CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS WITH UTMOST CARE

CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS WITH UTMOST CARE

An age-old adage says, “Birds of a feather flock together!”  This truism is reflected everywhere in our culture and society.  However, we are not only known by the company we keep, we are immeasurably influenced (soul-shaped) by the company that we keep.  In the words of King Solomon: “He that walks with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.” (Proverbs 13:20)

On deeper levels than we might imagine, we are profoundly affected (physically, materially, ethically, emotionally and spiritually) by our continual presence and encounters

 with others.  There is a powerful mutual exchange (with definite impact in time and eternity) that rises from our verbal and non-verbal interactions with others.

So you and I must apply extreme caution and prayer to the selection of friends, companions, associates, business partners and spouses.  Wisdom dictates that we consult God.  The wisdom of His Word and the guidance of His Spirit will guard and gauge our choices. 

Enough said!

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

CAN YOU SLEEP WHEN THE WIND BLOWS?

CAN YOU SLEEP WHEN THE WIND BLOWS?

Years ago a farmer who owned land along the Atlantic seacoast was constantly advertising for hired hands.  Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic Ocean because they dreaded tempestuous seacoast storms which could wreak havoc on buildings and crops.

As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.  Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle-age, approached the farmer.  “Are you a good farm hand?” the farmer asked.

“Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man.  Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer hired him, being desperate for help.

The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt quite satisfied with his work.  The next night, powerful winds howled loudly in from offshore.  Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters. 

He shook the little man and yelled, “Get up!  A storm is coming!  Tie things down before they blow away!”

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No sir.  I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot.  Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm.  To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins.  The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred.  The shutters were tightly secured and everything was tied down.  Nothing would blow away.  The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed and also slept while the wind blew.

MORAL: When you’re prepared (spiritually, emotionally, intellectually and physically), you have absolutely nothing to fear.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

FAMILY FOREVER

FAMILY FOREVER

Last Thursday, I returned to Pennsylvania to be with my brother, Bishop J. Richard Bass, who was undergoing an open-heart surgical procedure.  Along with my brother’s wife and sons, six siblings were present; and, we are all grateful and indebted to God for a very favorable outcome.

Family is ABSOLUTELY importanT!  This profound truth reminds me of an emotional experience:

In 2013, I traveled to Boston, Massachusetts to support my good friend, Pastor Stephen Vaughan, who was eulogizing his beloved sister, Joanne Vaughan-Webster.  Since it was a funeral gathering, a powerful blend of emotions permeated the atmosphere.  But two things in particular captured my attention.  First of all, I was profoundly impressed by the positive impact Joanne’s life had on hundreds in attendance – from pastors to principals, school superintendents, teachers, co-workers, military personnel, church members and close friends.  Apparently, hers was a life well lived.

One thing impressed me even more.  It was the intangible expression of love, intimacy, sincerity and warmth that I discerned emanating so freely from this family.  I felt sure that it was entirely spontaneous and genuine, and I was personally blessed by it.  However, I am not naïve enough to believe that this family (or any other) could always avoid the difficulties that are prevalent in any group of people with diverse dispositions and mindsets.  Family distinctives can be both a challenge and a blessing.  Think about it.

During my 3-hour train ride back to New Haven, Connecticut, I reflected on the reality and meaning of family.  What is family?  What is this unique phenomenon that constitutes such a curious blend of life experiences?  For, simultaneously, family can be a habitation of happiness and a place of pain.  Unquestionably, it represents a lasting legacy of love, but it is can also be impacted by feelings of isolation, loneliness, or even rejection.  On the way home, I thought and thought and thought.  And then it occurred to me, like a flash of Rhema from Heaven: Family is a divinely appointed process of personal purification and maturation.

Much like The Word, which cleanses and sanctifies one’s attitudes and actions, family is also a divine agent of change in the life of every participant.  It may well be that God utilizes Family to shape us, to mature us, to transform us – as we embrace its ever-present opportunities for nurture, fellowship, friendship and its diametrically opposite potentials for struggle, hurt and division.  I know it might seem to be an odd statement to make, but perhaps GOD did not intend for family life to always be an experience of carefree ease.  Because struggle should not define or separate us; it should transform and unite us. 

