Only Believe

John 8:21-30

“…if ye believe not that I am he (from above), ye shall die in your sins.” (vs. 24). “As he spake these words, many believed on him.” (vs. 30). What does it take to receive God’s gift of salvation? Believing that Jesus is the Son of God, and was sent by the Father to redeem mankind, will grant salvation to anyone. Everything Jesus did in the earth was first taught to Him by the Father, then carried out flawlessly to ensure a promised hope of eternal life with God, for all who believe. Securing a seat in heaven takes only belief, and a commitment to honor your confession with a holy, righteous, and selfless way of living.

Immortals

Revelations 21:1-7

Imagine abiding in a place, where the God of all creation resides: a place where there’s no possible way to die, nothing to make you cry, or ever feel any type of pain in your body. Can you actually conjure in your mind, no more pains? I know many who suffer, and some who’ve recently passed on who have endured physical pains, and I could only offer prayer and encouragement as support, but there’s coming a time, when God will dwell with His people in the newly renovated heaven and earth, and all things will be significantly different.

God said He will make all things new, including our bodies. When we pass from mortal to immortality, living will never be the same. On the earth, we are susceptible to all the negative things associated with sin, including hurt, pain shame, sickness, and death, but our eternal future with God is secure, and offers benefits the likes of which none have ever enjoyed in this present world.

I don’t know everything we’ll enjoy in the life to come, but I am fully aware that God will be there, Jesus will be there, and the Holy Ghost will be there also. There will be no more seas in the next life, but there will be a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. There will also be the tree of life in the middle of the street, and on each side of the river. The Bible mentions in Revelations 22:2, the tree of life will bare 12 types of fruit, and the leaves will be good for healing. That alone increases my joy for what God has in store for those who endure, and keep His name holy in the present world.

Living in the 21st century is far from a cakewalk, but the church must remain strong, because the harvest is still plentiful, and God desires that all men come to repentance. It’s cool to set goals and have desires to attain things in this life, but only what you do for the kingdom of God, will carry over into the next.

A Big Deal!

Luke 2:28-35

From the time Mary and Joseph received words from the angel Gabriel concerning the Son of God, to the prophetic words from the just and devout Simeon, Jesus’ earthly parents could only marvel at all that was being spoken of the child sent by God.

Jesus would soon be a big deal, not only to his family, but to the entire world. Even when Mary went to visit her pregnant cousin Elizabeth to share the great news concerning God’s plan, John the Baptist leaped in her womb at the very salutation of Mary, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost at that moment. That’s intense! The shepherds who came to Bethlehem to see what God had made known to them with their very eyes, witnessed the child, then made known abroad all that was told to them by God, concerning Jesus. Mary pondered over those things which she had heard, as they were no doubt wonderful, yet possibly confusing at the same time.

When the days of purification were accomplished, Joseph and Mary brought the child to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord. This is where Simeon would get his opportunity to see Jesus for himself. The Bible mentions, it was revealed to Simeon, by the Holy Ghost, that he would not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. After being led by the Spirit to go to the Temple (around the same time Joseph and Mary would arrive…God’s timing is impeccable!), Simeon finally saw the child, held him in his arms, and gave God thanks from his very soul. Just as Gabriel and the shepherds prophesied Jesus as a big deal, Simeon did the same. Joseph and Mary also marveled at the words the wise elder had spoken, in the same way they received the words of all the other prophecies.

Can you imagine being in the shoes of either Joseph or Mary? The hardest thing to overcome was the fact that Mary would be impregnated by the Holy Ghost. Coming to terms with that was literally impossible, without help directly from Heaven. But the young couple leaned unto the Lord’s understanding, and supported each other the entire time. In addition, hearing all the great prophecies from men of different backgrounds, also added pressure and encouragement to Joseph and Mary, as they would need all the support and strength available, to help them on this path.

Jesus was, and still is a big deal. Despite how men have negatively portrayed Him in the past, and still today, He fulfilled what was written of Him, all the way from the Old Testament, and will close out the latter prophesies soon, and very soon…

A Better Understanding

Luke 24:44-53

Children born into the world have fragile minds that are undeveloped and incapable of grasping the basics of life on their own. Therefore, proper teaching and guidance is essential for their long term development. Parents, teachers and others play a major role in helping children gain a better understanding of all aspects of learning including reading, writing, arithmetics, grooming, and proper behavior.

