Gods Powerful Word - Psalm 33

Timeless message by Preacher Doug

The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable.

Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.

It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword and the Christian’s charter. Here too, Heaven is opened and the gates of Hell disclosed.

Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully.  It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure.

It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

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Gods Great Love Breaks Bread With Us - Part 5 of 6

We are approaching April 3rd, the day that Jesus envisioned 3-1/2 years earlier when He stepped out of the wood shop, that He would be nailed to the cross as the perfect sacrifice for mankind's sin once and for all! What is commonly referred to as the passion week is now upon the Son of God, and all of us today as a reminder of Gods Great Love for Us.

(5) The New Covenant between God and man begins.

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Please note that some of the content contained within the Reflection Moments depicted here is not recorded in the scriptures. They are merely human attempts to relate and ask some questions of certain aspects of the Son of God, which may help you see the Savior’s human side of His divine life on earth.

~ Jesus the man predicts His Death and Resurrection 3 times! ~

1) Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again. (Matt 20:17-19)

2) Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.” But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. (Mark 9:30-32)

3) Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken. (Luke 18:31-33)

Jesus tells His disciples, to be His, they must align themselves with His will. But do they get it that it may mean death looms in their journey to Jerusalem?

"If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed. And you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." (John 8:31)

This video lesson shines some light on what the 12 disciples may have encountered as they followed Jesus all the way to Jerusalem, and beyond. And it has application for us today in our discipleship also. The writer Luke says you can’t have Jesus without the cross, but people today will tell you that you can. It doesn’t have to be as radical or extreme as Jesus describes. Logical discipleship says, we want Jesus to have – a place. Not necessarily, first place. Logical discipleship finds a way to give Jesus “A” place, and we find that reasonable. Somewhere along the way in recent history, the requirements for discipleship have changed. Jesus tells us all over the New Testament He wants us to follow Him. But popular and logical discipleship tells us, we just have to accept Him. Find me a place in the bible where it says to “accept Jesus.”

"Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it." (Luke 9:23-24)


How bumpy and difficult is the road to your Jerusalem? (Matt 7:13-14) At the end of every day are we walking in the steps of Jesus as His disciples? Are you, am I, counting and experiencing the cost of walking in the light? (1 John 1:7) Do we really know what it means to put God first in every decision we make whether its a simple one not to swear curses or dishonor God in our speech? Can we with a committed and trusting faith in God face very difficult life situations that bring hardship and or difficulty in Jesus name? There are many ways to serve Him but are we doing them, even the small ones, on Jesus terms? The disciples are about to see what it means to really follow and trust Jesus the God-man up close and personal. And I can only imagine what they are about to witness and touch must have been fearful, dreadful, emotion searing and penetrating to the core of their souls. Maybe we will see the life changing events before them utterly stripping them of all their previous self-protecting survival modes or any form of normalcy for the remainder of their lives!

Jesus friend, Lazarus

“Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11:1-4)

A curious statement by Jesus to His disciples as they are waiting 2 days before walking to Bethany where Lazarus lays and the Jews on a prior occasion tried to stone Him to death (John 11:8). He says, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up” (John 11:11).

Reflection Moments

The lesson here I believe is, death does not break the bond of friendship between Christ and the believing disciple for He calls them friends (Luke 12:4, John 15:14). On the other hand, can you sense the fear and trembling of the disciples as Jesus commits to walking back towards danger? Not only for Him, but for themselves! They are associated with the Master and His ministry. This road back to Bethany will have to be undertaken on Jesus terms.

Unbeknownst to the disciples, they thought Lazarus would get well of his sickness with rest. Then Jesus says, “Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.” (John 11:14-15)

An important point not to miss of Jesus doing the will of the Father – He first prays to Him in front of the disciples and onlookers so that they will know the Father sent Him. That He indeed came from heaven and that God is among them. Though they aren’t fully grasping Gods presence, some of them being completely perplexed, the seed is divinely planted within them by Christ’s prayer before the subsequent raising of the dead.

“Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” (John 11:41-42)

Lazarus is returned to Life!

The most profound of all the miracles Jesus performed during His earthly ministry are those in which He resurrected someone. The New Testament records three of these resurrection miracles, including the raising of a widow's son, of Jairus' daughter, and of Lazarus. Luke the physician is the only one to record the raising of a widow's son (Luke 7:11-17). It is interesting that each of the three resurrection miracles reports the dead person in a different stage of death from the other instances. When Christ raises Jairus' daughter to life, she is still in the bed where she had died only a few hours earlier. The widow's son lies in an open coffin on his way to his grave when Jesus performs the miracle. Finally, Lazarus is already in the grave and has been dead for four days by the time Christ arrives and raises him from the dead (John 11:39).

The varying length of times they had been dead shows that Christ can raise the dead no matter what. His miraculous power to resurrect is not dependent upon whether a person has just died, has been dead for days, or is already decomposing. The same principle holds true regarding spiritual salvation: God and Christ can save any sinner no matter how old he is, how long he has been a sinner, or how badly he has sinned.

