My co-leader led the bible study this A.M. He put a slightly different spin on the passage than I would have, but he added a couple of things that got my attention.

John 18:1 GNB After Jesus had said this prayer, he left with his disciples and went across Kidron Brook. There was a garden in that place, and Jesus and his disciples went in. John 18:2 CEV Jesus had often met there with his disciples, and Judas knew where the place was.

2Samuel 15:30And David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went, and his head was covered and he walked barefoot. Then all the people who were with him each covered his head and went up weeping as they went.

David, the man after God’s own heart, was accustomed to going to the Mount.

Zechariah 14:4 In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.

Zechariah prophesied of his physical return to the earth, to make things right in the last days.

Matthew 24:3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

This was their quiet place. Oh yes, he was very familiar with this place.

It seems I did not realize the depth of two simple verses. But then that may be part of our problem; we seem to think that everything is just a simple, meaningless verse. One of the ways you shake that kind of thinking is to realize that this bible you hold is a Jewish book. Yes, the appeal tends to change with Mark’s gospel and then Paul’s writings, but overall it speaks deeply to the Jewish heart. Having at least a minimal understanding of the Jewish heart can help.

My co-leader had done a bit of reading on the brook Kidron, and said some things I have never heard before. I looked at some of my commentaries and found this:

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.

“I detain the Reader at the very entrance on this Chapter, in order to beg his attention to what the Sacred Writer hath said of this brook Cedron, or Kidron. It is evidently the same as that mentioned, 2Sa_15:23. And as David, in passing over this brook in his distresses, was clearly a type of Christ, it merits our attention the more. Some have thought that the name of Cedron, or Kidron, which signified black, was given to it because it lay in a dark valley. And others conclude, that its name was taken from the black and foul waters which ran into it from the temple sacrifices. In either sense, the gloominess of it, and the filth of it, rendered it loathsome. And if, as is supposed, the prophetic Psalm concerning Christ had an eye to this brook when it is said, that he should drink of the brook in the way; Psa_110:7. it may serve to lead the mind to some very solemn and interesting reflections. Here it was that the good king Josiah caused the polluted vessels of the temple to be burnt. 2Ki_23:4. And all the uncleanness found in the house of the Lord in Hezekiah’s reign, was carried here. 2Ch_29:16. Jesus passing over it, and drinking of the brook in his way, may not unaptly be supposed to represent the filth and blackness of sin, in which Christ as our representative appeared. And his drinking of it might be supposed to refer to the cup of trembling, which, as the Church’s Surety he drank to the very dregs, that his people might drink the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. Isa_51:22; Psa_116:13.”

Poor Man’s Commentary, by Robert Hawker

This all makes so much sense to me now considering what was about to befall Jesus.

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Posted on 12/22/2013 by remso | Leave a comment

Jesus came for one reason

Posted on 12/10/2013 by remso

“My life was not meant to be an example to copy. Being my follower is not trying to ‘be like Jesus’, it means for your independence to be killed. I came to give you life, real life, my life. We will come and live our life inside of you, so that you begin to see with our eyes and hear with our ears, and touch with our hands, and think like we do. But we will never force that union on you. If you want to do your thing, have it. Time is on our side.” ~Jesus speaking From the book, The Shack

Jesus came for one reason, to give us life, and to give us safe passage back to the Father should we choose to follow him by believing in him.

Hebrews 6:17-20 GNB To those who were to receive what he promised, God wanted to make it very clear that he would never change his purpose; so he added his vow to the promise. (18) There are these two things, then, that cannot change and about which God cannot lie. So we who have found safety with him are greatly encouraged to hold firmly to the hope placed before us. (19) We have this hope as an anchor for our lives. It is safe and sure, and goes through the curtain of the heavenly temple into the inner sanctuary. (20) On our behalf Jesus has gone in there before us and has become a high priest forever, in the priestly order of Melchizedek.

I had to stop, overwhelmed by this realization once again. My eyes filled with tears as I thought, why me? I have done nothing to deserve such love. It can only be because of the strength and mercy of the Father.

In reading the Hebrews passage above I can see clearly at verse 19 that Jesus is that hope. Hope is a person, and he is safe, sure, and an anchor for our lives.

With that in mind we finish off chapter 17. The anchor and future high priest was standing there encouraging them in the hope. There was still so much for the Holy Spirit to show in the future, but the basis for hope stood before them.

If we continued in chapter 17 I believe I would look at verses 21 and 24.

John 17:20-21 NASB “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; (21) that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

I included verse 20 because it tends to clarify and answer the question that verse 21 presents me.

Who is he talking about when he says, “that they may all be one;”?

We should all understand by this point that he is talking about, and to, the disciples directly, and future believers indirectly.

Why would he have to make such a statement unless they did not have the unity he had hoped for?

If Jesus had to say this, then they were not one with each other. I think the term we are looking for is unity. The Greek word is heis, and means the numeral one. That can only mean cohesiveness.

Now I want to look for examples of how the disciples reacted with each other.

I struggled for a moment, but then my mind pictured the boys struggling with each other, and then verbally pulling at Jesus as they fought to gain superiority with him by getting Jesus to allow one to sit next to him at the throne of power. You can see this here:

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She *said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They *said to Him, “We are able.” He *said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.” And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, (Matthew 20:20-26 NASB)

“….even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us,..”

There is something about this that is so intense it overwhelms me. Why would it do that?

Because Jesus is speaking about the relationship that I can and should have with the Father.

I believe that Jesus always had his prayers answered, therefore there is nothing on God’s part that is preventing me from living in a continual relationship like Jesus did.

One might think that Jesus had fewer distractions than we do; perhaps, they were definitely different, more relational, but stress is still an inconvenience.

John 17:24 NASB “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”

This statement is filled with Joy. I am not sure why I said that, especially when you consider what he has said to the disciples and what he is about to endure, but we have this as our hope.

Again the idea that Jesus always had his prayers answered tells me that we will be with him, where he is. And for those who struggle, trying to comprehend what we will be doing in Heaven, we have other verses to support the this glory which we will share in.

Psalms 31:19 AMP Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear, revere, and worship You, goodness which You have wrought for those who trust and take refuge in You before the sons of men!

Isaiah 64:4 AMP For from of old no one has heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who works and shows Himself active on behalf of him who [earnestly] waits for Him.

“..for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”

I find myself frequently reminding myself that God chose me. Why would I do that? Because I am damaged and have to be reminded that I am loved and wanted.

How many people are we surrounded by that are like that; so broken that they have to be reminded that they are wanted

Ephesians 1:4-6 GW Before the creation of the world, he chose us through Christ to be holy and perfect in his presence. (5) Because of his love he had already decided to adopt us through Jesus Christ. He freely chose to do this (6) so that the kindness he had given us in his dear Son would be praised and given glory.

1 Peter 1:18-21 GNB For you know what was paid to set you free from the worthless manner of life handed down by your ancestors. It was not something that can be destroyed, such as silver or gold; (19) it was the costly sacrifice of Christ, who was like a lamb without defect or flaw. (20) He had been chosen by God before the creation of the world and was revealed in these last days for your sake. (21) Through him you believe in God, who raised him from death and gave him glory; and so your faith and hope are fixed on God.

Conclusion: We have an intercessor who appears for us continually to guarantee our safe delivery to the haven above and our keeping along the way. He prays not for the world but for those who are His, and those that will be his in the future.

That they might be preserved in their salvation;

that they might have His joy;

that they might be fortified against the evils of the world;

that they might be purified through His Word;

that they might demonstrate oneness with Him;

that they might be edified in Him,

and at last behold His glory.

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Your glory on earth

Posted on 12/07/2013 by remso

“I have shown your glory on earth”

John 17:4 GNB I have shown your glory on earth; I have finished the work you gave me to do.

The first thing that enters my thinking is what did he do? I know what he did, he healed them all; he raised the dead; he told them of the kingdom; he told them he was God.

Ask yourself, has he died yet? No; then he is talking about things that he did in human form, subject to everything that we are, and yet he did it.

“his principal work was to declare his Father’s mind and will, his love and grace;“Gill’s commentary

In looking at John 16 I had mentioned that Jesus had come to save and heal the broken, wounded, dying, and lost. He came representing the Father. For those who had a damaged father image this would be difficult to accept, and I asked the question, how do you repair those wounds and regain confidence? Through a repetitious and consistent pattern of love.

Jesus just said that he had done that. For three and a half years he has done the same thing repeatedly by healing and preaching that you were more merciful than anyone had ever known.

“glorify me at your side with the glory that I had at your side before the world existed.”

John 17:5 LEB And now, Father, you glorify me at your side with the glory that I had at your side before the world existed.

Do we have to remind ourselves of what he did in order for him to get to this point, and become our life?

“.. although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8 NASB)

So he is now asking the Father to return him back to his original place. Not just to the Father’s side to sit quietly, but a return to the creative, glorified position that was his before he gave himself freely for us.John gave us a rather intense look at who he was and still is.

(John 1:1 LEB) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(John 1:2 LEB) This one was in the beginning with God.

(John 1:3 LEB) All things came into being through him, and apart from him not one thing came into being that has come into being.

(John 1:4 LEB) In him was life, and the life was the light of humanity.

John also told us that “all things came into being through him,” And yet what does

Genesis 1:1 tell us: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”. How many ways do we need to see or hear this. Jesus was God.

Genesis 1:3 states, “And God said, “Let there be light!” And there was light.” Try reading it, and Jesus said. Take a second look at the creation saga in Genesis and substitute Jesus in place of God. This is what he is asking the Father to restore him to.

