Category: Weekly Devotional

“The Last Saying of Jesus on the Cross.”

The seven sayings of Christ as they are called.

Please if you will just let me have the freedom to put what I see as what our Savior was saying from the cross in my words, I am not trying to put a word in His mouth or to take away from the scripture in any way, I just want you to Ponder, please and just look through my eyes for a moment.

One:

Luke 23:33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” NKJV

Forgive who? The ones that put Him on the cross? The criminals on either side of Him?

Luke 23:32 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death.  NKJV

I believe that he was talking about all of us, I think he was saying  “Abba, Daddy please forgive them for all their sins for this is the reason You sent Me for “not to condemn the world, but that the world through Me might be saved” for I am now taking their place.”

And at that moment all sin was paid for ALL everyone, from Adam to the last person to ever be born on this earth of ours, ALL. We Just have to accept that Forgiveness.

Two:

Luke 23:39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”  NKJV

I now see Jesus looking at the lowest of low, they didn’t like to just crucify anyone, he had to be beyond forgiveness from man, because they would at that time just make slaves out of them, but this one man, this sorry good for nothing sinner in his last hours ask for, and accepted the forgiveness of Jesus, and as a result, I believe we all should hear the same words of Jesus say at the moment of our conversion, “No need to worry I assure you that one day you will be with me in Heaven”.

It doesn’t matter how bad we think we are Christ will and has forgiven you.

Three:

John 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!”  27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.  NKJV

I now see Jesus looking down at his Mother and his young disciple John standing, and I am sure they were crying and in pain for what they are witnessing. And I am sure Mary did as we all do at those moments that we are losing someone to death, we remember times in the past. We see in Luke:

Luke 1:26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

We see the angel say “highly favored one”, and “blessed are you among women!”

This is “highly favored and blessed”? Having to now see her son face Calvary’s Cross. And the story goes on:

29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”  NKJV

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. NKJV

She knew that this child of hers is of God, and she knew that this was in some way Him doing His “Father’s business”.

As we see also in Luke:

Luke 2:41His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. 43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; 44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”

49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”  50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

51Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. NKJV

Did you see that “His mother kept all these things in her heart”? She kept all this, that Jesus was the son of God, and He was about His Fathers business.

And then His disciple John, over and over said that he was the one that Jesus loved:

John 13:23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved…NKJV

John 20:2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved…NKJV

John 21:7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” NKJV

John 21:20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following…NKJV

Remember he was one of “His favorites”. And if you will allow me to tell you what I hear in the verses of Jesus saying it is:

“Mother, look at John, (this student of mine that I know loves me, and that I love,) he will be taking care of you from now on”.

“John, look after Mother for me, (I know you love me, so take care of Mother)”. And then the Bible says, “And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home”.

John took care of Her as if She was his own Mother.

Four:

Mark 15:33Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  NKJV

Every Easter I hear preachers preach and say how God turned His back on Jesus while on the cross because He is Holy and can’t look upon all that sin that He had to bear. I’m sorry but I can’t even a little except that. Yes, God is Holy, look with me back at the sinners in the Old Testament that God Himself promised He would never leave or Forsake.

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” NKJV

Joshua 1:5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. NKJV

1 Samuel 12:22 For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people. NKJV

1 Chronicles 28:20 And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God — my God — will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD. NKJV

Psalms 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. 26 He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed. NKJV

Psalms 37:28 For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. NKJV

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ NKJV

Isaiah 41:17 “The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the LORD, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. NKJV

And then the New Testament in Hebrews:

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  6 So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” NKJV

Are you seeing this, that God looked at all these sinners and all the sins ever since Eve took that first bite of that fruit, until the last sin that will ever be committed? So, what makes people think that God will turn his back on His “Only Begotten Son”? Because of sin, again I just don’t buy it. The first thing Jesus said on the cross was “Father, forgive them” “Father” He is there with him, and the last thing He said was “Father, into Your hands” Again, “Father” are you understanding this, at what point did God leave, and at what point did God return? I believe that this was in reference to Psalms 22, at this time if you wanted someone to look at a Psalm, they would say the first few words of that Psalm. Like “Make a joyful noise” you would look up Psalms 100 so look with me if you will and notice the parts I underline:

The Suffering, Praise, and Posterity of the Messiah

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Deer of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David.

Psalms 22:1 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? 2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent.

3 But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. 5 They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

6 But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. 7 All those who see Me ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8 “He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

9 But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. 10 I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God. 11 Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help.

12 Many bulls have surrounded Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me. 13 They gape at Me with their mouths, Like a raging and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death.

16 For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; 17 I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. 18 They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.

19 But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me; O My Strength, hasten to help Me!

20 Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog.

21 Save Me from the lion’s mouth And from the horns of the wild oxen!  You have answered Me.

And now we see the Praise for delivering and rescuing Him did you catch that last part of verse 21 “You have answered Me” and the chapter goes on.

22 I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You. 23 You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! 24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard.

25 My praise shall be of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him. 26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the LORD. Let your heart live forever!

27 All the ends of the world Shall remember and turn to the LORD, And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You.  28 For the kingdom is the LORD’s, And He rules over the nations.

29 All the prosperous of the earth Shall eat and worship; All those who go down to the dust Shall bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep himself alive.

30 A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, 31 They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, That He has done this. NKJV

Do you see all the references here to the crucifixion?  I believe that our Savior was just saying look up Psalms 22, a Psalm that was written a thousand years ago when David prophesied what I am going through right now.

And please note this; Jesus never, not ever asked a question for information, He was, is, and will always be God. HE KNOWS EVERYTHING! Questions are always to reveal something. In this case Psalms 22, He was saying look it up.

Five:

John 19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!”  29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.

We look back at the first time Jesus ask for something to drink,

John 4:7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” …NKJV and then:

John 4:10 …you would have asked Him, (talking about Himself) and He would have given you living water.”  NKJV and He has Living Water:

John 4:14 …but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” NKJV

All through the crucifixion we see the humanity of Jesus. At any time, He could have claimed His Deity of the very Son of God. I remember a song that was sang a lot when I was growing up:

“He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels” by Ray Overholt:

They bound the hands of Jesus in the garden where he prayed

They led him thru the streets in shame

They spat upon the savior so pure and free from sin

They said, “crucify him: he’s to blame

He could have called ten thousand angels

To destroy the world and set him free

He could have called ten thousand angels

But he died alone, for you and me

Upon his precious head they placed a crown of thorns

They laughed and said, “Behold the king”

They struck him, and they cursed him and mocked his holy name

All alone he suffered everything

When they nailed him to the cross, his mother stood nearby,

He said, “Woman, behold thy son!”

He cried, “I thirst for water,” but they gave him none to drink

Then the sinful work of man was done.

 

He was all Human and all God. So, then He had to come as a human because you can’t kill God. I love a quote I heard from Major Ian Thomas and it goes something like this “Jesus being God never ever acted more than being a man, and man being man never ever acts less than being God”. So yes, as the song says “He could have called ten thousand angels, to destroy the world and set him free He could have called ten thousand angels”, and I truly don’t want you to miss this “But he died alone, for you and me”.

Six:

John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.  NKJV

Back to “He Could Have Called Ten Thousand Angels” last verse:

To the howling mob he yielded: he did not for mercy cry

The cross of shame he took alone

And when he cried, “It’s finished,” he gave himself to die

Salvation’s wondrous plan was done.

Yes, “Salvation’s wondrous plan was done”. Jesus had completed all the prophecies in the Old Testament, hundreds of years before His birth.

The Prophecy: Isaiah 53:3 says, “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

The Fulfillment: John 1:10-11 says, “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.”

The Prophecy: Psalm 41:9 says, “Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.”

The Fulfillment: Mark 14:10 says, “Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.”

The Prophecy: Zechariah 11:12 says, “I told them, ‘If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.’ So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.”

The Fulfillment: Matthew 26:14-16 says, “Then one of the Twelve – the one called Judas Iscariot – went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.”

The Prophecy: Isaiah 53:7 says, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”

The Fulfillment: Mark 15:5 says, “But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.”

The Prophecy: Psalm 22:1-2 says, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.”

The Fulfillment: Matthew 27:46 says, “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ – which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'”

The Prophecy: Psalm 22:7-8 says, “All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: ‘He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.'”

The Fulfillment: Matthew 27:41-44 says, “In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, I am the Son of God.’ In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.”

The Prophecy: Psalm 22:15 says, “My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.”

The Fulfillment: Matthew 27:48 says, “Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink.”

The Prophecy: Psalm 22:17-18 says, “I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.”

The Fulfillment: John 19:23 says, “When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.”

When He said, “It is finished!” It was like an artist signing his portrait, it was finished and accomplished, but it was and is far from over.