During my early years of childhood development, I despised reading, because it was hard for me to properly understand and comprehend the author’s philosophy, based on my own judgment. For this reason, I would barely receive passing grades on book reports, or reading comprehension assignments. Over time, I realized, if I would only pay more attention to the teacher’s explanation and in-depth elaboration on certain topics, it would open my understanding in areas I could never grasp on my own.

The same problem I struggled with as a child, trying to understand things without seeking the proper guidance, is what many babes in Christ deal with on a daily basis. Reading and studying the Scriptures can become a hard task, when doing so on human intellect alone, because there are spiritual aspects in the Word that can only be comprehended when the Holy Spirit opens one’s understanding. Even in our text, the disciples heard the words of Jesus, but He “opened their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures.” (vs. 45).

The purpose of the Holy Ghost is to bring back to our remembrance, the things Jesus taught, so that we can always be properly prepared to wrestle against evil forces, as well as conduct ourselves according to holiness and godliness daily. We can read and meditate on God’s Word with all sincerity and dedication, but we need His Spirit to open our understanding, so that what we read can make sense, then we can properly apply the Word in our daily living.

“Read to know, learn to grow.” – Ell

Don’t Forget

Luke 24:5-10

“The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.” (Luke 9:22). “Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.” (Luke 9:44). “Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that were written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.” (Luke 18:31-33).

On multiple occasions, Jesus warned His followers of the horrible things that were destined to happen to Him. He made mention that He would be rejected by those who were supposed to support Him, beaten, mocked, bruised, scourged, and even put to death. But, He never left out the most fascinating of all prophecy; He would rise again, after death!

Our text references the tail end of Jesus’ brief, yet impactful ministry, and also rings some very alarming bells. Following His death, Jesus was taken from the cross and placed in Joseph’s unused tomb. Days following the Savior’s death, the women who had followed Jesus and witnessed His burial, had prepared spices and ointments to use on the body of their loving teacher, while the disciples were keeping themselves out of sight. Ding! Ding! Ding! Helloooooo! Did these folk forget what Jesus had told them, time and time again? Apparently so. But, how could they be in the very presence of Jesus, witness miracles done by His hand, yet forget the most important message He ever told them; “and the third day, He shall rise again.” What purpose was there to prepare spices and ointments, if the Son of man would rise from the tomb? Why hide yourselves from those who were responsible for the death of Jesus, if you knew He would be dead only three days? The disciples and those who followed after Jesus weren’t distracted by Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or any other media source, but were fully focused on the prophetic events that took place during their time. I can understand if they were with Jesus during the 21st century, when men are so easily beguiled, but there was hardly anything happening to take their focus off Jesus’ words (that’s just my opinion).

How could they so easily forget that Jesus would rise again? Maybe they thought it was a fairytale, or that Jesus meant something else, or they possibly just didn’t believe. For this reason, God already had a someone in place to remind the people, His Son was indeed raised from the dead. Do you believe what the Bible teaches, or do take in some parts, and disbelieve others? All verses of Scripture are interconnected, and the root of every text is Jesus. The Words of God were written for our instruction, whether we think they are fairytale or not, but despite what we believe, all Scripture will soon be fulfilled.

What Do You Believe?