This takes me back to Philippians again:

Philippians 2:6-7 LEB who, existing in the form of God, did not consider being equal with God something to be grasped, (7) but emptied himself by taking the form of a slave, by becoming in the likeness of people. And being found in appearance like a man,

He had emptied himself, but of what? Power, authority, glory, and creative abilities. Are you kidding me. How would God remove those traits from himself? Jesus did it voluntarily, and every moment of every day, living as man, trusting entirely on the Father’s will and instruction, was a choice.

Was there ever a time that God said NO, you cannot have that now to Jesus? No, Jesus healed all that were afflicted. So for Jesus to pray and ask the Father to restore him would also be fulfilled.

“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me..”

(John 17:6 NASB) “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.

“manifested” from the Greek word phaneroo, and means to render apparent. The word render has a variety of meanings depending on the context. The meaning most applicable to us, because of the context, would be to make beneficial.

Let’s ponder this a moment. If John 17:6 read, I have given your name for use or benefit, to the men you have given me to work with. That sort of conveys an act in which he could have merely presented them with a plaque at the morning crew meeting, told them to enjoy, and left. But that did not happen. In a world (ours) in which on the job training is becoming scarce, he gave them the most intense form of training, he lived with them. They saw most everything he did, and what they saw was a way of life.

It is odd how this works. As I attempt to convey what I feel and find in God’s word I find it speaking loudly to me also. Suddenly I am beginning to grasp in a way that I had not before, that this is not just a religion we are trying to pushing on people, it is a way of life in tune with the Father. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Because he lives in me, that life lives in me, and he has made it plain and beneficial to me to live in this life.

If I operated off the word manifested only, to gain understanding, then I have to deal with this definition of manifest: Plain, open, clearly visible or obvious to the understanding; apparent; not obscure or difficult to be seen or understood.

Alright, we re-write the sentence again. I have made your name, plain, open, clearly visible, and obvious to the understanding, of those you have given me.

At this time, with his death imminent, did they understand. I think they understood, even from their earlier Jewish teachings that there was an afterlife. We see this comprehension in the book of Job.

“Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me! (Job 19:26-27 NASB)

Perhaps Eugene Peterson’s Message makes it clearer.

I spelled out your character in detail To the men and women you gave me. They were yours in the first place; Then you gave them to me, And they have now done what you said. (John 17:6 MSG)

So my take away from all this is that Jesus made the Father clear and understandable, and demonstrated how the Father’s name is of a benefit to them. I have to ponder once again, this idea of making the Father’s name a benefit. Why wouldn’t they have considered the Father’s name a benefit before? Perhaps they did, but religion tends to guard such things as sacred and untouchable, and in that light it may have been almost meaningless to them.

Question:

  1. Who is he talking to? Well Jews of course. But were these the finest and most well-trained scholastically or theologically? Not hardly. Considering that the Jewish father’s dream was to have his son become a rabbi, where did Jesus find most of his disciples? Fishing, sitting under trees, collecting taxes, and a few other places.

  2. So the disciples gained a first hand knowledge of the Father, from the Father himself. What we do not see, as Jesus selects his disciples, is someone like Saul/Paul, who had been skillfully trained in the law, a pharisee. You do not see the disciples protesting when Jesus had them walk through the grain field and start picking the wheat and eating it. Nor do they freak out over a lack of ceremonial washing, when he had prepared fish at the shore and handed it to them to eat. (A sudden change of heart, on my part. Nicodemus, the pharisee who came to Jesus by night, became a disciple. Not one of the original 12, but certainly one of those that received the fullness of the Holy Spirit when it came.)

  3. It seems that the benefit was all strictly relational and practical. Really, what good is a name or something of bartering value, if you do not know how to use it.

For Jesus to make the Father’s name clearly understood and a benefit, then he had to have shown them a consistent, practical use; he demonstrated the character of the Father.

“they were Yours and You gave them to Me”

I have considered this idea on many occasions. Although no longer perplexed by the concept, I still cannot avoid the idea that God had made his decision before the world was made. There is a thread that runs through me, that tells me that much like not being picked for the baseball team as a child, that God might not have picked me. I suppose that is rubbish considering that I am writing this to you now. The other side of this coin tries to tell me that I picked him. We do preach that in our orifices of religion called church. (I say that because we, those who believe and follow after Christ, are the church; not the building.) But then there is God himself, slapping me upside the face with a statement like this.

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Everyone who hears this should say, “Come!” If you are thirsty, come! If you want life-giving water, come and take it. It’s free! (Revelation 22:17 CEV)

I placed the Revelation passage in bold type for everything about it seems to scream, there is no exclusivity, God is imploring all to come. If you are thirsty, come!

Yeah, but what if I am not thirsty! I understand this statement comes from many attitudes:

  • You can’t make me drink! I am the consummate rebel and no one will tell me what to do. Clearly you misunderstood, as it is an invite. Everyone gets thirsty at some point, whether physically or spiritually. Why it even gets to the point that you may think that you are going to die (and that may well be). Do you have a choice at that point? Certainly, but your choices may be limited to muddy tainted waters, or come with strings attached that lead to your enslavement once again. (I say once again because Christ, whether you choose to believe it or not, bought your freedom already.) What are you free to do then? Live life on your own terms, or run into the arms of the one who freed you? (I know, I keep forgetting that you call your own shots over your life. Keep believing that.) The short answer is yes, you are free to choose.

  • The generally disinterested. One might say, I am university trained, skilful in the philosophies and scientific thought. Bravo, what has that lead you to? You know how to hide the hurts and pains of life with your great intellect or as many others do through by drinking yourself into a stupor each night. Well, clearly this living water is not for you because you are not thirsty enough yet.

  • There is another aspect to Jesus statement above, for it says, “Everyone who hears this should say come…” now the context of the hearing is the believer who is imploring you to come; I suppose I am doing that now, but there is a darker side of this statement in that many will not hear. Now whether they do that because they cannot hear, or it happens because they choose not to hear, I do not know; that is for God to sort out. But clearly, hearing is a choice and many choose to not listen.

One of the things I loved about God, as I discovered his character, was how straight forward he was. His approach with Abram (eventually God changed his name to Abraham) was to present his plan for the restoration of man through Jesus, and he laid this all out in a dream/vision. This must have been very vivid and real for Abram seeing as we now have it as written word.

“As for me, this is my covenant with you: you will be the father of many nations.”(Genesis 17:4 CJB)

Knowing full well that the man Abram could and would fail, God made the covenant anyway. I have come to understand that in communicating how he would carry through this covenant, irrespective of the man’s performance, he was making His character very clear. (I despise hearing radio preachers say this), but what God is saying here is, that this is my position and I am not moving from it; in other words God is unchanging.

“Descendants of Jacob, I am the LORD All-Powerful, and I never change. …” (Malachi 3:6 CEV)

“God is not a human who lies or a mortal who changes his mind. When he says something, he will do it; when he makes a promise, he will fulfill it.”(Numbers 23:19 CJB)

The interesting thing about the passage from Numbers, although it conveys the full impact of what I wanted to say, is that the quotation comes from the mouth of Balak, the prophet. He was not a prophet of God, (although certainly used to make this point about God’s character,) but he was a hired gun that offered his services to whoever could pay the price he asked. And he apparently would consult the gods of those who were paying him. Let me make something clear here. The whole world understands the terminology demons. When you consider that when Satan fell he took one-third of an innumerable host with to the earth. They do Satan’s bidding, and they are painfully aware of their eventual demise. In other words, they have nothing to lose. If you think they cannot or will not harm you, think again. Our protection from them comes from our staying within our relationship with the Father, and under his covering, His word. It also demands an active role on our part by standing against them in the name of Jesus Christ. For Balak to call on the gods of others is to call upon the influence of fallen angels.

As for their power; let me remind you that it only took one angel to kill all the first-born of Egypt that first passover night, and there were only two that destroyed all of Sodom, Gomorrah, and the surrounding cities with fire and brimstone. Balak himself met the angel of the Lord standing against him with a sword, as he was on his way to curse Israel. He had to be told by his donkey that this danger was there.

When you make a statement like “God is unchanging!” the same people who will not pick up a bible will say things like, what about Jonah and the Ninevites, as though they have a clue. (You should not be allowed to declared your twisted opinion until after you have done your homework, and from scripture found at least two references, in context, to back up your point.)

“..and they have kept your word. ..”

“I made your name known to the people you gave me out of the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. (John 17:6 CJB)

It feels like a movie and I have been watching, over and over, with fascination. I find myself rewinding, and studying the emotion on Jesus face (I have to imagine it) as he says the same thing multiple times, each time with a slightly different spin, in hopes that they grasp it fully this time. Perhaps there are even some that are getting it; this is evidenced in an earlier passage.

So for the present you are also in sorrow (in distress and depressed); but I will see you again and [then] your hearts will rejoice, and no one can take from you your joy (gladness, delight). (John 16:22 AMP)

The contemporary English Version translates John 17:6 like this: “..but you gave them to me, and they have obeyed you.”

The dictionary definition of obey means to comply with or yield to. In comparison with the pharisees Jesus had their full attention. Obedience does not mean a life without emotion and feeling. Jesus, God himself, displayed emotion – anger, sorrow, pain, joy. You have to keep in mind that we do not get a minute by replay of the three and one half years they spent with him. The disciples got to watch him in action; they saw him on the mount praying; they saw the drops of blood fall as sweat; they saw him respond to the sick and dying as he disregarded his own exhaustion, and they were following his example. He sent them out and they went; upon returning they were ecstatic as they relived such amazing stories of demons responding to the name of Jesus.

I suppose I should end this here. Honestly it is so rich and I enjoy exploring God’s word so much that I do not want to stop. But I too struggle with reading something that could be broken into chapters, giving me some stopping points where I might take respite and continue at a more convenient time, and I am not giving you that opportunity here.

