Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for this Friday. This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday, and we are just one week away from Good Friday. The birth, ministry, passion, crucifixion, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus our Lord were all prophesied. Psalm 22 is one of the Messianic prophesies. It vividly portrays the Crucifixion of our Lord.
How could David, who lived a thousand years before Christ, describe the crucifixion of Christ in such detail? David wrote before the Roman empire existed, and before crucifixion was invented as a means of torture and death. We can understand that Jesus may have chosen to quote this psalm as he was dying on the cross, but how did David literally quote the Pharisees as they stood taunting Jesus while he was on the cross. Centuries before there was any such thing as a Pharisee, David wrote: “He trusts in the Lord; let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” (Psalm 22:8). Then, at the crucifixion of Jesus, we hear the Pharisees saying: “He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.” (Matthew 27:43). This death had been planned before the world began, for the Bible tells us, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake” (1 Peter 1:19-20). The book of Revelation says that Jesus was the “Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).
The prophecy of this psalm is just as real as the prophecy of Isaiah. Isaiah prophesied of the coming Messiah’s suffering by saying: “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:3-5). It is an amazing word of prophecy.
It is also an expression of human emotion. The psalms are rich with emotion and they are unapologetic in their expression of despair and doubt, as well as their expressions of joy and hope. It gives us comfort knowing that Christ experienced the same emotions that we do. As Isaiah said, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” The writer of Hebrews says, “For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. . . . For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin” (Hebrews 2:17, 4:15).
David expresses the full range of human emotion as he writes this psalm. He goes from pole to pole, from the pit of despair to exhilarating praise, from wondering why God has forsaken him to expressing confidence that God will rule the nations, from feeling like a worm to understanding his value before God. David is not only expressing his emotions, but he also is expressing the emotions that all of us have felt at different times in our lives. This very moment there are thosewho would say with Erma Bombeck, “If life is a bowl of cherries, what am I doing in the pits?” And there are others who are on top of the world today. They are experiencing blessing and everything is going their way. Last year at this time, it may have been exactly the opposite for both of them. God understands our emotions and draws near to us when we are feeling abandoned by the world, and even by him. God has broad shoulders, and he can take it when we feel disappointed and angry with him. God neither wants us to be Pollyannas, nor does he want us to give in to despair. What God honors is honesty. What God honors is the struggle. He honors those who, like Jacob, wrestle with him to receive his blessing. Behind the struggle is a faith that God knows what he is doing, even if we do not. In the struggle is a trust that will not let go of God, even if he wounds us.
The problem with our struggle is that we only see what is happening from this side. On one side is God, who is working out all things for our good and his eternal purposes. But we are on the other side, and all we can see on our side is chaos and disaster. Corrie ten Boom, the beautiful Christian who went through Hitler’s death camp for aiding Jews, used to hold up a piece of her embroidery to demonstrate an important truth. On her side the embroidery was beautiful. The colors were coordinated and pulled together to make a beautiful tapestry. But on the other side dangled strings in a chaotic and knotted tangle. Looking on that side you would have never guessed what was going on the other side. The problem is that although God is beside us helping us, we sometimes don’t feel it. We don’t understand what is happening, even though we desperately want to believe that God knows what he is doing. We see the chaos, but God sees the pattern that he is creating.
In her book, "The Hiding Place", Corrie ten Boom tells about her experience at Hitler’s Ravensbruck Camp. The barracks was extremely crowded and infested with fleas. One morning Corrie and her sister Betsy secretly read in their tattered Bible from 1 Thessalonians: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Betsy said, “Corrie, we’ve got to give thanks for this barracks and even for these fleas.” Corrie replied, “Betsy, there’s no way even God can make me grateful for a flea.” But Betsy insisted that they give thanks — even for the fleas. Months went by, and they realized that the guards were no longer coming into the barracks. The women had freedom to talk, read the Bible together and even pray. It was the only place of refuge from the cruelty of the guards. One day they learned why the guards never stepped foot in the barracks — the fleas. Betsy turned to Corrie and said, “Do you see Corrie? Even the fleas are a part of God’s plan.”
Even the difficulty you are facing is a part of God’s plan. He is weaving a beautiful tapestry of your life that includes trials and blessings. Disappointments become His appointments. Even the reverses in life cannot keep us from going God’s direction. The apostle Paul put it this way: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39). It is a message of hope.
Psalm 22 begins with David talking about how abandoned he feels by God. He lists the things that are going against him in his life. He talks about the sinking feeling of betrayal, the hurt, the disappointment about how his life has turned out. But he ends the psalm saying, “For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. . . . The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the Lord will praise him — may your hearts live forever ” (Psalm 22:24&26).
There are valleys, but there are also paths out of the valleys. There are troubles, but there is a trouble-busting, problem-solving, loving and blessing God. He is aware of your situation. He knows your need, and though you may not be able to see it, he is still very much in charge of your life, and the rest of the world as well. The Bible says, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure” (1 John 3:2-3).
If God knew about the cross before the beginning of time and redeemed the events of the cross, which were the greatest evil in history, he knows what is happening in your life and can redeem it as well.
Gladys Aylward was a missionary to China more than fifty years ago, but she was forced to flee when the Japanese invaded Yangcheng. However, she could not leave behind the children to whom she had given her life. With only one person to help, she led more than a hundred orphans over the mountains toward Free China. In the book "The Hidden Price of Greatness", the authors tell what happened, “During Gladys’s harrowing journey out of war torn Yangcheng . . . she grappled with despair as never before. After passing a sleepless night, she faced the morning with no hope of reaching safety. A 13-year-old girl in the group reminded her of their much loved story of Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. ‘But I am not Moses,’ Gladys cried in desperation. ‘Of course you aren’t,’ the girl said, ‘but God is still God.’ When Gladys and the orphans made it through, they proved once again that no matter how inadequate we feel, God is still God, and we can trust in him.”
We are not Moses — not even close. But God is still God, and He is looking after us. The Word says, “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).
In Christ,
Brown
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Friday, March 14, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 3-13-08
Good Morning.
As we continue to journey with Jesus to Jerusalem, we see Him stop abruptly in Jericho and attend to the needs of a bind man who was a beggar. The Lord is interrupted, so He makes an unplanned stop in Jericho where He gives His full attention to someone who was a nobody. Jesus restores him and makes him a somebody.
Bartimaeus is the name of the blind beggar. He is both physically blind and financially strapped, stuck in a job that is going nowhere. He is a nuisance. He is not only in the way, but he is, in fact, a painful reminder to everyone walking by that disaster is very possible in their own lives. This man is nothing and yet Bartimaeus is Jesus’ man. He is the one to whom Jesus pays attention. Jesus walked by many people that day. He passed by the righteous, the godly, the honest, and the faithful, yet Bartimaeus is the one who receives blessing, while the others who are good people, believers, or even His twelve disciples, receive nothing.
Why is that? Why Bartimaeus? Here is a man who has absolutely nothing going for him, not a thing. He is a person of no significance, whatsoever, and yet he is able to bring out some of the most powerful words in Scripture. See them there in verse 49. “Jesus stopped”. Jesus is walking along, on his way to fulfill his destiny as Messiah in the city of Jerusalem. You know He has to be walking with purpose. He is approaching the pinnacle of His ministry here on earth and BAMM – out of nowhere, Jesus stopped. Jesus has this incredible task in front of him, but it is just set aside, not important for the moment. Astounding.
What a valuable piece of Scripture we have before us. Jesus stops everything He is doing and all attention is on Bart. Jesus walks right by Bartimaeus, but Bartimaeus exhibits several characteristics that make Jesus stop for this man. Though Jesus usually doesn’t stop for anything, here He stops for Bartimaeus.
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, but this is trip to Jerusalem is not just any ordinary trip. It is when Jesus is going to enter his passion, suffer and die. This is a defining moment in the lives of those walking with Him. Remember, Jesus was traveling with his twelve disciples and a large group of other people, but we are not sure how many. Some are believers, some are curious, some probably are not sure why they are walking with Jesus. At this point they are passing through Jericho. This is one of the oldest cities in the area. It is literally an oasis in the desert, called the city of palms for the many thousands of huge palm trees that grow there. Jericho sits low, near the Dead Sea about eighteen miles northeast of Jerusalem and is in a very rugged region with the road to Jerusalem leading through desolate and mountainous country, notoriously unsafe, and it was a very difficult walk to Jerusalem, uphill, all the way.
This is the last healing miracle in the book of Mark. We see that Jesus does heal the ear of the servant of the high priest at his arrest the garden of Gethsemane, but that is not recorded in the Gospel of Mark. Here Mark records this as the last healing to emphasize to us how significant it was that Jesus stopped and healed this man.
Jericho was also a redemptive spot for tax collector Zacchaeus (Luke 19), and the good Samaritan (Luke 10). I think in some ways, the city of Jericho represents in Scripture a place of another chance, a place where those who are having great difficulty in life are given another chance at redemption. It is an oasis to be refreshed and start a new life, a new beginning. I see it as no accident that Jesus and Bart deal with each other in this place of Jericho. You know, even when we see life at a standstill, when we look around us and see nothing but hot dry desert, Jesus is able.
The blind in the ancient world usually begged because their family was too poor to support them, their family was too ashamed of them, or even because they were superstitious of why they were afflicted with blindness. It was common folklore of the day, that if one was struck with blindness or another devastating affliction, it was as a result of a sin in the person’s life or it was because of some sin in their parent’s life. As a result, people shied away from the blind; If God had cursed them with blindness, who knows what might happen. Perhaps, God might curse those who deal too closely with the blind, whom they thought God had cursed.
Bartimaeus is sitting there by the roadside and he is a man who has a crisis that is beyond his control or ability to correct/change. He is stuck in his situation, there is nothing that he can do. He cannot will his way out of it. He cannot believe his way out of it (we will look at the issue of his faith in a bit). He cannot plan his way out of it. He cannot educate his way out of it. So…he chose to go to a higher source, to a source outside himself.