Seven

Luke 23:44 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.'” Having said this, He breathed His last. NKJV

I got this from an email Rethinking Jesus’ Words from The Hebrew Original

By Dr. Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg – February 1, 2018

“It makes perfect sense that Jesus would quote this particular psalm while hanging on a Roman cross.

We read these fitting words in Psalm 31:1-5

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;

let me never be put to shame;

deliver me in your righteousness.

Turn your ear to me,

come quickly to my rescue;

Be my rock of refuge,

a strong fortress to save me.

Since you are my rock and my fortress,

for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,

for you are my refuge.

Into your hands I commit my spirit; (בְּיָדְךָ, אַפְקִיד רוּחִי)

deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.

 

The Hebrew word translated, “I commit,” is “אַפְקִיד” (pronounced afkid). This word has a meaning that is much closer to “I deposit” – which necessarily signifies a future “reclaiming” of the thing deposited. A vivid image might be that of checking in a coat at theater or restaurant, or even money into the bank, with the definite intention of getting it back. While the English word “commit” can also be used to describe giving something with the purpose of claiming it back at some point in the future, it might just as well mean the giving of something without stating any clear intentions for the future. In Hebrew, on the other hand, the unequivocal meaning of this verse is the temporary submission of one’s spirit into the hands of God – giving it into “His custody,” with the definite intention of receiving it back.

This shows that if we take the time to compare the original verse Jesus was reciting from Hebrew, a simple, but significant insight into the words of Jesus on the cross will emerge. The words Jesus uttered were nothing less than a declaration of his great Israelite faith.  He was confident that as he deposited his soul into the hands of his Heavenly Father, he will surely get it back at his resurrection. What happened three days later proved that Jesus did not hope in vain”.

I think maybe, just maybe; God had His mighty hands out the whole time and then Jesus said “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.'” And then just maybe God said something like this “I’m right here I haven’t gone anywhere, I’m not going to leave you, I love you”, and into The Fathers hands he accepted His Spirit and then

“Having said this, He breathed His last”.

But thank God it wasn’t over.

Luke 24:2 But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. 3 Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them,

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here but is risen!

Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, 7 saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'” NKJV

See What Isaiah Saw to Accept the Call, Part 2

 II. V. 5-7 WE NEED TO SENSE WHAT ISAIAH SENSED

Isaiah 6:5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”

1. V. 5 He Sensed His Own Condition – When Isaiah saw the Lord, he instantly realized that there were problems within his own heart. That is what happens when you get close to Him! Moving closer to God and seeing Him as He is, reveals the wickedness and sin in our own lives.

 (Note: Isaiah probably thought all was well in his life until he saw the Lord in His glory and holiness. When he did, he was made aware of his own shortcomings! Until we see God and are confronted with out own condition before Him, we will remain haughty and proud, but when we come face to face with Who He is and what we are, it will produce humility and confession!)

Isaiah did not cry out “Woe is my neighbor!”. He cried out “Woe is me!”

Until we are able to see our own failures and our need for repentance before the Lord, we will never come clean. And, the sooner we come clean with the Lord about our own condition, the sooner we will see our downtime start to turn up!)

The third thing that Isaiah saw was:

3. ISAIAH SAW GOD’S CLEANSING POWER.

And I praise God for this! Oh, if all we ever see is the weakness of our sin – the depravity of our hearts – without discovering the cleansing power of God, WHAT MISERABLE PEOPLE WE WILL BE. But He DOES have power to cleanse!

When Isaiah confessed his sin, God was faithful and just to forgive his sin and cleanse him from all unrighteousness.

Isaiah 6:6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.

7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:

“Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”

A live coal – a burning coal – a coal that speaks of purification and cleansing – was brought by that seraphim from off the altar of sacrifice and touched to his lips. That altar that the live coal was taken from was the Altar of Burnt Offerings – it was the altar where the blood was shed. It was the place where the priests would kill those animals to pay for the sins of the people, because without the shedding of blood there is no remission (no cleansing) from sin –

 

Heb 9:22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. NKJV

God has declared it.

So you have a coal that has been touched by two things: BLOOD and FIRE. The blood speaks of cleansing from sin (only blood can wash away our sin), and the fire speaks of refining, purifying power. The blood washes away sin, the fire brings the refining of positive holiness.

When God saves you, what does He do? He applies to your life the cleansing power of the eternal blood of His Son, Jesus – that washes away the sins of your old life – and then He sets you in the way of a whole new life which is being refined by the workings of the Spirit of Holiness; we begin to live a life of positive righteousness. HE CALLS US RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD OF HIS SON, AND THEN HE MAKES US RIGHTEOUS THROUGH THE WORKING OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT – the FIRE of the Holy Ghost.

This is the power that ONLY GOD has in a life. Government agencies, social workers, psychiatrists, modern education; they can all try what they will, they cannot change the heart of man with all their programs of reform – THEY’RE POWERLESS! But God can come in a moment of time, and revolutionize a person, and make them a new creation!

[ILLUSTRATION:] I understand that the success rate for rehabilitating hard-line drug addicts is pitifully low. An independent government study was undertaken in the U.S. and found that the success rate of de-tox centers in getting people off drugs permanently (tested after 7 years) was just 2 – 9%. The more intensive rehabilitation centers were not much better – just 9 – 11%. But this independent government study found that “TEEN CHALLENGE” (an organization that is thoroughly Christian – founded by David Wilkerson in New York – you may remember the story “The Cross and the Switchblade”) had a success rate documented as being 86%. When the government researchers were asked what was the difference, they replied (in their words) that the ONLY thing they could put Teen Challenge’s success down to was “THE JESUS FACTOR” (the government’s own words!). Teen Challenge are making a difference because this is not a program based upon the wisdom of men, but on the power of God to transform a life. they’re not preaching rehabilitation; they’re preaching RADICAL REGENERATION. And they’re not prescribing substitute drugs; they’re prescribing a relationship with the Saviour Jesus Christ!

Isaiah saw God’s cleansing power. The seraphim applied the blood-soaked, fire-purifying coal from off the altar and Isaiah experienced the sweet, clean feeling of forgiveness and peace. Hallelujah! Oh, there’s nothing like it in all the world!

Isaiah 6:6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar.

7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:

“Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”

1. V. 6-7 He Sensed His Own Cleansing – Thank God, the Lord does not just point out our sins, He also provides a means for our cleansing! With Isaiah, it was an angel with a live coal from the altar. With us, it is the precious blood of Jesus, 1 John 1:7-10!

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

 

If we ever see Him as He is and we see ourselves as we are, then we will come before Him in humility and confess our sins.

(Note: The closer you get to Him, the worse you look! But, when that realization comes, and we deal with it in repentance before the Lord, we will experience His cleansing and we will be able to stand in His presence and receive all He has for us! Talk about a downtime turning up!)

Isaiah saw the Lord, Isaiah saw himself, Isaiah saw God’s cleansing power; then, the fourth and final thing he saw was:

4. ISAIAH SAW THE WORLD.
Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

A knowledge of God will make us good in all our relationships. Isaiah got in with God and he heard God’s heartbeat for a lost and dying people. He heard God’s summons for a messenger to reach out to them. God said: Whom shall I send, who will go for us? And immediately Isaiah says, HERE I AM, SEND ME!

Would God call a sinful man to preach His message? A man of unclean lips?!

YES !!!!

There are no other kind of people available to God! Yes, God calls sinners to go for Him. He has not committed His glorious gospel to sinless angels but to fallen men.

But God sends them ONLY after they’ve been cleansed of their sins by His grace. The message of God must be spoken through purged lips. The work of God must be poured from clean vessels. YOUR PAST WILL NOT EXCLUDE YOU FROM BEING USED BY GOD: BUT HOW YOU’RE LIVING TODAY MIGHT!

III. V. 8 WE NEED TO SAY WHAT ISAIAH SAID

 Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

 

2. He Said “I Am Available” – As soon as Isaiah gets His heart clean, he hears the call of the Lord to service. When Isaiah said “Here am I”, he was saying, “My downtime is over and I am ready for service!” He was signifying that he was over the death of Uzziah and that his life was on the altar of sacrifice for the glory of God! (Ill. That’s what we need to say when life turns down! We need to get our all on the altar for God and come to the place where nothing means anything to us but what He wants from us! We need to submit, surrender and sacrifice, Rom. 12:1-2.)

 

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  NKJV

  

1. He Said “I Am Agreeable” – Isaiah not only told the Lord of His availability, but he also mentioned his agreeability!

He was saying, “Lord, I am here to do what you want and I am willing to do what you want! Send me and let me go do what you want me to do!”

 

 That is a sure way to turn your downtimes upside down! Make yourself available to the Lord and get agreeable with whatever He asks you to do and you can be sure that He will bless your life and that He will use you for His glory!)

 

A 15 year old girl in Wales – “I love Jesus” was all she said and the Great Welsh revivals broke out!)