Much of this is the basis for Men’s bible study group, but I am fortunate to cover three verses as the men jump in relating what is being said to some aspect of their lives.

Thanks for reading. To Him be the glory and honor and power forever, and the knowledge that we as believers have a hope of eternity with him.

Should you not know this Jesus Christ or have a confidence that you will spend eternity with Him, you can. Call upon his name and he will come quickly to you. He will come and make his home in you if you ask him, and he will reign over every aspect of your life, giving you life, if you will hand those areas over to him. God paid a massive price for you to be free, and it is his greatest desire for you to walk in that freedom.

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It’s already here!

Posted on 11/30/2013 by remso

Chapter 17, like 16 begins mid-thought. To start there seems inappropriate, so I recap just a bit.

For the time is coming (John 16:2)

Everything about this statement screams excitement. For the disciples it was mixed with pain and sorrow, and yet their time was just around the corner. For those of us that read these passages today the time has already come. There are many who believe that he is still speaking in mystic code, and there are many who believe that the time of God that scripture is speaking plainly to us about, passed with the disciples.

In speaking to the disciples, trying to comfort them and at the same time telling them what their future would be like, he said, 

(I am going to give this to you in a variety of versions because 
the traditional one just does not convey what he was saying and some versions 
are even mysterious.)

– Something close to standard:

John 16:25 MKJV I have spoken these things to you in parables, but the time is coming when I shall no more speak to you in parables, but I will show you plainly of the Father.

– A simplistic, childlike version:

John 16:25 GW “I have used examples to illustrate these things. The time is coming when I won’t use examples to speak to you. Rather, I will speak to you about the Father in plain words.

– This version, though it coveys the meaning, comes off rather intimidating:

John 16:25 ASV These things have I spoken unto you in dark sayings: the hour cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in dark sayings, but shall tell you plainly of the Father.

– When trying to find an accurate translation of scripture, many have said that the NASB is one of the best.

John 16:25 NASB “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father.

The hope is that I can give you a translation that allows you to grasp the heart of what Jesus is still telling us today. Sadly, I think that many will still read these passages and determine that this “speaking plainly” was momentary and only for the disciples. I do not agree.

If this was meant to be merely a history of the moment it still demonstrates that there was a turning point, and we know that turning point caused them (the disciples, over 120) to be empowered. The revealing of this change is not that turning point, that happens when they received the Holy Spirit.

I have come to believe that every follower of Jesus Christ received the Spirit of God when they accepted Christ, but I do not see the empowerment in believers that is associated with the baptism; this empowerment is a huge aspect of the message we see in Acts, and a major factor in the drawing of people to Christ. 

(An idea that I attempt to develop is that God’s main purpose is to win back the world through love. Considering how broken and disoriented we are that really only happens because of repeated acts demonstrating that He can be trusted and loved. Perhaps this is why the Holy Spirit is sent to empower us; to demonstrate His acts of love, repeatedly to a broken world.)

“I have come to believe that every follower of Jesus Christ received the Spirit of God when they accepted Christ”

What is wrong with this picture? While it has a multitude of answers, primarily conjecture, as to why, I believe that the deceiver/Satan has done an effective job in getting us to believe that we are powerless, that all that God gave these men was not meant for us and has passed, nor do we get what they got because we don’t need it today – we have doctors and they didn’t. Do you really believe that?

Jesus said he would speak plainly.

Since Christ is the embodiment of the Father then it is the Father that is speaking to us. I try to maintain that attitude so that I do not diminish the word coming to me. An incident I had at work a short time ago, might help to convey what I am talking about.

The store had been closed for a hour and a half. That was when the supervisor that I had unloaded some grief on earlier in the day decided to ask me how I was doing (Look, when you are not doing mentally well it is easy to perceive a simple, innocent question as harassment, and I did). When this happened I knew that I had three choices I could make in response to what was said. I chose poorly, and I have to take responsibility for that. The following day, during worship time at church, the Spirit spoke to me. I knew, without a doubt, that it was Jesus speaking to me. He spoke very plainly and distinctly to me; he spoke in terminology that I understood, and yet when I answered Him back I said, yes sir. That answer, in my mind, conveyed an importance as if the Father was speaking to me.

I guess the take away from John 16:25 is: What is he saying to you?

Another vital aspect of chapter 16 before we move into chapter 17 is,

John 16:27 NASB for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father.

I would think that it was obvious that Jesus loved the disciples, and by extension you and I for scripture tells us “that God so loved the world”, but this is taking on a whole new depth for me. The Father loves me!

Why is this aspect of  the Father’s love so important?

When you have not had a father’s love and cannot even understand it, a statement like this is incredible. Some who read this have been sexually abused, while others had nothing more than an ominous dictator for an example.

How do you change an attitude that is that damaged?

Only through repetitious displays of love and a rebuilding of trust. The God of love is all about that, this rebuilding of broken lives; it seems to be his thing.

Jesus introduced his ministry, and the Father’s heart, when He quoted this passage from Isaiah to those in the synagogue that day.

Isaiah 61:1 NASB The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;

He effectively told them: This is why I am here and who I am; who God, the Father is!

Consider some of our main characters of the bible when you think about this love toward man.

  • Abraham: has God show up in a dream/vision, lays out his plan to rescue man, what he will do for Abraham if he follows God’s lead, and ends with a defining statement as to His unchanging ways when he says, “as for me.” This happens repeatedly.
  • Samson: this man became prominent in my thinking recently when one of the men in bible study opened up about his desire to lead a youth bible study. He mentioned Samson as a character study he could use. I responded by saying how Samson could be one of the most difficult characters to use because he, at every turn, displays his self will instead of following God’s will. What makes Samson stand out is his trust and God’s trust of him. God never let go, nor gave up on him. The Father loved him.

This seems like the perfect lead in to chapter 17

John 17:1 BBE Jesus said these things; then, lifting his eyes to heaven, he said, Father, the time has now come; give glory to your Son, so that the Son may give glory to you:

“Father, the time has now come;”

Did we have any doubts as to when the time would come?

It almost seems appropriate to say, I saw the movie and I know what is coming next. Really I have read and heard this story many times and know the torture he will soon endure, his eventual death, resurrection, return to the Father, and the coming of the Holy Spirit.

And yet many are still looking for that time to come. I cannot begin to tell you how sorrowful that makes me.

“the time” takes on multiple meanings all of sudden.

You should know at this point that he is aware of the impending pain, and unspeakable horror, but that is not the “the time” he is referring to.

He is also intensely aware that the plan of salvation is about to come to fulfillment, and there is the fact that soon, the Holy Spirit of God will be poured out, not only on the disciples, but everyone.

Read Acts 10:22-44 There you find that this Holy Spirit not only fell on someone other than a disciple, but a non-Jew as well.

“glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You..”

Glorify = to render esteem.

This is not be something that God suddenly decided Jesus was worthy of.

Psalms 86:9 NASB All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name.

Unless something changed, but what changes, even if at least momentarily?

Jesus, while hanging on the cross, an action soon to transpire, says,

Mark 15:34 MKJV And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? (which being translated is, My God, My God, why did You forsake Me?)

I cannot tell you how many sermons I have heard on this and yet so few seem to get it. The relationship was broken, and lost, at least momentarily.

God had to forsake him. (Forsake= to quit or leave entirely)

Why? Because Jesus became sin.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

I have heard it said that God cannot look upon sin, but I cannot find a precise reference in scripture that defends this sort of statement.

Ezekiel gives me a little something, but I cannot really see how this fits unless it demonstrates how Jesus took the full brunt of wrath that we deserved.

Ezekiel 5:11  (11) Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord; surely, because thou hast defiled my holy things with all thine abominations, I also will reject thee; mine eye shall not spare, and I will have no mercy.

The prophet Habakkuk prophesied and lamented at the same time, and to some degree made the statement, but there is a context and you have read the statement in light of the context, and it is not about God just turning his back on evil.

Habakkuk 1:13 GNB  But how can you stand these treacherous, evil men? Your eyes are too holy to look at evil, and you cannot stand the sight of people doing wrong. So why are you silent while they destroy people who are more righteous than they are?

There was more to this payment He made on the cross than just sin.

Hebrews 12:2 NASB fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

All of the payment for sin, sin that was our debt, not his, was placed upon him.

Colossians 2:13-14 NASB (13) When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, (14) having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

They did not nail any pieces of paper to the cross with our sins written on it, (I have done this several times. There is the opportunity for a mental, momentary separation from that sin, but it does not remove sin) and tell us ok, all is forgiven. No, Jesus took this unto himself. He became sin; our sin, and was himself nailed to the cross. That action bought our forgiveness, canceled our debt for sin, and completely took it out of the way.

John 17:2 NASB even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.

Sorry, this just does not make sense. Lets try another version.

John 17:2 EMTV just as You have given Him authority over all flesh, so that He will give eternal life to all You have given Him.

Jesus is still alive at this point, and there is a general understanding that Jesus submission to the cross entitled him to great benefits.

Philippians 2:8-11 EMTV (8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (9) Therefore God also has highly exalted Him, and has graciously given Him a name which is above every name, (10) that at the name of Jesus every knee may bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, (11) and that every tongue may confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

So the authority over all flesh really happened long before the cross. This had to come while he was with the Father, and quite possibly from the beginning of time. And yet this simple phrase has multiple definitive moments, for Christ, and also for us.

Here is why?

“so that He will give eternal life to all You have given Him. “

We can read this passage and make the assumption that this pertains to the disciples only.

Another version seems more open – less restrictive.

“so that he would give eternal life to everyone you give him. “

This, to me, represents all those in the future, which includes us, therefore we all, who have believed in him.