Bartimaeus made a choice, “I am going to stop living this way.” And, look, here is it for us, here is the first thing we need to understand from our Scripture. Look carefully and consider. This choice to stop living the way he was living is the impetus that propels him to a new destiny. This choice, this decision, this possible course of action, is the significant moment here in this passage. In verse 47, behind those words he expresses, is that life changing decision – and that decision is a spark of faith, just a spark, it is that decision to move on, that spark that can seem so insignificant, is in reality so powerful. Bartimaeus, could have pushed that spark of faith away as simply a silly notion, a crazy idea, he could have squashed it. The spark of faith is a gift from God to Bartimaeus. All true faith is a gift from God.
This blind man, makes a choice to obey the Holy Spirit and grab a hold of that spark of faith that fell into his life. He takes it, he grabs a hold of it and there in verse 47, he calls out to Jesus, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” and my friends, that calling out to Jesus is nothing less than an act of faith, an act of belief, a fanning of the spark that was created moments ago in this man when he made his decision – I will not live like this any more!
Calling out, “Son of David” shows that Bart has formed a conviction about Jesus. The designation, “Jesus of Nazareth” is used to describe Jesus’ humanity. “Jesus Son of David”, appeals to Jesus’ divinity. Jesus of Nazareth was used by unbelievers, mockers and detractors like those who arrest Jesus, or like the soldiers who beat Jesus. Even the girl who confronts Peter in the courtyard during Jesus interrogation calls refers to him as Jesus of Nazareth. After Jesus is risen, He is referred to as Jesus Christ of Nazareth, with Christ being the term of Lordship. But, the designation Bart uses, “Son of David” is a messianic term, used to describe the messiah.
Notice, Jesus does not reject the title does he? Rather, He pays particular attention when He hears it. Why? It is an expression of convicted faith. Jesus is not just a teacher, a good man, He is the messiah, the Lord God himself. Again, notice Bart uses this designation BEFORE being healed, this reflects his conviction that Jesus is the one promised. Isa 35:4-5, 61:1. Bart has faith, before he is healed. This spark, this small amount of faith that stirred in him when he made that decision to stop living how he was living, that spark of faith, grabs at Jesus heart. How much faith do we need? Jesus tells us, the amount of faith you need is faith the size of a teeny, tiny, mustard seed.
Also note, and this is very important, that, he must call more than once, in fact, he must call repeatedly. Again and again. He is persistent. See that there? You see, as he calls on Jesus, the spark of faith is fanned, he calls again, it smolders, he calls some more, it smokes, he calls ever louder, ever more persistently and his faith - erupts. Boom. “Son of David, have mercy on me!” He, is, on, fire!
And then, there are those powerful, powerful, words…..just take a look, verse 49, “Jesus stopped”,“Call him” Says Jesus.
Bartimaeus was physically blind and financially strapped, but he moved beyond his limitations, he might have been blind, but he certainly could talk. So, he shouts to Jesus. But the crowd, they are holding him back, they tell him to be quiet. The crowd regarded him as a nuisance and resented his attempt at delaying them. They were with this important man Jesus, on their way to an important city, for a major event. Understand that these people walking with Jesus were religious folks. People who were honest, people who worshiped the true God, people who you and I would probably say, “these are really good people”. Maybe so, but here, they were only annoyed. They don’t help - they curse the man.
Bart refuses to listen to other voices, he listened instead for Jesus’ voice. The crowd rebukes him, (verse 48) he persists. They tell him to shut up, he shouts louder. The more they try to stop him the more intense he becomes. Remember earlier we talked about that tiny, small, spark of faith? That decision to go for it, that decision to stop living like you are right now. What do you think is pushing him on? Don’t worry about how much faith you have, a little is all you need!
We have voices all around us who try to block our connection with Jesus. They say things like, “You don’t take the bible seriously do you?”, They insinuate that being spiritual has something to do with being organic or being in touch with yourself. They say to us: “This whole faith thing must not be real, God hasn’t done what you asked – so you might as well give up”. They tell us that taking the spiritual world seriously is foolishness. What they do, is they shout ignorance our way….don’t buy it. Don’t listen to those detractors. The reality is this: Jesus is real, Jesus is powerful, Jesus is ready to act on your behalf and change your world. Voices may try to cut off your path to God, but they can never cut off your heart for God. Bart seem to instinctively know this and he keeps calling for Jesus.
Bartimaeus is the absolute last person on that road that day, the absolute, last person who had a chance for change in his life. But he calls out to God, repeatedly – and Jesus stopped.
The phrase, “have mercy on me” is a cry directed toward God by the afflicted . This type of prayer, which is really is – a prayer, is a general request. It is not about anything specific.
So Jesus wants him to get beyond the big picture, and there in verse 51 Jesus asks, what exactly do you want? Articulate!…..Jesus asks, what do you want?
Back to verse 51, Bartimaeus answers Jesus, “Rabbi, I want to see.” And there it is. Do you see it in verse 52? Everything comes together now, and life will never be the same, “Go, your faith has healed you.”
Jesus healed the man, the man did NOT heal himself. How much faith do you need? Luke 17:5 “The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”
Faith is not some sort of energy to be manipulated and our faith is not faith in ourselves. Our faith is placed in the person of Jesus Christ, period. Bartimaeus was healed because he placed his faith, the little that he had, he didn’t need much faith, he placed his faith in, Jesus. His faith was effective, why, because it was placed in the right person, Jesus Christ. There is our power. There is our answer.
Here is the clincher for us in this whole story, verse 50: “Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.” Bartimaeus would have taken his cloak off and placed it in front of him to catch coins. The cloak here represents his old way of life. He is managing, he is getting by, and by those few coins he is keeping himself alive, but he threw off his past – and left it. He left the limitations placed on him, he left the only security he had ever known, he cast it aside – before he went to Jesus. He has to turn his back on his old life, are you hearing what I am saying? He gets up goes to Jesus – and, never, looks, back. 52 “Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”
When you come to Jesus, you cannot go back. Many of us go to Jesus, and then, go back to our old life and we wonder, “Why is everything the same? Why is my life stuck where it is?
Jesus, He is walking by us this very day. Let us call on Him. He responds. He answers.
In Christ,
Brown
The great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, God's love for us does not. Author Lewis, C. S.
As we continue to journey with Jesus to Jerusalem, we see Him stop abruptly in Jericho and attend to the needs of a bind man who was a beggar. The Lord is interrupted, so He makes an unplanned stop in Jericho where He gives His full attention to someone who was a nobody. Jesus restores him and makes him a somebody.
Bartimaeus is the name of the blind beggar. He is both physically blind and financially strapped, stuck in a job that is going nowhere. He is a nuisance. He is not only in the way, but he is, in fact, a painful reminder to everyone walking by that disaster is very possible in their own lives. This man is nothing and yet Bartimaeus is Jesus’ man. He is the one to whom Jesus pays attention. Jesus walked by many people that day. He passed by the righteous, the godly, the honest, and the faithful, yet Bartimaeus is the one who receives blessing, while the others who are good people, believers, or even His twelve disciples, receive nothing.
Why is that? Why Bartimaeus? Here is a man who has absolutely nothing going for him, not a thing. He is a person of no significance, whatsoever, and yet he is able to bring out some of the most powerful words in Scripture. See them there in verse 49. “Jesus stopped”. Jesus is walking along, on his way to fulfill his destiny as Messiah in the city of Jerusalem. You know He has to be walking with purpose. He is approaching the pinnacle of His ministry here on earth and BAMM – out of nowhere, Jesus stopped. Jesus has this incredible task in front of him, but it is just set aside, not important for the moment. Astounding.
What a valuable piece of Scripture we have before us. Jesus stops everything He is doing and all attention is on Bart. Jesus walks right by Bartimaeus, but Bartimaeus exhibits several characteristics that make Jesus stop for this man. Though Jesus usually doesn’t stop for anything, here He stops for Bartimaeus.
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, but this is trip to Jerusalem is not just any ordinary trip. It is when Jesus is going to enter his passion, suffer and die. This is a defining moment in the lives of those walking with Him. Remember, Jesus was traveling with his twelve disciples and a large group of other people, but we are not sure how many. Some are believers, some are curious, some probably are not sure why they are walking with Jesus. At this point they are passing through Jericho. This is one of the oldest cities in the area. It is literally an oasis in the desert, called the city of palms for the many thousands of huge palm trees that grow there. Jericho sits low, near the Dead Sea about eighteen miles northeast of Jerusalem and is in a very rugged region with the road to Jerusalem leading through desolate and mountainous country, notoriously unsafe, and it was a very difficult walk to Jerusalem, uphill, all the way.
This is the last healing miracle in the book of Mark. We see that Jesus does heal the ear of the servant of the high priest at his arrest the garden of Gethsemane, but that is not recorded in the Gospel of Mark. Here Mark records this as the last healing to emphasize to us how significant it was that Jesus stopped and healed this man.
Jericho was also a redemptive spot for tax collector Zacchaeus (Luke 19), and the good Samaritan (Luke 10). I think in some ways, the city of Jericho represents in Scripture a place of another chance, a place where those who are having great difficulty in life are given another chance at redemption. It is an oasis to be refreshed and start a new life, a new beginning. I see it as no accident that Jesus and Bart deal with each other in this place of Jericho. You know, even when we see life at a standstill, when we look around us and see nothing but hot dry desert, Jesus is able.
The blind in the ancient world usually begged because their family was too poor to support them, their family was too ashamed of them, or even because they were superstitious of why they were afflicted with blindness. It was common folklore of the day, that if one was struck with blindness or another devastating affliction, it was as a result of a sin in the person’s life or it was because of some sin in their parent’s life. As a result, people shied away from the blind; If God had cursed them with blindness, who knows what might happen. Perhaps, God might curse those who deal too closely with the blind, whom they thought God had cursed.