 

Moody’s response to Henry Varley’s statement, “The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him.“

 

It’s not going to be easy, and not everyone gets it.

 

Yes, God can take YOU and use you for His glory – if only you’ll live for Him a cleansed, purified life.

 

Isaiah 6:9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

10 “Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.”

 

Isaiah 6:9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

 

[And he said …] The expressions which follow are those which denote hardness of heart and blindness of mind. They would hear the words of the prophet, but they would not understand him. They were so obstinately bent on iniquity that they would neither believe nor regard him. This shows the spirit with which ministers must deliver the message of God. It is their business to deliver the message, though they should know that it will neither be understood nor believed.

 

[Hear ye indeed] Hebrew ‘In hearing, hear.’ This is a mode of expressing emphasis. This passage is quoted in Matt 13:14

 

Matt 13:14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,

And seeing you will see and not perceive;

15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.

Their ears are hard of hearing,

And their eyes they have closed,

Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,

Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,

So that I should heal them.’

 

16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;  17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.   NKJV

Isaiah 6:10 “Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.”

Isaiah 6:10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

[Make the heart] The word “heart” here is used in the sense of the “mind” – to denote all their mental powers. It is commonly used in this sense in the Scriptures.

[Fat] Gross, heavy, dull, stupid. That is, go and proclaim such “truth” to them as shall have this effect-as shall irritate, provoke, enrage them; truth, whose delivery shall be attended, in their gross and corrupt hearts, with this blinding and infatuating influence the effect would be produced by the corrupt state of their hearts, not by any native tendency of the truth, and still less by any direct divine influence. ‘Go, and proclaim truth to a corrupt and sensual people, and the result will be that they will not hear; they are so wicked that they will not attend to it; they will become even more hardened; yet go, and though certain of producing this effect, still proclaim it;’ see this passage explained in the notes at John 12:40.

 

John 12:39 Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:

40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,

Lest they should see with their eyes,

Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,

So that I should heal them.”  

41 These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. NKJV

 

[Their ears heavy] Dull, stupid, insensible.

[And shut their eyes] The word used here means “to spread over,” and then to close. It denotes here the state of mind which is more and more indisposed to attend to the truth.

[And be healed] Be restored from the condition of sin; be recovered and pardoned. Sin is often represented as a painful, loathsome condition, and forgiveness as restoration from such a condition;

Isa 30:26; Ps 103:1; 41:3-4; 2 Chron 7:14; Jer 3:22; 17:14. We may learn here,

(1) That the effect of truth is often to irritate people and make them more wicked.

(2) The truth must, nevertheless, be proclaimed.

This effect is not the fault of the truth; and it is often well that the heart should be known, and the true effect should be seen.

(from Barnes’ Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)

And how long dose He want you to do this??
How long????

11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?”

And He answered:

“Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate, 12 The LORD has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. 13 But yet a tenth will be in it, And will return and be for consuming, As a terebinth tree or as an oak, Whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump.”  NKJV

CONCLUSION:

Note: Isaiah did NOT say, “Where do you want me to go?” “What’s in it for me?” “What is the salary?” “What are the retirement benefits?” Isaiah signed a blank cheque on his whole life. He didn’t try to strike a bargain with God; he didn’t attempt to negotiate a compromise. God called – Isaiah answered. God commanded – Isaiah obeyed. Such an unconditional response comes only from the heart of one who has SEEN THE VISION: the one who’s MET WITH GOD.

The same thing can happen to you here. THE KING IS ALIVE! He WAS dead – He died for our sins on the cross. But He arose from the grave and He lives today – He lives forever! He calls us to see Him as He truly is – the holy God. He calls us to see ourselves as we truly are – sinful and needing Him desperately. He calls us to discover that He can cleanse from all sin, and give life anew to those who will receive Him. And then He commissions us to look on the fields of this world that are white unto harvest, and to GO and be His witnesses.

Where are you along this process? Have you seen Him? In the pages of His Word – in the voice of the preacher – do you hear His call? Do you recognize that your sin and guilt keep you from Him? Have you accepted His salvation – purchased with His own blood? Are you hearing His call to go, to be His witness to others?

Open your heart to Him. Don’t be the one who is hardened, and goes away empty. Respond to Him with the faith He gives.

The downtimes are going to come in life! You can count on them just as surely as you can count on the sun rising and sitting day by day. However, when they do come, you can shorten their duration and severity by simply seeing what Isaiah saw, sensing what Isaiah sensed and saying what Isaiah said! A focused heart, a clean heart and a surrendered heart will quickly find itself on the upward path. I know that’s what I want in my life, how about you?

See What Isaiah Saw to Accept the Call, Part 1

Isaiah 6

Isaiah is Called to Be a Prophet

 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”

4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

5 So I said:

“Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth with it, and said:

“Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.”

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:

“Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?”

Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

9 And He said, “Go, and tell this people:

‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

10 “Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed.”

11 Then I said, “Lord, how long?”

And He answered:

“Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate, 12 The LORD has removed men far away, And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. 13 But yet a tenth will be in it, And will return and be for consuming, As a terebinth tree or as an oak, Whose stump remains when it is cut down. So the holy seed shall be its stump.”   NKJV

In 1952 the sad word went forth from London . . . “THE KING IS DEAD”. King George VI died in his sleep at the age of 56. He was somewhat of a private man, in comparison with others who held the throne, but he was greatly respected and admired. His reign had carried him through the rigors of World War 2, the election of a socialist government, and the dissolution of much of the British Empire. His tired heart gave way. All across Britain, people flocked to churches to worship, to pray, and to seek comfort and hope.

In 1963, another shocking word was sent out across the world: “The President is dead”. It was unbelievable. JOHN F. KENNEDY, young, vibrant, and dynamic, was cut down by an assassin’s bullet – a nation was plunged into grief. People flocked into churches in the greatest numbers since the announcement of the end of World War 2. Ministers changed their sermon texts and preached messages of healing and hope to the people of America.

and then we also have December 7, 1941… September 11, 2001

About 700 years before Christ was born in Bethlehem, the sad announcement was made, “THE KING IS DEAD”. King Uzziah, the eleventh King of Judah, had died. Crowned at the age of 16, he had reigned 52 years. Despite his failings, he was the greatest king since David.

The heart of Isaiah, the prophet, was broken. Uzziah was not only his king, he was also his friend. In his heartbreak, Isaiah made his way to the Temple to worship and to seek comfort and renewed faith.

When sorrow comes, when life presses you in, the best place to be found is in the House of the Lord. (We ought to ALWAYS be found in the House of the Lord! But especially when we’re facing the difficult seasons of life – there is an answer in God, there is hope in Him, if we will quickly turn to Him.)

When Isaiah went up to the House of the Lord, he learned that the king was dead . . . BUT THAT GOD WAS NOT DEAD! He was still upon His throne. Isaiah had lost his earthly king, whom he loved, but he caught a fresh glimpse of the King of Kings. He met with God in an encounter that radically changed his life.

Would you note with me, that Isaiah saw four things that I want to draw to your attention:

1. ISAIAH SAW THE LORD. Look for the Lord in bad times, and the good.

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.

 

WHAT WE NEED IN THE DOWN TIMES

 Introduction: Verse 1 mentions the death of King Uzziah. He was the tenth king of Judah and he was a very godly man. He was highly influenced by the prophet Zechariah and, unlike many of the other kings, he never totally departed from the worship of the true God. Under his influence, the southern kingdom attained power, wealth, and success unlike any it had enjoyed since the days of Solomon. Made heady by his success as king and by his blessings from the Lord, Uzziah made the mistake of offering incense in the Temple, 2 Chron. 26. He was stricken with leprosy by the Lord for his disobedience to the Lord. He died in that leprous condition! Disobedience to the Lord is a serious thing!

     Well, evidently, Isaiah is disturbed by the death of the great king. After all, he had reigned for 52 years. His death signaled the end of a time of great prosperity and consistency. For Isaiah and the entire nation, it ushered in a time of uncertainty, change, and doubt. Yet, for Isaiah, this is to be a time of rediscovery.

Apparently, Isaiah had his attention focused on Uzziah, but now that Uzziah is dead, his attention is redirected back to the Lord. What must have been a downtime in the prophet’s life became an uptime. That which had help his attention was removed and Isaiah had a fresh encounter with God. What happened to Isaiah in this event spotlights for us what we need during the down times in our own lives.

We all have down times in life! Those downtimes can grow us, or they can ruin us, which depends upon what has our attention. Let’s look into these familiar verses and think for a while on the thought What We Need In The Down Times Of Life. Learning what to do when life turns down will help us to get back up in short order.

 Verses. 1-4 WE NEED TO SEE WHAT ISAIAH SAW

1. ISAIAH SAW THE LORD.
   
   Here is the greatest vision that anyone can ever have. To see the Lord! Let’s read about it together.