How many has God given him? Perhaps it is a limited number, and if you are a believer, you are just one of the fortunate ones?

I am reminded that “God so loved the world that he gave.” I cannot read this without thinking that his love was and is poured out toward everyone.

Matthew 4:23-24 KJV And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. (24) And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

They did not just bring him the resident Jews. Most of them did not believe that he was God and probably would not have come anyway. They brought everybody.

Romans 10:12 KJV For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

Romans 11:32 KJV For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

If you have ever wondered what it meant to have eternal life?

John 17:3 NASB “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

What are the ramifications of a statement like that?

To know is the Greek word ginosko, meaning to comprehend, be aware, or perceive, among others.

What if we re-stated the verse. “This is eternal life, that they may comprehend you, the only true God ….” And yet even this gives us problems because there are those that come off as though they comprehend but have no relationship with him at all.

Doesn’t any interpretation of what Jesus said, have to do with an intimate relationship, one much like the disciples had?

“This is eternal life, that they may know You..”

To trust this statement is to trust in the hope. What hope?

Titus 1:1-2 NASB Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, (2) in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago,

Paul understood that there was a hope of eternal life, but as some conjecture, eternity will be nothing more than sitting around singing old church hymns to God. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Paul told us that no eye has seen, nor has the mind comprehended what God has prepared.

1 Corinthians 2:9 EMTV But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

But this concept is not just a New Testament one. Look at what the Psalmist has to say.

Psalms 31:19 NASB How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of men!

Romans 9:23 ERV He waited with patience so that he could make known the riches of his glory to the people he has chosen to receive his mercy. God has already prepared them to share his glory.

Why would God do anything like this, for us?

Because the entire reason we were created was to walk with him as family.

John 8:34-36 MSG Jesus said, “I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. (35) A slave is a transient, who can’t come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. (36) So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through.

We who are followers of Christ have been made to be sons, and have gained an established position in the house.

Ask Jesus Christ to make himself real to you today. Receive him as the ruling member of your life and you to can enjoy the life with the Father.

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Papa, are we there yet?

Posted on 11/25/2013 by remso

In ways they were much like the grand kids on a longer trip, saying, “papa, are we there yet?” But how much do I still sound like this, for sometimes I find myself doing and thinking the same things as the disciples did.

John 16, it seems, should be the epic heroes tale, with Jesus as the hero telling his troops (the boys) about the things of the future, a conquering victor, a life with that victor, and an end of the story that is beyond comprehension and belief, for nothing has ever turned out that good, except for one thing; this life they have lived in his presence.

Now if that is the way they thought then the idea of Jesus leaving them must have been unconscionable. If you are honest as you read chapter 16 you can see what I am talking about.

I did not lead this last Sunday, our co-leader did, but I always go ready; one never knows, besides, didn’t Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tell us that we are to be ready all the time.

2 Timothy 4:2 GW  Be ready to spread the word whether or not the time is right. Point out errors, warn people, and encourage them. Be very patient when you teach.

So when my partner threw out his first question, and you could cut the silence with a knife, I jumped in (I always have something to say.) Many  times I refrain from saying things because I want the guys to interact. Interaction tells me that you are either learning, or at least invested in the story.

We did not cover the rest of the chapter the way I would have, but we finished.

I am not done yet. Let’s pick this up at John 16:13

John 16:13 ASV Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come.

John 16:13 MKJV However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth. For He shall not speak of Himself, but whatever He hears, He shall speak. And He will announce to you things to come.

I am not the great theologian. If I were I would dissect this section where it talks about, “when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come,…”

This seems so impersonal, so vague, and yet we should understand that Jesus interacted with this same spirit when he was in the presence of the Father.

I could be wrong in interpreting this but it seems that Jesus was speaking of himself, not the spirit, when he said this:

John 14:18 I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you.

Loosely I could say he fulfilled this promise after he rose from the dead. He could not make this promise once he departed back to the Father, which was the trigger for the Holy Spirit to come, because none of the disciples would live on forever. Many died within months of this oration, others, like John, lived on for many years. And yet none had a physical visitation from Jesus Christ, (I think).

Having read the book, “The Shack”, where the Holy Spirit is an ethereal, undefinable entity, that seems to move as though he is responding to the slightest breeze. It becomes difficult to think of it as a he. Why not? Jesus came from the Father, so does the Spirit; Jesus does only what the Father tells him, so does the spirit. So the Spirit and Jesus fully carry the importance, and duty of the Father.

How would you go about trying to define the Holy Spirit, that is going to replace him, to a bunch of guys that apparently are coming apart at the seams?

“when the Spirit of truth comes,”

We already understand that Jesus had laid out what would occur: his death, his resurrection, his ascent to the Father, and his word that they Comforter would come to them. This is all in the near future to them.

Spirit of – pneuma – We find this throughout scripture. This is the Holy Spirit.

Jude 1:20-21 NASB But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, (21) keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

2 Timothy 1:12-14 NASB For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. (13) Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. (14) Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.

1 John 4:13 NASB By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

Truth – alētheia – what is true in any matter under consideration.

This concept is something I ran across while involved in the faith movement. I had no idea that the Word itself conveyed this meaning. Circumstances may say otherwise but God’s word is true regardless of the circumstances around you.

Comes – to be established, find its place, become known, and shows itself.

 “he will lead you into all the truth;”

hodēgeō – to be a guide, lead on one’s way, to guide.

I suppose that all we have to do is to trust him. Having been raised to be negative and not trust, I find it difficult at times to decide whose voice I am hearing. Therefore, We are forced to live by faith and have to learn to trust.

Again, the wide view is to say that with the Holy Spirit to guide me, then I probably do not need a pastor. Somehow I feel like this is inappropriate, and yet how much less appropriate is it to argue against God’s word.

I will be honest. I go to church, and I enjoy my Pastor’s messages. My concept of Pastor has had to change as I have a variety of relationships with such. This one has been my pastor for about seven years and we have shaken hands, perhaps twice. Compare this lack of contact with the pastor that I used to ride motorcycles with. I suppose that is the drawback of a large church. Selah.

Sometimes though, like when I have been up since sunrise, and now, hours later, I am sitting in a comfortable chair, I fall asleep, far too often.

If I were to choose my greatest reason for being at church I would have to say that it is the people, for so many of these people have become family to me. Yes, I deeply value worship. It is the time that opens me up spiritually, and I always find myself pouring my heart out in prayer during worship. But having “family” that understands and makes themselves available when I am struggling, and they with me.

Honestly, if each one of us has the Holy Spirit in them, capable of teaching them, and guiding them, then our greatest draw should be the interaction with others.

If you have no idea what I am talking about, then I suggest you come to know this Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will come into you and fill you with the power and presence of the living God. You will be a member of the family and Jesus will come to restore us to the Father once again.

Time is short.

Practice loving on people and enjoy this life we have in Christ.

If you do not know this Jesus, nor have a hope of salvation from the onslaught that is coming, I suggest that you give him your life and take his in return. Jesus said he would come into you and abide in you, that is the Holy Spirit of God he is talking about. Along with this relationship comes an assurance that he will come again and take you to be with him and the Father in  a lasting, eternal relationship. A life that is beyond anything  that you can imagine (I, and others, have come up  with some wild scenarios like plants that light up when you touch them or make music as they emit colors). Enough weirdness. Just know that God  loves you and longs to have you rejoin the family.

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This is that!… Part 2 of 2

Posted on 11/23/2013 by remso

You should have figured out that the this is the Holy Spirit.

John 16:7 NASB  “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

He did go, and the “helper” did come, to stay. So we should be living in the full benefit of God’s presence in us, if we have accepted Jesus Christ.

Migrating through John’s gospel with men’s bible study and this is what I saw.

John 16:8-11 NASB  “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;  (9)  concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;  (10)  and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;  (11)  and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

I already attempted to cover the aspect of convicting the world of sin. So as I read on I noticed that the Holy Spirit also convicts on righteousness and judgment. Judgment sort of makes sense, especially when you were raised in a judgmental environment, but what does it mean when speaks about conviction concerning righteousness.

(Yes, I understand, you merely need to apply some logical thought and God’s word to the passage to understand, but very few will do that. I speak from experience, for I sat in church for years, expecting some Pastor to give me all the truth I needed. I did not look into the Word for myself and I cannot swear that I got the truth; at least when I compare what they said to what I see in God’s word, I do not think so.)

John 16:10 NASB and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;

The Holy Spirit, as we have seen, convicts of offenses, but here He also speaks about righteousness.

What is righteousness? Thayer’s definition: “in a broad sense: the state of him who is as he ought to be, the condition acceptable to God.

But this begs another question. Who acts as he ought to be? Or what is the condition acceptable to God? Paul answered both in his letter to the Roman church.

Eugene Peterson’s The Message, we have: Romans 12:1 MSG So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life–your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life–and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.

To be honest, the entire 14th chapter of Romans defines what is the acceptable condition of the believer. Odd word this believer, for it conveys someone who adheres to the words and pattern of life of another. But one verse stands out as the nutshell that has it all.

Romans 14:19 MSG So let’s agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words;

When you look at this verse in the context of the entire chapter, it is a life that is not about getting your own way. Set aside your selfishness; Jesus did.

There is absolutely nothing we can do on our own to make ourselves acceptable condition.

Why? Because since Adam’s fall we are born with knowledge of good and bad. Bad is the only thing Satan invented and boils down to pure selfishness. It is our nature to pursue one or the other, and selfishness and bad are so much easier and they seem to taste better. Besides that, who are you to tell me what to do! Exactly what I am talking about. It is almost as though we are driven to it or it is built-in.