Bartimaeus is sitting there by the roadside and he is a man who has a crisis that is beyond his control or ability to correct/change. He is stuck in his situation, there is nothing that he can do. He cannot will his way out of it. He cannot believe his way out of it (we will look at the issue of his faith in a bit). He cannot plan his way out of it. He cannot educate his way out of it. So…he chose to go to a higher source, to a source outside himself.
Bartimaeus made a choice, “I am going to stop living this way.” And, look, here is it for us, here is the first thing we need to understand from our Scripture. Look carefully and consider. This choice to stop living the way he was living is the impetus that propels him to a new destiny. This choice, this decision, this possible course of action, is the significant moment here in this passage. In verse 47, behind those words he expresses, is that life changing decision – and that decision is a spark of faith, just a spark, it is that decision to move on, that spark that can seem so insignificant, is in reality so powerful. Bartimaeus, could have pushed that spark of faith away as simply a silly notion, a crazy idea, he could have squashed it. The spark of faith is a gift from God to Bartimaeus. All true faith is a gift from God.
This blind man, makes a choice to obey the Holy Spirit and grab a hold of that spark of faith that fell into his life. He takes it, he grabs a hold of it and there in verse 47, he calls out to Jesus, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” and my friends, that calling out to Jesus is nothing less than an act of faith, an act of belief, a fanning of the spark that was created moments ago in this man when he made his decision – I will not live like this any more!
Calling out, “Son of David” shows that Bart has formed a conviction about Jesus. The designation, “Jesus of Nazareth” is used to describe Jesus’ humanity. “Jesus Son of David”, appeals to Jesus’ divinity. Jesus of Nazareth was used by unbelievers, mockers and detractors like those who arrest Jesus, or like the soldiers who beat Jesus. Even the girl who confronts Peter in the courtyard during Jesus interrogation calls refers to him as Jesus of Nazareth. After Jesus is risen, He is referred to as Jesus Christ of Nazareth, with Christ being the term of Lordship. But, the designation Bart uses, “Son of David” is a messianic term, used to describe the messiah.
Notice, Jesus does not reject the title does he? Rather, He pays particular attention when He hears it. Why? It is an expression of convicted faith. Jesus is not just a teacher, a good man, He is the messiah, the Lord God himself. Again, notice Bart uses this designation BEFORE being healed, this reflects his conviction that Jesus is the one promised. Isa 35:4-5, 61:1. Bart has faith, before he is healed. This spark, this small amount of faith that stirred in him when he made that decision to stop living how he was living, that spark of faith, grabs at Jesus heart. How much faith do we need? Jesus tells us, the amount of faith you need is faith the size of a teeny, tiny, mustard seed.
Also note, and this is very important, that, he must call more than once, in fact, he must call repeatedly. Again and again. He is persistent. See that there? You see, as he calls on Jesus, the spark of faith is fanned, he calls again, it smolders, he calls some more, it smokes, he calls ever louder, ever more persistently and his faith - erupts. Boom. “Son of David, have mercy on me!” He, is, on, fire!
And then, there are those powerful, powerful, words…..just take a look, verse 49, “Jesus stopped”,“Call him” Says Jesus.
Bartimaeus was physically blind and financially strapped, but he moved beyond his limitations, he might have been blind, but he certainly could talk. So, he shouts to Jesus. But the crowd, they are holding him back, they tell him to be quiet. The crowd regarded him as a nuisance and resented his attempt at delaying them. They were with this important man Jesus, on their way to an important city, for a major event. Understand that these people walking with Jesus were religious folks. People who were honest, people who worshiped the true God, people who you and I would probably say, “these are really good people”. Maybe so, but here, they were only annoyed. They don’t help - they curse the man.
Bart refuses to listen to other voices, he listened instead for Jesus’ voice. The crowd rebukes him, (verse 48) he persists. They tell him to shut up, he shouts louder. The more they try to stop him the more intense he becomes. Remember earlier we talked about that tiny, small, spark of faith? That decision to go for it, that decision to stop living like you are right now. What do you think is pushing him on? Don’t worry about how much faith you have, a little is all you need!
We have voices all around us who try to block our connection with Jesus. They say things like, “You don’t take the bible seriously do you?”, They insinuate that being spiritual has something to do with being organic or being in touch with yourself. They say to us: “This whole faith thing must not be real, God hasn’t done what you asked – so you might as well give up”. They tell us that taking the spiritual world seriously is foolishness. What they do, is they shout ignorance our way….don’t buy it. Don’t listen to those detractors. The reality is this: Jesus is real, Jesus is powerful, Jesus is ready to act on your behalf and change your world. Voices may try to cut off your path to God, but they can never cut off your heart for God. Bart seem to instinctively know this and he keeps calling for Jesus.
Bartimaeus is the absolute last person on that road that day, the absolute, last person who had a chance for change in his life. But he calls out to God, repeatedly – and Jesus stopped.
The phrase, “have mercy on me” is a cry directed toward God by the afflicted . This type of prayer, which is really is – a prayer, is a general request. It is not about anything specific.
So Jesus wants him to get beyond the big picture, and there in verse 51 Jesus asks, what exactly do you want? Articulate!…..Jesus asks, what do you want?
Back to verse 51, Bartimaeus answers Jesus, “Rabbi, I want to see.” And there it is. Do you see it in verse 52? Everything comes together now, and life will never be the same, “Go, your faith has healed you.”
Jesus healed the man, the man did NOT heal himself. How much faith do you need? Luke 17:5 “The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”
Faith is not some sort of energy to be manipulated and our faith is not faith in ourselves. Our faith is placed in the person of Jesus Christ, period. Bartimaeus was healed because he placed his faith, the little that he had, he didn’t need much faith, he placed his faith in, Jesus. His faith was effective, why, because it was placed in the right person, Jesus Christ. There is our power. There is our answer.
Here is the clincher for us in this whole story, verse 50: “Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.” Bartimaeus would have taken his cloak off and placed it in front of him to catch coins. The cloak here represents his old way of life. He is managing, he is getting by, and by those few coins he is keeping himself alive, but he threw off his past – and left it. He left the limitations placed on him, he left the only security he had ever known, he cast it aside – before he went to Jesus. He has to turn his back on his old life, are you hearing what I am saying? He gets up goes to Jesus – and, never, looks, back. 52 “Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”
When you come to Jesus, you cannot go back. Many of us go to Jesus, and then, go back to our old life and we wonder, “Why is everything the same? Why is my life stuck where it is?
Jesus, He is walking by us this very day. Let us call on Him. He responds. He answers.
In Christ,
Brown
The great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, God's love for us does not. Author Lewis, C. S.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 3-12-08
Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day and praise the Lord for His Church and His Kingdom. The reason that Jesus came is to set the captives free. He came proclaiming release to the bound; He came bringing the healing to the wounded. In John 8:36 our Lord makes an audacious claim, “if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.” The world defines freedom as the license to do whatever we want. God (on the other hand) says it is the ability to do whatever is right. Human freedom flows from obedience. Many folks think of freedom like jumping off a tall building without a parachute. For a while, the adrenaline rush courses through our bodies. But the pavement races to confront us with a reality that cannot now be avoided: no one has the freedom to break the law of gravity. Creaturely freedom submits to the laws of the universe. In Isaiah 61:1, God promised that Messiah would “proclaim liberty to the captives.” Jesus offers us that freedom in John 8:36. Students of American history know well of Patrick Henry’s 1775 speech urging military action against British troops. Henry ended with these stirring words: “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
The hope of freedom fills human history, thrills our souls, and unites us in a common cause. But we are not the only people to long for freedom, or the only ones to be defined by it. Israel, the people chosen by God, dated their calendar from the day of independence, the day in which they were delivered from slavery. And when Jehovah gives the law that sets them apart from all other nations, he begins the same way: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). I believe it is accurate to say that freedom is a universal desire. It is good news, therefore, that for freedom Christ has set His people free (cf. Galatians 5:1). But what is true freedom? How do we walk in it? How do we hold to it so as not to slip into moral relativism or sinful rebellion? Just before this teaching on freedom, Jesus sharply rebukes the Pharisees, the religious leadership. They were enslaved by what is called, “legalism,” placing their hope in their obedience to the law. Then, rather than fail, they lowered the standards and counted themselves righteous. Legalism always produces pride and self-exaltation. Jesus condemns it harshly. But Jesus does not promote the opposite error which leads to licentiousness, living without standards. The law is not our enemy; it is perfect, good, and holy, therefore, it must be my friend. It exposes my true nature and drives me to my Lord as my hope. There I find that He kept the law both that we might love it and love His keeping it through and in us. Our hearts ache for the freedom Jesus offers. Not the freedom to sin, but to live as God intends.
We find true Freedom in submission to Jesus (John 8:31-32). Jesus offers the incomparable blessing of freedom in His gospel. John Calvin: “All feel and acknowledge that slavery is a most wretched thing. Since the Gospel delivers us from this, it follows that the treasure of the blessed life comes from the Gospel.” But what kind of liberty does Jesus offer? Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his "Cost of Discipleship", wrote, “The demand for absolute liberty brings men to the depths of slavery.” Bonhoeffer understood that created beings cannot have absolute liberty. We must submit either to the God who gives freedom or to sin which tyrannizes. A letter written to Ann Landers from a miserable woman reveals the same. She committed adultery, and in the process destroyed every relationship around her. She cannot enjoy the new relationship, because it is full of guilt, lies, and manipulation. Neither can she go back, for what once was, is lost. Additionally her friends and family are forever affected by this evil. She wrote Ann wanting to know whether to leave the new man or convince him to divorce his wife. What was unusual was that she admitted in the letter that her future held only pain and misery. Why? She refused the truth and her freedom to live was lost. The world defines “freedom” as the license to do whatever we want. But sin causes us to want that which destroys. The alcoholic wants to be drunk; he will lose his health in so doing and, one day, will lose the freedom to stop drinking. Or the parent who wants to re-live her failures through her daughter; she will one day drive away what is most important to her and lose the freedom to love and be loved. The world’s definition of freedom will not work because our sin nature causes us to want that which will destroy us. God defines freedom as the ability to do whatever is right and only Jesus gives that freedom. We must abide in Jesus’ Word. Freedom is not simply being released from the guilt of sin in conversion; it is victory over the power of sin in you daily walk. Many people make a great beginning of the faith, but fall under sin’s tyranny when the freshness of the feelings have worn off, when the world and the devil begin to tempt and tease, and when the desires of our sinful nature rise and announce their preferences. It is not so much beginning, but abiding in Christ’s word that marks a true work of God’s grace. Creatures cannot have “absolute” freedom; there is no true freedom apart from submission to God.