A sobering thought for Lazarus, Jairus’ daughter and the widows son is, they are going to have to go through death again! Better yet, another resurrection - Halleluiah…

Some Jews believe, Most do not and are outraged!

“Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.” (John 11:45-48)

As a Sadducee, Caiaphas did not believe in the resurrection. It must have been a shock to him when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. He preferred to destroy this challenge to his beliefs instead of supporting it. Caiaphas led the Jewish people in their worship of God. He performed his religious duties in strict obedience to Mosaic law. He would enter the Holy of Holy's in the temple to offer sacrifices to Yahweh as high priest of the Jews, AD 27 to 36. He was a Sadducee, and a bitter enemy of Christ. At his palace the priests, etc., met after the resurrection of Lazarus, to plot the death of the Savior, lest all the people should believe on him. On one of these occasions, (John 11:47-54), he counseled the death of Christ for the political salvation of the nation. These plots against Christ, (Matt 26:1-5 Mark 14:1 Luke 22:2), will lead to Jesus seizure. He will be brought first before Annas, formerly high priest, who sent him to Caiaphas his son-in-law. Caiaphas will examine Christ before the assembling of the Sanhedrin, after which the trial will go on, and Christ will be condemned, mocked, and transferred to Pilate for sentence and execution, (Matthew 26:57-68 Mark 14:53-72 Luke 22:54-71 John 18:13-27). Not content with procuring the death of the Savior, Caiaphas and his friends violently persecuted his followers, (Acts 4:1-6 5:17,33)

But the Sanhedrin, or high council, of which Caiaphas was president, did not have the authority to execute people. So Caiaphas turned to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, who could carry out a death sentence. Caiaphas tried to convince Pilate that Jesus was a threat to Roman stability and had to die to prevent a rebellion.

It was inevitable... One of the 12 betrays his creator!

"Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him. (Matt 26:14-16)

We cannot be absolutely certain why Judas betrayed Jesus, but some things are evident. First, although Judas was chosen to be one of the Twelve (John 6:64), all scriptural evidence points to the fact that he never believed Jesus to be God. He even may not have been convinced that Jesus was the Messiah. Unlike the other disciples that called Jesus “Lord,” Judas never used this title for Jesus and instead called him “Rabbi,” which acknowledged Jesus as nothing more than a teacher. While other disciples at times made great professions of faith and loyalty (John 6:68; 11:16), Judas never did so and appears to have remained silent. Judas was consumed with greed to the point of betraying the trust of not only Jesus, but also his fellow disciples, as we see in John 12:5-6. Judas may have desired to follow Jesus simply because he saw the great following and believed he could profit from collections taken for the group.

The same holds true for us. If we fail to recognize Jesus as God in the flesh, we will be subject to numerous other problems that stem from an incomplete view of God. Part 6 of this series will bear out more truth of the God-man’s flesh and blood as we come upon April 3^rd

^{~ The Teacher says, "My time is at hand" ~}

<sup>Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, "You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified." (Matt 26:1-2)

And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.'" (Matt 26:18)</sup>


Reflection Moment

I have to be honest, this is difficult to write knowing what we know. Christians worldwide have benefited immensely for what Jesus did for us, the young man from Galilee who took that very first step out of the wood shop toward Jerusalem to finally face His earthly doom on the cross. Yes the cruel cross of Calvary that would shortly be stained and puddled at the bottom with His divine blood, for us!. We may marvel in wonderment of Jesus dual natures as a man and God in the flesh. We may drink of the marvelous miracles the Son of God who so compassionately worked for the betterment of those who in the Jews eyes didn't deserve it. We hopefully if you are reading this major milestone in Jesus life on earth are so thankful and indebted to the Son of God, the Savior for His willingness to see the Fathers plan all the way through just for us. But with all that said, it still comes down to facing the fact that Jesus said to His disciples - "My time is at hand, I must be crucified, for you!"

 Literally, like a lamb going to the slaughter! (Isaiah 53:7, John 1:29)

Have you ever witnessed an animal being slaughtered for food in front of your very eyes with its blood letting out all over? I have. If you have did you feel helpless to save the animal? I did. Or maybe you were one that witnessed wartime atrocities of the enemy, and or even seen you buddies killed while in battle side by side? I haven't and I thank God I didn't. I thank our veterans so much for putting themselves out there for our freedoms. My dad was in the Korean war and it wasn't until he was in his late 70's did he begin to share the atrocities he saw of soldiers in his platoon being killed right in front of him! I will keep the details but I think we all know how that effects people, its just not a normal thing to witness in the modern age of civilized societies.

This crucifixion Jesus is about to go through was a perfected practice by the Romans when they procured justice upon criminals. Jesus though is innocent of any wrongdoing and is about to go through six hours of suffering at the hands of the Jews, and to please His Father in heaven. Can we truly fathom and appreciate this voluntary sacrifice He is about to undergo? I think one could say, "I am sorrowful but I am sure glad He did."