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.

Verse. 1 He Saw God’s Position – Isaiah saw God in His sovereignty. An earthly king may have died, but the Lord still reigned. He saw the Lord in all His glory. And, it had a profound impact on the life of Isaiah. (Ill. When life seems to fall apart at the seams, we need to remember the God Who is in control of it all! What appears to be a tragedy to us may be the greatest thing that could happen in our lives.  Rom. 8:28; 2 Cor. 4:17.)

 Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

 2 Cor 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

 We need to remember just Who is in control!

 Isaiah 6:2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”

 Verse. 2-3 He Saw God’s Personality – The angelic beings in the temple proclaimed the thrice holy nature of the God of Heaven. Even those sinless creatures were careful to honor the holiness and purity of the Lord. Notice that they covered their faces with their wings. They also proclaimed the glory of the Lord! Isaiah finally understood that Uzziah might have been a good king, but the Lord was a holy God and He and He alone deserved the glory for all of life! (Ill. We need to remember that God’s prime characteristic is His holiness! Our duty before the Lord is to honor His holy nature by living holy lives before Him. We are to recognize His right to glory by giving Him all the glory for everything in our lives, 1 Cor. 10:31.)

 1 Cor 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. NKJV

Isaiah learned that this thing was not about Uzziah or Isaiah, but it was all about God! He, and He alone deserves to be in the place of honor and glory!

Be careful not to assume the place that belongs to Him alone!

During the downtimes of life, we need to remember Who is working all things out of His holiness and for the glory of His Name, James 1:17!)

 James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.   NKJV

Isaiah 6:4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.

Verse. 4 He Saw God’s Presence – We are told that the “house was filled with smoke”. This was a symbol of the presence of God. You will notice that God’s “train” filled the temple! That speaks of His robe. God was the central figure in the Temple! Isaiah was reminded, rather forcefully, that Uzziah might be gone, but the Lord was still there! He had not been forsaken even during this downtime, but the Lord was still with Him in great glory!

 

We need to remember this truth as well! If we are saved, we are never alone, but even during the downtimes of life, we still always have the presence of the lord with us, Matt. 28:20; Heb. 13:5.)

Last verse in Matthew 28:20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. NKJV

 Heb 13:5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”   6 So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”   NKJV

Isaiah saw something of God’s nature and character – he caught a glimpse “through the curtain”, as it were. He saw something of the Lord as Moses described Him in

Ex 15:11 “Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?  NKJV

 

The vision was of God high and lifted up upon His throne. He saw God as the central object of all praise, surrounded by heavenly courtiers- angelic beings – the seraphim.

What a vision! Oh, that we would all have such times of encounter with God. BUT, would you look with me, it seems that it was ONLY ISAIAH who saw the glorious vision. If others were seated around him there in the Temple, THEY had no such revelation. He doesn’t write “WE saw the Lord”, he says, “I saw the Lord”.

There is a sense in which our corporate worship is still very much made up of INDIVIDUALS who are worshipping. (Hopefully we are not “individualistic” in our worship, in the sense that we ignore or disregard others around us. We must be mindful of one another, and offer Him corporate adoration – BUT WE ARE STILL INDIVIDUALS as we do so!)

It IS possible for one person to be moved to tears, while the person beside them – on the same row of chairs – is UNMOVED. One repents, while another trusts in his own self-righteousness. One responds willingly – with a soft heart – to the claims of Christ, whilst another is desperately resisting the persuasion of the Holy Spirit.

Which one are you?

Are you going to sit here, going through the motions of a cold, formal religion, satisfying your conscience that you’ve come?

Or are you meeting with God here? Are you opening up to the Lord as He knocks at the door of your heart?

Isaiah met with God, he had a revelation of the greatness of the Lord, and it changed his life forever. The same living Lord is here tonight to meet with WHOEVER will call upon His name. EARTHLY kings may come and go – but the King of Kings is alive forevermore, and just as powerful as ever He has been, and just as willing to reveal Himself to men.

And listen, Isaiah didn’t get this revelation just because he was a prophet. He saw God because he had a soft, pliable heart, and a listening ear.

Titles and offices don’t cut any ice with God!

2 Chron 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. In this you have done foolishly; therefore from now on you shall have wars.”

The Old King James put it: “Them whose heart is PERFECT toward Him.”

The word “loyal” or “perfect” is the Hebrew word “SHALEM”, which means “completely devoted to”; and it’s related to the word “SHALOM”, which means “PEACE” or “stillness”.

So, the verse says that God’s eyes roam the whole earth looking for a heart that is disposed toward Him, devoted to Him, and still before Him. God looks for people to reveal Himself to who are listening and available.

Isaiah was listening, and ISAIAH SAW THE LORD. The second thing that Isaiah saw this day in the Temple was:

2. ISAIAH SAW HIMSELF.
   
   Isaiah 6:5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”

Isaiah SAW HIMSELF as he had never quite seen himself before. He did not see himself in the way that one sees themself as they admire their own image in a mirror. No, no! He did not see himself as a good person, worthy of God’s commendation, and the praise of people. He didn’t think to himself, “WOW! I must be the best person here because God has honored ONLY ME with a vision of Himself.” That was NOT his attitude at all.

Instead he cried out: Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips!

AND THIS IS ALWAYS TRUE. The closer we get to God, the more clearly we see our sins. The contrast between His holiness and our unholiness gives us a vivid awareness of just how very far short of God’s glory we truly fall.

The times when we DO feel we have made it – we’ve arrived – we’re knocking on the door of perfection – they’re the times that we’ve been neglecting to pray and worship and feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.

When Peter was CLOSEST to Jesus he said: Depart from me; for I am a sinful man. When John received the Revelation of Christ on the Island of Patmos, he wrote, I fell at His feet as though dead!

A lost sense of God brings a lost sense of sin. But a renewed sense of God brings a renewed awareness of our own sinfulness.

Isaiah saw himself in a whole new light.

 

Part 2 next week.

This Means War

Eph 6:10-18

Barclay Commentary

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

 

      As Paul takes leave of his people he thinks of the greatness of the struggle which lies before them. Undoubtedly life was much more terrifying for the ancient people than it is for us today.

     They believed implicitly in evil spirits, who filled the air and were determined to workmen harm. The words which Paul uses,  powers, authorities, world-rulers, are all names for different classes of these evil spirits. To him, the whole universe was a battleground. The Christian had not only to contend with the attacks of men; he had to contend with the attacks of spiritual forces which were fighting against God.  We may not take Paul’s actual language literally; but our experience will tell us that there is an active power of evil in the world.

Robert Louis Stevenson once said: “You know the Caledonian Railway Station in Edinburgh? One cold, east windy morning, I met Satan there.” We do not know what actually befell Stevenson but we recognize the experience; we have all felt the force of that evil influence which seeks to make us sin.

         Paul suddenly sees a picture ready-made. All this time he was chained by the wrist to a Roman soldier. Night and day a soldier was there to ensure that he would not escape. Paul was literally an envoy in a chain. Now he was the kind of man who could get alongside anyone; and beyond doubt he had talked often to the soldiers who were compelled to be so near him. As he writes, the soldier’s armour suggests a picture to him. The Christian too has his armour; and part by part Paul takes the armour of the Roman soldier and translates it into Christian terms.

 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

        There is the belt of truth. It was the belt which girt in the soldier’s tunic and from which his sword hung and which gave him freedom of movement. Others may guess and grope; the Christian moves freely and quickly because he knows the truth.

         There is the breastplate of righteousness. When a man is clothed in righteousness he is impregnable. Words are no defence against accusations but a good life is. Once a man accused Plato of certain crimes. “Well then,” said Plato, “we must live in such a way as to prove that his accusations are a lie.” The only way to meet the accusations against Christianity is to show how good a Christian can be.

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; There are the sandals. Sandals were the sign of one equipped and ready to move. The sign of the Christian is that he is cager to be on the way to share the gospel with others who have not heard it.

 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

        There is the shield. The word Paul uses is not that for the comparatively small round shield; it is that for the great oblong shield which the heavily armed warrior wore. One of the most dangerous weapons in ancient warfare was the fiery dart. It was a dart tipped with tow dipped in pitch. The pitch-soaked tow was set alight and the dart was thrown. The great oblong shield was made of two sections of wood, glued together. When the shield was presented to the dart, the dart sank into the wood and the flame was put out.  Faith can deal with the darts of temptation. With Paul, faith is always complete trust in Christ. When we walk close with Christ, we are safe from temptation.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

        There is salvation for a helmet. Salvation is not something which looks back only. The salvation which is in Christ gives us forgiveness for the sins of the past and strength to conquer in the days to come.

