The Christmas Story continued...

No, this is NOT the story about Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus and all that... Get with the program, people! Christmas is the Birthday of our Lord. That is what the Christ in Christmas is.

Whether Christ was born on the 25th of December or not, really is not the issue. There are debates about whether we should celebrate Christmas and certainly, putting up a Christmas tree is a great debate. Especially if you figure that there are Buddhists and Hindus who decorate trees and worship the tree as a god. But, if a Christian puts up a Christmas tree, it is NOT to worship the tree. Right? I mean, every believer should realize that. Christians do NOT worship inanimate objects. (things made with men's hands)

And, that includes cars, computers, houses, clothing, etc. Ok, we're straight on that, now.

The story of Christmas is a story told to children but one that amazes adults. It's about a moving star, angels that appear to shepherds, and, of course the virgin birth.

Impossible! A virgin giving birth. Yes, in our natural state and in this life, a virgin birth is utterly impossible. That is why it is called a "miracle". It is supernatural.

The birth of Jesus Christ was supernatural. He was a Superman! I believe He was the ONLY real super man recorded in the history of the world. He had super powers. He was a Super Power. He IS a Super Power. He can do things beyond our wildest expectations and that's really not only the half of it!

Jesus was 50% human only. He had no earthly father!

Let's continue reading because, I'm not the one making this up. It's all in the book. This is what we celebrate on Christmas.

Matthew 2

13 And when they (the three wisemen) were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

DESTROY him? Why? He's a little baby and already, Jesus is a fugitive!

14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed in Egypt:
15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my Son.
16. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

Sounds like Herod had huge anger management issues. I guess he went down in history as the world's worst baby-killer.

17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,
18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.
19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.
21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Matthew 2

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

Now, this just blows me away, really. These guys show up from far away and they want to go to do what? To worship WHO? A BABY! Can you imagine? I have a lot of questions about this. First of all: How do they know that this king is King of the Jews? How do they know that that's HIS star? And, if they are not Jews, why would they want to worship him? And why would they care about a king that is born to the Jewish nation? Too many questions...

I have a gut feeling that these three wise men were very wise indeed. They were led of God. They had the humility to fall down at the feet of a baby by faith that He was going to be a great King some day. And they put their faith into action by giving the best gifts they could offer.

3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

I can understand Herod being troubled, but shouldn't the Jews in Jerusalem been happy about it?

4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judae: for thus it is written by the prophet,
6 And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor that shall rule my people Israel.

So, the chief priests and scribes knew their scriptures. They knew where the Messiah would be born. Why didn't they go and look for Jesus, too? They could have followed the star, couldn't they?

7 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and lo, the star which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

A moving star! How about that?

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

Those guys were jumping up and down! They were excited!

11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

They were really hearing from God. They were led of Him, warned of Him and obeyed. Who WERE these guys? I mean, I know they were star-studiers or astrologers or wisemen who came from the East, but, WHO were they to be so in tune with God at a time like this?

Matthew 1 continued...

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

Joseph was thinking about hiding Mary so that she didn't get stoned to death. Imagine the humiliation of it all. God certainly was not considering the Jewish law in this case because by getting Mary pregnant, it just raised a heck of a lot of questions. I mean, what would her parents say? Anyone who knew her must have been ashamed of her.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Do you have dreams that you can remember when you wake up? Sometimes God will speak to us through our dreams. It seems God has a better opportunity to talk to us while we are asleep. So, I suggest you keep track of your dreams that you feel are significant. I do. I write them in a little book. Sometimes, I don't get the interpretation until much later and that little book has been a source of guidance and inspiration to me.

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

(It is also written in the Koran or Qua ran that Jesus is the Messiah and a Messiah is the One who saves us from sin.)

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Not only is Jesus the Messiah, but He is God. (says so right there)

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

There's one man who knew he was marrying the right girl because God TOLD him to marry her.

25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Matthew 1

Since this is a blog for "new" believers or those who want to grow spiritually and are starting at square one, I want to encourage you to continue reading the New Testament. I'll try to walk you through it as much as possible to keep you focused on what you're reading. Reading the Word is what some might call an acquired or developed 'taste'. Maybe you need to try it a few times before you can appreciate it fully enough to make it a habit.

Maybe it's a little like eating durion. Now, the first time I ever tasted durion, I just flipped! But, I think it's because there was a seasoned durion lover introducing me to the odd, smelly fruit. Yes, it was smelly! And it was pokey! It looked like one of those spike balls used in ancient warfare. So, the first appearance and the first impression could have been a turn-off if I hadn't been encouraged by someone with experience.

Durion! They say it smells like hell and tastes like heaven. To me, the smell is just not that bad. It's overpowering, yes. But, when I smell durion, I know there's a delicious fruit nearby, waiting for me to sink my greedy teeth into its luscious, soft and sumptuous meat. Well, anyway, back to the Word.

You may be one of those people who believes in Jesus, believes in salvation and the idea of Jesus being God's Son sent to earth to die for our sins, but you have a difficult time picking up the Bible and actually reading it. If so, I want to encourage you that, because the Bible is not just a regular type of book, you may need to approach it a little differently. Give yourself time. Develop a taste for it. But, especially, ask God to show you something personal for you alone that applies to your life at this time in particular.

Once that happens to you, you'll be hooked! You'll want to go back again and find something else that God wants to show you. It's like having your own private fortune-teller. (Now, I know the devil has given fortune-telling a bad name.) God is not a wanna-be psychic gypsy telling your future. Not at all! He is the King of Kings Who has a detailed interest in you and your future and would like to tell you all about it!

He knows where you came from, why you came here, where you're going and the best way to get there!

So, let's approach Matthew with an open mind and heart and an attitude of faith, hungrily seeking to know God and thereby learn deep truths about ourselves at the same time!