Passover of Passover's

While growing up in Mary and Joseph's house Jesus attended many Passover's and Feast of Weeks celebrations. This was established by God's covenant given to Moses and the children of Israel in Exodus 14:14-19, 34:22. However the Passover Jesus is about to attend will be His final one until He is risen and drinks of it in His Father's Kingdom (Matt 26:29). He has already predicted His death and resurrection which boggles the mind of the disciples and us. We and they are unable to comprehend this state of mind and spirit of Jesus the man. As related earlier, He is clearly aware of His divinity and His human nature simultaneously. So, this next and final Passover meal is a milestone of His ministry akin to Him taking that first step out of the wood shop towards Jerusalem. It marks the next step in the process of redeeming mankind back to God, and He is very desirous about eating it, before he suffers! (Luke 22:15). He could have said, "No, I'm done suffering, I'm done with all the life threats and ridicule, the rejection and being all the talk in the Jewish world. I've had it, just leave me alone so I can live my life the way I want to."

This would have been the time to walk away but the Fathers will had to be fulfilled because of His Great Love for us! Oh how mankind is so blessed this particular Passover meal was fulfilled.

Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

Jesus the Victim for us

God had said that through the new covenant He would "forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." And Jesus knew that the words, "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities:...for He shall bear their iniquities" (Isa. 53:5,11) prophesied of Himself and were written for His instruction as well as for the instruction of all who have faith. He was to be the victim by which the new covenant would be firm. That covenant would be dedicated, inaugurated, ratified, put into effect as a result of His sacrifice (Heb 9:16-18). The blessing of sonship and fellowship with God was about to reach others. Jesus would have all believers acknowledge and remember His sacrifice, its purpose, and the new arrangement through which their new life and spiritual relationship with God becomes a reality.

Not more than a few hours later, the Savior of mankind, God in the flesh. would be in the Garden of Gethsemane just across the Kidron Valley from Jerusalem where He frequently brought His disciples, and prayed to His Father (John 18:2). This night He would pray all night to the point of sweating blood! (Luke 22:44) The agony was tremendous. Twice, Jesus had to wake Peter, James and John and remind them to pray so that they would not fall into temptation. This was especially poignant because Peter did indeed fall into temptation later that very night when three times he denied even knowing Jesus. The third time with cursing and swearing! (Mark 14:71)

Jesus moved a little way from the three men to pray, and twice He asked His Father to remove the cup of wrath He was about to drink, but each time He submitted to the Father’s will. He was “exceedingly sorrowful unto death,” but God sent an angel from heaven to strengthen Him (Luke 22:43).

"Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done."

The disciple who betrayed Him would know this place well making it easy for him to lead the multitude of people including the chief Jewish priests and elders to arrest Jesus. They would be armed with swords and clubs a riotous bunch. (Matt 26:47) Judas identified Him by the prearranged signal of a kiss which he gave to Jesus. Trying to protect Jesus, Peter took a sword and attacked a man named Malchus, the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Jesus rebuked Peter and miraculously healed the man’s ear. It’s surprising that witnessing this amazing miracle of healing had no effect on the multitude. Neither were they shaken by His awesome display of power as described in John 18:5-6, where either at the majesty of His looks, or at the power of His words, or both, they became like dead men, falling to the ground! Nevertheless, they arrested Him and took Him to Pontius Pilate, while the disciples scattered in fear for their lives.

Dirck van Baburen, The Arrest of Christ, c. 1619

Reflection Moment

Jesus Christ was completely innocent of any civil crime or wrongdoing. But according to the priests His claim to be God and the only way to the Father, He had to be arrested for fear His following would greatly increase, and His blasphemous claims had to be quenched out of existence (Mark 14:64). As you read through the book of John, you will notice eight different conversations in which Jesus makes very specific statements about himself. Jesus does not just claim to know these things, or explain these things. He claims that He is these things. The impact is tremendous. The implications reach deep into our everyday real lives. The impact involves life-changing transformation with everlasting consequence! 

John 6: 35, 48, I am the bread of life

John 8: 12, 9:5,  I am the light of the world

John 8: 58,  Before Abraham was, I am

John 10:9,  I am the door

John 10:11,  I am the good shepherd

John 11:25,  I am the resurrection and the life

John 14:6,  I am the way, the truth, and the life

John 15:1,  I am the true vine

We have come to the morning of April 3, 33 AD. The day the world is about to change forever because of one solitary life that loved us so much. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Teacher and Savior, the God-man of Mary and Joseph, and of the Spirit of God.

Next week we explore the, Humanity of God in the flesh,

1 : 2 : 3 : 4 : 5 : 6

Click #1 to begin this study

Is Jesus Inspecting Your Congregation?