Hang around an AA meeting and listen to what some say. You will hear, “Hi, I am (insert name here) and I am an alcoholic.” How did we get that way? It was easy, attractive, it pulled our minds off of the battle that being unselfish involves, and it is addictive. For many it is hopeless, and they come to realize that they cannot free themselves on their own.

We needed a savior, and perhaps that is an aspect of what we to be reminded of. Speaking for myself, I have to remind myself often, that my character is patterned after Jesus Christ and the Father; that happened immediately and progressively the day I accepted Jesus Christ. The immediate action came as He came into me. As I grow in my understanding of Him and what I wish to be, there is a progressive and continual changing to look more like him. (Still working on that.)

Strong’s definitions tell us that it is an: equity (of character or act). If you are like me then you are scratching your head asking, what that means.

Equity is the impartial distribution of justice, or the doing that to another which the laws of God and man, and of reason, give him a right to claim.

I suppose I could say this another way. Treating others the way God would.

Now some would believe that God’s only job in life is to punish us all with hell, and that would be wrong. How could you believe that if you understood that God so loved a world that did not know him, rejected him in some cases, had no idea of what his character was like, did not love him, did not know that he loved them, and though he had tried to let them know for thousands of years, sent at that time his only Son to submit to a brutal death, for one reason only, to regain his family (us) back.

What does God’s actions have to do with me? Because I accepted what he did as mine and chose to make Jesus Christ my life, then that makes me as though I am the same flesh and blood as Jesus. To some, that makes me kin folk, and to dishonor me is no different from dishonoring the Son that paid that price for me.

Kinship is available, not shoved down your throat, that would be a little selfish, and out of character for God. The price paid obtained for us the freedom to choose which family to live in and be a part of. Yes, there are family members that do not take out their trash and rebel. And yes, they are an embarrassment, but like many children that do that, eventually, if there is time, they actually turn into decent human beings if given a good example.

What of the others? Those of you that want an angry God may find him. But that was not the plan for you. Remember: God so loved the world, and yet, in general, the world does not love him. They are blinded by the enemy, Satan, and many will never come to love the Father, but will rise up, foolishly, against all that he stands for. Scripture calls this the anti-Christ spirit. That which is against God.

Should you be asking how would someone become righteous, escape judgment, or simply join God’s family, I would simply ask Jesus Christ to make himself real to you. Accept Him into your life, and choose to have him live inside you.

This is a time of thanksgiving in America. In a way everyday is. Why? Because without his life in me I would have no life.

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This is that! 1of 2

Posted on 11/21/2013 by remso

The girlfriend asked me, “so what do you want to study?” My answer was, I am usually motivated to dive into whatever has challenged me or I whatever has made me feel the need to understand something more completely. Such was the case with men’s bible study over the last two weeks.

You cannot possibly do the scriptures justice in five words or less. Mind you there are good reasons for giving overviews of an entire book of the bible in one hour, but trust me, all the listener will get, if they do not dig themselves, is an overview that they will most likely forget. The entire gospel of John, is that way to me. I need to absorb it.

John 16 is filled with emotion, both as Jesus wrestles through to his purpose, and the disciples struggle with, what did he just say! We are losing him? But they are not losing him; try telling them that. That is exactly what Jesus was trying to do.

John 16:7-8 BBE  But what I am saying is true: my going is for your good: for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.  (8)  And he, when he comes, will make the world conscious of sin, and of righteousness, and of being judged:

He told them, I am going away, but it is for your good. Now let me get this straight. We have walked around with you for three years. Judas has taken money out of the bag on a continual basis and it never had an impact on us financially. Our families have never been without or sick the entire time, and you say your leaving will be better. Have you lost your mind?

That might have been the way it played out in their minds. I think it is a mistake to assign them some holy status that they did not have, and therefore would have been far above human reasoning and pain. Please, spare me. They were men, and they did not get it.

“…if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you….” We should all know the way this went. He was beaten by the religious leadership and then handed over to the Romans who gave him a beating that most would not have survived. Jewish leaders demanded his death and got it. The disciples were devastated. Peter quit and went back to fishing. When Jesus found him there, there were several other disciples there with him.

Almost like rallying the troops, Jesus has re-appeared to many (over 400) and told them to wait for the Paraclete to come. I cannot begin to understand what that word meant to them. Translated some have called it a friend, and yet can almost carry a legalistic tone as a mediator. The idea that the Holy Spirit is a helper is easier to swallow, but Jesus, when explaining it moments later said, “I“. The Holy Spirit is no less God than He was, and instead of being outside talking to us, demonstrating how to act and walk, He is now inside. I do not think we grasp that; I know I don’t. Jesus was God in the flesh. The Holy Spirit is God inside of us.

What have we got so far? Jesus died, rose again from the dead, and, on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit came, just as he said it would.

Now here is what I want to talk about.

John 16:8 NASB  “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;

Hang around any religious circles and you will hear the term conviction come up. It usually applies to you and what you are doing wrong. But pay attention to what Jesus said:

“when He comes…” Who? The Holy Spirit, and He did already. Peter, after hearing the mockery and insults coming from the religious crowd outside, responded under the power this new Spirit inside of him with,  “but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:  (17)  ‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says, ‘THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS; …….” (Acts 2:16-17 NASB). Peter did not stop there, but you will have your eyes opened if you will read it, in its entirety, from Joel chapter 2. He is talking, under the power of the Holy Spirit, about the end of time, the years which we call the great tribulation. Does anyone see anything positive when they envision the tribulation  years? No! And yet God has told us that during this time HE will pour out his SPIRIT on all mankind. Why do you think that when John sees the martyred before the throne, the second time, that there is an uncountable multitude? Because of His spirit being poured out.

Luke 9:26 “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Luke 12:37 “Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.

2Thessalonians 1:10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed–for our testimony to you was believed.

John 16:9 NASB concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;

So what is sin in this case?

Sin – hamartia – also means offense or failure.

Think in terms of offenses to God. While we pursue money and think this is ok apparently God has a different idea.

Revelation 18:4 NASB I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins (OFFENSES) and receive of her plagues (the beatings that “she” is about to receive because of her blatant actions); [Italics – mine.]

The word plagues, used above, is the Greek word plēgē and means blows, stripes, a wound, public calamity, or heavy affliction.

The answer to the question above actually comes from the previous verse:

Revelation 18:3 NASB “For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality.”

Her/she is the lust for money and power.

Revelation 18:2 NASB And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.

Nations are wrapped up in her. The Kings of the earth are possessed by her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by her.

There is a commonality here, money and greed.

Look around you, all these players have come together under the cloak of NWO, Illuminati, World Health Organization, Common Wealth of Nations, Agenda 21, and have killed and poisoned the population in order to thin the herds, so to speak. It is a mass, concerted effort.

We are knowingly being poisoned on a daily basis, by aerial spraying, putting aspartame, and fluoride (known poisons in just about everything that is deemed convenience food), just to name a few. We call these conspiracy theories because the concept of a small handful of people attempting to control the world is so outlandish and unbelievable, but getting to you live in a state of unbelief is exactly what they are hoping for; that is until they have such a grip that you cannot do a thing about it.

Perhaps this will help to open your eyes.

“We are grateful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time Magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost forty years.”
He went on to explain:
“It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries.”
— David Rockefeller, Speaking at the June, 1991 Bilderberger meeting in Baden, Germany (a meeting also attended by then-Governor Bill Clinton and by Dan Quayle

Where is the tie in with scripture? Revelation 18:5 Haven’t you ever read the Revelation and wondered why it comes crashing down on what is left of the horrors of humanity with such a vengeance?

Revelation 18:5-20 NASB (5) for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. (6) “Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her. (7) “To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, ‘I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.’ (8) “For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong. (9) “And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, (10) standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ (11) “And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more– (12) cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble, (13) and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives. (14) “The fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them. (15) “The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, (16) saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; (17) for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every ship master and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance, (18) and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’ (19) “And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’ (20) “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.”

It is as though the scripture speaks in code. Most will not understand this, even if explained to them.

Ask yourself, who are the players in this scenario?

What is their attitude?

What is their goal?

And who takes the brunt of their desires?

I would say the world but that is really to broad. It is the poor, the broken, the destitute, and those that may live their lives just getting by. Those that take the attitude, I am rich and have need of nothing, not even a savior, they are ones that he is speaking about.

 

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I have said these things to you so –

Posted on 11/18/2013 by remso

I think I mentioned, in a earlier post, that I was now the co-leader of a bible study. This will be the second week in a row that I have had the floor.

I opened last weeks study by talking about the struggles that I had preparing for that week. Strangely I found myself feeling like I was in a fog. I think part of my problem is how do you keep the word of God fresh, when the men you are leading are not novices, and one in particular is theologically trained and used to lead this study himself.

Mind you I think that openness and honesty can sometimes lead to some great conversations, and in this case, when the fourth man showed up, it did.

I had a plan and barring interruptions it would have gone well. But, there are always interruptions, especially from our in-house theologian. I realize that I can take full advantage of the theologians training if it were not for the fact that he will go on for 20 minutes without breathing (just kidding about that; I think.) I think my interpretation of “well” has to really be tempered by the idea that we are a “life group”, and as such need to afford the men an opportunity to integrate their lives into the scriptures as we progress through them. (By the way, I tend to dissect scriptures)

One of our regulars did not show this past week but showed up within the last couple of minutes as we were about to end with prayer. He came in with two of his boys; one was clearly in some distress, and he asked us to pray over the boy as he could not open one eye. I rallied us to our feet and gathered around him. Prayer time was good and when we were done he thanked us and left. Mind you, he did have to take the boy to the doctor but scripturally we did what the word commands us to do – “lay your hands on the sick and they will recover.” So I deemed the morning a success.

