The Narrow Gate to the Narrow Way

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus brought the multitude who came to hear him a new message about the kingdom of God. He wrapped up his teaching In Matthew 7 with several illustrations about the way of God’s Kingdom versus the kingdoms of the world.

In order to enter into the Lord’s Kingdom, we must first be broken of our pride and approach his throne of grace with humility and meekness. When we perceive our poverty of spirit, when we mourn over the sin that separated our hearts from God’s heart, then he will give us a hunger and thirst after righteousness. This hunger is an acquired taste… it is acquired by following in the footsteps of our Lord… then we will acquire a taste for the word of truth. As Jeremiah said, I found thy words and I did eat them and they were unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.

The crowds who flocked to hear Jesus’ message thought that he had come to overthrow the kingdoms of this world, especially the wicked oppressive rulers of the Roman Empire. Many people said to Jesus, we want to make you our king. Jesus said, my kingdom is not of this world. They asked him, then what’s your plan? Jesus pointed to a hated tax collector and some lowly fishermen from Galilee. He said, those guys over there, they are the plan.

God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. The kingdom of God turns the kingdoms of the world upside down… the truth of the Word of God is the opposite of the doctrines of this world.
Jesus said in Matthew 7, there is a narrow gate that leads to the narrow way to the Heavenly Father. It starts with turning from self and unto the Lord. The value system of the Kingdom of God is diametrically opposed to the value system of this world.

To follow Jesus Christ is to forsake the world. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father except by me. When we turn our eyes upon Jesus… when we fix our eyes steadfast upon him, the things of this world will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.

Apart from Christ living in us, we cannot live the Christian life. The world demands that we bow down to unjust worldly ways, worldly secular laws, and worldly leaders that oppose the righteousness of God. Jesus said, when you follow me, the world will hate you because it hated me. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, for great is your reward in heaven.

Without Jesus Christ, The wold cannot understand Him in whom we live and move and have our being. Even though the world will oppose the followers of Christ, the Apostle Peter said, we who are in Christ are a chosen generation, an holy nation, a peculiar people, a royal priesthood that ye would show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

God is holy and those he has chosen are sanctified…. set apart from this world for His purpose…. to proclaim, to show forth, to witness, and to testify of the excellency of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We who were once in darkness, God by his grace and mercy has called as the light of the world… to reflect the light of Christ. For we have this treasure, the gift of His Holy Spirit in an earthen jar of clay, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. Therefore, let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father which. Is in heaven.

For those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, God has called us to be witnesses… living testimonies of his grace, mercy, peace, and love.

Jesus said, you can recognize false prophets by their fruit. An evil tree produces rotten and corrupt fruit. However, a good tree produces good fruit. Psalm 91:1-2 says, He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Some fruit can only be produced in the shade… in the shadow of the Almighty. Some things you can only learn through trial, tribulation, and the fire of the Lord’s refinement. In the midst of the storm we learn that our prayer is not, Lord deliver me from the storm, but rather, deliver me through the storm. He alone is our strength, our power, our refuge and our sufficiency.

The devil appeals to the prideful nature we inherited from Adam’s fall. The devil’s worldly doctrine says that the God of self is supreme. The kingdom of self is heavily defended territory. To forsake the world is to turn away from self and to turn our eyes upon Jesus…. The author and finisher of our faith. To approach God’s throne of grace with a heart of meekness and humility is to be broken of our pride. As King David prayed, search my heart O God and see if there is any wicked way in me. Purge me with hyssop, cleanse me from my sin and lead me into the path of thy righteousness. Create in me a clean heart O Lord that I may glorify you.

In the rodeo of this world, the wild bull of our flesh will try to buck us off the path of righteousness. When we’re tied down and secured with the tie that binds us to Jesus Christ and his power, count it all joy when the world buffets, bucks, beats, and berates us. According to Romans 8:18 God will teach us through the tribulation that the suffering of this present moment is not to be compared with the glory that shall follow.

The thief cometh not but for to steal, to kill and to destroy. However Jesus said, I am come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly. The abundance of life is in the joy of the Lord. Despite the trials, tribulation, suffering, and persecution of this world, the abundance of life is in the fruit of the spirit…. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness and self control…. Against these things there is no law. Joy is not the absence of pain… Joy is in the Lord…

…. That in the abundance of life in Christ, we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

The Greatest Miracle

In Luke 21, Jesus prepared his disciples for the events that would unfold before his second coming. He said his followers would be brought unjustly before unrighteousness men to be tried in their unjust courts and be unjustly accused and convicted by their unjust laws. He said believers will suffer in the end times before my return. Jesus said, be prepared not to defend yourselves… though you will be unjustly convicted, the justice of your Heavenly Father will ultimately prevail. I did not come to bring a declaration of war against the kingdoms of this world…. I have come to deliver a peace treaty from the Kingdom of heaven.