Jesus Christ, our Lord and King is many things to His disciples. He is Savior, Master Teacher, the Son of God within the Godhead. He is our brother and advocate to the Father. He is the Creator of the universe and holds all things together. He is God... Let us explore another aspect of many he holds. Could Jesus the Christ be His church Inspector? (Rev 2:1, 2, 9, 13, 19, 3:1, 8, 15) Hover your cursor over these scriptures as they are mentioned in the video.

We hope you glean a little more about the Mind of Christ in this short lesson.

Lesson by, Wayne Jackson
Christian Courier

By Wayne Jackson - Christian Courier

What is the Best way to know if your church congregation is of Christ?

Read here.

Gods Great Love Fellowships With Us - Part 4 of 6

The Carpenter is God in the flesh, He is fully clothed with the Spirit and Power from Heaven, equipped and ready to begin His ministry to save the world of its sin! Let us peer into the unfolding of the most glorious work known in the universe, just for us!

(4) The God-man fellowships with His greatest creation!

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Please note that some of the content contained within the Reflection Moments depicted here is not recorded in the scriptures. They are merely human attempts to relate and ask some questions of certain aspects of the Son of God, which may help you see the Savior’s human side of His divine life on earth. Secondly, I haven't covered every aspect of His ministry here but have tried to keep it concise covering some milestone markers of it. You the reader are encouraged to continue your studies to glean more of the mind of Christ from His Word, the Bible.

Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,

By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles:

The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,

And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death

Light has dawned.”

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say,

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

(Matthew 4:12-17)

Jesus public declaration about the "Kingdom of Heaven" being imminent now takes us full circle to the beginning of the universe when the Godhead created it! “And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day” (Gen 1:8). Only this time, heaven is not just a place, it’s now fast going to become an active kingdom (His church) saving men and overcoming evil with a King seated as its sovereign! A stark difference from the centuries long kingdoms of the earth. And even these kingdoms of man were given over to them by God who had raised them up, and brought them down, even to the present.

God’s prophet Daniel around 570 BC gives us a vivid picture of this rising and falling. His interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream ends with this new kingdom of heaven Jesus is now proclaiming being at hand.

“You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—you are this head of gold. But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” (Daniel 2:37-44)

And this new kingdom will be inhabited by saints (Daniel 7:18).

“But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.”

An Earthbound Messiah?

The Jewish community had for centuries anticipated, or had a mood of expectancy that God would set up His rule visibly and powerfully among them in Jerusalem. Not in an invisible, spiritual kingdom. There were many Jewish prayers attesting to this including one of the most famous – The Qaddish Prayer that said, “May He set up His sovereignty in your lifetime, and in your days, and in the lifetime of the whole house of Israel, speedily and in a time that is near.”

Jesus will later under bitter rejection claim that He is the King of this kingdom of heaven. Nonetheless, Jesus will in a most powerful and glorious way, prove His naysayers wrong.

Reflection Moment

We can begin to see as we related in our previous lesson, the God-man’s preaching of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven is going to be stiffly challenged, rebuked having Jesus, this lone young man born of Mary the object of wrath with His countrymen. They literally want to kill Him on the very first day of His ministry. He desires more mouthpieces to proclaim the good news of the kingdom, He begins to seek out some men to teach and bestow all that He knows in the Spirit. Jesus is fully aware of His deity, and he is fully aware of His humanity and its constraints. But He has never sinned nor does sin reside in Him. It must be clearly understood that the God-man Jesus possesses two simultaneous natures while on earth at all times or the whole bible falls flat on its face! With this in mind, why wouldn’t He summon an angel or two to take care of business instead of beginning a search for other human beings to assist spreading the new news of the kingdom?

In keeping this short and concise, we humans since the fall of Adam and Eve disobeying God in the garden possess what is called “free will thinking.” You can review this state of ours before the Godhead in Genesis 3:7-24. Essentially, as soon as Adam and Eve disobeyed the command and bit into the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, their eyes were opened and suddenly, they realized they were without cover, and hid themselves. The result of that single decision to bite was the moment free-will thinking occurred for they had no reason to hide themselves prior to the infraction. They and we now possess a conscience and as the bible says “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil” (Gen 3:22). Take special note to the singular "one."

With this background said, God desires us to choose Him from our disobediently earned free will. He wants all to be saved (1 Tim 2:3-4) but our heart must feel and our head must know the need on our own free will to seek the truth and again, obey Him. This is the spiritual battle for our hearts and minds. Not a battle of flesh and physical matters. This ministry is about the invisible kingdom of heaven centered on the heart of man we are about to unfold. Secondly, having the foreknowledge He would have to endure the cross, Jesus teachings and work to establish His church (Matt 16:18) would come by the Spirit through men after He is ascended. We are getting ahead but this is a very simplistic background to Gods motivation to select the twelve disciples who later become Apostles.

~ God Fellowships with Man in Person ~

After Jesus had endured the temptation in the wilderness, He “returned to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit.” He tried to speak in His hometown of Nazareth, but was rejected (Mark 6:1-6). So spiritually blinded were the people of the synagogue that they tried to kill Jesus by attempting to throw Him off a cliff. Jesus then chose to establish His base and a new team in Capernaum, a town nearby, on the edge of the Sea of Galilee.