1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Note: Now, since Jesus did not have an earthly father, one can only assume that Mary was also of the seed of Abraham and David and that she married a man who was a cousin or other distant relative.

2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;

Note: Here we see that there are other nationalities entering into the Jewish blood. Uriah was a Hittite, so it stands to reason that his wife, Bathsheba, was a Hittite. Now, it seems the Hittites were Black. Also, you can see Ruth joined the Jewish family although she was a Moabitess. It was her faith in her mother-in-law's God and because of her love for her mother-in-law, Naomi that Ruth joined the Jewish faith. She became a predecessor of Christ totally through faith.

7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;
9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;
10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;
11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;
14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;
15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Mattan; and Matthan begat Jacob;
16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Ok, now you might say, "THAT was BORING!" And I ask myself, "Why did Matthew put the entire genealogy of Christ in the first chapter of Matthew?

And it occurs to me that it really shows any disbeliever that Jesus Christ had that lineage, he existed in the annals of history and he was indeed, a real person! He was born! He lived! And he died! And it's pretty difficult to deny the existence of the man, Jesus Christ. He has been recorded in Jewish history and therefore, in the history of the world. (By the way, the Jews kept very accurate records of history.)

Of course, the line of Jesus ends with his death because he didn't have any children. (That's contrary to the crazy fictional story called "The Da Vinci Code".)

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

Seven is a number God seems to love to use and twice seven is obviously fourteen. Looks like Jesus came right at the appointed time. And, He will come again right at the appointed time, as well!

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

That's the essence of the story of Christmas. That's the reason for Christmas. That's the meaning of Christmas. In fact, if I may be so bold, I think one should not celebrate Christmas unless they believe in the virgin birth of Christ and that three wise men were led to the Holy Baby by a star. If you don't believe that, why celebrate Christmas at all? Why make a mockery of the celebration of the birth of the Christian God Man?

That, of course, is not to say that many, many millions do celebrate this day without believing in the truth of it's origin. Ok, I know and most of us know that the true Birthday of Christ is unknown and that this day was chosen for questionable reasons. BUT, the fact of the matter is that the name of the holiday is "Christmas" and it was intended to be a recognition of the day of the birth of Christ as proclaimed in many wonderful carols and songs sung throughout Christendom over the centuries.

Nowadays, it's all about Santa Claus and buying gifts. Yes, we have succeeded in making a travesty out of Christmas. People are seeking "comfort and joy" without seeking the Giver of comfort and joy. They are seeking the gifts but not the Giver.

When you find the Giver and fall in love with Him, you'll forget about seeking the gifts. He alone can satisfy the deepest yearning of every heart for true love and peace.

"Peace on earth toward men of good will..."

How Often Should I Read the Word?

How often should I read the Word? As often as possible. David said, "Thy word has been my meat both day and night..."

Live on the Word. Live in the Word. Live by the Word. It's the only thing that will last. It's the only knowledge that really counts.

Education is important. I believe that, too. There are lots of things that are good to know! And when we use the stuff we know along with LOVE, we call the combination of knowledge and love wisdom. So, in my estimation, the more knowledge one has garnered, the more love they need to acquire to be able to use that knowledge.

Why?

Because, ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys: Knowledge without love is a bad thing. Most often it leads straight to pride (and I mean the bad, rotten, devilish kind of pride), arrogance, self-righteousness, power-tripping, oppression, and all the sins humans fall into.

Another thing the Bible says is: "With all thy getting, get understanding." And understanding, is like wisdom. It has to be knowledge with love because in order to "understand", you have to be willing to get under and humble yourself to listen.

And why is it so difficult for proud people to listen?

I think, when I don't want to listen, it's when I feel superior to the one who is trying to give me information. My pride gets in the way and I don't concentrate and pay attention to the details of what that person is saying. I "assume" that I already know what they're going to say or that I already know everything they already know and more. That's pride. Pure pride.

Identifying the problem often helps us to overcome it, doesn't it?

Pride is one of the biggest problems of Christians.

We're too proud to ask. We're too proud to listen. We're too proud to admit a mistake. And, we're WAY to proud to apologize. That would be admitting a mistake that caused harm or hurt to someone else and that's very difficult to admit.

I have found that the best way to overcome these kinds of pride is to look them straight in the eye and just DO it. Admit I'm not perfect, I make mistakes, I may have hurt your feelings, I screwed up and I AM SORRY.

It may seem like the hardest thing in the world to do, but it does get easier with practice. It can be very liberating. Just don't buy into all the condemnation the devil would like to pile on your plate after you realize you have made a mistake.

Get used to it! You're gonna make lots more mistakes before this game is over.

So, keep reading the Word. Learn what it says. Try to have "understanding" and "wisdom" when you're reading it and applying it to your life. And LOVE it.

You can fall in love with the Bible. You sure can. It's a Lover that will never leave you. The Words of God will never fail you, forsake you or disappoint! Fall in love with Jesus! Fall in love with the Word. They are One and the Same.

What a wonderful God we have! If you don't know that, you haven't read his Word!

Read it! Live it! Love it! Quote it! Memorize it! Put it to the test!

That's what this life is all about. That's what this all boils down to.

The Word is Here to Stay!

In the words of Jesus Christ, our Lord,

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

Think about it!

I believe you would have to say that what Jesus is saying here is that the WORD is going to outlast everything. And, in my own puny understanding, doesn't that also mean that the WORD is more important than this planet we live on?

(In fact, the planet that we live on is a direct result of the WORD.)

Now, if there is any doubt that Jesus actually said this or that He used these exact words, it has been written and recorded not just in the book of Matthew, but also in Mark and Luke in exactly the same words. If you don't believe me, you can read it yourself.

Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
Mark 13:31 "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away."
Luke 21:33 "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away."

Word for word, these three verses are the same. The only difference is that one has a comma rather than a colon.