The previous week our other leader had finished up John chapter 15. But, if you look at John 16:1 you can quickly discern that it starts mid-sentence, so I had to back up at least a couple of verses.

A quick recap: John 15:26, 27; the lead into chapter 16, has Jesus attempting to keep them settled in their spirits, as He has told them that he has to go away. This man, Jesus, has been their lives, their mentor, and they have had need for nothing, for three years. How could it get any better?

They don’t understand what his death is about to buy them. They do not understand that there is a hope of a future with him. And it is possible that Jesus knows to well what Peter is about to go through. This is the nature of John 16:1, but he continues:

Now comes the hard part.

John 16:2-3 ASV They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour is coming, that whosoever kills you shall think that he offers service unto God. (3) And these things will they do, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

I asked the guys, why would this be important to them?

I say this because my gentile mind, for years, never registered that these were Jews. What changed my thought on this? Every time we see Jesus in action it is the Sabbath and he is in or near a Synagogue. For three years they rarely missed a Sabbath; the people that he interacted with were Jews, and many that he healed went immediately into the Synagogue.

To be thrown out meant tremendous loss to them. This was family, community, and to some degree protection. Everything they knew and understood of God came from their training they received at the Synagogue, and lately from Jesus.

It was not just the throwing out of the Synagogues that got their attention; “the time is coming when those that kill you will think that they are offering a service unto God.”

What is about to take place? The Jewish religious leadership is about to brutally beat Jesus themselves, and then hand him over to the Romans for an additional beating that rarely a man survives. The Jewish leadership insisted that Jesus be hung on the cross to die, not understanding all along that it was God that put him on that cross, that Jesus himself was going there voluntarily, and that he was to be the sacrificial lamb that would take away the sins of the world. (We all needed this price to be paid.)

I did point out that there is a religion, active today, that feels this same way; Islam. Do not for a minute think that the goal here is to incite hatred; I am though, wholeheartedly, trying to incite reasonable thought, so that if someone is trying to pass a law that states that Sharia law is the new way of dealing with things, you vote it down and vote them out. Do what is right. Be the voice that assists with withholding the anti-Christ spirit in the land. 2 Thessalonians 2:7 NASB (7) For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out-of-the-way.

All this is the lead in to verse four.

John 16:4 LEB But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you about them. “And I have not said these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

The phrase “their hour comes” can be rather troublesome and here is why.

It carries three possible meanings depending upon the translation. Examples include:

  1. John 16:4 BBE I have said these things to you so that when the time comes, what I have said may come to your mind. I did not say them to you at the first, because then I was still with you.

  2. John 16:4 AMP But I have told you these things now, so that when they occur you will remember that I told you of them. I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

  3. John 16:4 ASV But these things have I spoken unto you, that when their hour is come, ye may remember them, how that I told you. And these things I said not unto you from the beginning, because I was with you.

If you are focused on option one then you may be looking for a random inevitable time. To concentrate your attention on option two tends to lean toward some random action specifically against you. Jesus said it would come, so the question is really a matter of when.

I happen to think the focus of the passage is more like option three; where the concentration is more on a specific time frame, and has everything to do with the end times.

Revelation 3:10 LEB Because you have kept the word of my patient endurance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole inhabited world, to put to the test those who live on the earth.

Mat 24:21 For at that time there will be great tribulation, such as has not happened from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will happen.

This testing is God’s wrath being poured out upon the earth (it comes in many forms), and we as believers were not meant to be partakers of it.

Romans 1:18 NASB For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

Revelation 6:16 NASB and they *said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;

Daniel 12:1 YLT `And at that time stand up doth Michael, the great head, who is standing up for the sons of thy people, and there hath been a time of distress, such as hath not been since there hath been a nation till that time, and at that time do thy people escape, every one who is found written in the book.

These passages speak to our hope of salvation from the wrath.

Romans 5:9 LEB Therefore, by much more, because we have been declared righteous now by his blood, we will be saved through him from the wrath.

Revelation 3:10 AMP Because you have guarded and kept My word of patient endurance [have held fast the lesson of My patience with the expectant endurance that I give you], I also will keep you [safe] from the hour of trial (testing) which is coming on the whole world to try those who dwell upon the earth.

Daniel 12:1 YLT `And at that time stand up doth Michael, the great head, who is standing up for the sons of thy people, and there hath been a time of distress, such as hath not been since there hath been a nation till that time, and at that time do thy people escape, every one who is found written in the book.

Yes, I understand that we get daily reports of atrocities being performed upon believers and those outside of Islam, but this is not the end, or “their time” spoken of in scripture. We may be moments away from “their time” but Jesus, in Matthew 24, spelled out that our comparison is Noah. This comparison has little to do with the violence or attitudes seen in Noah’s story, but has everything to do with the fact that the day that it started to rain is the day that God shut Noah up in the boat, removing him from the wrath being poured out.

The Apostle Peter expounded upon what Jesus said in 2 Peter 2 when he included Lot. If you know the story of Lot, then you know that they were beating on his door trying to get in. The Angels had to blind the men outside, and physically remove Lot and his “family” to safety saying, “Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Genesis 19:22 NASB

Why would I say that the comparison has little to with the violence and attitudes seen in both examples? In both cases there is no denying that the elements exist, but there is a clear distinction in the level of violence.

Matthew 24:21-22 YLT for there shall be then great tribulation, such as was not from the beginning of the world till now, no, nor may be. (22) And if those days were not shortened, no flesh would have been saved; but because of the chosen, shall those days be shortened.

There you have it. The tribulation period will make these current struggles seem like just a bad vacation.

We have a solid assurance that we are to be excluded and saved from the WRATH that is to come.

Everything Jesus said to the disciples, contained, as part of his message, the establishment of hope within them.

John 14:3 NASB “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

John 14:16-18 LEB And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, in order that he may be with you forever– (17) the Spirit of truth, whom the world is not able to receive, because it does not see him or know him. You know him, because he resides with you and will be in you. (18) “I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.

Hosea 6:3 NASB “So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.”

And yet there is still a wrath that is coming. The Good News Bible rephrased it like this:

John 16:4 GNB But I have told you this, so that when the time comes for them to do these things, you will remember what I told you. “I did not tell you these things at the beginning, for I was with you.

I wish we could understand a couple of things here. Jesus felt the need to emphasize that hard times will come. Yes, they come all throughout a typical life, but the Great Tribulation will go far beyond what we understand now. If He can make the statement that the time period has to be shortened or no one will survive, then there is a deadly seriousness to it.

But you also have to remember that we have a promise of Him coming back for us.

Revelation 3:10 MKJV Because you have kept the Word of My patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation which will come upon all the habitable world, to try those who dwell upon the earth.

Obviously the version I have given you says temptation, and for many that means some vice you indulge in, but the word is also interpreted as tests or trials. So we (followers of Christ) will be kept from the hour of testing that is coming upon the earth. That period is the great tribulation.

This  is about the way it works in bible study. I dive in and we camp on one verse for several minutes. This week I printed out my notes so that I would not have to spend as much time on one theme, and should our theological person show I might be able to keep him from side tracking us.

I believe that our Lord’s return is imminent. Yes, that has been the theme of believers since the day he left, but it is our directive and way of living. Having a world view like this keeps me paying attention and focused on Him. His glory and presence are becoming more real and vivid to me each day. I long for him.

If you do not understand then I suggest that you give you life over to Jesus Christ. He is the one  that gave his life for you. Because of him offering himself in a brutal death, we now have the opportunity for his life to be in us. This put us back into relationship with the Father/God, and no, his name is not Allah. His name is Jehovah, but I call him Father.

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I have been struggling with self-esteem

Posted on 10/25/2013 by remso

I have struggled lately. Not with “sin” but with learned behaviors and the longing to be free of them. As some of you know I put myself into a recovery group at church because I need to get a handle on this (poor choice of words seeing as you find out quickly that everything that you have done has not worked and it is only the act of turning your life over to Jesus Christ, continually, that affects any change in your life.)

On the plus side I am now the co-leader of a men’s bible study.

One of the guys from the 12 step group, passes me a note at the end of last nights meeting. It says read Psalm 139 everyday for one week. I opened the computer this morning to that Psalm. If you have never been involved in groups like these there are guidelines, read at the beginning of every meeting, and one of those rules are, there is no cross talk allowed. That means no one gets to interject, interrupt, or try to advise while you are talking. If you are struggling with self-esteem issues and consistently find people cutting you off, telling you what you are thinking, finishing your sentences for you, and their comments are not what you wanted to say, then groups like these are a God send because sometimes you just need to express yourself. (I am seriously thinking of instituting these rules into our bible study group, primarily because of one person.)

One more thing. I am on Facebook more than I need to be, but I have noticed something there. Anonymity. People seem to think they can make some vague entry, berating or abusing people by not stating who you are directing your comments at, and think that no one can figure it out. We all figure it out, and your vagueness only compounds the problem because those not involved can think that you have just taken your selfish shot at them. I say this because of such a comment a short time ago. It easily could have been directed at me because I consistently place comments about end times and the enemy, Satan, that we all have to deal with 24/7. I am not the odd ball when it comes to spiritual attacks, and even learned behaviors are, in my opinion, a spiritual attack.

Why? Because the enemy, Satan, came for one reason, “to kill, steal, and destroy, and we are his targets.

Why? Because we were all made after the pattern of Christ; not just the believer, although this statement is more true of us. God is who Satan tried to overthrow; Jesus is who Satan tried to kill, and anything we do that makes us a threat to his destructive practices makes us a bigger target. (Don’t think that doing nothing will make you less of a target, for your actions prove that he already beat you down.)

Opening my bible program to Psalm 139 immediately reminds of an album I had years ago, by a Messianic band called Lamb. They put much of Psalm 139 to music, and I loved it.