When Jesus had commissioned the seventy to go into the villages in Judea to prepare the way for him, he said I give you power to cast out devils and to heal the sick…. When they returned to Jesus they were overjoyed and said to Jesus, “we saw satan fall like lightning from heaven.” Jesus said, don’t rejoice because you cast out devils with power over darkness…. Instead rejoice because your names are written in heaven.

What is the greatest of all miracles? The greatest miracle is your redemption and mine.

What’s good about Good Friday? In England, they call it Good Friday because the greatest good was done that day: He who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.

Before the day of the Passover, Jesus had said to his disciples, with desire I have desired to eat the Passover feast with you before I suffer. Jesus knew that on that Passover day, he himself would be the Passover lamb sacrificed for the sins of the world. In the upper room, Jesus took the bread and said, take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you… this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also he took the cup after supper saying, This cup is the New Testament of my blood which is shed for you… for the remission of your sins. When you eat this bread and drink this cup, This do in remembrance of me.

Jesus knew what was in the heart of man because his Father revealed it to him. He said, one who dips bread with me in the bowl will betray me. The disciples asked him one by one, Is it I? When Judas asked him the same question, Jesus said, you have said it.

The disciples didn’t realize the significance of the last supper…. They argued among themselves who would be the greatest after Jesus left. Jesus had said, the first shall be last and the last shall be first… He who is chief among you shall be servant of all. Then he demonstrated this truth by assuming the role of the lowest household servant… He girded himself with a towel and washed their dirty feet. Peter said, Don’t stoop to wash my feet, I should wash your feet. Jesus knew Peter’s heart. He had said to him, satan is waiting to sift you like wheat. Unless I wash your feet you shall have no part of me.

The devil will confuse and deny our Lord and his word. He will cause us to rationalize our own will instead of subjecting our will to his will in meekness and humility. Before Peter could become the rock, he had to be crushed… to come to understand that in my own flesh dwellers no good thing. Until we die to self, we cannot live unto the Lord. Until Peter was broken of himself, he could not relinquish his life to serve his Lord.

After the Last Supper, Jesus took his disciples to the edge of the Garden of Gethsemane. Then he took Peter, James and John into the garden and said, watch and pray. Jesus prayed three times, If there be any other way, let this cup (of condemnation, guilt, sin of the world, death and separation from the Father) be taken away from me. Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.

Then the Roman soldiers came to arrest Jesus. Judas met them and kissed Jesus… the signal identifying Jesus as the one they came to came to arrest.

They took Jesus and brought him to the high priest. The leaders of the temple accused him of false charges. The ones who testified against him couldn’t get their stories straight. Usually the Romans would allow the Judeans to try their own citizens in their own local courts. However, the rulers of Judea couldn’t sentence him to death. They took him to Pilate, the Roman governor for trial in a Roman court.

Crucifixion was known as death on the torture stake. The Romans were expert at excruciating torture and a slow agonizing, humiliating, shameful death, lifted up on a cross as a signal to all around that Rome was in command and that anyone who dared defy the power of Rome would suffer a humiliating death.

Many thousands of people were convicted of capital crimes and crucified by the Roman government. Why was Jesus’ crucifixion any different? The difference is that all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The wages of sin is death. Every man is guilty as charged.

Only Jesus lived a sinless life. As the innocent sinless lamb of God without spot or blemish, he alone was worthy to suffer and die for the sins of the world. We are all guilty of sin and the. Wages of sin. Only Jesus shed innocent blood. Romans 5:17-18 says, For if by one man’s (Adam’s) offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

The greatest miracle of all is the new birth…. Being born again of of the spirit of life in Christ. Jesus Christ paid the price for our sin by shedding his innocent blood in exchange for our guilty blood. ! Corinthians 15:42-45 says, So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Because of the price Jesus Christ paid on our behalf, we have been redeemed from the power of sin and death. When we confess Jesus is Lord and believe that God has raised him from the dead… that he is risen…. We are saved, born again, redeemed and made righteous… salvation is by God’s grace alone because God has raised him from the dead…