         There is the sword; and the sword is the word of God. The word of God is at once our weapon of defence against sin and our weapon of attack against the sins of the world.  Cromwell’s Ironsides fought with a sword in one hand and a Bible in the other. We can never win God’s battles without God’s book.

 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

        Finally, Paul comes to the greatest weapon of all–and that is prayer. We note three things that he says about prayer.

(a) It must be constant. Our tendency is so often to pray only in the great crises of life; but it is from daily prayer that the Christian will find daily strength.

(b) It must be intense. Limp prayer never got a man anywhere. Prayer demands the concentration of every faculty upon God.

(c) It must be unselfish.  The Jews had a saying, “Let a man unite himself with the community in his prayers.” I think that often our prayers are too much for ourselves and too little for others. We must learn to pray as much for others and with others as for ourselves.

         Finally, Paul asks for the prayers of his friends for himself.     And he asks not for comfort or for peace but that he may yet be allowed to proclaim God’s secret, that his love is for all men.

     We do well to remember that ever Christian leader and every Christian preacher needs his people to uphold his hands in prayer.

 

Pop the Top

Years ago, while visiting my Grandmother in Cobb Hospital, and watching her mentally and physically slowly leave us through Alzheimer’s over the years. One particular time as she was there and the news got out, we saw different family members gathered to visit her and comfort her through this one of many stays.

As I arrived, I saw that my Mother was already there with a number of cousins and other family members. My Grandmother was having a pretty good day, so as I entered the room, she looked at me and asked who I was? I replied DeWayne, and I could see the look of confusion on her face, so I added what most of my close and immediate family referred to me as and that was Dinky.  She then smiled and said you are one of Littlelynn’s boys, right? Littlelynn (Little-one) is what she called my mother, and that is another story for another day).  I told her she was right and just sat and listened as different people came and went that day.

As I observed the counteraction with different people, I saw that she was enjoying the attention and then someone asked her how she was doing? The answer was “I am doing great; I don’t understand why I am in here I want to go home”. I asked her if she wanted to go fishing with me, and her reply was “Let’s go!” after a few moments of hearing how good she was doing my cousin Ricky came in and joined in on telling her we were going to get her up and take her with us to the lake. She was all for it, and she was as sprite and active as could be.

Then just like that, things changed, the Doctor walked in and said, “How are you doing today, Mrs. Jarrell’s?” and then her response was, in a weak in sad voice, “I’m not doing good at all, I feel terrible.” As she laid back and closed her eyes as if she had no strength to even speak. And then me trying to encourage her and play with her I said, “awe that’s not what you were saying a moment ago, you said you didn’t see any reason why you are in here and you felt good enough to go fishing with me and Rick.” In which that didn’t go over to well with her, she sat up in that bed and said in an angry voice, “You ain’t purdy (pretty) you ain’t purdy at all, if I could get out of this bed I would…,” and at that time my Mother said get out and get out now! Rick was laughing, and she didn’t seem to care for that either, so he said hold up Cuz I’m going with you.

So, down we went to the break room.

After standing a pulpit in a number of churches over 30 years, you get where you can detect conviction on people’s faces. I remember when I was in church as a child. Usually bored to tears and ready to go home or anywhere except sitting in that church. That the preacher would finely wind down and the song leader would come up and start the invitation. Sometimes I wanted out because I had other thing I rather be doing, and other time was because I was under so much conviction that I wanted out, and I wanted NOW!

When a preacher says let’s sing just one more verse there is a reason and usually an excellent reason, and that is that they see something that you don’t. What we see is someone standing there holding the seat in front of them so tight, until their knuckles are white. They are hoping to get out of that church, and to get out NOW. The Holy Spirit has come down and the spirit of conviction is on their face. We as preachers see this, and we want to give them every chance we can for them to move. This could be the last time for them to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. So, just one more verse. When you hear that, I ask you to please start praying for the ones hearing that invitation.

Back to the elevator ride down to the break room. I am extremely claustrophobic, and so when I get on an elevator and the doors close, I usually start talking, to get my mind off the fact that I am in a little room and the doors just closed and everyone is breathing up all my oxygen. The thing that I normally start talking about is the Bible and what Jesus means to me. That day was no different. It works as a fantastic evangelistic tool because the ones in there with you have nowhere to go, so you have only a few seconds to present the gospel.

This was one of those occasions, except the conviction I saw this day in that elevator was on my cousin’s face. Ricky was more like a brother to me than a cousin. Years ago, when his mother was pregnant with Ricks little brother Steve, and he was born, they brought him home and showed him to Ricky, and said here is your little brother. Rick told him he didn’t want him; he wanted Dinky for a brother. As I said, we are close.

Now we have made it to the break room and Rick started asking questions about being “Saved”. So, I told him all he had to do is ask the Lord to come into his heart in the form of The Holy Spirit, Accept the forgiveness of his sins and Believe that God has giving him the gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ, who paid the price for the forgiveness of those sins. He said that he wasn’t sure about all this stuff. He like me, was raised in church, he has seen how some people are on fire one week and gone the next, and he said he didn’t want to be like that. I said I didn’t want him to be like that either. I wanted him to be like Jesus, not people. He then asked how do you do that? How do you accept salvation?

We were standing in front of a Coke machine and I had just dropped two quarters in and asked what he wanted. He said a Coke, I pressed the Coke button and down it came. And the Spirit of God did also. At that moment God gave me an example to share with Rick. I reached and got the Coke and said this is Salvation, this is a gift from me to you, I paid the price and it cost you nothing all you have to do is reach out and take it. I held it out to him, and he reached out and took the Coke from my hand. Then he said is that all there is to Salvation? I just have to take it?

He like most would think that I would have said yes and all would be well. But I didn’t, instead I reached and snatched the can back from him and said, nope see I took it back, this is where God showed up, and I said a lot of people think just saying words gets them Saved, but there is more to it than that. I then popped the top of the drink and handed it back to him and said now drink that. He took a few swallows and I said “that is Salvation”, you have to make Christ a part of you, you have to invite Him in to your life.

When he was just holding the can of Coke, anyone could do as I did and take it away from him, but now that he drank the Coke it is now and forever a part of him and there is nothing I or anyone else could do to get that out of him. That is Salvation, Making Jesus Christ a part of you by Believing on the price that was paid by the Father, through the Son, by indwelling you with the Holy Spirit. That is “SALVATION”.

We need to do as Christ said for us to do, after feeding the thousands with a kid’s sack lunch of 2 pieces of fish and five little biscuits. And then miraculously walked on water, and then tells the ones that followed after another meal that they have to take Him in them through the eating of His flesh and drinking His blood. Take His character, take His Love, take what he is holding out and giving to you freely, all you have to do is accept it. It is not about asking for forgiveness it’s about accepting the fact that you are already forgiven.

Feeding the Five Thousand

John 6:1 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.  3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.

4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?”  6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.

7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”

8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”

10 Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.”  13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” NKJV

Then we see Jesus Walks on the Sea and then He speaks about being The Bread from Heaven

John 6:22 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone —  23 however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks —  24 when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?”

26 Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

30 Therefore they said to Him, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'”

32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

But we saw in this story that Jesus is foretelling of the last supper and then we can see that in Matthew:

Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper

Matthew 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.  28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.  29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. NKJV

It is reemphasized in First Corinthians:

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

1 Corinthians 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.  NKJV

 

I believe that many of people that are sitting in the “Church” building today have taken the can and never popped the top. We the preachers and teachers sometimes do a poor job of letting them know that just saying words are not the same as having a draw of the Holy Spirit of God.

We sometimes just say to repeat after me, and they say words and there is no repentance and confession of being a sinner. We have a gift of salvation given to us but we have to accept the gift of forgiveness. We don’t have to ask for it, it is already ours all we have to do Believe!!! The Bible is clear that all sins were and are and are going to be forgiven. It is not about forgiveness, again it’s about accepting that forgiveness, or popping the top and drinking it in.

We must take the Bread and eat, “His Body.” Taking the “Bread of Life” and let it nourish us;

John 6:35-59 (NKJV) And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst…
⁴⁰ And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”…
⁴⁷ Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.
⁴⁸ I am the bread of life.
⁴⁹ Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
⁵⁰ This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.
⁵¹ I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
⁵² The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”
⁵³ Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
⁵⁴ Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
⁵⁵ For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.
⁵⁶ He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
⁵⁷ As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.
⁵⁸ This is the bread which came down from heaven–not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
⁵⁹ These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

 

We also see that Jesus said we must take the Cup and drink, “His Blood.” Take the “Cup” The Living Water and quench the thirst that is everlasting. As we see when Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, He said;

John 4:10 (NKJV) Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”…John 4:14 (NKJV) “but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

 

Accept that “Forgiveness” Like when I offered Ricky the Can of Coke is like saying the words, but when you pop the top and take it in you no one, and I mean no one can take it away from you then. That is accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. And then you will see that there is nowhere else to go as Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also, we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And if not then we see as the students of Jesus did;

 

Many Disciples Turn Away

John 6:60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”

61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, “Does this offend you?  62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”

66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”

68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?”  71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.   NKJV

I always find it amazing that our Lord lets those leave, he offered the can and all they had to do is pop the top, but they chose to leave, they chose to walk away, and He let them walk away and then He even asked His own disciples if they too were going to leave. It was so freeing as a minister to see 1 out of the 12 that walked with Jesus knowing that he saw the same thing as the others but that one chose not to pop the top. It took me years to understand that you will not reach them all. The bottom line is the hearer’s choice to accept or walk away. And Jesus let him do just that, walk away, and even betray him.