And that's all I want to say about that!

The Most Powerful Book!

Yes, the Bible is not only the most important book you will ever read, but it is the most powerful. As I may have said before, it's not just a book for Sunday School children.

Jesus said, "The words I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are life!"

That means that the very words in this book are alive. They are living.

Sound strange? I guess it may sound a little spooky or weird or insane. Words that are alive. Here's how I see that. When you mix those words with your faith, they do come alive. I have seen it! When you mix the Word of God with prayer and faith, it's like Super Magic. I shouldn't use the word magic, but I just don't know another word that people can relate to that describes how powerful the words are in the Bible.

They are LIFE. They are alive.

In fact, they are GOD. How powerful is that? So... if you put your trust in the WORD, you are putting your trust in GOD. So... you should put your whole trust in the Word.

If it's written in the Word, BELIEVE IT. If it's in the Word, it's the Truth! "The whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me, God."

Trust in the Word. It says exactly what it means and means what it says. Especially the words of Jesus. My Bible has all the words of Jesus printed in red to see quickly the words that came right from His mouth.

In particular, I was asking the Lord about the difference between the God of the Christians and the God of, say, for example, the Jehovah's Witnesses or the Jews or Muslims. (Hot topic.) Now, the Jews believe in Jehovah and Jehovah was the Father of Jesus, so isn't it the same God?

Good question, right? Tough question! Ok, so, we go to the WORD to see exactly what Jesus said about it. And, the verse I got was where Jesus told a pharisee, "Ye are of your father... the DEVIL!"

You mean that's in the BIBLE? Did Jesus really say that? (If you were reading your Bible, you'd already know that Jesus said that. In fact, he said a lot of stuff to the Pharisees.)

John 8:41-44 "Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44. Ye are of your father the DEVIL, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it."

Matthew 15:8 "This people draw nigh unto me with their mouth, and honour me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."
Matthew 23:33 "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"

Now, is Jesus saying here to these wise, educated, so-called holy men that they were NOT in tune with God? They worshipped God! Didn't they? I mean, they taught the people how to worship God. Didn't they? Didn't they teach the Word? Didn't they teach people how to pray? Didn't they teach the people how to tithe and make sacrifices? And follow all the rules laid out BY God?

How could Jesus be so crude as to tell them that they were of the devil?

Doesn't it show us that it is not enough to believe in God? God wants us to love Him. And, the rules of the "game" have changed, people. It's NOT enough to follow the ten commandments and all the law and to take the day off on Sunday and go to church and pay your tithe and bla,bla,bla. It's not enough. Sorry.

The Pharisees did all that stuff and they went straight to HELL. (Not me saying this.)

So, WHO we pray to and HOW we pray are important. Very, very important. We are supposed to love God not just a little bit. You know who I think of when it comes to how we're supposed to love Jesus?

--Mary Magdelene!

She bought an alabaster box of perfume and anointed Jesus's feet with it and kissed his feet and washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.

Picture that. If you want to know how Jesus would like us to treat Him, that's the example to follow. What a love she had for her Master! Right in public, in front of a group of critical men who were judging her and even verbally criticizing her, she got down on her hands and knees in front of her King and poured out her love the best way she knew how, holding nothing back.

So, don't pray to Jehovah (unless it's in Jesus's name). Don't pray to Buddha. Don't pray to idols. Don't pray to Allah. Don't pray to Zeus. Don't pray to Krishna. Don't pray to Vishnu. Don't pray to Shiva, Lakshmi, Durga, Saraswati, Venkateswara, Aiyappa. And, for heaven's sake, don't pray to the Devil! (Well, you are praying to the devil if you pray to any of these gods. They are NOT your friends. They won't help you. They will do their best to send you straight to hell.)

Incidentally, "Allah" is the Arabic name for god. The Arabic god, is the Muslim god. Now, if you are Muslim, go to the mosque or masjid. That's where you will find worshippers of Allah. I strongly warn against praying to Allah because when you do, you are praying to a god or higher power that is not Christian.

I used to live several years in Muslim countries and, when speaking to the locals about my God, I would use the word "Allah", thinking that we would understand each other and, at that time, I thought that the Muslims quite possibly worshiped the same "God of Abraham" as I worshiped. I don't know why I ever thought that.

Now, when Hagar was dying of thirst in the desert and she cried out to God to save her son, God answered her cries. God saved her. That was the God of Abraham. In fact, Ishmael was a son of Abraham, which is why I used to think we all had the same God.

At what point in history the Arabs decided to call their god Allah, I don't know, but one thing I know is that it is not the same god as the God who saved Hagar!

You know how I know? Lots of ways, but one way is that they do not obey what Mohammed told them in that Jesus is the Messiah and that they should have a relationship with Jesus as their Messiah. (It's in the Koran. Amazing what you can find out when you do some reading of these books people say they believe in. But, if they believed the Koran, wouldn't it lead them right to Jesus? Just as the Torah would lead the Jews to Jesus!)

In fact, a venerable and prominent Jewish leader admitted to his people that, according to the Torah, Jesus Christ was the Messiah. That's right! You don't have to wait any longer! You don't have to rebuild that temple and start sacrificing red cows at the Dome of the Rock, you guys.

Jesus already came!

I was saying that the rules of the game have changed. In fact, the new rule is: LOVE. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and you will fulfill all the law and the prophets!

Do You Know What You Believe?

You say you are a Christian. After all, you go to church. You pray. You listen to the pastor's preaching. You even pay your tithe. AND, you were baptized. So, that clinches it, right?

Christian. What IS a Christian? My dictionary says it is a believer in the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Where do you find the teachings of Jesus Christ? Right! You know it's in the Bible. That's WHERE you find the teachings of Jesus Christ.

