The Crucifixion of Christ

As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children". Luke 23:26-28.














Why did Jesus say to those women not to weep for Him? First, in those times, women were hired to mourn. Yes, Jews had their or mourning women, who were hired to assist in mourning; by using mournful gestures, tones, and songs, see Jeremiah 9:17. Yet, public mourning was not allowed for persons that were executed as criminals. Was Jesus saying to them don't bother as if a waste?

In Matthew Henry's commentary, we come to understand why Jesus, the Lamb of God, was led as a lamb to the slaughter, to the sacrifice. Though many reproached and reviled him, some pitied him. But the death of Christ was His victory and triumph over His enemies: it was our deliverance, the purchase of eternal life for us.

Therefore, weep not for Him, but let us weep for our own sins, and the sins of our children, which caused His death; and weep for fear of the miseries we shall bring upon ourselves, if we slight His love, and reject his grace. God delivered Him up to such sufferings as these, because He was made a sacrifice for sin. The bitter sufferings of our Lord Jesus should make us stand in awe of the justice of God.

We are Witnesses of these Things!

But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree. God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him". Acts 5:29-32.

And though they suffered for His Name...they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ ~ Acts 5:42.

YES, We are witnesses of Jesus Christ! How can we witness to others effectively today? We should show our devotion! How? By being devoted to Jesus Christ, and sharing our devotion and we should want to and show our devotion even more every day; we should run after Jesus like a child after a pretty balloon that is floating in the breeze rising up to heaven... He is our everything!


Be Blessed on this Resurrection Sunday!

Poured out like a Drink Offering...Preach the Word!

"For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing" 2 Tim 4:7.

You know, a lot of people in the world try to overcome this world by doing spectacular things or feats in order to feel good about who they are and are not; showing who they are (what they are capable of) and are not. That is why we see a huge desire to organize or be part of or participate in extreme 'dangerous' challenges/events/goals: marathons, climbs (mountains or careers), obstacle endurance courses, intellectual and physical championship competitions, striving for top academic honors, and  all kinds of intense studies/explorations, research/therapies and even by elections. 

In some way they are all 'runmageddons' toward a finish line that is just that...Finished. Sure it can give one a sense of accomplishment, thrill, elation, wonder/awe, power, prestige, and promise of a next time. Then there are the celebrations that come after and interviews and books or television appearances but those too come to a close and people move on to the next. 

Isn't it our greatest joy to find our names written in the book of life; and well maybe that is what drives people to do what they do here and now. That by doing something spectacular they get to have their names written in the book of life. And, well I cannot disagree but whose book are we talking about. And, I can even say that there is nothing wrong with such things as long as we give all glory, honor and praise to Jesus Christ for it is He who gets us to run the race and finish, 'faithful til the end'. For Greater is He who is in us than he who is just in the world ~1 John 4:4. That is what it means to be poured out like a drink offering.

God has an upcoming event, His finale - Armageddon. This is the day that He set aside to put an end to competing human kingdoms and governments and to install His Kingdom. Are you ready? It's pretty simple to prepare for His Coming; repent and believe! Read the Bible, the Word of God; it's all there. Our Greatest Joy is to Have our Names Written in the Book of Life ~ Luke 10:20.

Go and Sing ~ Joy Joy Joy to the World!

Sadly, many people think any kind of real joy cannot be true as people in the place where they are tend to cling to darkness rather than to light. And, so they think they have no way of having joy. But, they do if they just look for it. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit and it is by the Holy Spirit that we rejoice; we have joy. 

Jesus said,the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid ~ John 14:26-28.

After all, who is our hope, our joy, our crown of boasting, if it is not you yourselves in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? You are indeed our pride and our joy ~ 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20.
  
That means... this world is not a place where we are to be always, or long for. In heaven holy souls shall meet, and never part more. And though the apostle could not come to them yet, and thought he might never be able to come, yet our Lord Jesus Christ will come; nothing shall hinder that. May God give faithful ministers to all who serve him with their spirit in the gospel of his Son, and send them to all who are in darkness ~ Matthew Henry Commentary.