Never does the scripture after the Death Burial and Resurrection, say that we have to ask for forgiveness, it says that we need to accept His forgiveness.

Confession, admitting that we are sinners and need to accept the forgiveness.

1 John 1:7-10 (NKJV)
⁷ But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

And then we need repentance, to turn from the way that we were living and follow Christ and Him crucified for the remission of our wrong doings, “sin”.

Luke 5:31 Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”  NKJV

Luke 24:47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. NKJV

Acts 26:20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. NKJV

 

2 Cor 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. NKJV

God is giving everyone more time to come to repentance;

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. NKJV

Rick did latter accepted Christ and even went on to be a minister of the same Gospel I tried to share with him that day. Because he not only took the can He popped the top, drank it down and tried to get as many as he could to also “Pop the Top.”

 

The gift has been given. The can is in your hand.

All you must do is;

Pop the Top.

 “A Magic Dime”

Before we left on the adventure up the Dusty, Rocky Road. Granddaddy would always give every one of us a dime.

A “Magic Dime”, I call it a magic dime because when we got to the store it would buy pretty much whatever we wanted, always a box of Cracker Jacks, then maybe a Coke, or a bag of chips, and 5 or 10 pieces of penny candy.  All that for his magic dime. Then we would go back to his house and enjoy what WE bought.

After every visit with them, as all 5 grandkids loaded up to come back home to Georgia, Granddaddy would give all of us another dime even my Mother and Dad got a dime. This dime wouldn’t buy in Georgia what the magic dime would buy in Alabama. Believe me when I tell you I tried. It just didn’t work the same here.

Off to the Big Apple Store we went, I gather up what I got with Granddaddy and I put my Coke, my Cracker Jacks, and my ten pieces of penny candy on the counter, the clerk rang up my stuff, and then said “that will be thirty-five cents.” I set the dime down on the counter and reached for my things, except they were not mine, I hadn’t paid the full price yet, so I left with only the candy.

 

Years passed and as we matured, we found that the dime wouldn’t buy much unless we were with our Grandfather.  You see, our Granddaddy had an open account at the store and whatever we purchased with our magic dimes was put on his account.

See the magic wasn’t in the dime but in the presence of the one that had control of the account. Granddaddy. Are you getting where I am going with this?

Life is the same way; we think that WE pay our way here and there, when the whole time its God that supplies our needs.

Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. NKJV

Luke 12:29 And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.  31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. NKJV

Malachi 3:10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it”.  NKJV

It’s all poured out from heaven.

It all comes from the one that controls the account. GOD. When I went on my own and try to spend my dime all I got was face value for a dime. But when I go with the one that has control of the account. More than what it’s worth was poured out.

 

After all, where did we get the first dime to start with. IT’S ALL HIS.

 

Remember the lesson of the dime. Give generously to the ones you love as our Grandfather did for his grandchildren and as our Heavenly Father gave so much more to us. It is with this in mind that you support your ministries and remember who gave you “The Dime”, and who carried you on that dusty rocky road?

 

Someone once said that a nickel is bigger than a dime, but remember that the dime has more value. For me especially if it is from Granddaddy.

So, what are you doing with your “Magic Dime” that God has entrusted you with?

Dusty Roads, and Strong Shoulders

At times, I get reminiscent about my youth and simpler times in my life.  And today April 8, 1911, Joe Busby was born, today would have been my Grandaddy’s birthday.

When I was just a child, two or three times a year my family would go to Fort Payne Alabama to visit my Grandmother and then up to Lookout Mountain to visit my step Grandparents there. My step Grandfather never showed any difference between me and his natural grandchildren, my brothers, and my sister.

On every visit we (the grand kids) would go for a walk up the old dusty dirt road he lived on and go to the local store at the end of the road.

As we ventured down that dusty, rocky road I began to get tired, and the rocks were beginning to take its toll on my feet. So, Granddaddy threw me up on his shoulders. Granddaddy was one of the kindest and most humble people I had ever met, He was very trustworthy and very respected, a great mentor and role model to try to emulate as much as possible.

I was just 5 or 6 years old but I remember him carrying me on his shoulder, as if it were last week, I don’t recall ever saying anything about the walk, but he looked down and saw me struggling and up on his shoulders I went.

I wonder how often in our struggles without saying a word God just grabs us up and places us on his mighty shoulders, we go. The Bible says over and over how God guides and carries us:

Deuteronomy 33:12 Of Benjamin he said:

“The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders.” NKJV

Psalms 17:5 Uphold my steps in Your paths, That my footsteps may not slip. NKJV

Psalms 119:117 Hold me up, and I shall be safe, And I shall observe Your statutes continually. NKJV

Psalms 139:10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me;

12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.  NKJV

Again, that got me thinking about the nature of God.

The poem about footprints in the sand. How when there were only one set of tracks is when He carried us. I think that is what He wants to do the whole time. I truly believe that if there are ever two sets of tracks it’s when we are trying to do things on our own.

Now if Jesus is in my heart in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus is in the Father, so how many tracks should we see?

Someone once likened God as a Father teaching a child how to ride a bike, How He runs along behind holding the bike and making sure that it doesn’t fall over, then when the time is right, He lets go and off we go on our own.

However, the more I read the scriptures, the more I believe that God does not want to ever let go,

He never intends for us to make it on our own,

He is always there and only when we try to do it on our own are we left to do just that, on our own.

Why would we want it on our own if we didn’t want to do something we shouldn’t be doing anyway?

I can make it on my own, but it is so much easier to do it Gods way and stop pulling away, because He will let you leave, in Luke 15:1-7 we see in “The Parable of the Lost Sheep”, then Luke 15:8-10 we see “The Parable of the Lost Coin.”

Then, Luke 15:11 The story of “The Parable of the Lost Son” reads:

Luke 15:11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons.  12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So, he divided to them his livelihood”.

The Father will let you go even though He knows that is not what is best for you, and as the saying goes:

“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.”

As we see in this story;

13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.  14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.  15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

“Keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay.”

17 But when he came to himself, he said, How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”

“But when he came to himself,” when he realized that things were better off at home, and the rules were not that bad after all,

20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.”

See the Father is looking for your return every day.

21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

The sin is already forgiven!

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.  23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. NKJV

Treated the son as if he never left. Understand the fellowship may change with God, but the relationship never changes, if you are his child.

I believe He always carries us, if we let Him. We have seen that in “The Parable of the Lost Sheep”.

Luke 15:4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?  5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  NKJV

There are those shoulders again. So, happily He carries us.

Notice this even though I was on my Granddaddy’s shoulders, I was still on the dusty rocky road.

The circumstance did not change, where I was had not changed, my destination did not alter.

What changed was instead of me taking the steps it was Granddaddy,

Instead of me facing the rocky road, he took it on him.

Instead of my weight on my feet they are on his.

Remember who is carrying you!

It’s not my Fault!

Or was it?

Being the youngest of five, I always had someone to blame for my wrong doings. (Not that I did that many things wrong.) I have one brother that rarely did anything bad.

If something went wrong and the question was asked “Who did this?” the answer was always “My Brother.” Knowing that he never did wrong and would be forgiven for the minor offense very quickly rather than me messing up again.

Even after we were grown and My Brother was in basic training for the United States Air Force in Texas, a question by my Mother went like this, “who left that cup on the counter,” or “who left that plate on the end table” or and one of my favorites, my Dad’s shoes in the floor and the question was “who do these shoes belong to?” and the answer was always “My Brother.” No matter the only people in the house all day was me and my Dad, the answer was “My Brother.”

It’s good to have a person to blame things on, that way it’s not my fault if I am wrong. As I have mentioned I was raised in a somewhat legalistic Church, the hair had to be long on a girl and short on a guy. Women had to wear dresses, and they had to be long, and all men had to wear suites, the clothes on their back were more important than Jesus in their heart.

I have taught Sunday School for almost 30 years, that includes at my home Church, small group, home studies, hospice home care class. I have preached in nursing homes, Alzheimer’s ward, youth detention centers, and a number of Churches in west Georgia and east Alabama. In doing all this preaching and teaching, I would bring lessons at first the way I was taught.