So, how do you know what the teachings are unless you read the Bible? How do you know WHAT you believe? I mean, maybe if you read the Bible, you'll discover that there are lots of things in there that you don't believe and do not want to accept!

You know, what if, for instance, Jesus tells you that you should love your ENEMIES? --Or cut off your hand? --Or, even pluck out your eye? Are you going to embrace those beliefs?

Seriously. The Bible says a lot of things that we need to know. We need to deeply, deeply know and absorb the Bible in order to be a "Christian". And, for my opinion, I'd have to say, if someone doesn't KNOW the Bible, they really shouldn't call themselves a Christian.

We are not supposed to be following other Christians. Not even our pastor. Sure, he's a great guy and maybe he loves the Lord, but what has that got to do with you and your connection with God?

Jesus said, "If you continue in my Word, then are you my disciples indeed." John 8:31

 Find out what you believe. You may find out you're not a Christian after all. You just have a lot of friends who are Christians. Or, who say they are.

When it comes right down to the crunch, are you going to be willing to die for what you believe in?

That sounds really harsh, I know. But, unless you actually feel that deeply and strongly about your faith, you need to ask yourself if you really believe in the teachings of Christ. Jesus said, "You cannot serve God and mammon (money)."

He said it. I didn't say it. It's not my idea. In fact, none of this is. I get all this stuff out of the Bible.

Matthew 6:24 "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

I think we should ask ourselves: "Am I putting God first?" What is number One in my life? God or Money? Did you know that there is a god of money? Did you further know that MOST of the world worships that god?

"How can we live without money? It's impossible." Well, money itself isn't the evil. It's our ATTITUDE towards money that is evil.

Does having a nice, fat bank account make you feel as though you're invincible? On the other hand, do you feel useless and worthless when you're broke? See how deceptive money can be? It's all in our attitude, isn't it? The money doesn't really have this power over us. It's bluffing.

But, when you put God first and let Him take care of your life, money becomes secondary. It relaxes its grip and control over your life. Don't worry about feeling worthless. Allow yourself to feel that way before God. That's just a good check and balance. We ARE worthless without Jesus. I think it was David who said he was a "worm". Talk about humility. But, with God, we are everything!

So, dear ones, my prayer for Christians is that they will READ the Word! You'll be glad you did.  

The Names of God

Did you ever try to call someone and you accidentally got one number wrong and the wrong person answered the phone? It's not as likely to happen these days with cell phones where you don't even need to dial anymore. But, when it happens, it makes you realize that each number is important and it's important to get it right. Otherwise you may accidentally end up talking to an axe murderer on the phone and not even know it.

Well, I think the same thing can be applied to calling "Upstairs". We have to get the right extension. And, as you know, that Extension is Jesus Christ. You can call Him Yesus. Or Esau.Or Christo. Or variations and He'll still understand. He knows who He is. So, not much confusion, as long as you call out to Jesus, the Son of God.

Sometimes, when I'm really going through battles with the enemy, I make a direct call to the King of Kings through His Son and make sure it's Jesus Christ, the son of the virgin Mary who was crucified and rose from the dead!

You may laugh. It may seem funny to go through all that bother. But, what is the effect?

Well, for one thing, it makes me feel better; it encourages my faith and gives me the knowledge (in my human brain) that my soul is making doubly sure to whom I am connecting. I don't want the operator to connect me to someone or something else. It's like writing "AIR MAIL" on an envelope that has already got red and blue stripes on it. You just feel a NEED sometimes to make sure the mail is going to get there fast.

Ok, so why am I making a big deal out of this? Here's why:

The devil, satan, lucifer, the beast, and the opposite of our God is also a god! Yes, folks, the devil is the GOD OF THIS WORLD. He doesn't care what god you want to call him by as long as you don't call him by the name of Jesus! He can go by the name of "God" if you don't specify WHICH GOD!

See?

You might get on the phone to talk to "God" and you end up having a conversation with the Imposter of God! Why? Because, there ARE rules to this game! YOU HAVE TO GET IT RIGHT! You have to get the Holy Spirit, not the unholy spirit. One little name makes all the difference to get the right connection.

God gave us the right phone number. We just have to dial it accurately. He said, "Call onto ME and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things..." And the Mediator between man/woman and God is Jesus. He's the all-important Connector, Mediator, Shuttle Buffer, Advocate and Plea Bargainer between man/woman and God.

When I was a kid, I went to church every Sunday and listened to sermons that were all about "God". And, it was nice. It was uplifting. It carried me through the rest of the day with a little inspiration. But, there was something missing. I didn't receive the power to change or the power to overcome obstacles put in my path.

I DID NOT GET SAVED. Do you see? All that talk about "God", "Lord, Father God", "Almighty God", "Heavenly Father", "God", "God", "God" didn't carry the weight of salvation. It didn't mean anything to a searching soul like me because the word "God" just meant "somebody-way-up-there-out-of-reach-who-I-don't-know-personally".

Was God Buddha? Was he, Hari Krishna? Was he Allah? Was he Zeus? Who knew? As a teen-ager, I really wondered which god was the true god. I tried out a few of them, too! I bought books on Hari Krishna and later I delved into the Baha'i faith and read up about Baha'ullah.

In fact, I was shocked and mystified to discover, in the end, that the true God was Jesus Christ! All along, I thought he was sort of a Sunday School character who went around in a dress eating fish.

Then, I discovered the power in the name of Jesus and it blew my mind! You get INSTANT response. It's like an instant response system! You cut through all the red tape, confusion, wrong connections, tiring wastes of time and cut right to the main source of power.

This is not a joke. This is the way God has set up the spiritual world, my friends. You are held responsible to DIAL THE CORRECT NUMBER. God's not going to come down and do it for you. I mean, he could. He might, under dire circumstances. But, most of the time, he wants YOU to figure things out for yourself! Yep.