Jesus could have chosen prominent influential figures to help spread the gospel of the kingdom of heaven He was about to teach them, but He knew this type of person would think they knew more than others and would cause attention to themselves. Many of these disciples were hard working fishermen. He chose everyday men so they could learn the simple lessons of the Kingdom of God and eventually spread those teachings to mankind when they became Apostles full of power and knowledge. For the masses of mankind will listen to one on their level of life over an elite who really cannot identify with the average citizen.

Yet what is amazing, with the salvation of all of mankind’s subsequent billions of souls being on the line, God chose to utilize His Son and just twelve people out of millions to bring the message of the kingdom of heaven to light! It’s a breathtaking thought that so much could be accomplished through so little, with the help of the Holy Spirits power (Acts 1:8).

Each of the twelve had their issues in society and weren’t by any means the perfect candidates by worldly standards. I will say though, these men Jesus chose were not by accident. With much prayer the night before selecting them, He fervently with love sought to fulfill the will of God, the Father. “. . . Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God” (Luke 6:12). Jesus knew their hearts and minds out of all the other possible candidates that followed Him, He knew their weaknesses and strengths, and He also knew their development of faith and commitment to Him would be fruitful. Did they know just how demanding and dangerous following Jesus would be? Were they aware how much they would have to give up to serve Him and later, in the church after Jesus ascension back to heaven? Most likely not.

These men would not only become His followers, but individuals who would be closest to Him. In every way, the Son of God chose to be vulnerable (loving) to these individuals because he already knew the hard road ahead, they didn't. Love and faith in God's promises would eventually overcome all of their fears for the kingdom of heaven was at hand! May we get to know them a little?

ANDREW

Andrew was the brother of Peter, and a son of Jonas. He lived in Bethsaida and Capernaum and was a fisherman before Jesus called him.

BARTHOLOMEW

Bartholomew Nathanael, son of Talmai, lived in Cana of Galilee. He developed into a man of complete surrender to the Carpenter of Nazareth, and one of the Church's most adventurous missionaries.

JAMES, THE ELDER

James, the Elder, son of Zebedee was a fisherman who lived in Bethsaida, Capernaum and Jerusalem. He preached in Jerusalem and Judea.

JAMES, THE LESSER (Or Younger)

James, the Lesser or Younger, son of Alpheus, or Cleophas and Mary, lived in Galilee. He was the brother of the Apostle Jude and wrote the Epistle of James.

JOHN

John, son of Zebedee and brother of James, the Apostle. He was known as the Beloved Disciple. A fisherman who lived in Bethsaida, Capernaum and Jerusalem, He wrote the Gospel of John, I John, II John, III John and Revelation.

JUDAS

Judas Iscariot, the traitor, was the son of Simon who lived in Kerioth of Judah. He betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and afterwards hanged himself (Matthew 26:14,16).

JUDE

Jude, was the son of Alpheus or Cleophas and Mary. He was a brother of James the Younger. He was one of the very little-known Apostles and lived in Galilee. In Mark 3:18 he is called Thaddeus. In Matthew 10:3 he is called Lebbeus. His surname was Thaddeus.

MATTHEW

Matthew, or Levi, son of Alpheus, lived in Capernaum. He was a publican or tax collector. He wrote the Gospel that bears his name. He died a martyr in Ethiopia.

PETER

Simon Peter, son of Jonas, was a fisherman who lived in Bethsaida and Capernaum. He authored the two New Testament epistles which bear his name. His Greek name was Simon (Mark 1:16; John 1:40, He was a married man (1Corinthians 9:5) and his home was Capernaum.

PHILIP

Philip came from Bethsaida, the town from which Peter and Andrew came (John 1:44). The likelihood is that he, too, was a fisherman. The Gospel of John shows Philip as one of the first of many to whom Jesus addressed the words, "Follow Me."

SIMON

Simon, the Zealot, one of the little-known followers called the Canaanite or Zelotes, lived in Galilee. In two places in the King James Version he is called a Canaanite (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18). However in the other two places he is called Simon Zelotes (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13).

THOMAS

Thomas Didymus lived in Galilee. Thomas was his Hebrew name and Didymus was his Greek name. At times he was called Judas. Thomas to put his finger in the nail holes in the risen Jesus hands and in His side where the spear struck Him. Here, we see Thomas making the greatest confession of faith, "My Lord and my God." Thomas' doubts were transformed into faith.

Reflection Moment

You may beg the question, "Why only twelve?" The number 12 in Jewish culture is a significant number for a myriad of reasons. In the interest of space and time lets point out two reasons Jesus may have chosen what would amount to only 12 disciples to help carry out His work. The prominent reason is based upon the fact that Israel had 12 tribes beginning with Jacobs 12 sons (Gen 49:1-28). Another possibility is where Jesus states “when the Son of Man (Christ) is sitting on the throne in His glory, they who followed Him will also sit on the twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matt 19:28, Rev 21:14). In addition, the number 12 is frequently suggested as completeness and perfection.