The following day, I read a Facebook posting that my daughter, Kimberly Bass-Seaton, had written.  She gave a positive “shout-out” to her siblings, reminding them that nothing (even times of disagreement) could ever alter her feelings and commitment to unconditional love.  I was touched and transformed by Kim’s words.

Bottom-line: Family should (and must) be a cocoon of mutual acceptance and unconditional love.  As caterpillars develop into butterflies inside cocoons, so it is with families.  Family is our haven, our refuge, our security, our safety net, our shelter and our place of mission-critical development.  To be sure, there are times when we may get-on-each-others-nerves (so to speak), times when we could be tempted to surrender to doubt and despair, times when we might even question the worth and wisdom of ongoing relationships.  Yes, there are those times.  But true love consistently calls us back to the family bosom.  It is a heavenly haven for growing, nurturing and maturing our love.

WE ARE FAMILY FOREVER…in time and eternity.  So never ever give up.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

YOU ARE NEVER FORGOTTEN

YOU ARE NEVER FORGOTTEN

Dear Child of God,

How are you?  I just had to send a note to tell you how much I care.  I saw you yesterday as you were talking with your friends.  I waited all day hoping you would want to talk with me too.  I gave you a sunset to close your day and a peaceful breeze to rest you -- and I waited.  You never came.  It hurt me -- but I still love you because I am your friend.

I saw you sleeping last night and longed to touch your brow so I spilled moonlight upon your face.  Again I waited, wanting to rush down so we could talk.  I have so many gifts for you!  You awoke and rushed off to work.  My tears were in the rain.

If you would only listen to me!  I LOVE YOU!  I try to tell you in the brilliant blue skies and the soft green grass. I whisper it in innumerable leaves on an infinite variety of trees.  I breathe it in the magnificent array of gorgeous and colorful flowers.  I shout it on majestic mountains and in refreshing mountain streams.  I help you to hear it through the beautiful love songs I command the birds to sing.  I clothe you with warm sunshine and I perfume the air with the wondrous scents of nature.  My love for you is deeper than any ocean, higher than any mountain and so much bigger than any need in your human heart!

Ask me.  Talk with me.  Please don't forget me.  I have so much to share with you.  I won't hassle you.  It is YOUR decision.  I have chosen you and I will wait…because I love you.

Your Forever Friend,

JESUS CHRIST

Be assured that despite personal conditions and circumstances, GOD has never forgotten about YOU.  Long ago, on Calvary, YOU were engraved in the palm of His hands.  GOD has adopted YOU into His royal family, and despite your past sins, faults or failures…YOU ARE HIS…AND HE IS YOURS…FOREVER.  His Word is the eternal declaration of His unchanging love.

Isaiah 49:15-16

Can a woman forget her suckling child, that she should not have compassion on the baby of her womb?  Yes, they may forget, yet will I never forget you.  Behold, I have engraved you upon the palms of my hands. 

So, don’t you dare let a day go by without remembering…loving…and communicating with Him.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

LOVE SHARES AND SAVES

LOVE SHARES AND SAVES

Every Sunday after morning service, the Pastor and his eleven-year-old son headed into town to distribute gospel tracts.  This particular Sunday, it was quite cold and there was a downpour of rain.

The young boy bundled up in his warmest clothes and said, “OK, dad, I'm ready.”  His Pastor-Dad asked, “Ready for what?”

“Dad, it’s time to gather the tracts and go out.”  Dad responded, “Son, it’s very cold and raining hard outside.”  The boy gave his Dad a surprised look and said, “But Dad, aren’t people still going to hell, even though it's raining outside?”  Dad answered, “Son, I’m not going out in this weather.”

Despondently, the boy asked, “Dad, can I go?  Please?”  His father hesitated for a moment then said, “Son, you can go.  Here are the tracts, but be careful son.”  The child beamed and shouted, “Thanks Dad!”

And with that, he was off and out into the rain.  This eleven-year-old boy walked the streets of their town, going door-to-door and handing a gospel tract to everyone he encountered.