So, if you're having difficulty making that connection fast and strong, USE the name of JESUS. That's what it's FOR! The name has been paid for with a very high price. It's not just a nice little namby pamby name for Sunday School.

How to Beat Jealousy!

Jealousy can be debilitating. For every head you chop off, it grows ten more. I think that's what they say.

It's one of the most vicious obstacles to happiness. When confronted with jealousy, we tend to feel totally helpless.

How do we fight it?

From my experience, the best way to win this particular battle is to not engage it. DO NOT ENGAGE. It's bigger and stronger and more multifaceted than we can comprehend with our human minds. So, it's one of those battles that you can't win gracefully, you have nothing to gain by fighting it and it just ends up being a big waste of time and energy.

So, how does one refuse to engage? By simply blocking entry. Recognize the entry points and BLOCK THEM. It really helps to be one step ahead of the enemy for this one. If you struggle regularly with jealousy, it would help you to be TWO or THREE steps ahead of the enemy.

You've heard his voice before. You are aware when jealousy is coming on. Probably one of the first signals is that you start to lose some of your happiness. We are weakest when miserable because "the joy of the Lord is our strength" and just the opposite is also true: "The misery of jealousy is our weakness." But, no more!

What is the cause of jealousy? Once you know the cause, you can cut it off before it starts. I cannot stress how important it is to stop the jealousy from getting your ear or your eye or your focus. Ignore it. Walk away. But, what is the cause?

COMPARING.

It's as easy as that: Stop comparing.

You should know that I have just handed you an invaluable jewel.

It's worth repeating: STOP COMPARING YOURSELF WITH OTHERS.

Ok, I admit, it's a LOT easier than it sounds. It takes practice and determination.

I remember when I learned that it's wrong to compare yourself with others. It SET ME FREE! I mean, it really changed my life. I guess I'm one of those self-doubters, unsure of myself, always wondering whether I'm good enough. (Know anyone like that?) For me, whenever I compared myself to anyone else, I ALWAYS came out on the bottom. I was always last in my own estimation.

But, even though I knew I was going to come out last, I HAD to compare myself. It was like a compulsion, or even like a duty that I felt it was necessary to perform. Or, maybe it was just a habit. Maybe I hung out with people who had that habit and I picked it up from them. Who knows?

So, when I finally realized I didn't NEED to compare myself with others, it set me free! When I discovered I was NOT obligated to compare myself with others, I was liberated.

GET IT?

Simple, but true. It must sound like the world's simplest idea, but, I believe, for  a lot of people (especially young adults and teens) you will have an easier life and a happier life if you can receive this one simple piece of advice.

Girls, you don't NEED to compare yourself! Quit comparing! Fatter, shorter, heavier, prettier, skinnier, smarter, faster -- forget these adjectives. What difference does it make? If it makes you miserable, just quit it. Nobody is forcing you to compare yourself. (Except, maybe you-know-who, right? He tries to get you comparing.)

There's the key: at the FIRST suggestion from the devil to compare yourself, don't listen. Don't obey him. He's not your boss! You don't belong to his team. You're on the winning team.

Winners don't need to compare themselves.

So, keep the victory! Maintain your attitude of joy! STAY UP! Don't compare yourself to others. Then you won't even have to deal with what follows... all that misery of "if only I were (fill in the blank)" and "she's so thin" and "he loves her more than me".

Let's not even go down that rabbit hole. STAY OUT OF RABBIT HOLES. Embrace God's joy! Be happy to be you, just the way God made you. And, don't fall into the habit of comparing yourself to others.

Hope this helps!

Is Joel Osteen a Man of God?

From time to time, I go on Youtube to listen to pastors and preachers speak. Admittedly, the people who do a lot of screaming and shouting are not my favourites, but I always go back to the ones who encourage me and boost my faith. Joel is one of those pastors. I admire him immensely and I believe he is a true man of God who not only stands up for his faith, but puts his faith into action and demonstrates to others how to shine the love of God out to the lost.

If you listen to what he has to say, you’ll discover that he started from nowhere. Although he grew up in a Christian home, the son of a pastor, he didn’t even feel qualified to preach. But, step by step, as he followed the Lord’s leading, he became a popular public speaker, drawing thousands to his church.

At this time, there are those who are viciously attacking Joel. It grieves me to see any brother in the faith being treated this way. In fact, it reminds me of how the Pharisees attacked Jesus.

They tried to trick Jesus, by asking him the most difficult question they could come up with. “Should we pay taxes or not?” They figured if Jesus said yes, the common people would be disappointed in him but if he said no, He would be breaking the law. Jesus, knowing their hearts, asked for a coin to be brought to him. Then he asked,

“Whose image and inscription are these?”

“Caesar’s.”

“Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s.”

Here it is verbatim. 

Matthew 22:16… Master, we know tht thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men. 17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? 18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites? 19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.

In Joel’s case, his antagonists like to bring to him the question of the gays. They know that however he answers the question, he’s caught in a trap. He’s bound to offend either the Christians or the gays and their sympathizers.

I believe Joel answered the same way that Jesus would when the Pharisees brought a woman to him that was taken in adultery. (According to Jewish law, both adultery and homosexuality are worthy of death.) But, did Jesus pick up rocks and throw them at her? That’s really what was required to be done according to the law at that time, wasn't it?

He told the Pharisees, 

“Let him who is without sin among you cast the first stone.” 

Boy! Those stones must have become burning hot to the touch because those guys dropped them like they were snakes!

Can you imagine what they must have been thinking? (Jesus could hear their thoughts and, no doubt, he was amused.)

 They probably thought, “Oh my God, if anyone knew what I did last week, that woman would be throwing rocks at me!” Their consciences were hurting so bad that they all left. So, Jesus asked the woman,

“Where are your accusers? Didn’t anyone condemn you?”

“No man, my Lord.”