~ Jesus Teaches ~

Martyrdom surely was always on the mind and in the forefront of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Teacher. He was then and today is fully aware the fact of danger and sacrifice are cornerstone realities of His ministry to a fallen, sinful world of paganism and lawbreakers. He is also acutely aware that the children of Israel, down to these twelve handpicked disciples will have to confront ages of tradition and even His Fathers own Law which in about three years will be set aside, nailed to the cross! How will Jesus break the news, how will He not scare the chosen away from heaven’s plan to redeem mankind?  Do they have any idea what kind of road they are about to travel with the Savior? Nope, they sure don’t. He will offensively and lovingly teach them the difficulty as they follow Him from tears for His close friend Lazarus all the way to the cruel cross that awaits Him.

Christ Fulfills the Law

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17-18). The question before for us - When will all be fulfilled?

There are reams of truth and life principles in the New Testament of Jesus teachings that can fill a large municipal library! In the interest of space I am listing some of Jesus most important time tested gospel teachings here. Hover your cursor over the scripture to read.


(1) The Greatest Commandment

Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.” (Mark 12:28-29)

Jesus said loving God is the most important of all the commandments. But what does loving God really mean? Here are six ways that Jesus taught us to express and demonstrate our love for God:

• Know and Obey God's Commandments (John 14:21)
• Trust in God and Jesus (John 14:1, Luke 18:17)
• Put God Above All Else (Luke 9:25, Luke 13:35)
• Be Committed (Matt 16:24-26)
• Be Humble before God and Other People (Matt 23:11-12)
• Make Time for Prayer (Matt 7:7-11)

(2) The Second Greatest Commandment

"The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:31)

• Who Is My Neighbor? Luke 6:27-38, Luke 10:25-37)
• Forgive Others. (Matt 5:38-39, Matt 6:14-15)
• Help the Needy. (Matt 25:31-46, Luke 6:38, Mark 12:41-44)
• Follow the Golden Rule. (Matt 7:1-5, Matt 7:12, John 8:3-11)

Jesus could hardly have made things plainer. His disciples are not meant to live hard-hearted or self-centered lives. They are called to die to themselves and put their faith into practice and truly love their neighbors, especially those less fortunate. These are revolutionary principles of a new way of life brought forth from heaven.

(3) Jesus taught in Parables

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.’” (Mark 4:10-12)

Jesus quoted from Isaiah 6:9-10. The prophet Isaiah had found that people were so lost in sin that they resented hearing God's Word and deliberately turned away. Jesus experienced the same disappointment and frustration. Thus, the most common interpretation of Jesus' saying is that the people's hardness of heart (pride, arrogance and prejudice) prevented them from understanding and accepting Jesus' teachings. Jesus spoke his parables; he meant them to flash into men's minds and to reveal the truth of God. But in so many eyes he saw a dull incomprehension. He saw so many people blinded by prejudice, deafened by wishful thinking, too lazy to think. He turned to his disciples and he said to them: "Do you remember what Isaiah once said? He said that when he came with God's message to God's people Israel in his day they were so dully un-understanding that you would have thought that God had shut instead of opening their minds; I feel like that to-day." When Jesus said this, he did not say it in anger, or irritation, or bitterness, or exasperation. He said it with the longing of frustrated love, the poignant sorrow of a man who had a tremendous gift to give which people were too blind to take.  (Barclay on Mark 4:1-12)

Parables about the Kingdom of God

The kingdom of God is the centerpiece of Jesus' teachings. For hundreds of years, the Jews had been expecting the decisive intervention of God to restore the glory of Israel and defeat its enemies. When John the Baptist and then Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom was at hand, it was expected by the Jews to actually take place on earth forevermore. However, the kingdom initiated by Jesus is not the earthly kingdom that was widely inferred from the Old Testament prophesies. It is a spiritual kingdom that is now growing in the hearts of men and women, and it will find its fulfillment in the eventual sovereign rule of God and defeat of all evil. People who choose to belong to God's kingdom and serve Him are those who are destined to inherit eternal life in God's presence.

The Parable of the Sower

Jesus often compared the kingdom of God to a seed planted in the hearts of men and women. He tells of this aspect of the kingdom in His Parable of the Sower:

On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 13:1-9)

This is one of the Parables that Jesus explained privately for His disciples, and here is His explanation:

“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” (Matthew 13:18-23)

There are many ways of responding to God's word. Some may hear it but reject it. Some may accept it but not act on it. The lesson of this parable is that we must hear, believe, repent and act on God's word by obeying the gospel.

Just as the farmer scatters seed throughout the field, God gives His word to the entire world.

Just as the seed cannot take root on the trampled and hardened path, God's word is rejected by people having hearts hardened by pride and hatred.