John 11:38-45

Do you believe that God is really real? Do you believe that He existed for eternity? Do you believe that He spoke the entire universe into existence? Do you believe He made angels, cherubim, and seraphim to dwell in His holy habitation? Do you believe that He created the heaven, and the earth, and filled it with all kinds of amazing creatures? Do you believe that He made a man from the dust of the earth, and breathed into him the breath of life? Do you believe all the people who have ever existed came from the first man and woman? Do you believe that one of the holy cherub, rebelled against God in heaven, and was cast down to the earth? Do you believe a demon possessed serpent deceived one of Gods most coveted creations? Do you believe that sin and death became prevalent in the earth by man? Do you believe that from sin came sickness, disease, hatred, disobedience, dissention, division, malice, grief, headache, heartache, suffering, pain, shame, and countless other unfavorable things? Do you believe that God the Father loves you like CRAZY?! Do you believe that God proved His love by sending His perfect Son to the earth, to undo the mess caused by the first man? Do you believe that while on earth, Jesus healed sickness and disease, cast out demons from innocent souls, and raised some from the dead? Do you believe that the times we are living in today, were prophesied thousands of years ago? Do you believe that all those who died trusting in the Word of God, died in vain? Do you believe God is watching you as you suffer, yet endure during these times of great contention? Do you believe that despite how evil the world is, there are many who are standing strong in the Lord, and haven’t bowed down to idols? Do you believe the Bible is right? Do you believe there is any other way to God, except through His Son, Jesus? What do you believe?

All For His Glory

John 11:1-11

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to an exciting episode of, “All For His Glory”! Starring, Martha, Mary, Lazarus, Jesus, and the Disciples! I’m your host, “holyell”, and I’ll be bringing you all the details of tonight’s most fascinating scenes!

Lazarus: (Moaning in pain and agony) Mmmmm… ugghhh… Martha…. Mary….

Martha: Lazarus! Lazarus! Oh no! Mary, his condition is getting worse!

Mary: God, if you’re listening, please help our ailing brother.

Martha: If Jesus was here, He would save our brother. Mary, let’s send word to Jesus that we desperately need His help.

Mary: Alright sister, I’ll make haste to do so. Lazarus, you hold on. I’m sending a messenger to find Jesus.

Lazarus: (Moaning goes from intense, to subtle, as Lazarus drifts into sleep) mmm…hmmm…Mar..

(Messenger arrives where Jesus is, and is met by the disciples)

Messenger: Excuse me. Pardon me, but is the healer here?

Disciples: If you’re referring to Jesus, yes. He is.

Messenger: If possible, could you bid Him to come, because I have an urgent message to deliver.

Disciples: Whatever you have to tell the Master, you can say to us.

Messenger: Well, if you insist. The message reads, “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.”

(Jesus overhears the message)

Jesus: Worry not kind sir, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of man might be glorified thereby.”

Disciples: Oh, hello Master. We were just…

Jesus: It’s ok men. Tell them I will come soon (to the messenger).

Messenger: Thank you my Lord. I shall.

Disciples: Master, what’s going on? What was that all about? Do you know who the man was referring to?

Jesus: Prepare yourselves men, for in two days, we will journey again to Judea.

Disciples: Woah woah woah! Wait a minute. My Lord, a few weeks ago the Jews there sought to stone you. It’s too dangerous to return there now. Don’t you agree?

Jesus: Gentlemen, when you know the plan of the enemy, you can wisely plan around it.

Disciples: Oooooh, right. That makes so much sense. You are beyond man’s wisdom, my Lord

Jesus: Besides, you’ll soon see and understand my purpose in doing things the way I do, then youI’ll believe.

*The disciples often questioned the methods Jesus used in certain situations, and failed to see the spiritual significance behind it, but the longer they observed His works, the more they realized how amazing the power of God was, working through His Son. Oftentimes we see things in our own lives that may appear as dead, but God allows things to be put on hold, long enough for the world to assume it’s over, so that He can then restore life and purpose to that dead situation. In times when you don’t understand God’s plan, keep the faith, and watch how He works things out in your favor.

This concludes the exciting episode of, “All For His Glory”! Thanks for tuning in.

Busy Bee!

Luke 10:38-42

If Jesus came to visit you for a day, what questions would you ask Him (if any)? Would you spend most of your time making His stay pleasant and comfortable, or would you focus all your attention on hearing everything He has to say? This was the situation that took place in Bethany, when Jesus visited His friends Martha and Mary.

The sisters were fond of Jesus, and He in turn thought it necessary to visit them. Martha received Jesus into their home, then made preparations to accommodate His stay, whereas Mary kept her eyes and ears focused on Jesus alone. At some point during the day, Martha had become aggravated at the fact that while she seemed to be doing all the serving, Mary’s lack of help was bothersome. So, Martha approached Jesus and asked, “Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.” While serving Jesus wasn’t bad at all, hearing what He had to say was more important, in that moment. Jesus was only visiting for a brief time, and it was better to first hear Him speak, then go from there. Not everyone was privileged to be in the presence of Jesus, and Mary knew to take advantage of the opportunity.

