LUKE 23:43
JESUS said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, TODAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.
There were three crosses on the hill of Calvary: One Cross held JESUS, the Holy One; two held malefactors, men sentenced to death because of their deeds. One of the malefactors railed at JESUS with angry tones, saying; "If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us." "If thou..." reminds us of the words Satan used when he tempted JESUS in the wilderness,(Matthew 4:3, & 6).
The other malefactor rebukes the first and says; "Dost thou not fear GOD...?" Then he says to JESUS, "Remember me when thou comest into Thy Kingdom."
The second malefactor confesses JESUS as LORD and puts his faith in JESUS. This man was saved immediately, and JESUS responds, "TODAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME IN PARADISE".
Jesus is saying to us, today, that if you confess JESUS as your LORD and believe in your hear that GOD has raised Him from the dead, you are saved - TODAY.
There were three Crosses on the hill of Calvary. One held the King of Kings and LORD of LORDS; one held a sinner whose anger blinded him from seeing JESUS as his LORD and savior; one held a sinner saved by grace, who confessed with his mouth and believed in his heart that JESUS was LORD.
Which side of JESUS do you hang your life? Is JESUS your LORD and savior? Today, confess Him as your LORD and be saved. Let today be your Easter for all eternity, as you dwell with Him, He in you, and live with Him in His Kingdom.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Friday, March 25, 2016
FATHER, FORGIVE THEM
LUKE 23:34
Then saith JESUS, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.' And they parted His raiment, and cast lots.
FATHER, FORGIVE THEM; FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.
JESUS is the victim of the cruelest form of execution. JESUS is the victim of the cruelest form of rejection. JESUS is the victim of the cruelest form of betrayal. JESUS is alone; naked and alone. He cries out, in His agony, for the Father to forgive those who betrayed Him, rejected Him and crucified Him. His petition to the Father rings down the ages right to the very moment in which we live. He is saying to us, right now, FATHER, FORGIVE THEM; FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.
Today is Good Friday. Let these words of JESUS ring in our heart and let these words of JESUS be our intercession for others. Today, let these words of JESUS be the action we take as we seek to serve the living GOD in the land of the living.
Then saith JESUS, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.' And they parted His raiment, and cast lots.
FATHER, FORGIVE THEM; FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.
JESUS is the victim of the cruelest form of execution. JESUS is the victim of the cruelest form of rejection. JESUS is the victim of the cruelest form of betrayal. JESUS is alone; naked and alone. He cries out, in His agony, for the Father to forgive those who betrayed Him, rejected Him and crucified Him. His petition to the Father rings down the ages right to the very moment in which we live. He is saying to us, right now, FATHER, FORGIVE THEM; FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.
Today is Good Friday. Let these words of JESUS ring in our heart and let these words of JESUS be our intercession for others. Today, let these words of JESUS be the action we take as we seek to serve the living GOD in the land of the living.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
PASSIONATE HEART OF JESUS
MATTHEW 23: 37
O JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM, Thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them who are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not.
This is a passionate cry from the Heart of the Holy One, JESUS the Christ. JESUS wept over the hardness of the heart of the people He came to save. Today, He is weeping over those who willfully reject the love that He offers freely.
JESUS paid the total price for our redemption, by the offering of Himself as the perfect, unblemished Lamb. His Blood reconciles us to GOD and by His wounds, we are healed. He laid down His life, willingly. His great love brought Him to Calvary.
Yes, He would have gathered all our children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings and He gathers us now under His wing. JESUS is within the Heart of the Father and in our Heart when we embrace Him. When we believe in Him, He gathers us under His wings and we are safe in the shelter of the Almighty.
And yet He weeps for those who reject Him and reject His love.
Weep with Him about the hardened hearts and give His love to them, as a free will offering. The song goes like this: bring them in, bring the wondering ones to JESUS. Reach out with His love and gather in those who cry out for help. This is our mission; this is our ministry: this is our thank offering to the Holy One.
THANK YOU JESUS FOR YOUR LOVE.
O JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM, Thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them who are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not.
This is a passionate cry from the Heart of the Holy One, JESUS the Christ. JESUS wept over the hardness of the heart of the people He came to save. Today, He is weeping over those who willfully reject the love that He offers freely.
JESUS paid the total price for our redemption, by the offering of Himself as the perfect, unblemished Lamb. His Blood reconciles us to GOD and by His wounds, we are healed. He laid down His life, willingly. His great love brought Him to Calvary.
Yes, He would have gathered all our children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings and He gathers us now under His wing. JESUS is within the Heart of the Father and in our Heart when we embrace Him. When we believe in Him, He gathers us under His wings and we are safe in the shelter of the Almighty.
And yet He weeps for those who reject Him and reject His love.
Weep with Him about the hardened hearts and give His love to them, as a free will offering. The song goes like this: bring them in, bring the wondering ones to JESUS. Reach out with His love and gather in those who cry out for help. This is our mission; this is our ministry: this is our thank offering to the Holy One.
THANK YOU JESUS FOR YOUR LOVE.
Friday, March 18, 2016
First love
I John 4: 19 says: We love Him, because He first loved us.
Let us meditate on these words from the LORD and let the order of things take root in our spirit. Everything that lives, moves and has it's being, begins with GOD. John 1: 1-5 reminds us that ALL things were made through JESUS, the WORD of GOD. This means that everything begins with GOD and since GOD is love, All love comes from Him. We love, because He first loved us and showed us the way to love. Even better than that, He loves through us, making true love perfect.