We find true freedom in admission of slavery. So Jesus makes clear the spiritual application: “Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” Could there be any worse task-master? Sin prompts behavior which hurts self and others. Sin promises freedom but gives guilt. Sin holds out the hope of reward, then punishes instead. The Puritan Pastor Thomas Brooks called sin the bait on the fishhook—you taste the treat but end up caught in its sharp, steel grip. So we have two options—will we admit to the power of sin and its enslavement over us, or will we continue to profess our pretended liberty? Only those who admit their need come to Christ for His solution. That is why we find true freedom in admission of our slavery. We find true freedom in possession of Sonship. Every person to whom Jesus spoke knew first-hand the difference between a son and a slave. If they did not personally own a slave, a neighbor did. Slaves had no rights, no inheritance, no ability to do the things he or she wanted. Slaves were controlled by another and would be thrown out when used up. Not so the son; he has freedom to treat the house as his own, for one day it will be so.
God offers us these same blessings. In the gospel, God adopts people into His family. “Adoption is an act of God’s free grace, whereby we become His sons and have a right to all the privileges of being His.” When Jesus says “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed,” he offers to you as a gift everything that is His “by right.”
• Freedom from guilt, for He never sinned.
• Freedom from the demands of the law, for He perfectly obeyed.
• Freedom from punishment, for He has taken the pain.
• Freedom from death, for He has won victory over the grave.
• Freedom from sin’s power, for He has broken its reign.
• Freedom from Satan’s terror, for He has crushed the enemy.
• Freedom from fear, for He brings you into the Father’s family.
• Freedom from the ceremonial law and the traditions of men, for He has fulfilled all the types and shadows that separate man from God.
• Freedom from trying to measure up, for God accepts us in His beloved Son.
Have you been adopted into God’s family? Is your faith in the Son, in His perfect obedience, in His promise of freedom? Many people set their hearts on physical freedoms. We agree that wherever the gospel goes, freedom should ring—freedom from tyranny, freedom of religion, economic and educational freedoms. But these shadows exist only because true freedom is present—that which Christ gives. The only truly free man is he who is free from sin. If you would be truly free, you must come to the One who holds the key to the great chain that binds all souls, victory over sin won at the Cross. Whether the film Braveheart was accurate or not, the last scene illustrates a beneficial truth. Mel Gibson acted as Sir William Wallace, the Scottish Patriot who fought for his country’s liberty and independence. In the last scene, after Wallace was betrayed, he is to be executed. But before he is killed, they give him a chance to admit he was wrong and seek mercy. So they ask him, do you have a last word? Wallace takes a breath and screams, “Freedom!” He was saying that you can chain his body to the rack and take away even his life, but it is better to live free, or die. Jesus is saying that no matter what your situation—you can have freedom. Admit to sin’s mastery, a mastery you cannot free yourself from. Come to Jesus for adoption into God’s family. And abide in His Word and truth, and so be free indeed.
Praise the Lord for many answered prayers!
Irene Boyer is home after her rehabilitation.
Thank you for praying for my sister-in-law in India, she is home after being hospitalized for malaria and other complications.
Pray for my brother-in-law, Prasant’s father, Mr. Digal, back in India. He is 90 yrs. Old. He was a staunch Hindu priest he became to know Christ through the witness of his sons. He was baptized at the age of 80, he is in poor health.
Pray for Joyce Henry, a veteran missionary in India. She is back in England with poor health. She is close to 90 yrs. Old. Pray for her husband, Bruce, and her family.
Pray for the family of Jonathan Brown, Jonathan died at the age of 31 yrs. Old leaving behind his young wife and young daughter.
Pray for Jack Hoppes, he is back at the hospital with some complications.
Pray for Mike Wingard and other business men who are traveling abroad, the Lord might use them to share the Good News of Jesus in the business world.
Pray for Gail Wellborn and her husband who are in China with a multi-national corporation and are moving to Singapore.
Pray for Sunita who will be coming back to Washington, DC tomorrow after spending a fruitful two weeks in Uganda.
Pray for the short term mission team that is going to Orissa, India, my hometown. This team is led by Dr. Tim Divine and Dr. Todd Mansfield.
We praise the Lord for Palm Sunday. Our choir will be presenting an Easter Cantata during the morning worship services at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. For Holy Week we will meet Wednesday for our mid-week service.
Maundy Thursday Rabbi Ron Goldberg will be with us.
Good Friday we will have combined service with the Nazarene church of Endicott at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday our children will gather for an Easter egg hunt at 11:00 a.m. followed by a meal at noon.
Easter Sunday: Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed. We will have Sunrise services starting at 6:30 a.m. followed by a family breakfast. We will meet for Easter celebrations at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. Those who live around the area, bring your family and friends and join us.
In Christ, we are free indeed, how blessed we are, thanks be to Jesus.
Brown
Police Humor
So you thought police officers didn't have a sense of humor....The following were taken off of police car videos around the country.
"Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they're new. They'll stretch out after you wear them awhile."
"If you run, you'll only go to jail tired."
"So you don't know how fast you were going. I guess that means I can write anything I want on the ticket, huh?"
"Yes, Sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don't think it will help. Oh. Did I mention that I am the shift supervisor?"
"Warning! You want a warning? O.K., I'm warning you not to do that again or I'll give you another ticket."
"The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk or not.
Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?"
"Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster oven."
"Just how big were those two beers?"
"No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to have quotas but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we want."
"I'm glad to hear that Sheriff Tom Ariss is a good personal friend of yours. At least you know someone who can post your bail."
"You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? ...... You're right, we don't... sign here."
Praise the Lord for this new day and praise the Lord for His Church and His Kingdom. The reason that Jesus came is to set the captives free. He came proclaiming release to the bound; He came bringing the healing to the wounded. In John 8:36 our Lord makes an audacious claim, “if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.” The world defines freedom as the license to do whatever we want. God (on the other hand) says it is the ability to do whatever is right. Human freedom flows from obedience. Many folks think of freedom like jumping off a tall building without a parachute. For a while, the adrenaline rush courses through our bodies. But the pavement races to confront us with a reality that cannot now be avoided: no one has the freedom to break the law of gravity. Creaturely freedom submits to the laws of the universe. In Isaiah 61:1, God promised that Messiah would “proclaim liberty to the captives.” Jesus offers us that freedom in John 8:36. Students of American history know well of Patrick Henry’s 1775 speech urging military action against British troops. Henry ended with these stirring words: “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
The hope of freedom fills human history, thrills our souls, and unites us in a common cause. But we are not the only people to long for freedom, or the only ones to be defined by it. Israel, the people chosen by God, dated their calendar from the day of independence, the day in which they were delivered from slavery. And when Jehovah gives the law that sets them apart from all other nations, he begins the same way: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). I believe it is accurate to say that freedom is a universal desire. It is good news, therefore, that for freedom Christ has set His people free (cf. Galatians 5:1). But what is true freedom? How do we walk in it? How do we hold to it so as not to slip into moral relativism or sinful rebellion? Just before this teaching on freedom, Jesus sharply rebukes the Pharisees, the religious leadership. They were enslaved by what is called, “legalism,” placing their hope in their obedience to the law. Then, rather than fail, they lowered the standards and counted themselves righteous. Legalism always produces pride and self-exaltation. Jesus condemns it harshly. But Jesus does not promote the opposite error which leads to licentiousness, living without standards. The law is not our enemy; it is perfect, good, and holy, therefore, it must be my friend. It exposes my true nature and drives me to my Lord as my hope. There I find that He kept the law both that we might love it and love His keeping it through and in us. Our hearts ache for the freedom Jesus offers. Not the freedom to sin, but to live as God intends.
We find true Freedom in submission to Jesus (John 8:31-32). Jesus offers the incomparable blessing of freedom in His gospel. John Calvin: “All feel and acknowledge that slavery is a most wretched thing. Since the Gospel delivers us from this, it follows that the treasure of the blessed life comes from the Gospel.” But what kind of liberty does Jesus offer? Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his "Cost of Discipleship", wrote, “The demand for absolute liberty brings men to the depths of slavery.” Bonhoeffer understood that created beings cannot have absolute liberty. We must submit either to the God who gives freedom or to sin which tyrannizes. A letter written to Ann Landers from a miserable woman reveals the same. She committed adultery, and in the process destroyed every relationship around her. She cannot enjoy the new relationship, because it is full of guilt, lies, and manipulation. Neither can she go back, for what once was, is lost. Additionally her friends and family are forever affected by this evil. She wrote Ann wanting to know whether to leave the new man or convince him to divorce his wife. What was unusual was that she admitted in the letter that her future held only pain and misery. Why? She refused the truth and her freedom to live was lost. The world defines “freedom” as the license to do whatever we want. But sin causes us to want that which destroys. The alcoholic wants to be drunk; he will lose his health in so doing and, one day, will lose the freedom to stop drinking. Or the parent who wants to re-live her failures through her daughter; she will one day drive away what is most important to her and lose the freedom to love and be loved. The world’s definition of freedom will not work because our sin nature causes us to want that which will destroy us. God defines freedom as the ability to do whatever is right and only Jesus gives that freedom. We must abide in Jesus’ Word. Freedom is not simply being released from the guilt of sin in conversion; it is victory over the power of sin in you daily walk. Many people make a great beginning of the faith, but fall under sin’s tyranny when the freshness of the feelings have worn off, when the world and the devil begin to tempt and tease, and when the desires of our sinful nature rise and announce their preferences. It is not so much beginning, but abiding in Christ’s word that marks a true work of God’s grace. Creatures cannot have “absolute” freedom; there is no true freedom apart from submission to God.