If I said “you needed to dress in dresses and suits.” It’s not my fault, that’s what I was taught.

If I said “you have to be in Church every time the door is opened.” It’s not my fault, that’s what I was taught.

If I said “you have to use a certain kind of Bible.” It’s not my fault, that’s what I was taught.

If I said “your hair had to be a certain way.” It’s not my fault, that’s what I was taught.

If I said “you have to sing certain songs a certain way.” It’s not my fault, that’s what I was taught.

If I said “you have to pray a certain way.” It’s not my fault, that’s what I was taught.

If I said “you have to give a certain amount if you have it or not.” It’s not my fault, that’s what I was taught.

Now what is important is the reason I was taught all this, the way I was is:

It’s not their fault, that’s what they were taught.

 

That reminds me of The Parable of the Ham

A child stood and watched her mother prepare the annual holiday ham. The mother carefully cut each end of the ham off before placing it in the pan. The child asked, “Mother, why do you always cut the ends off the ham?” The mother replied, “Well, that’s the way my mother always did it.”

So, the child called her grandmother and asked, “Grandma, why do you always cut the ends off the ham?” The grandmother replied, “because that’s the way my mother always did it.”

Finally, the child called her great-grandmother and asked, “Great-Grandma, why did you always cut the ends off the ham?”

The great-grandmother replied, “Because the ham was way too big to fit in my small baking pan!!”

 

So, the cycle must stop. I must stop blaming My Brother, and even stop blaming the way I was raised. You see time and time again with young people that are committing crimes, the reason was “it’s how I was raised.”

Now after you get a certain age it’s all on you. You make the call and do wrong you are the one responsible.

As Dr. Michael L. Brown posted on Twitter:

“Regardless of my genetics, my upbringing, and my life experiences, I alone am ultimately responsible for my actions and choices.”

The same goes with my Teaching and Preaching, after a while I am the one responsible for leading people the wrong or misguided way.

Paul told Timothy his son in the faith in:

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. KJV

The word study means:

NT:4704 spoudazo (spoo-dad’-zo); to use speed, i.e. to make effort, be prompt or earnest: KJV — do (give) diligence, be diligent (forward), endeavour, labour, study.

(Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

2 Tim 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  NKJV

2 Tim 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. NIV

2 Tim 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. NASU

2Tim 2:15 Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. NLT

I love the way the Amplified Bible reads it:

2 Timothy 2:15 Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.  Amplified Bible (AMP)

 

Now my job is to do my diligence, work hard, do my best, and Study the Word of God, rightly handling the word of truth, so I will not be ashamed when I am presented to God. Dig into the scripture and find out what is being said and why it’s being said. Then and only then do I do my best to tell what is being said in the Holy Scripture.

I have read the Bible through a few times, and when I came across something, I didn’t understand I would jump over it and keep on reading.

But now I stop and dig, study, and do my best to see what God is telling me. I love looking at different translations and see what words are different and why. That is what gets me in the Bible even deeper.

After looking through the scripture I can’t find anywhere that it says to wear a tie, it’s just not in there.

I never saw Jesus when on a sea shore or along a mountain, or in a garden tell the smelly people to go get dressed before He would talk to them.

I never read one word, not one, saying before He healed them that they needed a haircut.

There are so many things we get so bent out of shape over that I believe God really does not care about.

I was a Carpenter and Craftsman by trade, and my Dads home was just around the corner from my house. (I had to pass his to get to mine) A lot of days on my way home, still having the residue of the day on me, a little sawdust, maybe some stain on my hands, a little paint on my pants, and sweat running down my face.

I would drop by to check on my Dad. I would knock on the door as I opened it and walked on in, see its “MY FATHERS HOUSE” I have a key and I have freedom to come in at any time. And I knew no matter how I looked or even smelled I was always welcome there.

My Dad would usually be on the sofa, and he would get up and a big smile would be on his face, because his boy came by to spend some time with him. I may be wrong but I think that is the way God is, just happy to spend some time with me.

We get so caught up on the outside of a person the way they look and dress we miss out and never get to know the inside (the heart) of the person. Thank God He looks at the heart.

1 Sam 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” NKJV

I have never not ever read in the red letters of Jesus to “turn your King James Bible” to a particular verse.

It is not there!

So why for the life of me do we get so excited if someone is reading a different translation than we have, and how on earth does that make you more spiritual than someone else because you sing from a red hymnal instead of a large screen.

I have been a part of both worship services and felt His very presence in both.

I have sat and even preached in Church services that had a hand full of people and God moved in a mighty way. Then I have sat in Church services with 1500 to 2000 people and had the same God convict and move me to tears with His presence.

What difference does it make if you open a Bible Book, a phone app, a lap top, a Kendal reader, or a Nook Book with apps. (The Nook is what I use because I can carry five different Bibles a Strong’s Concordance, and a Matthew Henry Commentary and over two hundred sermons that I have already brought.)

A friend of mine Tim Croft said, “I bet someone got upset when they opened the first book Bible rather than unrolling a scroll.”

Any reason to try to look more spiritual than those that don’t do it your way.

We the Church keep on and on debating on which Bible is the best, which songs are the best, which type of music is the best, which way to dress is the best, and we need to stop.

Just because they are not doing it the way we are does not mean it’s wrong, it’s just different.

You never see Jesus heal the same way twice, He raised three different people from death, three different ways.

The little Girl he said in Mark 5:41 He gently speaks “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”

For the widow son he stopped the funeral: Luke 7:14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.”

And His friend Lazarus we see in: John 11:43 He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!”  NKJV

One is in a bed one is in a coffin and the other is in the grave.

And Jesus handled them the different, but the message is the same Jesus SPOKE! One a whisper, one talk, and then He yells for Lazarus. Why then can’t we all let Jesus’ speak different today to different Churches. And yet be the same God.

 

Another example:

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus in Mark

The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”

52 Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.  NKJV

 

A Blind Man Healed at Bethsaida in Mark 8

25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.  NKJV

A Man Born Blind Receives Sight in John 9

6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.  NKJV

 

Three different blind men, one He just speaks, two He used spit, one He adds touching him, and one He made a mud pack and told him to go wash.

All three healed by Christ but each case a little different, and the reason is, we are all a little different.

I don’t know if you haven’t noticed but the world is going to hell, and we are arguing about what translation of the Bible is the right one.

 

It’s the one Paul carried; HE WAS WRITING IT AT THE TIME.

Along with other inspired men of God and it was not in 1611, it was in the first century.

All we have are TRANSLATIONS of the original Word of God.

 

I believe that God loves us all the same. I also believe that He treats us all different because we are all different, so why do you think if everyone is not like us that they are wrong. Here is something to ponder, what if it is you… that is wrong?

So, after pondering on this for a while I have come to realize it was my fault,

I should have checked… what I was taught.

from my book, “Something to Ponder.”

The Gift That Keeps Giving

Years ago, I was fishing in Pine Valley Lake with my Uncle J D Swann. Everyone called him “Uncle Dee”, whether related to him or not.

Whenever Uncle Dee would show up, he always had something with him, doughnuts, fruit, cookies or candy.

More than the things he brought was that he brought his sense of humor. (I think it runs in the family) He always had a joke or two. And they were always clean, sometimes a little corny, but always funny.

He was the kind of person (when he was in a good mood) that you just loved being around. A very smart man and Inventor, very kind to kids and I even saw the day that he let my sister put curlers in his hair, just because she asks if she could.

As we were fishing that day, he was catching fish after fish, and I was not. He would reel in one after another as I was reeling in moss. Cast after cast I am bringing in nothing. After about an hour of this, I had enough.

I said, “Uncle Dee, what are you fishing with over there?”

He spoke. “This little Rapala lure.”

I asked, “You got another one of them?”

He didn’t say anything, so I thought he didn’t hear me. How could he not hear me in this old 14-foot boat? Or maybe he didn’t want to share.

He then reeled his line in and cut off the lure and threw it to me. I asked if he had another one, and he told me no, not with him, but he had other lures he could fish with and knew that I didn’t, so he tied a different lure on and went back to fishing.

I tied the Rapala on my line and started catching some fish.

He still was catching more than me, but at least I was catching some now.

At the end of the day fishing with Uncle Dee, I reeled in my line and cut his lure off and tried to give it back, and he said it was mine and I could have it.

It was a gift.

I then asked him if he didn’t want it any longer?

He said yes, he wanted it, but that’s what made it a gift.

He said if he didn’t want it, he would have thrown it away, but it had worth and value to him, so it was worthy of being called a gift.

From then on, I have tried to live by that rule when giving or even buying gifts.

If it doesn’t have worth to me, why would I think it would be something someone else would want it.

If it’s not something I would want to keep, then again, why would anyone want it. It has to cost me something for it to be a gift and not just trash.

The Bible says over 170 times to Receive but it says over 860 times to Give.