This gift of salvation is the greatest of all miracles…. That because God has raised Jesus Christ from the dead, we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Brian’s Testimony

Revelation 12 says that when Satan was cast from heaven, darkness was overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of His testimony. When we were born again of God’s Holy Spirit, each of us has a testimony…. A witness of God’s amazing grace. God has opened the eyes of our spiritual understanding so that we can see through the darkness illuminated by the light of Christ

Brian McDaniel grew up in a dysfunctional family. His father left his family when he was a child. Without the stability of a father, and without a vision and true direction, the people wonder aimlessly…. They run wild. Brian was influenced by the wrong crowd and his life descended into chaos, confusion, abuse, and alcohol. He was in and out of rehab, AA, and therapy. Nothing worked.

While on the road to Las Vegas, his car ran out of gas. A beat up white Toyota pulled up and a little old lady leaned out the window. She said, “do you need help?” He answered, “of course.” She said, “get your gas can and get in.” It was many miles to the nearest gas station. As they were driving she said, “I saw you when I passed by on the other side of the freeway about 45 minutes ago. Something compelled me to turn around and offer to help you.” Then she said, “I’m a Christian.” She shared the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. When she dropped him back at his car she said, “I’m going to pray for you.”

Shortly thereafter, Brian was arrested on his outstanding felony warrants. While in jail, he began reading his bible. In his cell, he read for two straight weeks and couldn’t stop reading.. Brian came to realize that this hunger for the Word of God was because of the lady who had introduced him to Jesus Christ. Then he realized there in his jail cell that he was the happiest he had ever been in his entire life. He approached the other inmates and said enthusiastically, “Let me show you what I just read in the Bible.”

Brian reminds us that we all need to remember what it was like when we first met the Lord and the newness of joy when he called us to turn from darkness into the light of Christ.

Brian is thankful that in jail, he could concentrate on reading the Word of God and rejoicing in his salvation because of God’s ever present mercy, grace, and peace. There were several felony cases for which Brian was being charged. The lesser cases were dismissed one by one. When his most serious case came up for a hearing, his family had hired an attorney to defend him. His attorney said to the judge, “Brian is pleading “not guilty.” Brian had previously confessed to his attorney that he had committed the same felony violation thirty times, but this time he was caught.

When he appeared before the judge. To schedule his trial, the judge said, “where’s your attorney?” He said, “I fired her because she said that I wanted to plead not guilty. But I am guilty.” The judge said to the clerk, “where’s the District Attorney to prosecute this case?” After an extensive search of the court house, no one could find the DA. The judge said, “Even though there are no attorneys, are you prepared for me to rule on your case right now?” He said, “yes.” The judge said, “I’m dismissing this case.” Just then the DA entered the court room and said, “no one asked me to appear at this hearing.” The judge said to the DA, “I just dismissed this case.” The DA said to Brian, “Someone must be watching out for you.”

Brian camped out at church and became involved in any ministry function where he could help. Brian realized that he owed over $50,000… $28K in taxes and $23K in child support. He said to himself, “I need to find work so that I can pay off these debts.” He went to an interview for a mortgage company, but the interviewer said, “I’m not sure you’re the right person for this job.” Brian went back to the church and prayed. A few days later he was called back for a second interview and the hiring manager said, “We’re going to take a chance on you.”

Brian didn’t know how to turn on the computer. After two weeks his supervisor said, “You’re not the man for this job.” After two weeks of calling everyone he knew, He did not even have one contact who would buy a mortgage loan from him. He said, just give me until Friday before you have me pack up and leave.” That Friday, he got one client. His boss said, “you’re supposed to get fifteen per day.” He said, give me til Monday. That first month, Brian broke the company record for new clients. His phone kept ringing with people who wanted mortgage loans, even though the computer assigned calls randomly to each of the many people in the call center.

After Brian’s record breaking first month, The company’s president met with him and said, “You’re the champ. How did you close so many mortgage loans?” He said, “When a call came in, I would I introduce myself and tell them about the Lord. In this initial contact call, I asked them where they were from. After the call I would look up the nearest Calvary chapel, call the church pastor in their neighborhood, and say, you need to contact this person within two days and invite them to church. Then a few days later, I’d give the person a follow up call and close the mortgage deal.”

Every call Brian received, he said to his prospective customer, “Do you know the Lord, Are you a Christian? They would say, is this a mortgage company?” He said, “Your problem is not about your home loan or your credit score, your problem is that you don’t know how to put your trust in the Lord.”

