel 21:25-27
25 ‘Now to you, O profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose iniquity shall end, 26 thus says the Lord God:
“Remove the turban, and take off the crown;
Nothing shall remain the same.
Exalt the humble, and humble the exalted.
27 Overthrown, overthrown,
I will make it overthrown!
It shall be no longer,
Until He comes whose right it is,
And I will give it to Him.” ’

52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 
Luke 1:52

32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 
Luke 1:32

33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” 
Luke 1:33

7 In His days the righteous shall flourish, And abundanc-27peace, Until the moon is no more. 
Psalm 72:7

5 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and 1prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 
Jeremiah 23:5


6 In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: 4THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS 

Jeremiah 23:6

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Ezekiel 22:6-12

Read the Biblenowhere does it say that money is to be our god and the needs of others secondary. A nation that declares it is a Christian nation should take care of the elderly, the immigrant, the fatherless and the poor. We cannot sit in the pews on Sunday and believe that our everyday lives are ours to do as we deem right. 

It is God’s way, not ours, that should rule our lives and our great nation.

Jerusalem’s princes had shed the blood of innocent people. These evil leaders had been: (1) taking advantage of parents and the weak (2) rejecting God and His covenant, leading to ungodliness and inhumanity (3) murdering the innocent by slandering them (4) preferring idolatrous religion and its immoral rituals (5) engaging in sexual immorality with neighbors, family, and relatives and (6) loving money and using it to get ahead of fellow citizens.

Ezekiel 22:6-12
Look, the princes of Israel: each one has used his power to shed blood in you. In you they have made light of father and mother; in your midst they have oppressed the stranger; in you they have mistreated the fatherless and the widow. You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths. In you are men who slander to cause bloodshed; in you are those who eat on the mountains; in your midst they commit lewdness. 10 In you men uncover their fathers’ nakedness; in you they violate women who are set apart during their impurity. 11 One commits abomination with his neighbor’s wife; another lewdly defiles his daughter-in-law; and another in you violates his sister, his father’s daughter. 12 In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take usury and increase; you have made profit from your neighbors by extortion, and have forgotten Me,” says the Lord God.

23 Your princes are rebellious, And companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes, And follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, Nor does the cause of the widow come before them. 
Isaiah 1:23

27 Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain. 
Ezekiel 22:27

28 They have grown fat, they are sleek; Yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked; They do not plead the cause, The cause of the fatherless; Yet they prosper, And the right of the needy they do not defend. 
Jeremiah 5:28

5 And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, And against those who turn away an alien— Because they do not fear Me,” Says the Lord of hosts. 
Malachi 3:5