That’s 5 times more.

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”  NKJV

If you give a certain amount of money, that amount and more will be coming back to you? No.

You give to help the expenses of the Ministry or Church. Look at the return — Preachers get paid, the church bills get paid, Missionaries are sent to share the Gospel. Churches can do more to help reach others.

As a return, souls will be saved, lives will be changed and great is your reward.

Luke 21:1And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.  3 So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; 4 for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”  NKJV

Understand this, if you give to get you got. But if you give because of Love you get. Get it?

Matthew 6:19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. NKJV

Remember “You can’t take it with you when you go, but you can send it on ahead.”

“You can give without love, but you can’t love, without giving.”

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. KJV

He Gave and you Got. Ponder on the cost of that Gift.

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. NKJV

The gift my Uncle Dee gave me that day has brought me hours of enjoyment.

It gives me memories of a better time and carefree days.

It gave me a life lesson that I can pass on to you today.

That was some 50 years ago.

I still have that little Rapala lure, I don’t fish with because I am afraid, I could lose it.

It has more value than just being a lure, it was a gift from my Uncle Dee.

I told this story when I preached his funeral in March 2008, and I held up the lure.

It was a gift.

It was something of worth to him.

When thinking about supporting a ministry or giving to your church, helping a missionary, or the youth ministry (and I am talking above your tithes) You may say, “Well, that is going to cost me something.”

Yep, that right, that’s what makes it a gift.

The coming weekend tells of the Greatest Gift of All. Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary’s cross and His resurrection.

HAPPY EASTER   

Expiration Date

As I have stated My Dad used to say from time to time, “sometimes I sit and think, and sometimes I just sit.”

Well today was one of the days that I sat and thought.

Therefore, what I was thinking about was my Mother pouring out some milk, and a statement I saw put on Facebook that said “we don’t have an expiration date.”

Well, I beg to differ.

We do have an “expiration date” the Bible says in:

Ecclesiastes 3:2 A time to be born, And a time to die; NKJV

 

We all will face death sometime or another.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, NKJV

With that said, we all have an expiration date stamped on us. For most, we do not know when that day will be.

I truly believe we can accelerate that date and in the same thought, I believe we can also extend that date.

Ecclesiastes 7:17 Do not be overly wicked, Nor be foolish: Why should you die before your time?  NKJV

The milk may have been poured out before its time; even when it was still good and it could still have some use after the appointed date stamped on the carton.

I think a lot our own lives are that way, we can take our own life before its time, or even taking years off our life with things like smoking, drinking, and as much as I hate to admit it over eating, I think we can do a lot of things to take years off our life.

I was playing a game of chess years ago on a computer. After a few minutes of play the game told me I had 12 moves left and I would be in check.

No way I thought, then after the next move it said I had less than 5 moves. Apparently, I made the wrong move. The computer knew every possible move I could make and already worked out how the game would end.

I think life is that way; we make the wrong move, and it cost time on our lives.

I also believe that God knows every possible move we can make and has an end planed for each move we make which gives us free will. However, God is always in charge and always knows the end.

Back to the game, I made 2 more moves and was in check and then mate. Needless to say, that I do not play that game anymore.

But the game of life goes on and what we do with it is up to us.

Ecclesiastes 2:16 For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come. And how does a wise man die? As the fool!  NKJV

Solomon was the wisest man outside Jesus Himself to ever walk the earth, and he still had the same thoughts, discouragements, and worries as we do.

What is it all about?

We can work our whole life, and what we gather and accomplish, is gone when we are. I don’t have to be like that, I believe that it was Andy Stanley that said “you can’t take it with you when you go, but you can send it on ahead.”

Think for a moment, of the lives you have touched the souls that you were a part of sending on to Heaven eventually.

Through your giving to the Church for outreach and missions. By saying the right thing to the right person at the right time. By you personally to get to lead someone to the Lord.

You may say you never did anything like that. Well did you ever watch the nursery at a Church so the parents could sit in a service, or teach a Sunday School class or VBS class and planted a verse in a young child’s mind?

Ever drop an extra dollar in the plate for missions or for someone in need?

Ever send a card or a letter to encourage someone?

Have you ever dropped by the hospital to visit someone who hurts?

Have you ever brought a meal to someone in need or picked up a check after a meal for someone that hurts?

Jesus said it this way:

Matthew 25:40 “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”  NKJV

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.  14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. NKJV

The saying “it ain’t over till it’s over” seems to apply. As long as you have breath, as long as you are on this side of the grass, you have a mission and that mission is to live for Christ.

Philippians 1:21a “For to me to live is Christ…”

For me to be alive Christ is alive, the reason the first century Christians got so extremely happy with a new convert. There was another person to live for Christ. Christ had another mouth to speak on His behalf, two more hands to carry His gospel, two more feet to go and help those in need.

My mentor Reverend Ben Turner once said “if you are going to hammer at least build something.”  So, since you are still around do something profitable for the cause of Christ.

With that said we all have an expiration date stamped on us.

Don’t you want to accomplish something for Jesus before we meet Him face to face?

I was having lunch at Wallace Bar B Q one day and some waitress knowing that I am a minister, had a question about suicide. After hearing their questions, and hearing their concerns about the subject, I related the following story to them:

In 1991 the office job I had overseeing eight concrete construction crews, was taken away from me and I went from telling these foremen what to do, to working for one of them and asking how to do it. My pay was cut according to my accountant over $30,000.00 that year. I tried to keep living like I was, except on credit cards, but I soon found out that the Visa, Master Card, and American Express company’s want their money back after a while. (as if I didn’t know) I was behind on every payment, and that’s not what I do at all. I made sure the house payment was made, I may sit in a dark and cold house, but at least I would have a roof over my head.

My wife decided she didn’t want to be with me three years earlier, and so for three long years I would pray and beg God to send her home, believing that would happen and happen real soon.

But it didn’t happen, and the day came that a Deputy came knocking on my door and served me divorce papers, and I am now at what I was looking at as the end of all I could take, and that morning around 2:30 to 3:00am I heard Satan say “you don’t have to hurt like this, there is a way out, the 357 magnum is right there.”

I find it amazing when Satan talks to you it’s not in an echo chamber voice, or a dark deep evil voice, but it was in a soft southern draw, and sounded, well it sounded a lot like me, cause that’s how he does it, through my mind and in my voice.

I said God “I can’t take anymore, (and I couldn’t but I learned that night God can if I give it to Him.) so the rest of my talk with God went something like this, “I am about to see you face to face and if you don’t want me to do, what I am about to do you better stop me now” and (another conjunction, there is still more to the story.)

At that very moment as I watched the chamber turn and the shell line up as the hammer went back on that old Colt.

The phone rang. I thought, who could that be at this time of the night, God maybe? So, I sat the weapon down and picked up the phone. Before I could say hello, a preacher friend, Eddie Rogers, said “God told me to call you and tell you to STOP! Do you hear me?” I answered, “yes I hear you.”  Ed then said, “can I go back to bed now?” I said “sure, and thanks” he said goodnight and hung up. I cleared the weapon and went to bed myself believing God was not near done with me.

A few weeks later as we were meeting for a prayer time for Eddies Ministry Sweet Spirit Band, I ask him if he remembered calling me that night, and he said he did, then I ask did he not want to know what was going on that night?

He said he thought I would share the reason with him when I was ready, so I told him the story, and waiting on “are you okay brother?” or “I am so sorry you are going through this.” Or even “just hang in their brother everything is going to be alright.”

Instead, I got “you idiot, (it’s good to have a few friends like that, just a few.) is that how you really want face God Almighty with a smoking gun in your hand?” I said, “no not really, and I promise it will never happen again.””

My Expiration Date could have been that day, my choice, I believe if I had pulled that trigger that moment it all would have ended right then.

A few weeks later after sharing that story that day at Wallace’s, I had a lady come up to our table and say, “I was here a couple a week ago, and I was setting right behind you when you told how you almost ended your life, and that you didn’t want to face God with a smoking gun in your hand. I was here to eat my final meal I have a chronic pain, and I was just going to eat and go home and take every pain pill I had and just end it all. But I thought did I really want to face God with a stomach full of pills. And after seeing how God is still using you, I went home and had a great talk with my Heavenly Father, and I just wanted to thank you for sharing what you went through, because it saved my life too.”

You never know who you are reaching, or how God is going to use you, or even when God will use you. It may be in a Bar B Q house in Austell, Georgia. Or in a pulpit in a church, just know when God is ready for you let Him do the calling, because you don’t want to pour out that milk before its time. You don’t want to face God for the first time with a smoking gun, a stomach full of pills, a bloody wrist, or any other than His reaching down and saying it’s time to come home.

Remember as we read earlier.

A time to be born,

And a time to die.

Don’t punch your Expiration date before Gods time.