Just as the seed that falls on shallow soil wilts in the sun, some people have shallow faith. They are enthusiastic about God's word until it becomes inconvenient or makes demands on them. Then they fall away.

Just as the seed that falls among thorns is crowded out, God's word can be crowded out by worries, worldly thinking and pursuit of wealth.

Just as the seed that falls on good soil yields a bountiful crop, God's word is fruitful in people who listen, understand and obey. The kingdom of God yields great results in and through these people.

Related verses: Matthew 5:16, 6:25, 10:22, 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, James 2:14-17, John 3:36, 1 Peter 4:17, 2 Thessalonians 3:13, 1 Timothy 6:10, James 1:22-25, 1 John 2:9.

Parable of the Mustard Seed. (Matt 13:31-32)

Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl of Great Price. (Matt 13:44-46)

Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds. (Matt 13:24-30, Matt 13:36-43)

Parables of Gods Love, Mercy and Forgiveness

Parable of the Lost Sheep. (Luke 15:4-7)

Parable of the Prodigal Son. (Luke 15:11-32)

Parables of Christian Love

Parable of the Good Samaritan. (Luke 10:25-37)

Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. (Matt 18:21-35)

Persistent Prayer

Persistent Widow. (Luke 18:1-8)

Self-Righteousness and Humility

Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. (Luke 18:9-14)

Stewardship

Parable of the Talents. (Matt 25:14-30)

Preparation for the Future

Parable of the Rich Fool. (12:15-21)

Parable of the Wise and Foolish Bridesmaids. (Matt 25:1-13)

Parable of the Final Judgment. (Matt 25:31-46)

Reflection Moment

Wasn't this Mary and Joseph's son (Mark 6:3)? No longer ladies and gentlemen. The carpenter from Galilee is now building spiritual houses within the hearts of men! This is God in the flesh speaking to the disciples and us today from the "mind of God". Jesus speaks to His creation in parables. He is the master teacher often having an unexpected twist or surprise ending that catches our attention driving home the parable's lesson. The parables give us an insight into heavenly and spiritual concepts that cannot be expressed in mere words. They also give us a much richer understanding of the kingdom of God and its values, which are often the opposite of worldly values. Without understanding the parables, it is impossible to fully understand Jesus and His teachings. Read and meditate on them often.

~ Jesus Miracles & Healing's ~

Exactly what is a Miracle?

A miracle is an event which the forces of nature—including the natural powers of man—cannot of themselves produce, and which must, therefore, be referred to a supernatural agency (Fisher 1900). A miracle is a divine operation that transcends what is normally perceived as natural law; it cannot be explained upon any natural basis.

I think people use the term rather loosely and not at all in a scriptural sense. And what are those tell-tale traits that identify the miracle and distinguish them from a natural phenomenon? Are these miracles just a hoax, a display of magic and Jesus a liar? Second, what was the design of those “wonders” which are described so dramatically in the Bible.

The miracles recorded in the Bible fall into several categories:

First, there are supernatural acts of creation. Certain creation activities were accomplished by the word of God (Hebrews 11:3); He merely spoke, and it was done (Psalm 33:9). Obviously, this type of divine action is not being duplicated today since the creation process of the material universe was concluded at the end of the initial week of earth’s history (Genesis 2:1-2).

Second, there were miracles which involved a temporary and localized suspension of laws regulating nature. Jesus calmed a ferocious storm on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 8:23-27), and, on another occasion, he walked upon the waters of the lake (John 6:16-21).

Third, there were signs which involved the healing of man’s physical body. The blind were made to see (John 9:1-7), and the lame to walk (Acts 3:1-10).

Fourth, there were signs demonstrating divine power over death. Lazarus, dead four days, was raised (John 11:43-44), and, of course, the resurrection of Christ is the very foundation of the Christian system (1 Corinthians 15:16-19).

Fifth, some of the wonders of the New Testament age had to do with the expulsion of demons that had entered into human bodies (Matthew 12:22ff). This was evidence of the fact that the Savior’s power was superior to that of Satan.

Sixth, the exhibition of divine authority was seen in the manipulation of certain material things. Christ turned water into wine (John 2:1-11), and multiplied a lad’s loaves and fishes, so that thousands were fed (John 6:1-14).

Seventh, miraculous power was demonstrated in both the plant and animal kingdoms. Balaam’s donkey spoke with a man’s voice (Numbers 22:28), and the Lord Jesus, in an object lesson relative to the impending destruction of Jerusalem, destroyed a fig tree with but a word from his mouth (Matthew 21:19).

How can we know these miracles are Genuine?

A supernatural display of divine power is not an arguable proposition; it is a dramatic, demonstrable fact. Nowhere in the New Testament is there a record of a divine spokesman arguing for the validity of miracles. No logical scheme is needed to establish such a case. Miracles either happen, or they don’t.


These are the gospel accounts of the miracles of Jesus, though this is an incomplete list according to Gods Holy Word in John 21:25: "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written."