After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled, wet and down to his very last tract.  He stopped on one corner and looked for someone to hand that tract to, but the streets were totally deserted. Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door to ring the doorbell; nobody answered.  He rang again and again.  Yet no one answered.  He waited a while, but still no answer. 

Finally, this eleven-year-old trooper turned to leave, but something stopped him.  He returned to the door and rang the bell more insistently, and then knocked loudly on the door with his fist.  He waited, because something seemed to be holding him there on that front porch!  He rang again and this time the door slowly opened.

Standing in the doorway was a very sad looking elderly lady.  She softly asked, “What can I do for you, son?” With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, the little boy said, “Ma’am, I’m sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU and I came to give you my very last gospel tract which will tell you all about Jesus and His great love.”  With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave.  She called to him as he departed. “Thank you son…and God bless you!”

The following Sunday morning, his Pastor-Dad was once again in the pulpit.  As the service began, he asked, “Does anybody have testimony or want to say anything?”  Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet.

As she began to speak, a glorious radiance came from her face, “No one in this church knows me and I’ve never been here before.  You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian.  My husband passed away some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world.  And last Sunday, a particularly cold and rainy day, I came to the end of the line and no longer had any hope or the will to live.  So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home.  I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck. 

Standing there on that chair, I felt so lonely and brokenhearted and was just about to jump off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell startled me.  I thought, ‘I’ll wait a minute, and whoever it is will just go away.’  I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to grow louder and more insistent, and then the person ringing started knocking loudly at my door.  I thought to myself, ‘Who on earth could this be?  Nobody ever rings my doorbell or comes to see me.’  As I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, the bell rang louder and louder.

When I opened the door and looked outside, I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life.  His smile, oh, I could never describe it!

The words that flowed from his mouth caused my long dead heart to leap back to life as he exclaimed in a cherub-like voice, “Ma’am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU.”  Then he gave me the gospel tract I now hold in my hand.

As the little angel disappeared into the cold and rain, I closed my door and slowly read every word of this tract.  Then I went up to the attic to get my rope and chair.  I won’t be needing them anymore. 

You see, now I am a happy child of THE KING!  And since the address of your church is on the back of this gospel tract, I came here to personally say ‘THANK YOU’ to God’s little angel who came to my door just in the nick of time.  By doing so, he spared my soul from an eternity in hell.”

There was not a dry eye in the church.  As shouts of praise and honor to THE KING resounded throughout the sanctuary, Pastor-Dad left the pulpit and hurried to the front pew where his little angel was seated.  He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.

Probably no church has ever witnessed a more glorious moment, and probably this universe has never seen a Dad more filled with love and honor for his son – except for ONE FATHER.  “For GOD so loved the world, that HE gave HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, that whosoever believes on HIM should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)  Never forget to share His love.  JESUS SAVES!

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING.  Maranatha!

INTEGRITY COUNTS

INTEGRITY COUNTS

Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston, Texas.  Some weeks after he arrived, he had occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area.  When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much in change.  

As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, ‘I better give this quarter back.  It would be wrong to keep it.’  Then he thought, ‘Oh, forget it, it’s only a quarter.  Who would worry about this little amount of money?  Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it.  Accept it as a ‘gift from God’ and move on.’

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then handed the quarter to the driver, saying, “Here, you gave me too much change.”

The driver, with a smile, replied, “Aren’t you the new preacher in town?”

“Yes” he replied.

“Well, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship.  I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change.  See you at church on Sunday!”

When the new pastor stepped out of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on tightly, and whispered, “Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.”

In truth, our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read.  This is a practical example of how much others observe us, as Christians, and put us to the test!  Always be on guard -- and remember -- you carry the name of Jesus Christ on your shoulders whenever you are identified as “Christian.”

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

Our ‘senior’ devotional readers will likely appreciate these next lines, should memory serve them well: 

Being a CHRISTIAN is much like being an unsuspecting participant on “CANDID CAMERA,” a classic old-school TV program. You see, “when you least expect it, you’re elected.” And someone is always zooming in on you and your personal choices. So live wisely and impact positively.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD (Part XI)

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD (Part XI)

In our portrait of the person and work of Jesus Christ, we have highlighted The Passion of Jesus Christ, detailing His betrayal, isolation, rejection, judgment, humiliation, derision, chastisement, satanic attacks and death by crucifixion.  In the final installment of this devotional series, we examine the Post-Resurrection Appearances of Jesus Christ.