What is true love? It is love that begins in GOD, and is manifest in the life and work of the born again believer in JESUS. The deeper that the relationship with JESUS grows, the more love is shown in the life and work of the believer. In other words, the more love for Christ, the more Christ love is shown. True love begins in GOD.
We love Him, because He first loved us. The love of GOD sent His Son to live and die as one of us. The love of GOD for us caused Him to raise the resurrection of JESUS from the dead, so that all who believe in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3: 16). JESUS defeated death and the grave by the resurrection of JESUS. All who follow JESUS, follow Him through the resurrection from death and into a life with Him for all eternity.
We love Him, because He first loved us.
RETURN TO YOUR FIRST LOVE
Let us meditate on these words from the LORD and let the order of things take root in our spirit. Everything that lives, moves and has it's being, begins with GOD. John 1: 1-5 reminds us that ALL things were made through JESUS, the WORD of GOD. This means that everything begins with GOD and since GOD is love, All love comes from Him. We love, because He first loved us and showed us the way to love. Even better than that, He loves through us, making true love perfect.
What is true love? It is love that begins in GOD, and is manifest in the life and work of the born again believer in JESUS. The deeper that the relationship with JESUS grows, the more love is shown in the life and work of the believer. In other words, the more love for Christ, the more Christ love is shown. True love begins in GOD.
We love Him, because He first loved us. The love of GOD sent His Son to live and die as one of us. The love of GOD for us caused Him to raise the resurrection of JESUS from the dead, so that all who believe in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3: 16). JESUS defeated death and the grave by the resurrection of JESUS. All who follow JESUS, follow Him through the resurrection from death and into a life with Him for all eternity.
We love Him, because He first loved us.
RETURN TO YOUR FIRST LOVE
Thursday, March 17, 2016
RETURN TO YOUR FIRST LOVE
RETURN TO YOUR FIRST LOVE
The Revelation 2: 1-7 is a Word from the LORD to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus.
Ephesus was a real church in a real place, and is visited, even today, by devoted pilgrims.
Ephesus was the place where the Apostle John took Mary, the mother of JESUS, to protect her and to give her a community of faithful people, who would give her a good life. Mary had been given to John by JESUS from the cross. JESUS fulfilled the law of Kinsman Redeemer, as He hung in great pain on the cruel Cross.
In verse 3, the LORD GOD says that the Church in Ephesus had patience under tribulation for the sake of the Gospel and that they had not fainted or turned back. This Church was very strong in the LORD and very active in spreading the Gospel.
HOWEVER, in their zeal, they had forgotten their FIRST LOVE. They are admonished to return to their first love, remembering the place where they had fallen, and repent immediately. They had become drawn away by the lure of the theology of the Nicolaitans. This theology was Greek and professed that a licentious life style was an acceptable way of live. The Nicolaitans also believed that you could "work your way to GOD". This "works theology" is still alive today in many belief systems.
The FIRST LOVE is JESUS Christ. He first loved all of us so much that He was willing to suffer, bleed and die for the redemption of all mankind. It is through Him that we have life and breath; work and rest. It is only through JESUS that we can be saved; He is the Way, the Truth and the Life; no man can come to the Father except through Him. JESUS is the perfect offering for our sin and in Him there is perfect freedom. Work in the flesh can not win the Crown of Glory; JESUS' work through us is glorified since He wears that Crown of Glory.
The Word to the Church of Ephesus, is a word for us today. Many voices call us to embrace a lifestyle that is very reckless and self centered. The Word of the LORD to us is to RETURN TO YOUR FIRST LOVE - JESUS. Remember whose you are and who you are in Christ JESUS. Let your life be a song of thanksgiving to GOD for loving us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to play the price for us to be able to live with Him forever.
The Revelation 2: 1-7 is a Word from the LORD to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus.
Ephesus was a real church in a real place, and is visited, even today, by devoted pilgrims.
Ephesus was the place where the Apostle John took Mary, the mother of JESUS, to protect her and to give her a community of faithful people, who would give her a good life. Mary had been given to John by JESUS from the cross. JESUS fulfilled the law of Kinsman Redeemer, as He hung in great pain on the cruel Cross.
In verse 3, the LORD GOD says that the Church in Ephesus had patience under tribulation for the sake of the Gospel and that they had not fainted or turned back. This Church was very strong in the LORD and very active in spreading the Gospel.
HOWEVER, in their zeal, they had forgotten their FIRST LOVE. They are admonished to return to their first love, remembering the place where they had fallen, and repent immediately. They had become drawn away by the lure of the theology of the Nicolaitans. This theology was Greek and professed that a licentious life style was an acceptable way of live. The Nicolaitans also believed that you could "work your way to GOD". This "works theology" is still alive today in many belief systems.
The FIRST LOVE is JESUS Christ. He first loved all of us so much that He was willing to suffer, bleed and die for the redemption of all mankind. It is through Him that we have life and breath; work and rest. It is only through JESUS that we can be saved; He is the Way, the Truth and the Life; no man can come to the Father except through Him. JESUS is the perfect offering for our sin and in Him there is perfect freedom. Work in the flesh can not win the Crown of Glory; JESUS' work through us is glorified since He wears that Crown of Glory.
The Word to the Church of Ephesus, is a word for us today. Many voices call us to embrace a lifestyle that is very reckless and self centered. The Word of the LORD to us is to RETURN TO YOUR FIRST LOVE - JESUS. Remember whose you are and who you are in Christ JESUS. Let your life be a song of thanksgiving to GOD for loving us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to play the price for us to be able to live with Him forever.
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