This is our Testimony ~ Being in Christ the Lord!

Understanding that which is from God and that which is from the world is really simple. Being in Christ is from God and this was the teaching of Paul. Paul, being filled with the Holy Spirit acknowledged that he was a new creation as a being in Christ which meant he was being in God as Jesus was/is God. Being in Christ means to be in His peace and rest. Some have unfairly criticized Paul saying that the true essence of being a Christian is 'being of Christ' and this is the doctrine of most humanists. 

What humanists fail to recognize is that God is spirit, and we are to live in the spirit which means to be born again made 'alive in Christ' thus reminding us that we were/are created in the image of God; thus, a being in Christ who is God. One can be in Christ and be of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit but those who are only a 'being of Christ' say one cannot be in Christ as it is mysticism. 

What is wrong with that? If we agree that all can be in Christ in the place where they are then indeed they are a new creation in Christ as they are free indeed in Jesus Christ and by being free in Christ are at rest in Christ having truly given over to His will in the place where they are regardless of being rich or poor or whatever in terms of good/bad. 

But the one who is only a 'being of Christ' cannot be at rest...It is the difference between being a Martha of a Mary. And, there are many such Marthas in the world who get awards for their 'works' as a being of Christ but their awards come not from God but from man and that is being in the world and not being in Christ.

Many don't get it... they still want to be an Albert Schweitzer and not that he was a bad 'Christian'. But, he was mistaken in many respects. Firstly, a critic of Paul and by being so, the good doctor was a being of Christ; works oriented. Thus, he denied to the very people he was trying to help what they actually needed ~ being in Christ. 

Oh, he helped them and in kindness indeed but that was all he did and effectually he continued justified in his works as a being of Christ. From a humanist point of view, saving people from near death is a victory but for whom if the one saved is not born again in Jesus Christ. People have been saved by false works. 

A being in Christ needs no other works than the work that Christ performed on the cross. Being in Christ establishes the truth from the lie of being in the world. When you are born again you are a new creation, a being in Christ and He will never leave you or forsake you.

This is our testimony, being born again in Jesus Christ, for in Him, we live, move and have our being! Acts 17:28. One in Christ ~ Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, then make my joy complete by being of one mind (in Christ), having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose ~ Philippians 2:1-2.

Which means that if your life in Christ makes you strong, and his love comforts you, then you will have fellowship with the Spirit, and you will have kindness and compassion for one another.

WHAT IS OUR TESTIMONY?

There is only One True God! There are not many gods or ways to the same God who is Jesus Christ. Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" ~ John 14:6." When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the TESTIMONY they had maintained" ~ Rev. 6:9.

The Bible is The Word of God, "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being' "~ Acts 17:18-28.

For God so loved the world, He sent His only Son. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." ~ John 3:16. The world is the whole of humanity. There is no other god who came into this world to save us from sin! The One True God Jesus Christ who is God the Father, God the Son and Holy Spirit! In Him, we live, move and have our being and we have eternal life through His Son who was born, lived, died, was buried and resurrected!  

What is our testimony? Our testimony is Jesus Christ, God the Son who lived, died, was buried and resurrected. There is no other god! The One True God Jesus Christ who is God the Father, God the Son and Holy Spirit! In Him, we live, move and have our being and we have eternal life through His Son who was born, lived, died, was buried and resurrected!

"One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. The one who saw it has testified to this, and his testimony is true. He knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe." John 19:34-35.

Today, many people worldwide are interested in or even in love with the idea of 'oneness'. There is only One Jesus Christ and in Him we live, move and have our being ~ Acts. 17:28. Know this, there is no revelation of any kind in the world's 'oneness'; certainly, not the revelation of The One True God ~ Jesus Christ!

Our Testimony is NOT the world's oneness. The world's 'oneness' is about being in love with the world and the world of flesh. How? It seems right, it feels right so I am going with it mentality. Most people still want what they can experience in the senses here and now; and, this 'oneness' faith/religion does that for them. They will argue, "Well, isn't that what Jesus was about"? 