We find true freedom in admission of slavery. So Jesus makes clear the spiritual application: “Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” Could there be any worse task-master? Sin prompts behavior which hurts self and others. Sin promises freedom but gives guilt. Sin holds out the hope of reward, then punishes instead. The Puritan Pastor Thomas Brooks called sin the bait on the fishhook—you taste the treat but end up caught in its sharp, steel grip. So we have two options—will we admit to the power of sin and its enslavement over us, or will we continue to profess our pretended liberty? Only those who admit their need come to Christ for His solution. That is why we find true freedom in admission of our slavery. We find true freedom in possession of Sonship. Every person to whom Jesus spoke knew first-hand the difference between a son and a slave. If they did not personally own a slave, a neighbor did. Slaves had no rights, no inheritance, no ability to do the things he or she wanted. Slaves were controlled by another and would be thrown out when used up. Not so the son; he has freedom to treat the house as his own, for one day it will be so.
God offers us these same blessings. In the gospel, God adopts people into His family. “Adoption is an act of God’s free grace, whereby we become His sons and have a right to all the privileges of being His.” When Jesus says “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed,” he offers to you as a gift everything that is His “by right.”
• Freedom from guilt, for He never sinned.
• Freedom from the demands of the law, for He perfectly obeyed.
• Freedom from punishment, for He has taken the pain.
• Freedom from death, for He has won victory over the grave.
• Freedom from sin’s power, for He has broken its reign.
• Freedom from Satan’s terror, for He has crushed the enemy.
• Freedom from fear, for He brings you into the Father’s family.
• Freedom from the ceremonial law and the traditions of men, for He has fulfilled all the types and shadows that separate man from God.
• Freedom from trying to measure up, for God accepts us in His beloved Son.
Have you been adopted into God’s family? Is your faith in the Son, in His perfect obedience, in His promise of freedom? Many people set their hearts on physical freedoms. We agree that wherever the gospel goes, freedom should ring—freedom from tyranny, freedom of religion, economic and educational freedoms. But these shadows exist only because true freedom is present—that which Christ gives. The only truly free man is he who is free from sin. If you would be truly free, you must come to the One who holds the key to the great chain that binds all souls, victory over sin won at the Cross. Whether the film Braveheart was accurate or not, the last scene illustrates a beneficial truth. Mel Gibson acted as Sir William Wallace, the Scottish Patriot who fought for his country’s liberty and independence. In the last scene, after Wallace was betrayed, he is to be executed. But before he is killed, they give him a chance to admit he was wrong and seek mercy. So they ask him, do you have a last word? Wallace takes a breath and screams, “Freedom!” He was saying that you can chain his body to the rack and take away even his life, but it is better to live free, or die. Jesus is saying that no matter what your situation—you can have freedom. Admit to sin’s mastery, a mastery you cannot free yourself from. Come to Jesus for adoption into God’s family. And abide in His Word and truth, and so be free indeed.
Praise the Lord for many answered prayers!
Irene Boyer is home after her rehabilitation.
Thank you for praying for my sister-in-law in India, she is home after being hospitalized for malaria and other complications.
Pray for my brother-in-law, Prasant’s father, Mr. Digal, back in India. He is 90 yrs. Old. He was a staunch Hindu priest he became to know Christ through the witness of his sons. He was baptized at the age of 80, he is in poor health.
Pray for Joyce Henry, a veteran missionary in India. She is back in England with poor health. She is close to 90 yrs. Old. Pray for her husband, Bruce, and her family.
Pray for the family of Jonathan Brown, Jonathan died at the age of 31 yrs. Old leaving behind his young wife and young daughter.
Pray for Jack Hoppes, he is back at the hospital with some complications.
Pray for Mike Wingard and other business men who are traveling abroad, the Lord might use them to share the Good News of Jesus in the business world.
Pray for Gail Wellborn and her husband who are in China with a multi-national corporation and are moving to Singapore.
Pray for Sunita who will be coming back to Washington, DC tomorrow after spending a fruitful two weeks in Uganda.
Pray for the short term mission team that is going to Orissa, India, my hometown. This team is led by Dr. Tim Divine and Dr. Todd Mansfield.
We praise the Lord for Palm Sunday. Our choir will be presenting an Easter Cantata during the morning worship services at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. For Holy Week we will meet Wednesday for our mid-week service.
Maundy Thursday Rabbi Ron Goldberg will be with us.
Good Friday we will have combined service with the Nazarene church of Endicott at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday our children will gather for an Easter egg hunt at 11:00 a.m. followed by a meal at noon.
Easter Sunday: Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed. We will have Sunrise services starting at 6:30 a.m. followed by a family breakfast. We will meet for Easter celebrations at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. Those who live around the area, bring your family and friends and join us.
In Christ, we are free indeed, how blessed we are, thanks be to Jesus.
Brown
Police Humor
So you thought police officers didn't have a sense of humor....The following were taken off of police car videos around the country.
"Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they're new. They'll stretch out after you wear them awhile."
"If you run, you'll only go to jail tired."
"So you don't know how fast you were going. I guess that means I can write anything I want on the ticket, huh?"
"Yes, Sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don't think it will help. Oh. Did I mention that I am the shift supervisor?"
"Warning! You want a warning? O.K., I'm warning you not to do that again or I'll give you another ticket."
"The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk or not.
Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?"
"Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster oven."
"Just how big were those two beers?"
"No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to have quotas but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we want."
"I'm glad to hear that Sheriff Tom Ariss is a good personal friend of yours. At least you know someone who can post your bail."
"You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? ...... You're right, we don't... sign here."
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 3-11-08
Good Morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. Praise the Lord for all the days the Lord gives us to live, to love, to worship, and to serve. Praise the Lord for the seasons. Jesus is the Lord in every season and he is the Lord of all seasons. He is the Lord of history. Indeed history is His story. As we study the Scriptures, we discover that the Lord of creation is the Lord of Redemption. He orchestrated the plan and the passages of redemption. The birth, the ministry, the mission, the passion, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus were all prophesied 700 years before the Christ Event.
“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the LORD Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones.”
So Zechariah predicted of Jesus and his disciples in the book of Zechariah 13:7 . And in Mark Chapter 14 we see these predicted events playing out. This is the calm before the storm, a brief time of respite before the passion of Jesus Christ explodes with an act of breathtaking betrayal. Jesus is the shepherd, the disciples the sheep. Jesus will be stricken, the disciples will fall away; as Jesus says, all will fall away. They will be scattered violently.
We see Jesus, who is fully aware of the events at hand, in command of the situation and we see the disciples who, though they are in the midst of the events, and though they are fully conscious, are in a stupor. They experience the events, but they cannot comprehend their meaning. They see it happening right before their eyes, yet they are oblivious to the deeper meaning of the occasion. It is almost as if they are groggy and need a double shot latte’ to stay alert.
We have all experienced this. We experience an event in our lives that only later, upon reflection, do we understand the full impact it has had on our lives. What I am saying is that in the moment that such an event happens in our lives, we are aware of the material and psychological impact – but we are unaware of the spiritual impact.
Here, in this passage, we see the disciples going through this kind of thing. They experience what is happening in the garden, but are not fully able to process it until later. Only later do they see the spiritual significance of the events that night in the garden of Gethsemane.
As we look at this passage I want us to keep in mind two things. First, Jesus is not only fully aware of the unfolding of the events, but He is the one who is in control of the events. Second, Jesus doesn’t expect his disciples to help him. In fact, astonishingly, even at the time of his greatest trial, Jesus is concerned for the welfare of his disciples. I want us to keep these two things in mind because in our own lives we need to know that in spite of any, and I mean any, circumstances that we find ourselves in, Jesus is not only there helping us through, but he is completely, and totally in control.
Mark 14:27 – 29 is one of the passages where, on the first read, it appears that Jesus is complaining about the disciples not being there for him, when in fact it is the flip opposite. Jesus isn’t complaining. Jesus doesn’t need help. He is God incarnate; He can handle what ever is thrown at Him. It is we who are human who need the help, and Jesus is there to provide help.
Have you noticed that every time Jesus speaks of his passion, a crisis erupts with the disciples. Jesus quotes Zechariah 13:7 saying that each of the disciples will fall away, meaning they will fail to believe; that is bad news. But also notice that in verse 28 Jesus tells them good news, “But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Bad news – Good news.
The disciples don’t even hear the good news that Jesus will see them through this crisis. No, they only hear about the failure that will happen in their lives. Peter can’t stand it. Peter sees himself as being above failure. He is declares that he will not sin. Why does Peter say this? Why does Peter make this claim? Peter makes this claim because he is still under the illusion that he is in control of his life. Jesus tells him that he will fail and that he will fall away, but Peter believes in his mind that this will not happen, because he believes that he is in control, in the driver’s seat.
Peter vows to stick by Jesus no matter what because Peter believes he is in control. He believes it so strongly that he says, (31) “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” Jesus, however, tells Peter that he is so NOT in control, and to drive this fact home, Jesus outlines exactly how the events will unfold that very night. Peter will deny Jesus three times before the cock crows twice.
Understand that the third watch, of the four Roman night watches, was designated the cock crow. This is a reference to a changing of the Roman guard. A bugle would sound that would be heard throughout the city at the time of the changing of this watch. Here we see that a bird will crow to remind Peter of his lack of control, but it is also possible that in addition to the crow of the cock, a bugle sounded, something Peter would certainly not missed. Jesus ups the ante for Peter and heightens the fact that he will fail.