During the forty-day period following His resurrection, there were numerous occasions when Jesus Christ appeared dramatically to His disciples, manifesting tangible confirmations that He was indeed alive and had totally triumphed over Satan, sin, death, hell and the grave.

On Resurrection Sunday, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James), Joanna, “and other women that were with them.”  (Mark 16:9 – Matthew 28:9 – Luke 24:10)  They were commissioned to share the good news with His eleven remaining disciples.

Hearing this news, Peter raced to the sepulcher.  On the road to Emmaus, Jesus appeared and conversed with two of His followers, Peter and Cleopas, who did not immediately recognize Him.  Jesus expounded the scriptures to them, explaining how the Son of God had suffered and entered into His glory.  Dr. Luke outlined their encounter with Christ.  Here is how it ended:

Luke 24:28-35 (NKJV)

Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther.  But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.  Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.  Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.  And they said one to another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”  And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.

That same Sunday evening, Jesus appeared to ten of His disciples.  Judas was deceased; Thomas was absent.

John 20:19-20 (NKJV)

Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them,  “Peace be with you.”   When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

Eight days later, Jesus appeared again to His disciples, Thomas being present.

John 20:26-28 (NKJV)

And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”  Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

While seven of the disciples were fishing on the Sea of Tiberias, Jesus appeared and performed a miracle of abundance.  Obeying the directives of Jesus, they caught 153 huge fish and dined sumptuously with The Master.  “This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.” (John 21:14)  On various occasions, by eating food with His disciples and by appearing/vanishing before their eyes, Jesus displayed certain characteristics of His post-resurrection body, which believers will also possess after His second coming. (I Corinthians 15:50-55)

The Apostle Paul also recorded an occasion when Jesus was seen by “five hundred brethren at once,” indicating that His appearances were not limited to the inner circle of disciples, but occurred publicly. (I Corinthians 15:6)  Paul also records Christ’s private appearances to James and to himself (on the road to Damascus), “as one born out of due time.” (I Corinthians 15:7-8 – Acts 9:1-5)

Jesus also appeared to eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee.  “When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.” (Matthew 28:16-17)  There they received the apostolic authority to evangelize the entire world, known to us today as The Great Commission.

Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

In the prologue to The Acts of the Apostles, Dr. Luke records the final appearance, impartation and instruction of Jesus Christ:

Acts 1:1-9 (NKJV)

The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.  And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”  Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”  And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”  Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 

Hallelujah, what a Savior!  Whenever I reflect upon the life and legacy of JESUS CHRIST, I stand in awe of Him.  It is my hope that this series has offered some degree of insight and inspiration.  It is my prayer that we will walk in the love, grace, mercy, humility, power and authority of the Risen Savior.  And may we always live in His righteousness and with earnest expectation of His imminent return. (Titus 2:11-13)

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD (Part X)

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD (Part X)

In our portrait of the person and work of Jesus Christ, we highlight the concluding events of Holy Week, in which The Passion of Jesus Christ was dramatically unveiled via betrayal, isolation, rejection, judgment, humiliation, derision, chastisement, satanic attacks and death by crucifixion.  Today, we celebrate Good Friday, which constitutes the capstone priestly event of The Suffering Servant.

I know of no clearer Biblical revelation of the sacrificial atonement of Jesus Christ, than that which was revealed by the Holy Spirit to the Prophet Isaiah.  Prayerfully read and reflect on the ultimate sacrifice of “the Lamb of God,” who gave Himself so lovingly and graciously to “take away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)

Isaiah 53:3-9 (NKJV)

He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.  And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.  Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.  But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.  He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.  He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation?  For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people was He stricken.  And they made His grave with the wicked---but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth.

Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Jesus Christ endured a myriad of horrifying and treacherous experiences on the day that all Christendom recognizes as Good Friday.  Let’s briefly recall the events of that momentous day: 

---Jesus Christ appears before the high priest, Caiaphas.