Jesus Christ did not promote other cultures' religions'. In fact, He did not promote 'religion' or the culture of it. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people."~ Mark 1:17. 

Yes, follow me, not the world. Jesus is not about a 'oneness' experience with other religions and or cultures. He is about life eternal which is for those whom Christ calls! We must leave all (things of this world) to follow Him for it is by His grace He makes us willing to do so. Not that we must go out of the world, but we must be dissociated from the world by forsaking every thing that is of the world and against our duty to Christ!

NIV Romans 8 ~ Life Through the Spirit

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. 

Present Suffering and Future Glory

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

More Than Conquerors

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Out of Our Minds for Christ...

Has anyone ever called you crazy for a decision made or action taken based on your belief in Christ? It should not surprise us when heavenly motivated decisions are questioned or even screened by those who prioritize thing thins of this world. We are indeed heavenly citizens and we operate by different rules.

Because we do, it should also come as no surprise when people move away from you or don't invite you to their house/party or even like you on facebook. Some may even dislike you on social media. As one pastor said, "The world is more moved by love or actions that are human creations". They are not so moved by the love or the actions of Christ.

Why is that? The world is in love with itself and those who love the world will be loved by it. The world wants what is wants and it wants that which is immediately gratifying.

In the second chapter of Corinthians, Paul contrasts our earthly existence with the heavenly, observing that when we live out our faith as God's new creation, we will be viewed as different by the world. He says, "If we are 'out of our mind', as some say, then it is for God.

We are not commending ourselves to you again. Instead, we are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you can answer those who take pride in appearances rather than in the heart. If we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, therefore all died ~ 2 COR 5:12-14.

We are called to live by faith and not by sight (2 COR 5:.7). We exist on this earth and in an earthly body, but our heavenly destination changes everything. Christ's love enables us to follow the path of forgiveness. It persuades others to believe (v.11) Paul rejoices that, because of Christ, "the old has gone, the new is here!" (v. 17). Is it any wonder that we are considered "out of our min" for God?





*Source ~
 Moody Global Ministries: Today in the Word! April (ed); pg 29. 2018.

Be Still and Know that I am God! ~ Psalm 46:10.

"Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” ~ Psalm 46:10.

We know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life ~ 1 COR 8:6.

Jesus said to first "The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.The second is to Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these” ~ Mark 12:29-31.

Yes, the Lord God Creator of Heaven and Earth and all things seen and unseen is One God Jesus Christ ~ Yes, He who is the Father/Son/Holy Spirit. Who was in the beginning/is and will be! Knowing this to be the absolute truth in every human being, is how/way we love others as we love ourselves. Because, we are one in the same God. 

There can not be other gods; for if we agree on that (other people have other gods) then you cannot love them as you love yourself. Why? Because, you can not know them as you know yourself... they are alien to you. Only are we one in the One True God ~ Jesus Christ.

THOUS SHALT HAVE NO OTHER "GODS" (small "G") OTHER THAN ME ~ Exodus 20:3.

Quite simlpy put - these false "gods" are nothing but demons and fallen angels posing as gods. But there is only ONE eternal creator who is our savior, redeemer and friend. All the others are wicked, evil and liars. And they are NOT GODS.

And, when you look around you see that many in the world have fallen under false gods. The 'one world idea where everyone gets along and has their god'...not gonna work, never has/ will. Where did that idea come from? It came out of the man made idea of pluralism or multiculturalism whereby man thinks there can be many gods and many good (s); as in there can be many 'good' governments existing as one.  But, which one do we love/exalt/cherish/worship, whose truth???

There are not many truths. And, that is why a one world religion/gov will never work. Because in that false notion, we think that a world religion/gov can give everyone what they want when they want it (physical and spiritual). In that unreal view, man in his own eyes does not need to have the One True God (over and above) him. Man in his own righteousness can be one good according to his/her idea. But that is not true. There is only one Good as in One God and only in Him are we one because of He who loves us, He who knows what is best for us and deserves our worship and praise ~ Jesus Christ!