Then, notice in verse 31, the remarkable words, “And all the others said the same.” Not a single one of them could see the impact of the spiritual nature of the events they were experiencing, but they will fully understand upon reflection, and then they will be blown away.
Jesus takes them to a place that they had been to many times before. The disciples think it is a night like any other night, but it is not, and it is significant that Jesus takes them to the garden of Gethsemane. The garden was part of an estate at the foot of the mount of olives. Gethsemane means olive press. They have walked into an olive grove that also contains an onsite olive press. As the olives are pressed here in this garden so will our Lord Jesus be pressed.
Does Jesus tell the disciples to pray for him in verse 32? No. Take a look for yourself. Jesus says, “Sit here while I pray.” I believe the Lord is praying for the disciples. He is praying for us. The disciples sit, while Jesus prays alone. What he is asking is for them to be on watch; really He is saying He wants them to be spiritually alert. He is not asking for a lookout in case someone happens by, but He wants them to be aware of the spiritual nature of the occasion. Why? There will be very tough times ahead and Jesus wants them to be aware of more than the material and psychological aspects of the events at hand.
Jesus takes along with Him Peter, James and John. Peter has just emphatically vowed to stay by Jesus; James and John earlier had vowed to be able to drink the cup of Jesus. Jesus pulls them aside, for they will need special prayer. Their glib overconfidence places them in great peril at the hands of the enemy. Their failure to understand what it means to be identified with Jesus is why Jesus pulls them aside. They think that to be identified to Jesus evokes special status but, in reality, identity with Jesus requires suffering. It is not about special status at all.
If you have found yourself surprised by some serious difficult times in your life, if you have thought to yourself that someone, like you, who is a Christian, shouldn’t see such hard times, then you are in good company with Peter, James, and John.
A relationship with Jesus will bring you exactly what you are seeking deep down in your heart. It will bring you a freedom that good times, success, prosperity, and honor could never even start to match. When you find that freedom in Christ and when you lay a hold of it, then no difficult circumstance, and no horrible event, even the facing of your own death, (which, by the way, all of us without exception will have to face) will be able to prevail upon you. Jesus wants this for His disciples; He wants this for you and for me.
Jesus is concerned for us even in the worst trial anyone could ever experience. Romans 8:31-32 becomes powerful for us in our lives. Rom. 8:31, “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
Let us not be discouraged by the events at hand. Our life is not merely physical and psychological events piled on top of one another; the Spirit of God is working behind all that happens to us. In the same way that Jesus, in the garden with his disciples, experienced a spiritual event, in the midst of the circumstances surrounding us, the Lord is working. “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
In Him,
Brown
Speak tenderly to them. Let there be kindness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile, in the warmth of your greeting. Always have a cheerful smile. Don't only give your care, but give your heart as well.
J. S. Bach
All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul's refreshment; where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hub-bub.
J. S. Bach
Praise the Lord for this new day. Praise the Lord for all the days the Lord gives us to live, to love, to worship, and to serve. Praise the Lord for the seasons. Jesus is the Lord in every season and he is the Lord of all seasons. He is the Lord of history. Indeed history is His story. As we study the Scriptures, we discover that the Lord of creation is the Lord of Redemption. He orchestrated the plan and the passages of redemption. The birth, the ministry, the mission, the passion, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus were all prophesied 700 years before the Christ Event.
“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!” declares the LORD Almighty. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones.”
So Zechariah predicted of Jesus and his disciples in the book of Zechariah 13:7 . And in Mark Chapter 14 we see these predicted events playing out. This is the calm before the storm, a brief time of respite before the passion of Jesus Christ explodes with an act of breathtaking betrayal. Jesus is the shepherd, the disciples the sheep. Jesus will be stricken, the disciples will fall away; as Jesus says, all will fall away. They will be scattered violently.
We see Jesus, who is fully aware of the events at hand, in command of the situation and we see the disciples who, though they are in the midst of the events, and though they are fully conscious, are in a stupor. They experience the events, but they cannot comprehend their meaning. They see it happening right before their eyes, yet they are oblivious to the deeper meaning of the occasion. It is almost as if they are groggy and need a double shot latte’ to stay alert.
We have all experienced this. We experience an event in our lives that only later, upon reflection, do we understand the full impact it has had on our lives. What I am saying is that in the moment that such an event happens in our lives, we are aware of the material and psychological impact – but we are unaware of the spiritual impact.
Here, in this passage, we see the disciples going through this kind of thing. They experience what is happening in the garden, but are not fully able to process it until later. Only later do they see the spiritual significance of the events that night in the garden of Gethsemane.
As we look at this passage I want us to keep in mind two things. First, Jesus is not only fully aware of the unfolding of the events, but He is the one who is in control of the events. Second, Jesus doesn’t expect his disciples to help him. In fact, astonishingly, even at the time of his greatest trial, Jesus is concerned for the welfare of his disciples. I want us to keep these two things in mind because in our own lives we need to know that in spite of any, and I mean any, circumstances that we find ourselves in, Jesus is not only there helping us through, but he is completely, and totally in control.
Mark 14:27 – 29 is one of the passages where, on the first read, it appears that Jesus is complaining about the disciples not being there for him, when in fact it is the flip opposite. Jesus isn’t complaining. Jesus doesn’t need help. He is God incarnate; He can handle what ever is thrown at Him. It is we who are human who need the help, and Jesus is there to provide help.
Have you noticed that every time Jesus speaks of his passion, a crisis erupts with the disciples. Jesus quotes Zechariah 13:7 saying that each of the disciples will fall away, meaning they will fail to believe; that is bad news. But also notice that in verse 28 Jesus tells them good news, “But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Bad news – Good news.
The disciples don’t even hear the good news that Jesus will see them through this crisis. No, they only hear about the failure that will happen in their lives. Peter can’t stand it. Peter sees himself as being above failure. He is declares that he will not sin. Why does Peter say this? Why does Peter make this claim? Peter makes this claim because he is still under the illusion that he is in control of his life. Jesus tells him that he will fail and that he will fall away, but Peter believes in his mind that this will not happen, because he believes that he is in control, in the driver’s seat.
Peter vows to stick by Jesus no matter what because Peter believes he is in control. He believes it so strongly that he says, (31) “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” Jesus, however, tells Peter that he is so NOT in control, and to drive this fact home, Jesus outlines exactly how the events will unfold that very night. Peter will deny Jesus three times before the cock crows twice.
Understand that the third watch, of the four Roman night watches, was designated the cock crow. This is a reference to a changing of the Roman guard. A bugle would sound that would be heard throughout the city at the time of the changing of this watch. Here we see that a bird will crow to remind Peter of his lack of control, but it is also possible that in addition to the crow of the cock, a bugle sounded, something Peter would certainly not missed. Jesus ups the ante for Peter and heightens the fact that he will fail.
Then, notice in verse 31, the remarkable words, “And all the others said the same.” Not a single one of them could see the impact of the spiritual nature of the events they were experiencing, but they will fully understand upon reflection, and then they will be blown away.
Jesus takes them to a place that they had been to many times before. The disciples think it is a night like any other night, but it is not, and it is significant that Jesus takes them to the garden of Gethsemane. The garden was part of an estate at the foot of the mount of olives. Gethsemane means olive press. They have walked into an olive grove that also contains an onsite olive press. As the olives are pressed here in this garden so will our Lord Jesus be pressed.
Does Jesus tell the disciples to pray for him in verse 32? No. Take a look for yourself. Jesus says, “Sit here while I pray.” I believe the Lord is praying for the disciples. He is praying for us. The disciples sit, while Jesus prays alone. What he is asking is for them to be on watch; really He is saying He wants them to be spiritually alert. He is not asking for a lookout in case someone happens by, but He wants them to be aware of the spiritual nature of the occasion. Why? There will be very tough times ahead and Jesus wants them to be aware of more than the material and psychological aspects of the events at hand.
Jesus takes along with Him Peter, James and John. Peter has just emphatically vowed to stay by Jesus; James and John earlier had vowed to be able to drink the cup of Jesus. Jesus pulls them aside, for they will need special prayer. Their glib overconfidence places them in great peril at the hands of the enemy. Their failure to understand what it means to be identified with Jesus is why Jesus pulls them aside. They think that to be identified to Jesus evokes special status but, in reality, identity with Jesus requires suffering. It is not about special status at all.
If you have found yourself surprised by some serious difficult times in your life, if you have thought to yourself that someone, like you, who is a Christian, shouldn’t see such hard times, then you are in good company with Peter, James, and John.
A relationship with Jesus will bring you exactly what you are seeking deep down in your heart. It will bring you a freedom that good times, success, prosperity, and honor could never even start to match. When you find that freedom in Christ and when you lay a hold of it, then no difficult circumstance, and no horrible event, even the facing of your own death, (which, by the way, all of us without exception will have to face) will be able to prevail upon you. Jesus wants this for His disciples; He wants this for you and for me.
Jesus is concerned for us even in the worst trial anyone could ever experience. Romans 8:31-32 becomes powerful for us in our lives. Rom. 8:31, “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
Let us not be discouraged by the events at hand. Our life is not merely physical and psychological events piled on top of one another; the Spirit of God is working behind all that happens to us. In the same way that Jesus, in the garden with his disciples, experienced a spiritual event, in the midst of the circumstances surrounding us, the Lord is working. “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
In Him,
Brown
Speak tenderly to them. Let there be kindness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile, in the warmth of your greeting. Always have a cheerful smile. Don't only give your care, but give your heart as well.
J. S. Bach
All music should have no other end and aim than the glory of God and the soul's refreshment; where this is not remembered there is no real music but only a devilish hub-bub.
J. S. Bach
Monday, March 10, 2008
Brown's Daily Word 3-10-08
Good Morning.
Thank you, Jesus; it is Monday. I trust you had a restful and worshipful weekend including worshipping the Lord on His day. The Lord blessed us with a bountiful and beautiful weekend, though it was rainy part of the time. We see the signs and hear the signs of spring.