(Matthew 26:57 – Mark 14:53 – Luke 22:54 – John 18:13-14)

---Jesus Christ is denied by one of His closest disciples, Peter.

(Matthew 26:58 – Mark 14:54 – Luke 22:54-62 – John 18:15-18)

---Jesus Christ appears before the Sanhedrin Council where He is ridiculed, spat upon and beaten.

(Matthew 26:59-68 – Mark 14:55-65 – Luke 22:66-71 – John 18:19-24)

---Jesus Christ appears the first time before Governor Pilate at the behest of Jewish leaders.

(Matthew 27:1-2 – Mark 15:1-5 – Luke 23:1-5 – John 18:28-38)

---Jesus Christ appears before King Herod at the behest of Governor Pilate.

(Luke 23:6-12)

---Jesus Christ appears the second time before Governor Pilate, where He is brutally scourged and issued a sentence of death by crucifixion.

(Matthew 27:15-30 – Mark 15:6-15 – Luke 23:13-24 – John 18:39-40 – John 19:1-16 – Isaiah 53:5)

---Jesus Christ is mocked, dressed in a purple robe and a crown of thorns pierces His brow.

(Matthew 27:30 – Mark 15:16-20 – John 19:1-3)

---Jesus Christ suffers the suicide of His chief betrayer, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples.

(Matthew 27:3-10 – Acts 1:18-19)

---Jesus Christ carries His cross through the Via Dolorosa to Golgotha, a.k.a. Calvary.

(Matthew 27:31-33 – Mark 15:2-22 – Luke 23:26 – John 19:16-17)

---Jesus Christ is crucified, i.e. nailed to a wooden cross through His hands and feet.

(Matthew 27:35 – Mark 15:24-25 – Luke 23:33 – John 19:18)

---Jesus Christ endures the mockery of Roman soldiers who gamble for His clothing.

(John 19:23-24)

---Jesus Christ thirsts and is given sour wine with gall, but refuses to drink.

(Matthew 27:34 – John 19:28-29)

---Jesus Christ endures the mockery of Jewish leaders.

(Matthew 27:39-43 – Mark 15:29-32 – Luke 23:35)

---Jesus Christ grants absolution to a dying sinner, one of two thieves crucified alongside.

(Luke 23:39-43)

---Jesus Christ commends His mother, Mary, to the care of John, a beloved disciple.

(John 19:25-27)

---Jesus Christ forgives His detractors, His judges and His executors while suffering agony.

(Luke 23:34)

---Jesus Christ cries out to His Father from the cross, “Why have you forsaken me?”

(Matthew 27:46 – Mark 15:34 – Psalm 22:1)

---Jesus Christ declares that the plan of salvation is complete and commends His spirit to God, the Father.

(Luke 23:46 – John 19:30)

---Jesus Christ dies as darkness covers the land.

(Matthew 27:45 – Mark 15:33 – Luke 23:44)

---Jesus Christ dies and the veil of the second Jerusalem Temple is rent in two.

(Matthew 27:51-53 – Mark 15:38 – Luke 23:45)

---Jesus Christ dies, a great earthquake opens graves, saints rise, and a Roman centurion publicly confesses that Jesus is the Son of God.

(Matthew 27:51-54 – Mark 15:39 – Luke 23:47)

---Jesus Christ is removed from the cross, buried in the borrowed tomb of Joseph of Arimathea and Roman soldiers are posted to guard His burial site.

(Matthew 27:57-66 – Mark 15:42-47 – Luke 23:50-53 – John 19:31-42 – I Corinthians 15:4)

---Jesus Christ ministers to lost souls in hell after His death and prior to His Resurrection.

(Ephesians 4:7-9)

As “the author and finisher of our faith,” and because of “the joy that was set before Him,” Jesus Christ willingly “endured the cross, despising the shame.”  As a result of His vicarious sacrifice and consummate victory, Jesus Christ “sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)  And since all believers are “in Christ,” HE has “raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (II Corinthians 5:17 – Ephesians 2:6)

Hallelujah, what a Savior!  Stay tuned…more to come on Monday.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD (Part IX)

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD (Part IX)

In our portrait of the person and work of Jesus Christ, we now highlight the concluding events of Holy Week, in which The Passion of Jesus Christ was dramatically unveiled via betrayal, isolation, rejection, judgment, humiliation, derision, chastisement, satanic attacks and death by crucifixion.  Today, we celebrate Maundy Thursday [pronounced mawn-dee], which is also known as Covenant Thursday or Holy Thursday.