Jesus born of a Virgin (Matt 1:18).
Jesus changed water into wine (John 2:1-11).
Jesus cured the nobleman's son (John 4:46-47).
The first great haul of fishes (Luke 5:1-11).
Jesus cast out an unclean spirit (Mark 1:23-28).
Jesus cured Peter's mother-in-law of a fever (Mark 1:30-31).
Jesus healed a leper (Mark 1:40-45).
Jesus healed the centurion's servant (Matthew 8:5-13).
Jesus raised the widow's son from the dead (Luke 7:11-18).
Jesus stilled the storm (Matthew 8:23-27).
Jesus cured two demon possessed men (Matthew 8:28-34).
Jesus cured the paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8).
Jesus raised the ruler's daughter from the dead (Matthew 9:18-26).
Jesus cured a woman of an issue of blood (Luke 8:43-48).
Jesus opened the eyes of two blind men (Matthew 9:27-31).
Jesus loosened the tongue of a man who could not speak (Matthew 9:32-33).
Jesus healed an invalid man at the pool called Bethesda (John 5:1-9).
Jesus restored a withered hand (Matthew 12:10-13).
Jesus cured a demon-possessed man (Matthew 12:22).
Jesus fed at least five thousand people (Matthew 14:15-21).
Many are healed at Gennesaret (Matt 14:34-36).
Jesus healed a woman of Canaan (Matthew 15:22-28).
Jesus cured a deaf and mute man (Mark 7:31-37).
Jesus fed at least four thousand people (Matthew 15:32-39).

Jesus walks on water (Matt 14:25).
Jesus opened the eyes of a blind man (Mark 8:22-26).
Jesus cured a boy who was plagued by a demon (Matthew 17:14-21).
Jesus opened the eyes of a man born blind (John 9:1-38).
Jesus cured a boy of a deaf and dumb spirit (Mark 9:14-29).
Jesus cures Bartimaeus of blindness (Mark 10:46-52).
Jesus cured a woman who had been afflicted eighteen years (Luke 13:10-17).
The second great haul of fishes (John 21:1-14).
Jesus cured a man of dropsy (Luke 14:1-4).
Jesus cleansed ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19).
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-46).
Jesus opened the eyes of two blind men (Matthew 20:30-34).
Jesus caused the fig tree to wither (Matthew 21:18-22).
Jesus restored the ear of the high priest's servant (Luke 22:50-51).
Jesus rose from the dead (Luke 24:5-6).
Jesus ascends into Heaven (Luke 24:50-53).

Reflection Moment

When Jesus performed these miracles, wonders and signs (Acts 2:22), even his Jewish enemies did not deny the effect of such; they merely attempted to attribute his power to some other source (e.g., Satan; cf. Matthew 12:24). How tragic that these wonderful works of God are passed over and brushed away. When one closely reads about these wonderful works, there is always an element of faith involved that the Lord notices of the requester before He performs the gift. In modern times today the lack of belief and faith in the power of God to save mankind from his sins is still if not even more so rejected as mysticism and blind faith. Gods word says, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe the He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). So, its no surprise worldly people have not an ear for God. Nothing has changed of mankind then and now save for the fact, the truth of Christ is His light that shines in the darkness. His great love for us is now clearly shown by His choosing of the 12, His teachings and His presence with them in fellowship. We can now see the love for His ultimate creation, Us, in action to the point of calling upon the Father to bring forth His mighty power in healings and miracles. There now is no excuse not to believe in Him!

In six of the miracles of Christ listed, His compassion is mentioned as a factor in them. The miracles that speak of His compassion include the feeding of the 5,000 (Matthew 14:14), the feeding of the 4,000 (Matthew 15:32), the healing of the two blind men (Matthew 20:34), the healing of the leper (Mark 1:41), the exorcism of the demons in Gadara (Mark 5:19), and resurrecting the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:13-14). His compassion is present in every miracle He performed, but only in these six is it mentioned.

Jesus was and is the most compassionate of all mankind (Hebrews 4:15). Often when things do not go well for some people, they complain that Christ does not care. That complaint is unjustified: Scripture shows abundantly that He does care—a great deal more than we realize. It is not Christ who is uncaring, but humans. We lack compassion for God the Father, for His Son, and for one another.

How much more does the Master teacher, the Son of God among men have to do in order for people to repent and believe on Him? If miracles wont do it, if words of incredible depth of truth put in simple terms for the common man wont do it, if actual fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy through Himself wont do it, what will? 

The bible says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)

This is a pretty bad report. In fact, its so bad, we nor the people Jesus confronted long ago can do enough good deeds or pay recompense enough for a thousand years to erase just one single solitary sin! God will have to allow His only Son to pay the debt He didn't owe, the debt we can never pay!

Now we begin to see a faint image of the cross of Christ take form before Him. The perfect sin offering that will satisfy Gods divine justice is about to break bread with us.



Next week we explore, The God-man Breaks Bread with His Creation.

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