As many of you know my wife is a High School Math teacher. Her students describe her as very good teacher though some think she is very tough. She expects the very best from them. She is a woman of integrity and high moral principle. She is presently teaching the High School Sunday School students of our church. She is enjoying teaching the High School Students the Good News of Jesus. She tells me that in general the teenagers have a very limited vocabulary. One of their very famous and very inclusive word is " Whatever". In my personal study and observation I have discovered that we are living in a "whatever" world -- a culture in which truth has been stripped of its meaning and replaced with personal preference.
What does a whatever world look like? It’s an age, a culture in which all ideas, all lifestyles, all behaviors are considered of equal value. You cheat, I don't. Whatever! What’s valid for me isn’t necessarily valid for you. Frank worships Jesus, Terry worships Buddha, Sheila worships the goddess Sophia, and Bud worships the tree in his backyard. Whatever! Many think that all religions are the same. What’s true for you may not be true for me. It doesn’t really matter what you believe so long as you’re sincere.
Some call this postmodernism, but the relativism that seems so characteristic of our age isn’t all that new. It is as old as Pilate, playing politics on Good Friday. It is as old as the Romans, who didn’t care if those early Christians worshiped Jesus, as long as they also worshiped Caesar. It’s as old as Eden, where a smooth-talking serpent convinced the residents that one tree is pretty much the same as another, no matter what God may have said.
Yet, never before has the spirit of whatever been so pervasive and destructive of an age and a culture. The Barna Research Group, through its surveys, show us the result of such a worldview:
~ Three-fourths of all adults believe “there is no such thing as absolute truth; two people could define truth in totally conflicting ways, but both could still be correct.”
~ Less than half of all born-again adults (44%) and less than 10 percent of born-again teenagers (9%) believe in the existence of absolute moral truth.
~ Nearly half of adult Americans (47%) believe that “to get by in life these days, sometimes you have to bend the rules for your benefit.” If that’s the attitude of their parents, is it any wonder, then, that some 70 percent of American teenagers today admit to cheating on exams and don’t see anything wrong with it?
Because our culture has rejected the concept of absolute truth, all moral claims have been reduced to the level of personal opinion. No one’s views are right or wrong – they are only subjective expressions of personal preferences. As a result, we have entered a period of moral anarchy, and the price is being paid by our children and our families:
~ A million children a year see their parents divorce.
~ In the last four decades, pregnancies out of wedlock have increased by 600 percent.
~ In less than 40 years, cohabitation by unmarried couples has increased almost 1,000 percent.
A New York woman disappeared without warning, leaving behind her husband and children. Some time later she was discovered in Hawaii, where she worked at a store selling hand-dipped chocolates. Asked why she left, she explained that she had finally realized she had to “find herself.” And in a whatever world, where the individual’s desires trump all other values, who has the authority to say she was wrong? Your truth is your truth, and my truth is dipping chocolates in Hawaii.
A whatever world is more concerned about personal therapy than personal morality. When I was in the Graduate School in the late sixties, the best-selling book was "I’m OK, You’re OK" by Eric Bern.. Today, the sequel would be entitled, "I’m OK -- and That’s All That Matters". In spite of our culture of individual pursuit of personal happiness, the Bible tells us that he or she who goes off to find himself is a fool.
A whatever world is one in which teenagers can walk into a school and murder their peers and teachers without any sense of moral compunction. After all, if there’s no authority to provide a framework of values and beliefs, who’s to say they are wrong? In a whatever world, every man is a god . . . and a devil.
That’s what it’s like living in a whatever world. It’s a world in which there is no authority higher than my own desires . . . a world in which life has no meaning beyond personal fulfillment because there are no values higher than my own choices.
But is that really the kind of world we live in? Despite the claims of sociologists, new age theologians and the media, there is another word which stands in contrast to the spirit of this age. In the 14th chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus made a most astonishing statement when he said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It is one of the most audacious statements ever made -- unless it is true. And, if it is true, then it makes all the difference in the kind of world in which you and I live. If Jesus is Himself truth, then it changes everything.
The way we think determines the way we live. If we think of ourselves as the ultimate authority in determining right and wrong, then it’s easy to reach the stage where there is no wrong -- at least not for me. But if we recognize there is a God who stands over and above us, and that through Christ He wants to enter into relationship with us, then it changes the way we think: it changes the way we determine our values, our priorities, our commitments.
That’s why Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37). The Old Testament passage (Deut. 6:5) behind Jesus’ statement is a little different; it says to love God with heart, soul, and strength. Why did Jesus instead use the word mind? Perhaps it was to remind us that it is essential to bring our minds under the authority and lordship of God; otherwise our faith will make little impact on us or anyone else. The way we think determines the way we live. When we accept Christ as Lord and Savior, he wants to be Lord not only of our behavior but of our minds. A Christian world-view helps us see that God’s revelation of His truth through Scripture is the foundation of every part of our lives. As we submit our minds, our thought processes, to the Lordship of Christ, the way we think determines the way we live.
Suppose, after working hours, you find yourself on an elevator in a large but fairly deserted office building. You are on the elevator all alone, but just before the doors close three tough-looking young men jump on the elevator with you. You are now alone with these guys for the next minute or two. Now be honest, would you rather know that they were on their way to a burglary or a Bible study? Why does it make a difference? it is because the way we think determines the way we live. We feel safer around people who have a Christian world-view than those for whom the only authority is their own ego or desires.
Through God’s Word, we have the opportunity to better understand the mind of God, and thus the purpose and meaning of the world in which we live. Jesus Christ is Lord of all, and that includes our minds. He is truth for your mind. Further, not only does Christ provide the truth that helps us understand reality, but He also provides the truth that allows us to live lives of meaning and purpose and fulfillment.
In our whatever culture, where each person is an authority unto himself, God’s Word is overlooked or ignored by untold millions. As Christians, committing our lives to Christ as Lord and Savior involves submitting ourselves to obey His truth. Suppose I ignore the manufacturer’s guidelines for my car, by never changing the oil or ignoring the air pressure in the tires? It’s only a matter of time before I find myself sitting at the side of the road, going nowhere and wondering what went wrong. If you are going to drive a car, you ignore the maintenance guidelines at your own peril. When we understand Jesus is the only authentic truth for our lives, it will change everything about the way we live. It will impact how we do our jobs, how we treat our families, how we spend our money, how we allocate our time, and on and on. It will mean being different in some significant ways from the paths taken by many of those around us. It will sometimes lead to criticism by those who don’t understand why we don’t demonstrate "tolerance", why we don’t just go along. We will be subject to attack by those for whom truth is less important than acceptance. Yet, as we surrender our lives to His direction and as we allow God to shape our lives into the image of Christ through the truth of His Word we will find our lives taking on a new and greater sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Jesus Christ is truth for our mind, and He is truth for our life. He is Truth for Your Future. As Christians, there are some truths we can know, some things that are absolutely, ultimately true. We know that everything starts with God. (Gen. 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”) All that exists is here because God has created it. The entire created order is here because God sustains it. Our lives are gifts of an eternal God. God is the foundation of everything that exists. Unlike the secular people, we can know that our existence has a meaning and purpose because we know Who brought us into being.
But that’s not all we can know is sure and certain. We know that we all stand guilty before a holy God. Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” Though we live in an “I’m OK” kind of world, inside we know that everything’s not really OK. That’s because we were created to live in fellowship with a holy, loving God, but sin has broken that relationship, and we stand on the other side of an awesome gap that separates us from God.
Yet, the good news of the Gospel is that there is something else we can know for sure. We know that in Christ, God has bridged the chasm caused by sin. The most famous passage in all of scripture tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Jesus Christ took upon Himself all the guilt that was rightfully ours, and on the cross paid the price that should have been on your head and mine. When, on the third day, Jesus burst forth from the tomb as the risen Lord, He brought each of us out with Him, victorious over death, and able to enjoy a living and dynamic relationship with God through Christ.
Finally, we know that in Christ we have hope for the future. Hope is one of the most powerful words in our language today, perhaps because so many people sense so little hope. But, if you have surrendered your life to Christ, He has promised you a blessed hope, and a future with Him. As the Bill Gaither wrote, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone.” We can know new life, new power, new purpose because we know Christ and the power of His resurrection. He is our future, because He is truth.
In Christ ,
Brown
O Christ, in Thee my soul hath found,
And found in Thee alone,
The peace, the joy I sought so long,
The bliss till now unknown.
I sighed for rest and happiness,
I yearned for them, not Thee;
But while I passed my Saviour by,
His love laid hold on me.
Now none but Christ can satisfy,
None other name for me;
There's love, and life, and lasting joy,
Lord Jesus, found in Thee.
--Author unknown.
Copied from the back of the title page
of the 1893 ed. of James Gilmour of Mongolia,
edited by Richard Lovett.
Click here to view video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfB5wn1egZw
All About Investments
STOCK: A magical piece of paper that is worth $33.75 until the moment you buy it. It will then be worth $8.50.
BOND: What you had with your spouse until you pawned his/her golf clubs to invest in Amazon.com.
BROKER: The person you trust to help you make major financial decisions.
Please note the first five letters of this word spell "Broke".
BEAR: What your trade account and wallet will be when you take a flyer on that hot stock tip your secretary gave you.
BULL: What your broker uses to explain why your mutual funds tanked during the last quarter.
MARGIN: Where you scribble the latest quotes when you're supposed to be listening to your manager's presentation.
SHORT POSITION: A type of trade where, in theory, a person sells stocks he doesn't actually own. Since this also only ever works in theory, a short position is what a person usually ends up being in (i.e. "The rent, sir?" "Hahaha, well, I'm a little short this month.").
COMMISSION: The only reliable way to make money on the stock market, which is why your broker charges you one.
YAK: What you do into a pail when you discover your stocks have plunged and your broker is making a margin call.
Thank you, Jesus; it is Monday. I trust you had a restful and worshipful weekend including worshipping the Lord on His day. The Lord blessed us with a bountiful and beautiful weekend, though it was rainy part of the time. We see the signs and hear the signs of spring.