The term, “Maundy,” is derived from a middle English word (maunde) and a Latin word (mandatum).  As such, it focuses on the mandate of Jesus Christ for all disciples 1) to commemorate His death and suffering by partaking of the sacramental elements of bread and wine, and 2) to wash one another’s feet as an act of brotherhood and humility.

Although many Christians do not regard Maundy Thursday to be as significant as Good Friday or Resurrection Sunday, it is my view that the occurrences of this particular day were not only extraordinary, they were mission critical to the growth, development, affirmation and continuation of the Christian faith. 

Four foundational reasons undergird my personal perspective on Maundy Thursday.  Firstly, Jesus shared one of His most important Kingdom parables, The Parable of the True Vine.  Secondly, Jesus made the solemn promise to send The Holy Spirit (in His absence) to teach, direct, empower and comfort believers. (John 15:1-11 –John 16:7-15)  Thirdly, Jesus instituted The Lord’s Supper as an ongoing commemoration of His atoning grace. Fourthly, Jesus prevailed victoriously over Satan in the Garden of Gethsemane.  (Matthew 26:36-46 – Mark 14:32-42 – Luke 22:39-46 – John 18:1)

Since Christ’s victory in the Garden of Gethsemane is inextricably tied to Adam’s fall in the Garden of Eden, it is our primary focus for today.  Indeed, our human history of perennial struggle with Satan and sin can be accurately summarized via the comparison and contrast of these Two Adams and these Two Gardens.   The Apostle Paul wrote, “the first man Adam became a living being,” and “the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” (I Corinthians 15:45)  The original Adam was created in the image and likeness of God.  Nevertheless, he had been endowed with free will, and he made the deliberate choice to disobey the Creator’s commands. (Genesis, chapters 2 and 3)

The First Adam fell from grace in the Garden of Eden, while The Second Adam became the very embodiment of grace in the Garden of Gethsemane. (John 1:14)  He alone had sufficient love, authority and power to secure our complete redemption and reconciliation (AT-ONE-MENT) with THE FATHER. 

It is my contention that Christ’s victory over the power, practice and penalty of sin did not occur exclusively on Mt. Calvary.  Indeed, it was manifested clearly during those agonizing moments of kneeling surrender at Gethsemane.  Jesus was completely isolated from human support because His trusted companions had fallen fast asleep.  Yet He singlehandedly won ultimate victory (our victory) for all time and eternity.  Prayerfully consider the following passage:

Matthew 26:36-43 (NKJV)

Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”  He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”  Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What!  Could you not watch with Me one hour?  Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.”  And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.

It is intriguing that Dr. Luke, the disciple-physician, recorded the medical results of Christ’s monumental spiritual struggle.  ^“And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:44)  So great was His spiritual, emotional and physical agony that Jesus experienced hematidrosis (also called hematohidrosis).  In this condition, multiple blood vessels surrounding the sweat glands constricted under great pressure, then dilated to the point of rupture, blending with the sweat that flowed freely from his skin pores.     

Nevertheless, Jesus Christ subdued His human fear and flesh, crying out, “not My will, but Yours, be done,” and He won absolute victory over Satan and sin.  And, He did so long before those sharp spikes were nailed painfully into His hands and feet, or the soldier’s sword had brutally pierced His side.  It is this existential moment of Total Surrender at Gethsemane that is the pivotal point of our vicarious victory.  “I have overcome the world,” declares Jesus! (John 16:33)  The result is The Word’s supreme declaration of spiritual dominion for every WINNER-BELIEVER: “Now thanks be to GOD who always leads us to TRIUMPH IN CHRIST.” (II Corinthians 2:14)

Amen?  Amen!!!  Stay tuned…more to come tomorrow.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!