Psalms 139:1 GNB LORD, you have examined me and you know me. When and where did this happen?

Before the foundations of the earth were laid God knew me.

Knowing how I struggle internally and externally the thought occurs to me that we speak about God in terms of those He chooses. We know he does this because we (believers) find this in:

Ephesians 1:4,5 GNB Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him. Because of his love God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his children—this was his pleasure and purpose.

I have a terrible time finding myself to be acceptable lately. I think it primarily has to do with questions that I am having to answer that ask, do you act the same at work as you do among fellow believers at a worship service?

Work for me was a continual barrage of stress and stress impacts me negatively. At work I would be aware of a couple of small voices inside me. One would say, do this as unto the Lord, in other words my spirit was telling me to focus on work as though I was working for Jesus. There is a secondary guilt trip that falls into that statement, and that is, that if you are working for Jesus then your every move should be winning the lost for him.

May I be honest with you, sometimes I feel like the lost.

What I am getting out of this is that God knew how frail or pathetic I would be and loved me anyway. I suspect that the question of why me and not someone else is irrelevant or an improper question because we are making the assumption that God’s love does not or did not extend to a particular person, and that is not the case. The situation with Judas, one of the disciples, is the biggest monkey wrench that people throw, but I do not want to take the time to pursue that now.

Psalms 139:2 NASB You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar.

There is no escaping God. Consider this in light of Adam’s transgression.

Genesis 3:8-9 GNB That evening they heard the LORD God walking in the garden, and they hid from him among the trees. (9) But the LORD God called out to the man, “Where are you?”

Seriously! The God that knows everything I do has to ask that question?

I think that over time we have established that God, out of respect for the relationship, gives man the space to cover his shame. Some might call this God honoring man’s boundaries. I have looked at this statement a couple more times and thought that maybe we are trying to cover our indiscretions, but that is impossible. You can see this with Cain, the first murderer. Able has been buried, in an attempt to hide the crime, and yet when God shows up he tells Cain that his brothers blood cries out to Him from the ground. Remember that the life is in the blood. My goodness, this puts a whole new spin on the creativity and magnificence of man, God’s creation.

Psalms 139:3 GNB You see me, whether I am working or resting; you know all my actions.

Nothing is hidden from God. Many will read this and see it as oppressive, a situation where you get scrutinized and judged constantly, and that is not the case. We have already seen that God showed respect for Adam’s boundaries (if you wish to put it that way – if there were boundaries then God would have created them.) and if God was the all oppressive tyrant then Cain would have been dispatched immediately, and yet Cain is given a protective seal on his head by God.

If he knows all my actions then He knows how my heart longs for him and wants to do the right thing. The religious theme we shove down each others throat is, walk like Jesus, or what would Jesus do.

Consider: Jesus took the time to find cords, fashion them into a whip, and then drove the thieves out of the temple courtyard. Everything about this act is premeditated and powered by an anger that I do not understand. Obviously he was capable of doing serious damage, but a study of the situation will show a man who had anger under control. I also see a man who, like me, has little tolerance for people being taken advantage of.

So here is a little piece of truth for you. October 21, 2013 I got terminated from my job. This happened, in my opinion, because I expressed my opinion about irrational demands, in front of the opening staff, and made the statement, “but I will make it happen, and turned to go do it.”

I was angry and stressed beyond reason because I had attempted to make it happen the week before, and failed miserably. Beside that I was under a mandate from my department head to do this same thing, as time allowed, already. All while doing other tasks, helping customers, assisting other employees when needed, and working by myself.

 No stress here, yeah right.

Psalms 139:4 GNB Even before I speak, you already know what I will say.

David carries this theme throughout the writing. God is already ahead of you.

Does this show an acceptance of bad behavior? I do not think so.

First you must consider that sin has been done away with, that happened at the cross, so he is not looking at things the way we do. He still sees the end result which in part has to do with the person he is forming in you. And the other has to do with the life that we will have with Him in eternity.

Does the fact that sin has been done away with in God’s book eliminate our need to deal with people who act out? No. We have some clear instructions on how to deal with unchecked behavior, and we each have to deal with the outcomes of our choices to act against sound wisdom.

Don’t think for a second that God just hangs us out there on our own while knowing all that we will do. It just seems logical that he could have diverted us from some of the tragic actions we take. This thought reminds me of the years that I spent drinking and how fortunate I am that I did not kill anyone or myself in a tragic car crash. So maybe God has diverted me, and you, from more things than we know. (Consider those times when you were angry because you missed your turn, or there was some road work that prevented you from taking a path you wanted, only to find out that there had been a tragic accident happen there only moments before and you may have been in it.

Cut God some slack. He has plan for you and much of what you are experiencing is part of the plan to develop you into someone who can make a difference in perhaps one specific life.

I am not done with this but do need to move on for now. My acquaintance handed me a note directing me to read this chapter, each day, for a week. The way I look at scripture it will probably take longer. Already I can see things that I need to focus on, things that in a sense will be like getting an overhaul on a car. I need to show that no matter what, He knows where I am going, and that God loves me with an everlasting love.

John 6:37 MKJV All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will in no way cast out.

You are loved, wanted, understood, respected, and always welcome into His loving arms. Never forget that!

If you do not know Jesus Christ by asking him into your life I suggest you do so now. I believe time is short, and the events that are about to happen will be overwhelming and deadly. Those that refuse to take what symbol that indicates allegiance to this coming world leader, and refuse to worship what the Bible calls the beast, will be welcome into the arms of God as saints. This trouble that is coming will be tougher than you ever thought possible, and I wish for you to avoid these pains.

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This mornings bible study

Posted on 09/08/2013 by remso

This mornings men’s bible study, a continuation from last week, covered John 13:18-30. An odd place to end but it is what it is, and I am not the leader. Sometimes it is good that we do not carry on with longer passages.

This was one of the better meetings we had. One brother is fairly new and I was pleased  to hear him asking the same kind of questions I would have asked. (I have to remind myself to let others talk.)

John 13:18 NIV “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’

Judas – The debate rages on. Let me explain, and this is my thinking. Judas died prior to the age of grace, that means he was under the law. Now I am not a Jewish scholar so I cannot say whether died as a lost soul or not. But I see where there could be an out for him.

In death Jesus went and preached to the captives (Psalms 68:18 AMP “You have ascended on high. You have led away captive a train of vanquished foes; You have received gifts of men, yes, of the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell there with them.”

We see this again in Ephesians 4:8 AMP “Therefore it is said, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive [He led a train of vanquished foes] and He bestowed gifts on men.” )

Is it possible that Judas was there when Jesus showed up. Jesus, the God of love that gave his life as a sacrifice for a world that neither knew him or for the most part wanted him.

What if Judas was merely misguided by the enemy. He was not the first or the last. If none of the other disciples got it, then Judas did not either, so I am going to lean toward a God of mercy because “mercy triumphs over judgment.”

You might notice that I did not attempt to discuss the aspect of suicide. My own father sends anyone who commits such an act to hell. Really? I seriously doubt that very many people who do this are in their right minds to begin with. So let’s just say that they are mentally compromised. Another aspect of suicide has nothing to do with suicide at all. Jesus died once for all so by his own words we know that the world will not be judged for sin but for their lack of acceptance of him as the sacrifice. Again, none of the disciples got that concept until later.

What will it take to show that Jesus took the penalty for sin away?

The other side of this coin, and many have said this, is that there is that possibility that Judas was made for this one thing only. While I do not have the theological background to state this in one or two words but the concept alone fights against what I understand about God. I have had far too much mercy showed to me to think that God is anything but merciful to those who run to him. If Jesus came into the captivity of hell, showed himself to them as he really is, the majesty and glory of the Father, and strips Satan of his power right there in front of them. How many would continue to deny that he is God there before them.

‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’ Obviously there is a point of turning against the Lord. I see the topic of Judas as a can of worms that in the face of judgmental people I do not wish to open.

John 13:19 NIV “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am.

He was speaking of Judas (the context) but the statement applies to so many things he said. He wanted us to believe that He was God and that he was telling the truth.

If you paid attention to the way God presented himself to man throughout scripture it almost always came with the statement, “as for me.” God was always telling them before hand; why? So they would believe that he is so he said he is, and that he could be trusted.

Genesis 17:4 KJV As for me, behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.

John 13:1 NIV It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

When you think about how many times the Pharisees had tried to kill him, changing the game plan. Everything had led up to this moment. Jesus was not about to let Satan change the game plan.

John 13:20 NIV Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” This too opens a can of worms.

The Greek word translated accept is: lambanō Thayer Definition: 1) to take 1a) to take with the hand, lay hold of, any person or thing in order to use it.

Obviously we are not to capture those sent and chain them in our basements. Clearly Jesus is referring to the words and deeds. Now ask yourself, what did the Apostles/disciples of Jesus have for words? They really only had experience from their time spent with Jesus, so they conveyed what they heard and saw, and they saw the most amazing things.

Now consider. Is he telling us that the receipt of the person with the message or the belief in what they convey is the way to Jesus? I think the answer is obvious, the belief in what they convey. So all my concerns about how poorly I deliver the message suddenly seem irrelevant, especially when God has his hands on it. How can it be difficult to convey a message when you are merely re-telling, excitedly, what you have witnessed and heard? The problem comes when it is a second-hand story. That is not a bad thing but when challenged about ‘what did he say next’ and you do not know because you were not there is when things get uncomfortable, as you may suddenly realize that this is not your story. Hmmm! My suggestion to you is to make it your story by accepting Jesus Christ as your salvation. In receiving Jesus Christ, the messenger, one receives God.

