All on a spring day...

In the final week of the ministry of JESUS in one day He cursed the fig tree and cleansed the temple as He traveled on the road from Bethany to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem He taught on the only sacrifice that truly matters…HIS. if we lift him up all the world will be drawn to his mercy and grace through the power of the HOLY SPIRIT.

All on a Monday in spring…everything is under His control and in a moment every thing can change.

Matthew 21:10–19 (NKJV)

¹⁰ And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

¹¹ So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

The Cleansing of the Temple

¹² Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. ¹³ And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

¹⁴ Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. ¹⁵ But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant ¹⁶ and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”

And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,

‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants

You have perfected praise’?”

¹⁷ Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

Cursing of the Fig Tree

¹⁸ Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. ¹⁹ And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

The Temple is Cleansed

Luke 19:45–48 (NKJV)

⁴⁵ Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, ⁴⁶ saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

⁴⁷ And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, ⁴⁸ and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

John 12:23–50 (NKJV)

The Messiah Teaches

²³ But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. ²⁴ Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. ²⁵ He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.

²⁷ “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify Your name.”

Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”

²⁹ Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”

³⁰ Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. ³¹ Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. ³² And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” ³³ This He said, signifying by what death He would die.

³⁴ The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

³⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. ³⁶ While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.

³⁷ But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, ³⁸ that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:

“Lord, who has believed our report?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

³⁹ Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:

⁴⁰ “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,

Lest they should see with their eyes,

Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,

So that I should heal them.”

⁴¹ These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.

⁴² Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³ for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

⁴⁴ Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. ⁴⁵ And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. ⁴⁶ I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. ⁴⁷ And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. ⁴⁸ He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. ⁴⁹ For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. ⁵⁰ And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

Acts 11:15-18

Jesus was born to save mankind and in His death He overcame any obstacle that separated man from God except man himself. We choose who we believe. To those who choose Him the Holy Spirit is given to teach us the ways of Jesus and to guide us safely home to Him.  

The sins of the world were laid on His shoulders and He willingly died for you!

Peter’s language and reasoning here seem to echo Gamaliel’s argument to the Sanhedrin that if God is indeed behind the Church’s message and mission, then no one will be able to stop it. Faithlife Bible.

The manifestation of the Holy Spirit was the same to the Gentiles at Caesarea as it was to the Jews at Jerusalem. The reference to being baptized in the Spirit,  was a once-for-all act whereby Christ places believers in the care and safekeeping of the Holy Spirit until the day He returns. 

This begins a bold new step in the mission of the church. The Samaritans were part Jewish; the Ethiopian eunuch and Cornelius were Jewish proselytes. Finally the Jewish Christians that made up the early church understood Jesus’ commission to them: they were to bring the gospel message to the Gentile too. NKJ Bible.

Acts 11:15–18 (NKJV)

¹⁵ And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. ¹⁶ Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”

¹⁸ When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”

Acts 15:8 (NKJV)

⁸ So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us,

Acts 15:9 (NKJV)

⁹ and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

Isaiah 42:6 (NKJV)

⁶ “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness,

And will hold Your hand;

I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people,

As a light to the Gentiles,

Mark 1:6-8

There is no one more important in your spiritual walk on earth than the HOLY SPIRIT. He will guide and direct you in every decision that you make. It is up to you to seek Him, to knock on His door and to ask for direction. CHRIST within the hope of glory.

Ask and it will be given!

John understands himself to be the forerunner of the Messiah

John’s baptism was in preparation for the Messiah, through whom God would pour out His Spirit on the people of Israel. John anticipates that Jesus’ appearance would directly precede the arrival of God’s Spirit. Faithlife Bible.

The prediction that Christ will baptize you with the Holy Spirit appears in each Gospel and was repeated by Christ in Acts 1:5 as being “not many days from now.” Though many English translations use the preposition with (with water and with the Holy Spirit), it is also acceptable to substitute the word in. The water is a physical representation of the future life in the Spirit that people who followed the Messiah would have. Presumably the Day of Pentecost marked the fulfillment of this promise. NKJ Bible.

Acts 1:5 (NKJV)

⁵ for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Mark 1:6–8 (NKJV)

⁶ Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. ⁸ I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Matthew 3:11 (NKJV)

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.

John 20:22 (NKJV)

²² And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

Mark 2:17

God wants no one to perish…no. not. one. There is no man righteous…no. not. one.

Please help me to show your mercy and great love to all  people those closest to me and those far from me! 

With this statement, Jesus is neither affirming nor denying that the Pharisees are righteous. He is simply pointing out that the call to repentance and offering of forgiveness are for those who need it—sinners. Faithlife Bible.

In this instance Jesus was speaking tongue-in-cheek when He used the word righteous. None are righteous, though some, such as the Pharisees, fancied themselves as such. Instead, Christ came to call sinners to repentance. 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. NKJ Bible.

Mark 2:17 (NKJV)

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.”

Matthew 9:13 (NKJV)

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 18:11 (NKJV)

¹¹ For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

Ezekiel 34:17-19

It is up to God to judge…not man. 

Help me Father to to have discernment and to judge my own actions and not others! Let my actions be guided by Your Word made flesh and my divine teacher, the Holy Spirit.

Micah 6:8

Be fair to everyone they are God’s creation

Freely forgive others as you have been forgiven

Live a life of gratitude in humbleness 

for His mercy and grace

Knowing all thing come from God and

it is all about Him and His righteousness

not yours!

Yahweh condemns inequities within the flock. Not only are the leaders to blame for mismanagement, but the people themselves are to blame for their mistreatment of each other. Faithlife Bible.