As many of you know my wife is a High School Math teacher. Her students describe her as very good teacher though some think she is very tough. She expects the very best from them. She is a woman of integrity and high moral principle. She is presently teaching the High School Sunday School students of our church. She is enjoying teaching the High School Students the Good News of Jesus. She tells me that in general the teenagers have a very limited vocabulary. One of their very famous and very inclusive word is " Whatever". In my personal study and observation I have discovered that we are living in a "whatever" world -- a culture in which truth has been stripped of its meaning and replaced with personal preference.
What does a whatever world look like? It’s an age, a culture in which all ideas, all lifestyles, all behaviors are considered of equal value. You cheat, I don't. Whatever! What’s valid for me isn’t necessarily valid for you. Frank worships Jesus, Terry worships Buddha, Sheila worships the goddess Sophia, and Bud worships the tree in his backyard. Whatever! Many think that all religions are the same. What’s true for you may not be true for me. It doesn’t really matter what you believe so long as you’re sincere.
Some call this postmodernism, but the relativism that seems so characteristic of our age isn’t all that new. It is as old as Pilate, playing politics on Good Friday. It is as old as the Romans, who didn’t care if those early Christians worshiped Jesus, as long as they also worshiped Caesar. It’s as old as Eden, where a smooth-talking serpent convinced the residents that one tree is pretty much the same as another, no matter what God may have said.
Yet, never before has the spirit of whatever been so pervasive and destructive of an age and a culture. The Barna Research Group, through its surveys, show us the result of such a worldview:
~ Three-fourths of all adults believe “there is no such thing as absolute truth; two people could define truth in totally conflicting ways, but both could still be correct.”
~ Less than half of all born-again adults (44%) and less than 10 percent of born-again teenagers (9%) believe in the existence of absolute moral truth.
~ Nearly half of adult Americans (47%) believe that “to get by in life these days, sometimes you have to bend the rules for your benefit.” If that’s the attitude of their parents, is it any wonder, then, that some 70 percent of American teenagers today admit to cheating on exams and don’t see anything wrong with it?
Because our culture has rejected the concept of absolute truth, all moral claims have been reduced to the level of personal opinion. No one’s views are right or wrong – they are only subjective expressions of personal preferences. As a result, we have entered a period of moral anarchy, and the price is being paid by our children and our families:
~ A million children a year see their parents divorce.
~ In the last four decades, pregnancies out of wedlock have increased by 600 percent.
~ In less than 40 years, cohabitation by unmarried couples has increased almost 1,000 percent.
A New York woman disappeared without warning, leaving behind her husband and children. Some time later she was discovered in Hawaii, where she worked at a store selling hand-dipped chocolates. Asked why she left, she explained that she had finally realized she had to “find herself.” And in a whatever world, where the individual’s desires trump all other values, who has the authority to say she was wrong? Your truth is your truth, and my truth is dipping chocolates in Hawaii.
A whatever world is more concerned about personal therapy than personal morality. When I was in the Graduate School in the late sixties, the best-selling book was "I’m OK, You’re OK" by Eric Bern.. Today, the sequel would be entitled, "I’m OK -- and That’s All That Matters". In spite of our culture of individual pursuit of personal happiness, the Bible tells us that he or she who goes off to find himself is a fool.
A whatever world is one in which teenagers can walk into a school and murder their peers and teachers without any sense of moral compunction. After all, if there’s no authority to provide a framework of values and beliefs, who’s to say they are wrong? In a whatever world, every man is a god . . . and a devil.
That’s what it’s like living in a whatever world. It’s a world in which there is no authority higher than my own desires . . . a world in which life has no meaning beyond personal fulfillment because there are no values higher than my own choices.
But is that really the kind of world we live in? Despite the claims of sociologists, new age theologians and the media, there is another word which stands in contrast to the spirit of this age. In the 14th chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus made a most astonishing statement when he said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It is one of the most audacious statements ever made -- unless it is true. And, if it is true, then it makes all the difference in the kind of world in which you and I live. If Jesus is Himself truth, then it changes everything.
The way we think determines the way we live. If we think of ourselves as the ultimate authority in determining right and wrong, then it’s easy to reach the stage where there is no wrong -- at least not for me. But if we recognize there is a God who stands over and above us, and that through Christ He wants to enter into relationship with us, then it changes the way we think: it changes the way we determine our values, our priorities, our commitments.
That’s why Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37). The Old Testament passage (Deut. 6:5) behind Jesus’ statement is a little different; it says to love God with heart, soul, and strength. Why did Jesus instead use the word mind? Perhaps it was to remind us that it is essential to bring our minds under the authority and lordship of God; otherwise our faith will make little impact on us or anyone else. The way we think determines the way we live. When we accept Christ as Lord and Savior, he wants to be Lord not only of our behavior but of our minds. A Christian world-view helps us see that God’s revelation of His truth through Scripture is the foundation of every part of our lives. As we submit our minds, our thought processes, to the Lordship of Christ, the way we think determines the way we live.
Suppose, after working hours, you find yourself on an elevator in a large but fairly deserted office building. You are on the elevator all alone, but just before the doors close three tough-looking young men jump on the elevator with you. You are now alone with these guys for the next minute or two. Now be honest, would you rather know that they were on their way to a burglary or a Bible study? Why does it make a difference? it is because the way we think determines the way we live. We feel safer around people who have a Christian world-view than those for whom the only authority is their own ego or desires.
Through God’s Word, we have the opportunity to better understand the mind of God, and thus the purpose and meaning of the world in which we live. Jesus Christ is Lord of all, and that includes our minds. He is truth for your mind. Further, not only does Christ provide the truth that helps us understand reality, but He also provides the truth that allows us to live lives of meaning and purpose and fulfillment.
In our whatever culture, where each person is an authority unto himself, God’s Word is overlooked or ignored by untold millions. As Christians, committing our lives to Christ as Lord and Savior involves submitting ourselves to obey His truth. Suppose I ignore the manufacturer’s guidelines for my car, by never changing the oil or ignoring the air pressure in the tires? It’s only a matter of time before I find myself sitting at the side of the road, going nowhere and wondering what went wrong. If you are going to drive a car, you ignore the maintenance guidelines at your own peril. When we understand Jesus is the only authentic truth for our lives, it will change everything about the way we live. It will impact how we do our jobs, how we treat our families, how we spend our money, how we allocate our time, and on and on. It will mean being different in some significant ways from the paths taken by many of those around us. It will sometimes lead to criticism by those who don’t understand why we don’t demonstrate "tolerance", why we don’t just go along. We will be subject to attack by those for whom truth is less important than acceptance. Yet, as we surrender our lives to His direction and as we allow God to shape our lives into the image of Christ through the truth of His Word we will find our lives taking on a new and greater sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Jesus Christ is truth for our mind, and He is truth for our life. He is Truth for Your Future. As Christians, there are some truths we can know, some things that are absolutely, ultimately true. We know that everything starts with God. (Gen. 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”) All that exists is here because God has created it. The entire created order is here because God sustains it. Our lives are gifts of an eternal God. God is the foundation of everything that exists. Unlike the secular people, we can know that our existence has a meaning and purpose because we know Who brought us into being.
But that’s not all we can know is sure and certain. We know that we all stand guilty before a holy God. Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” Though we live in an “I’m OK” kind of world, inside we know that everything’s not really OK. That’s because we were created to live in fellowship with a holy, loving God, but sin has broken that relationship, and we stand on the other side of an awesome gap that separates us from God.
Yet, the good news of the Gospel is that there is something else we can know for sure. We know that in Christ, God has bridged the chasm caused by sin. The most famous passage in all of scripture tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Jesus Christ took upon Himself all the guilt that was rightfully ours, and on the cross paid the price that should have been on your head and mine. When, on the third day, Jesus burst forth from the tomb as the risen Lord, He brought each of us out with Him, victorious over death, and able to enjoy a living and dynamic relationship with God through Christ.
Finally, we know that in Christ we have hope for the future. Hope is one of the most powerful words in our language today, perhaps because so many people sense so little hope. But, if you have surrendered your life to Christ, He has promised you a blessed hope, and a future with Him. As the Bill Gaither wrote, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone.” We can know new life, new power, new purpose because we know Christ and the power of His resurrection. He is our future, because He is truth.
In Christ ,
Brown
O Christ, in Thee my soul hath found,
And found in Thee alone,
The peace, the joy I sought so long,
The bliss till now unknown.
I sighed for rest and happiness,
I yearned for them, not Thee;
But while I passed my Saviour by,
His love laid hold on me.
Now none but Christ can satisfy,
None other name for me;
There's love, and life, and lasting joy,
Lord Jesus, found in Thee.
--Author unknown.
Copied from the back of the title page
of the 1893 ed. of James Gilmour of Mongolia,
edited by Richard Lovett.
Click here to view video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfB5wn1egZw
All About Investments
STOCK: A magical piece of paper that is worth $33.75 until the moment you buy it. It will then be worth $8.50.
BOND: What you had with your spouse until you pawned his/her golf clubs to invest in Amazon.com.
BROKER: The person you trust to help you make major financial decisions.
Please note the first five letters of this word spell "Broke".
BEAR: What your trade account and wallet will be when you take a flyer on that hot stock tip your secretary gave you.
BULL: What your broker uses to explain why your mutual funds tanked during the last quarter.
MARGIN: Where you scribble the latest quotes when you're supposed to be listening to your manager's presentation.
SHORT POSITION: A type of trade where, in theory, a person sells stocks he doesn't actually own. Since this also only ever works in theory, a short position is what a person usually ends up being in (i.e. "The rent, sir?" "Hahaha, well, I'm a little short this month.").
COMMISSION: The only reliable way to make money on the stock market, which is why your broker charges you one.
YAK: What you do into a pail when you discover your stocks have plunged and your broker is making a margin call.
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