John 13:21 NIV After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”

They were still clueless. To turn against him does not necessarily mean that you are going to betray him. Imagine their thoughts. He rattled their cages severely; I wonder why? Surely he knew how that would affect them. And in the very next verse John, who had been leaning on him, describes everyone in the room looking around the room in disgust at the others.

John 13:22 NIV His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant.

John 13:23 NIV One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.

John was being polite. He was writing about himself. When you consider the emotions that John must have gone through during the Jesus years. He was called one of “the Sons of Thunder”, not necessarily a good thing, for he was more than willing to call fire down upon an entire town for their refusal to let Jesus in, and Jesus let him have it for his misdirected zeal. What would you feel if you were leaning against Jesus and he made a statement like that? Would you pull yourself away as you said to yourself, ‘what reason would he have to distrust me?’

John 13:24 NIV Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”

However they were sitting, Peter was able to catch John’s eye. We cannot say that John was not also looking around the room in disgust at the others. Did John have some level of trust with Jesus that the others did not have? Don’t know. What we do know is that they had no clue, so if Judas had given them reasons to distrust him they did not see it or care.

One of the things we learn about Judas is that he had stolen from the money bag they carried. Obviously someone saw that; either they did not care or no one said much. As long as you were being taken care of would it matter?

John 13:25 NIV Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

I am amazed at the relationship we see here. A grown man, quite possibly putting his weight into Jesus, and Jesus does not mind. It is hard not think with a human mindset as I read this. The devil has corrupted our minds so that we cannot think about this setting in a proper way. And there is the manly thing where this should never happen. I think that my twisted thinking is an example of the devil polluting relationships with sexuality and corruption. Does that mean. I want to lean into you? Not hardly, but I am a little jealous of John’s relationship with Jesus, because I want that.

John 13:26-27 NIV Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. (27) As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.”

How could Jesus not have heard everything they said. He heard, and he answered Peter. His movements were deliberate and may have even caught Judas off guard. As soon a he took the bread. Wow. There are dynamics going on here that are widespread and overwhelming. What do I do with this?

John 13:2 NIV The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.

I think my perspective has to be that John wrote this. Yes, inspired by the Holy Spirit but almost 60 years later everything is in retrospect. One might assume that our human understanding has to come into play. We also have the historical account of Judas making the deal with the Pharisees to frame the reference.

John 13:28 KJV Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.

One of things we see here and beyond Jesus death is that the guys did not get it. It wasn’t until he began reappearing to them that they began to understand. Did he talk in parables at this point? No. He was clear and direct and still they did not understand. Compare this with us, the modern-day believer. Nothing gets past us; yeah right.

Here is the problem we all have. If Jesus, and by extension the Holy Spirit, speaks to us and tells us what to do, do we listen and do what he says? From experience I can tell you that I did not. Your curiosity asks what my outcome was. Well, I got my trophy looking wife. I can tell you that trophies merely hang on the wall and offer little to no relationship with you. You merely look at them from a distance, pointing out some of their unique characteristics, but the relationship is now dead and merely a memory of the hunt. While I got what I wanted I lost the greater prize and that was bible college. I wonder how different my life would be if I had stayed with the original plan. Another aspect of my first marriage was that I either became co-dependent or it really reared its ugly head. My life no longer was dependent upon God but upon her and what ever emotion she was feeling that day.

John 13:29 KJV For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.

One of the points we made during bible study this morning was that John pointed out that everyone was staring at the other. When you think about this process of Satan entering someone, what was happening as they stared at each other.

What if this works.

Proverbs 7:10-12 KJV And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtle of heart. (11) (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: (12) Now is she without, now in the streets, and lies in wait at every corner.)

If you will allow me to equate this to the deceiver and his tactics, then we see that he is subtle, attractive, a constant threat, and he lies in wait. So it only makes sense that the devil would jump on this opportunity to infiltrate the boys. We do not witness any discussion about the problems the guys had with Judas stealing from the money bag, but if it made it into scripture that he had been then surely they knew it. The only thing that makes sense about their lack of reaction would have been if while with Jesus every need they had got met and we had men with families and single guys. All these needs would have been different. This should not be a new concept to the an established believer because the theme of God meeting your every need (not want) is all over the scriptures. The Jews who would have had to memorize the scriptures would have been aware of the passages in Deuteronomy which promised that God would bless those who invested their time and lives in him.

1 Peter 5:8 KJV Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:

So they sat there stunned and confused. Staring at each other, playing out scenarios in their minds that fueled their arguments. If they knew about Judas and his stealing they surely would have stared at him and John probably would have made note of it. But then there was Matthew, a former tax collector, a man who worked for the Romans when they found him. What was to say that he had not gone behind their backs to make a little more money. All of this was conjecture and untrue. Jesus knew what was to come with Peter and that conversation was only moments away but not part of the equation at the moment.

John 13:30 NIV As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

I cannot even imagine what Judas felt at that moment. Some will tell you that he was a Zealot and wanted war with the Romans. One of things we see as we read the New Testament is that all Israel, with few exceptions, anticipated a warrior messiah, and Judas was merely trying to force Jesus into that role. That might have been the case, but can we be certain. But what if Satan really entered him, and the hideous convulsions that television portrays is what happened. Only speculating here for I think most of us never realize when we have let the enemy in, merely passing off our lousy behavior to far to many beers, not sleeping well, or your lousy day at work. Truth is most of us made a quiet but active choice to give into the enemies game plan.

Now as I read these passages and give them some thought I see Jesus Christ, directed with purpose. Destined to give us life that was about to cost him in terms of indescribable pain and eventually death. That death was in two forms, but keep in mind that our life was his determined purpose. That speaks nothing less than mercy regardless of the side journey called Judas takes us on.

Nothing in scripture is a side journey, nor is it pointless. It is there for a reason, and if it challenges our judgmental attitudes then it served a purpose. I say this because one of the men, who demonstrates a lack of understanding when it comes to mercy decides to throw in some commentary about how am I supposed to deal with a church that permits homosexuality in it.

Stop there. No church that I have seen hangs a sign outside that says ‘this is a church full of homosexuals.’ And, even if there were, would you or I know it? So really his problem is that he sees their acts as an unforgivable sin and that they cannot be allowed or condoned.

I have to admit this ‘brother’ got my hackles up and here is why. I have a family member that decided to live a homosexual lifestyle and I do not wish to see them perish. But the point is Jesus forgave them of their sins, that day on the cross. Jesus stated that he would not judge them for sin, but his word would. They (meaning anyone outside of Christ) will be judged for what they did with Jesus. For example: Did you accept him as the price paid for your sins, accepting the love of the Father, and now you are waiting for a life with him because of the hope you now have? If you did that then the relationship with the Father began and like a flower blossoms progressively.

There are not categories of sin. Sin is sin. You don’t get to sin a little and get by with it, it’s all bad if you are going to live under the law. So to say that homosexuals are at the top of the list and only bound for hell is wrong.

I can tell you that I have allowed my anger to so enrage me that I was willing to kill. Thankfully I did not, but scripturally to think it is to do it. So have I committed murder? Yes, and according to this brothers rules I am destined for hell. Fortunately he is not in charge. My sins, and the sins of the homosexual are covered just the same. Having spent a little time in a 12 step group I have come to understand a couple of things: 1st The church is full of sinners saved by grace. They are living, or should I say hanging on by a thread, one day at a time and 2nd the alcoholics will tell that their days are consumed by the thought of where will I get my next drink.

The brother says, “why don’t they just stop it!” Oohh, wouldn’t that be easy if it worked. Allow me to point something out.

2 Timothy 2:24-26 KJV And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, (25) In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; (26) And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

People are caught, often at will, by the devil. Yes, there are many dynamics to this equation, but telling them to stop will not work for them and demonstrates nothing more than your lack of concern for those caught. Besides that, they cannot see the freedom you might see.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 KJV (3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: (4) In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

So what should be your approach? Try showing some grace and mercy. As I sit in my step group, a Christ oriented one, a man says, “I am not a believer, and I am struggling to believe.” Without grace and mercy the leader could take the narrow-minded approach and tell him to get out, but no; he tells the man, “you are in the right place.”

A blog I read spoke about a lesbian that went to church after church. Why? Because she knew something was amiss but did not know what to call it or how to resolve it. Divulging the “sin” only got her judged and thrown out. Are you serious! Absolutely.

How about using this approach next time. Throw an arm around them and tell them, “you are in the right place.”

A personal experience. At work a brother in Christ got hired on and I was excited because I thought I now have someone else that I can share the mercy of God with. I quickly perceived that my attempts to share with him were met with clear boredom and disinterest so I quit. One day he comes in early and stops to tell me that he has had a failure. I replied, “we have all had failures, so pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and carry on.” He goes to explain that this was a moral failure, apparently making it worse. I asked him if he intended to have a lasting relationship with this lady; to which he replied, “oh no!” Now here is where I have to draw some kind of a line. I cannot just pat you on the back and say that’s okay, because it isn’t! You do not have the right to hop into bed after bed, using people. That is not who we are.

This saga with the guy from work would  take on a whole different atmosphere if I was in an in-depth relationship with him, but I am not, so I find  myself limited to what I can say to the man.

If you do not understand that we have an enemy who is after our souls, then allow me to enlighten you. Satan is in the business of destroying anything that looks like Jesus. Seeing that we were made in God’s image that is strike one in Satan’s book. Accepting Jesus into our lives places us in Christ is strike two and ups the ante. You should understand that he is pulling out all the stops in this case. Read your bible and you will find this to be true.

The battle is a daily one, and all this strife and condemnation we dish out only prohibits us from being able to share the love and life that is Christ with others, playing right into the hands of Satan. Sharing the love of God, his mercy and the hope in him is our mission above all others.

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