The rams and goats were the leaders of Israel who had failed to lead properly. They had used their positions of power to their own advantage and to the disadvantage of the people. NKJ Bible.

Ezekiel 34:17–19 (NKJV)

¹⁷ ‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. ¹⁸ Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture—and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet? ¹⁹ And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet.”

Jesus loves....

Jesus had the heart of the Father. When God’s creation suffers He hears their cries. He sent His only begotten Son so that they knew how much He cares for them!

The Underclass

Nearly every society and every city in biblical times had a large underclass. Tending to congregate in the cities, the underclass included the poor, the sick, the disabled, the lepers, the blind, the insane, the demon-possessed, widows, orphans, and refugees. Lacking resources to provide for even their basic needs, many turned to begging, stealing, menial labor, slavery, or prostitution. Few cultures made provision for these desperate, destitute wanderers, and so they remained largely powerless to change their condition. Yet it was to the underclass that Jesus intentionally directed much of His life and ministry. NKJ Bible

Nahum 2:8-10

This message is ominous…it has been given to me 2 times in January, once in March and again today. I believe that America is in dangerous waters. Repentance and a deep spiritual change of heart is direly needed. Our moral compass this past year has degenerated into a deep abyss of materialism, greed, pride and hatred.

These are spiritually trying times that we are living in.

The Babylonian Chronicles—which are tablets that record the history of Babylon—state that the amount of treasure in Nineveh was “a quantity beyond counting.” The Assyrians had collected a massive amount of wealth from looting cities. Faithllife Bible.

Assyria had despoiled many nations, including Samaria and the cities of Israel. There seemed to be no end to the loot that could be found within its walls. Nonetheless, even Nineveh was exhausted of its treasures. At long last, it was empty. NKJ Bible.

Nahum 2:8–10 (NKJV)

⁸ Though Nineveh of old was like a pool of water,

Now they flee away.

“Halt! Halt!” they cry;

But no one turns back.

⁹ Take spoil of silver!

Take spoil of gold!

There is no end of treasure,

Or wealth of every desirable prize.

¹⁰ She is empty, desolate, and waste!

The heart melts, and the knees shake;

Much pain is in every side,

And all their faces are drained of color.

Ezekiel 7:19 (NKJV)

¹⁹ ‘They will throw their silver into the streets,

And their gold will be like refuse;

Their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them

In the day of the wrath of the Lord;

They will not satisfy their souls,

Nor fill their stomachs,

Because it became their stumbling block of iniquity.

Zephaniah 1:18 (NKJV)

¹⁸ Neither their silver nor their gold

Shall be able to deliver them

In the day of the Lord’s wrath;

But the whole land shall be devoured

By the fire of His jealousy,

For He will make speedy riddance

Of all those who dwell in the land.

Jeremiah 50:32

God HATES pride and arrogance and He will recompense those who use it to oppress others.

Vengeance belongs to Him alone.

The imagery of judgment on Babylon in this passage emphasizes reversals—rest for the earth but unrest for Babylon, the wise are made foolish, the strong are made weak, treasure becomes plunder, and water dries up. Faithlife Bible.

The wise and righteous Ruler would plead the case of the oppressed children of Judah and obtain their redemption. A redeemer was one who secured the freedom of a kinsman, protecting family rights. Here God, the Redeemer of Israel, offers to obtain the legal freedom of His people from captivity. NKJ Bible.

Jeremiah 50:32 (NKJV)

³² The most proud shall stumble and fall,

And no one will raise him up;

I will kindle a fire in his cities,

And it will devour all around him.”

Isaiah 26:5 (NKJV)

⁵ For He brings down those who dwell on high,

The lofty city;

He lays it low,

He lays it low to the ground,

He brings it down to the dust.

Malachi 4:1 (NKJV)

4 “For behold, the day is coming,

Burning like an oven,

And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble.

And the day which is coming shall burn them up,”

Says the Lord of hosts,

“That will leave them neither root nor branch.

Acts 12:21-23

 I am the Lord your God and you shall have no other gods before Me.

To God alone belongs all glory and inside the Church those who claim to be His… will be judged. 

Judge not lest you be judged!

Immediately God, who will not share His glory with any other, acts without delay to judge Herod for accepting divine honor and praise for himself.The nature of this disease is uncertain, but its effect is to judge Herod (Agrippa I) for his pride and to prove that he was certainly no god. Faithlife Bible.

The Jewish historian Josephus also provides an account of this display, informing us that in an attempted appeasement of the king the people confessed that he was “more than a mortal.” Herod, instead of rebuking the address of deity, enjoyed the adulation—until he discovered the consequence of such blasphemy. NKJ Bible.

Acts 12:21–23 (NKJV)

²¹ So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. ²² And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” ²³ Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.

Psalm 115:1 (NKJV)

¹     Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us,

But to Your name give glory,

Because of Your mercy,

Because of Your truth.

John 10:27-30

No one, absolutely no one, can take you from the loving arms of your Father, but you! 

GOD wanted a people who loved Him not people who just feared Him. He loves ALL of His creation  and He wants us to want Him with all of our heart, mind and spirit. He longs to be known as our FATHER and for us to give Him all the honor that is due Him. He will never force His love on us. We need to choose to return the love to Him that He created us with.

Jesus described three characteristics of His sheep: (1) They hear His voice. He knows them. (2) They follow Him. The following of the sheep is a metaphor for faith. (3) They shall never perish; their eternal life can never be taken away. 

The Father’s hand is more powerful than that of any enemy. NKJ Bible.

John 10:27–30 (NKJV)

²⁷ My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and My Father are one.”

John 17:2 (NKJV)

² as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.