“Neither do I condemn thee. Go. And sin no more.”

In the Hebrew law, there are many such sins that are punishable by death. Bestiality, certain kinds of adultery, sacrificing your children to Moloch, homosexuality and even cursing your parent will get you killed.

Thank God all these sins were nailed to the cross so that we are allowed to partake of God’s mercy. In thankfulness for that, it is our godly and loving duty as followers of Christ to extend that mercy to others. We are not supposed to pick up stones and stone the sinners that come into our churches. We are supposed to welcome them with open arms into a loving and friendly atmosphere where God’s Love covers a multitude of sin.

Yet, there are some believers who continue to point the finger at Joel Osteen. I fear for them. What if they are poking their finger in God’s eye? What if Joel is God’s man? What if his preaching is Bible-based? What if it’s true that God is Love and that God wants us to love the lost?

Brothers and sisters, should you decide that Joel is an imposter who doesn't minister God's Word, please pray before you judge him. Take a look at his fruit. The Bible says that "by their fruits we shall know them".

The fruits of the spirit, according to Galatians 5:22, 23

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Does Joel have the fruits of the Spirit? (Keep in mind that the first fruit is love.)

I, for one, stand with Joel Osteen in these times of his testing and persecution and I hold him up in prayer as a faithful brother and fellow laborer of the Lord.

God bless you, Joel and continue to make you a blessing to many others! In Jesus' name!

Is Believing Enough?

No. Believing in God is just not enough. Sorry. I don't "believe" so. Why not?

Because, the devil also believes in God! AND trembles! And we all know where he's going to end up.

No. Believing in God is not enough. Getting others to believe in God is not enough.

It's more important to love God. As it says in Matthew 22. When a lawyer asked Jesus what was the "great" commandment in the law. (What's the most important commandment?)

37. "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."

How can God command us to love Him? In fact, how can a human being love God? In fact, WHAT IS LOVE?

Love is many things. Most of what love is, we do not comprehend. I think we have a better understanding of what hate is. We can understand violence as a manifestation of hatred. But, exactly what is love?

If you've ever been "in love", you know that a lot of that euphoria is, well, it's almost, intangible, inexplicable, unreasonable, maybe even "insane" and you even wonder sometimes whether it's imagined. Why would we love anyone? Is it sympathy? Is it a common understanding of life? Is it a smell? Is it what we see when we look at that person? Is it the sound of their voice or the atmosphere they carry with them?

If you've ever been in love, you may have also experienced falling OUT of love! Crashing on the rocks of "reality" and finally "waking up" to the facts. Of COURSE they were not worthy of your love! You were tricked, hood-winked, suckered in, won-over, deceived, misled and you probably imagined the whole thing.

Love lost is heart-breaking. It's a shocker. It destroys self-confidence, motivation, creativity, inspiration and hope. It can cause some to want to commit suicide.

So, we do understand when we've lost love, even though we can't actually understand what love is. If you love your son or daughter, mother or father, it's a kind of love that exists just "because". You know each other so well, you have built a relationship. In the case of a mother, that love comes in the form of a helpless child that needs love and nurturing and a mother naturally responds to motherhood in most cases.

I'm asking you a tough question. I realize that. In fact, I don't have the answer. But, here is what the Bible says about LOVE.

I John 4:8 "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."

In other words, "He that does not love does not know God."

GOD IS LOVE.

Ahah! So! THAT'S what love is! THAT explains it ALL. And that explains why we just can't quite comprehend exactly what love is, because we can't comprehend exactly what God is, can we?

You may tell your son or daughter or niece or nephew that there is a God, a Creator. He made everything. He even made us. And if they ask,

"WHY?" as children usually do, you can tell them,

"Because God wanted us to love Him." Simple. Crazy. But true. God wants us to love Him.

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with ALL thy heart and with ALL thy soul and with ALL thy mind."

Now that is a BIG, HUGE job. HOW to do?

Understandably, we can only try. It's going to take a LOT of love. Not just a little. Not just human love. But, the kind of love that Jesus believed was worth dying a terrible death on the cross for. He died for LOVE.

Again, we cannot comprehend that. Our brains were apparently not built to wrap around the concept of dying for LOVE.

(Dying for love, by the way, is not strapping an explosive to your body and allowing yourself to be blown up in order to kill those who don't believe in the same God as you. But, I don't need to tell you that. DO I?)

So, let's dig a little deeper to try to understand what love is. There is more on the subject in the Bible...

The Final Chapter of the book of John

I have memorized a few chapters from the book of John. John 14 and 15 are favourites, as is John 1. I personally know people who have memorized the entire book of John. And I also have read about people who have done so. There's a movie that focuses on a man who has memorized the entire Bible, if that is even possible...

Here we are, at the end of one book of the sixty-six books of the Holy Bible.One book. Twenty-one chapters copied out on this blog because I believe the Bible is the Most Important Book in the entire world.

It's a book that changed my life. It directed me to a new life. In fact, I was reborn, as you can read in the book of John, chapter 3, verse 3. (Three is one of God's numbers, as is 7 and multiples of those numbers.)

So, here is the final chapter of John FYE.

1 After these things Jesus shewed Himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed He Himself.
2 There were together Simon Peter and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of His disciples.
3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go afishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children have ye any meat? They answered Him, No.
6 And He said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid theron, and bread.
10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask Him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed Himself to His disciples, after that He was risen from the dead.
15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed My lambs.
16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto Him, Yeah, Lord; thou knewest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed My sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? Peter was grieved because He said unto him the third time, Lovest thou Me? And he said unto Him, Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, when thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.
19 This spake He, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He saith unto him, Follow Me.
20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on His breast at supper and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth Thee?
21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?
22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou Me.
23 Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?
24 This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these thing: and we know that his testimony is true.
25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

Incidentally, Jesus spent 40 days walking around on this planet after His resurrection.