Oftentimes we find ourselves being too busy to take time out for God. Many of us work our fingers to the bone, or occupy our time with things that can be delayed, in order to spend a little time in the Word. While Martha did well in serving the Lord, she failed to realize, He came to render service to her household. Never allow yourself to become too busy until God is placed last on your to-do list. Do as Mary did and choose the good part (The Word of God), which is something that can never be taken away from you, then all else will fall into place.

Hated, Yet Beloved

John 17:13-24

The world hates Christians for many reasons, but most importantly because they don’t share the same values. Worldly values are centered around pride, selfishness, and ego, whereas Christians live by godly standards including love, selflessness, and humility.

Although men are born in sin and shaped in iniquity, according to Psalm 51:5, what a person is exposed to, usually determines their life outcome. Many are born into families that are unexposed to the truth of God, and their lives are influenced by what the world portrays on TV and other media sources. It’s easy to be influenced by the world, especially when a person hasn’t been exposed to the Word, so they aren’t given a fair chance to discern between the two. Conversely, children who are raised in Christian homes and go off to college have a 75 percent chance of being turned away from the truth. The evil of the world is very influential, because it promotes those things people desire most; money, relevance, and happiness. But God desires that men grow in the knowledge of His Word, so they’ll develop an understanding of the true purpose of life.

In our text, Jesus prayed for His disciples because all He gave to them from the Father, caused them to be hated by the world. Like a good shepherd, Jesus prayed that God keep the disciples from the evil that would come against them in the world. Jesus didn’t limit His prayer to the disciples, but He extended His prayer to those who would believe on Him in the future (you and I). Yes, Jesus prayed for us, before we were even born. How awesome is that?!

I’ve been writing on prayer the past few lessons, because prayer is powerful and necessary, even when it seems like God isn’t checking His voicemail. The prayer of oneness Jesus prayed in the text should be continued amongst the church today, because unity is key, and the strength of God’s people. In the same way a tightly wound fist can deliver a more solid punch, when the church is united, their effectiveness in the world will have a greater impact.

Anguish And Agony

Luke 22:39-46

As Jesus neared the end of His ministry, the thoughts that clouded His mind caused Him much anguish and agony. How could the Son of the living God reach a point where His emotions were as those of normal men, and He experienced mental struggles? Jesus was God in the flesh, so how could He feel what normal people feel, while being all God, and all man? Being all God, Jesus understood His place in the holy trinity, and carried out His role as the Father commanded. The Son of God indeed was directly connected to the source of the greatest power that ever existed, but the human nature He was housed in felt all things just as man does. The writer of the book of Hebrews wrote, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb. 4:15). In other words, Jesus experienced life on earth as any human would, except He did not give in to temptation, nor sin.

As He went to the mount of Olives to pray, Jesus held in His mind literally all He had experienced, and all He would soon face. The thoughts of torture, beatings, persecution, and other wicked schemes against Him, were all playing in His mind, as He knelt to pray. The Bible mentions He was in agony, then began to pray more earnestly.  Luke continues to mention how the sweat that fell from Jesus was as great drops of blood. My mercy! I often allow myself to go into a “sunken place” when I’ve sinned, or fallen into temptation, because I realize that I not only bring harm and shame to myself and loved ones, but most importantly to God. But, Jesus did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong, yet He prepared His mind and body to take on all the sins of the mankind, along with unprecedented physical and mental abuse.

Although Jesus was empowered with God’s characteristics and abilities, He willingly restrained Himself, so that you and I could have a better future in the life to come. Do you agonize over past mistakes or errors you could have avoided with consistent prayer and godly meditation, or are you preparing yourself to endure the suffering that comes with proclaiming the truth of God’s Word, and the attacks that come from covering and protecting those you love? Most of the suffering we experience comes by our own doing, but the suffering that follows a godly lifestyle, will be rewarded by the Father in this life, and the next. “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” (vs. 42).

“Pray that ye enter not into temptation.” – Jesus