Acts 1:3 "To whom also He shewed Himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God."

That makes it very hard to deny that Christ rose from the dead, doesn't it?

John 20

1 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid Him.
3 Peter therfeore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
7 And the napkin, that was about His head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.
11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,
12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him.
14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She supposing Him to be the gardener, saith unto Him, Sir, if thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take him away.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto Him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God.
18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her.
19 The 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, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
20 And when He had so said, He shewed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

I would think that that is a bit of an understatement: "the disciples were glad". I imagine they were thrilled, ecstatic, elated, amazed, shocked and unimaginably mind-blown!

21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.

We are all "sent" to carry this good news to everyone, just as it has been brought to us!

22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the holy Ghost:
23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.

(Some people seem to want to proclaim their lack of faith. Ever meet anyone like that?)

26 And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

The doors were shut. No problem, Jesus just walked through the wall.

27 Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither they hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

(And that is why they call Thomas "Doubting Thomas".)

28 And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name.

Perfect Love Nailed to a Cross

Imagine if you loved someone enough to die for them. You just love them. You can't explain it or change it, you just do. The love is drawn from you without your permission, without being able to stop it.

Now, imagine that the focus of your love does not love you back.

That's the most unimaginable pain. But, still, no matter how you try, that love won't stop. You feel insane. You feel humiliated, even ashamed of yourself. Yet, you still love them. Even more than before!

Isn't that a microscopic sample of what kind of love Jesus had for mankind? We humans get to experience love in a lesser form than what He had for us, but, yet, it's still painful at times.

Are you willing to suffer for Love? That's the question He asks of us all.

And, really, we cannot bear the suffering love causes unless we cling to Him through it all. He wants to give us a heart of flesh to replace our heart of stone. He wants us to love freely the way He loves. He wants us to go all the way for love no matter how much it hurts.

Imagine Jesus, His perfect arms stretched out and covered with blood. His perfect hands pierced with terrible nails cutting open the flesh, holding the weight of His body.

What was He thinking as He hung there?

Was He embarrassed? Ashamed? Disgusted? Remorseful?

I think He felt He had to go to the max, the climax of giving all His Love and pass through that agony of suffering pain caused by the heart-break in knowing that those He loved and died for could never return that love to Him. But He had to give that love even though it killed Him.

I believe that every day that Jesus lived on this earth, His heart grew larger and the love inside of Him grew until He could no longer bear it in a physical body. He had to pour it out in death.

When the soldiers pierced his side with a sword, water came out along with the blood. This water on his heart was the result of emotional stress: Love.

So, are we willing to suffer for Love?

John 19

Get out your tissues, all you softies. This is going to make you weep. Anyone who has ever loved will cry reading this chapter. If you have seen "The Passion of the Christ", you know what Christ must have gone through. It seemed a bit extreme the way it was portrayed and hard to believe people would really go that far, but, pain is pain. And love is love. And suffering to prove love seemed the only way for God to show us the extent of His love for us. There were no magic tricks, no pain-killers or numbing of that pain. It was real.That's what I believe.

I used to think, as a new Christian, that, well, you know, Jesus was God, so He probably didn't really suffer all that much. He didn't really have to suffer.

No, He didn't. He even told the temple officers that He could call down legions of angels to fight for Him. So, why couldn't He also have had the pain taken away in an instant? I suppose He could have. But then, what would have been the point of it all? Like the saying goes,

"Anything that's worth something has to cost something."

Our salvation, the salvation of all of mankind (whoever accepts it) was worth a heavy, heavy price. And it could only be paid by one man. The God-Man. The Sacrificial Lamb.

This is a hard saying. It's very difficult to understand salvation from a human perspective. Humans always ask, "Why?" And, for this question, there really is no one complete answer except to say, "Love".

Love. That's why.

But, what's love? Exactly. Apparently, it's something that hurts. A lot.

But, not to worry. In the end, God will wipe away all of our tears and we'll understand love and pain and the whole kettle of fish. So, let's get on with John 19, shall we?

1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged Him.

Somehow, those eight words don't seem to do justice to what actually happened to our Lord. The word "scourge" in my Oxford Dictionary means "whip" and "cause of great suffering". If you look into Roman history, you'll find that they used a "Cat o' Nine Tails" as a whip. It was made up of nine strips of leather that were laced with pieces of glass or metal.

2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.

Since the scourging was meant to totally humiliate a person, this robe was a big mock.

3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote Him with their hands.
4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring Him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in Him.
5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

Take a look at this guy. He's totally debased and at the point of death. He's not going to be a threat anymore or go around saying He's a king. Let's let Him go, now.

6 When the chief priests therefore and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, Crucify Him, crucify Him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye Him, and crucify Him: for I find no fault in Him.
7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.

They had a law, but they were not allowed to put anyone to death, which is why they wanted to convince the Romans to kill Him for them.

8 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;
9 And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art Thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release Thee?

We humans think we have so much power. We think we're in control. Pilate is about to learn a lesson.

11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against Me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin.

So, here Jesus is not only teaching him that God is in control, but that he (Pilate) is not the one fully to blame, so he shouldn't be too hard on himself. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release Him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.
13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
15 But they cried out, Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

Ooh! Come on, you guys. Don't try to pretend that you are loyal to Caesar.

16 Then delivered he Him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led Him away.
17 And He bearing His cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
18 Where they crucified Him, and two other with Him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Now, here's a guy that was in tune. I really believe he was won over by Jesus. He knew He was a king. Maybe he didn't fully comprehend the whole nine yards, but he felt something for Jesus and had tried hard to save His life.

20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.
21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that He said, I am King of the Jews.

It sure seems that Pilate wanted the message to get out because he translated it into three languages. I don't believe he intended it as a mockery, but for some kind of an atonement for his own guilt.

22 Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.
23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also His coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.
25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by, whom He loved, He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son!
27 Then said he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to His mouth.
30 when Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost.
31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with Him.
33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was dead already, they brake not His legs.
34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of Him shall not be broken.
37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on Him whom they pierced.
38 And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.
39 And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight.

Nicodemus sure didn't spare any expense, did he?

40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.
42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

John 18

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which He entered, and His disciples.
2 And Judas also, which betrayed Him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with His disciples.
3 Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
5 They answered Him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am He. And Judas also, which betrayed Him, stood with them.
6 As soon then as He had said unto them, I am He, they went backward, and fell to the ground.

(Who pushed them, I wonder?)

7 Then asked He them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
8 Jesus answered, I have told you that I am He: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:
9 That the saying might be fulfilled, which He spake, Of them which thou gavest Me have I lost none.
10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.
11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
12 Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus and bound Him.
13 And led Him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.
14 Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high preist, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.
16 But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.
17 Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? He saith, I am not.
18 And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.
19 The high priest then asked Jesus of His disciples, and of His doctrine.
20 Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.
21 Why askest thou me? Ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said.
22 And when He had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?
23 Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?
24 Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest.
25 And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not.
26 One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with Him?
27 Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.
28 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.
29 Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?
30 They answered and said unto him, If He were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered Him up unto thee.
31 Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye Him, and judge Him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto Him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:

So, here they are breaking the law so that they can put Jesus to death even against the will of the Romans. Imagine that. They had already judged Him in their hearts without any evidence or a hearing.

32 That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which He spake, signifying what death He should die.
33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto Him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?

(Seems like the word's been going around.)

35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
37 Pilate therefore said unto Him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Do you hear the voice of Jesus? Are you of the truth? Or not?

38 Pilate saith unto Him, What is truth?

A famous line from the Bible. A common question. People have been asking it forever.

And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in Him no fault at all.
39 But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?

Not only did Pilate try to save Jesus, but he thought quickly of a plan of how he could release him without actually declaring Him innocent. But, the Jews would have nothing to do with it. It was not the Romans that crucified our Lord that day. They were merely being used to do the devil's own business.

We all put the nails in His hands. We are all guilty of the death of Christ. Not just the Romans or the Jews.

40 Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.

The Magic Pill

If, like everyone else on the planet, you would like to discover the “Magic Pill”, look no further. It’s Jesus. I kid you not. I don’t exaggerate or even dramatize. It’s a very basic fact.

Jesus is not merely the Magic Pill, He is the “Majestic Pill”. Magic is a cheap, flimsy word to describe what He can do in our lives, but He is no less “magical” than the most powerful Genie, the wisest Guru and the most spiritual yogi you can find. Their most powerful chants, curses, spells and tricks are less than child’s play to our Majestic God of Gods, Lord of Lords and Omnipotent Master.

Jesus is light years ahead of anything the fake gods can muster. He is “Thee Spearhead”. The devil and his crowd will bow the knee to our King. They will fall on their faces and cry out to Him for mercy in the end.

Yes, Jesus is our Genie. When we rub Him the right way, He’ll do whatever we ask of Him! Just ASK ME HOW I KNOW!

Immediately, people think,

“Oh! So you must be rich!”

And, they would be right. But, come on! Why so shallow? I am not rich in the physical. At least, not rich in the way that the world defines “rich”. I have what I need, when I need it. I know I could have a lot more, if I had the faith for it. But, why worry about earthly wealth when there are oceans of spiritual wealth to discover?

The spiritual riches far surpass anything we have or hold in the physical!

Like I say, “If you treat Jesus right, He treats you right.” He treats you much better than right! He provides! He protects! (You may not even know how much protection He’s been providing for you! I am always amazed that there are so few accidents on the highways here in Malaysia when I see the immature and outrageous risks that drivers take – driving along the white lines, skimming the car they’re passing and coming up on the bumper of your car. But, they survive!) He protects, believe me! God’s angels are working overtime! 

He inspires! He guides! He enlightens! He forgives!

Thank God for His everlasting mercy and forgiveness! Where would we be without it? YOU KNOW WHERE!

--Which brings me to another point: He saves!

Name one genie, idol, fake god, witch, Yogi, Zen master, Guru, Buddha or prophet that can do THAT.

Well, they can’t. That’s just it. They can’t. And they never will. No matter how many sticks of incense you burn, sacrifices you offer, prayers you pray, vows you make or offerings you bring. They won’t save your soul.

There is only ONE God, folks, who is able to save your eternal soul for eternity and that’s the God who became a man. He took on human flesh so He could understand and feel what it’s like to be human.

How humble is that? What kind of craziness is that?

It’s the Jesus kind of craziness. He is crazy about us! That’s why He gave so much! He gave HIMSELF. How much more could we ask?

He overcame death for us.

You may ask,

“If Jesus Christ overcame death, why do we still die?”

All I can suggest as an answer to that is: We don’t die in the same sense that unbelievers die. There must be a kind of terrible soul-suffering and pain that humans pass through when they die. We don’t have to go through that suffering of the soul in death. Our flesh dies. Not our spirit.

The blood of Jesus Christ is our victory flag. It’s our FREE PASS. It’s our “Get Out of Prison” card!

Beloved Believers, We do not pay the price for our sins! That price has been paid for in blood. The blood of the Lamb.

Now, if our God has done all that so that we don’t have to suffer the pains of death and sin, how much more will He do for us, if we only ask?

My mother used to say, “There’s no harm in asking.”

I used to think, “What’s the use? You’re just going to say, ‘No.’”

NOT SO with our Great God! In my experience, He almost always says, 

“Yes! Sure! Why not? I love you!” And He also says, “Anything else I can do for you? My beloved?”

… and I get the feeling that it’s only the tip of the iceburg!