He witnessed to a lesbian caller who inquired about a home loan. Although he knew that he should not witness to her, he asked her if she were a Christian. She filed a complaint and soon is boss called him into his office and said, “We received a complaint. You need to stop witnessing, and listening to KWAVE on your radio. You also need to take the Bible verses off your cubicle.”

Brian posted only one message on his cubicle, “Pray for our customers.” After he received a second customer complaint, his boss summoned him to his office, closed the door, and said, “we need to talk.” He continued, “you know what we need to talk about. You kept on talking about religion and this is your second offense after you’d been warned not to. You need to pack up your things and leave.” Brian thought to himself, “at least this job has allowed me to take care of my debts.”

As he was leaving, the president of the company came up to him in the hallway and said, “Hi champ, how’s it going.” Brian said, “not so well. I just got fired.” The president said, “I’m starting a new division. How would you like to work there?” He said, “I’d love to. Praise the Lord. Thank you.”

That was many years ago. Today Brian is a missionary to Haiti and God continues to bless his ministry. Brian reminds how important it is to “quench not the spirt.” His infectious enthusiasm and zeal to share the Gospel of Christ reminds us what John Wesley said when someone asked him, “why do so many thousands of people come to hear you preach?” He said, “I allow God to set me on fire with the Holy Spirit and people come from miles around to watch me burn.”

Brian continues to stoke the fire of the Holy Spirit.. He relates his zeal to share the gospel with Jeremiah’s calling in Jeremiah 20:9, “But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name, “his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”

We all have a testimony… we who have witnessed God’s saving grace through faith alone in Christ alone are witnesses of the love of God made manifest through Christ in us. He has made us all able ministers of the New Testament. Therefore, let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven.

…. That together, we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!

Your brother in Christ,
Michael

The Golden Rule

Jesus did not come to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. Then when we receive salvation, In him we live and move and have our being. The first beatitude is about humility… to approach God’s throne of grace forsaking myself and coming unto him realizing that I am poor in spirit. The first unilateral term of God’s salvation is to deny myself in order to approach his throne of grace with empty hands.

Jesus said in Matthew 7, judge not lest ye be not judged. The same standard you use to judge others will be the same standard by which you yourself will be judged. If you correct someone, then you need to see clearly… if you’re judging others by your own self righteous standard, then you cannot see the sin in others… the sin of judging others blinds your eyes so that you cannot help your brother. To help him, first “yank the plank” of judgementalism out of your own eye. Then you can see clearly to correct your brother from a heart of love.

Then Jesus said, “as ye would that men should do unto you, do ye also to them.” This “golden rule” manifests the love of God by showing others God’s grace… From Christ’s heart behind our heart, to love others as God has loved us.

Why is there strife and contention in this world? Why will there always be wars and rumors of wars? The devil’s ploy is to divide and conquer…. He pits factions against factions. He divides our hearts and minds into warring camps.. His purpose is to separate people as enemies to fight against each other. The devil is the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. His ultimate purpose is to separate our hearts from God’s heart.

Where there is striving, there is confusion and every evil work. What is the solution to strife and contention? Contrary to popular opinion, peace is not the absence of war. Instead, peace is the result of the unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace. There is no peace without the prince of Peace. Jesus said, my peace I leave with you, not as the world giveth give I unto you….. God’s heavenly wisdom is opposite from the world’s wisdom. James 3:18-19 says, But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

With the heart of Christ in us, we love others because we love God above all. When the love of God motivates our actions, we can do unto others as we would have them do unto us. The love of God will quell the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. When we turn our eyes upon Jesus, the darkness of the god of self is overcome with the light of Christ.

However, the kingdom of self is heavily defended territory. The god of this world focuses on self sufficiency, self reliance, self aggrandizement and selfish self love. To counter the god of self, Love God above all. This is the first and great commandment…. To love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength. The first of the Ten Commandments says, “Thou shalt have no other gods between your face and my face.” Then when we have our vertical relationship in alignment with our Heavenly Father, we can love others. Jesus Christ is the one who reconciles…. Who connects our heart with God’s heart. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

In Christ there is God’s justice balanced by mercy and grace. The mercy of God is by Jesus Christ’s payment for sin on our behalf. The grace of God is the result of the love of God. Without God’s grace every earthly relationship is laden with “irreconcilable differences.” Only Jesus Christ is the one who can reconcile. Only he can bring back together that which has been separated…. For he who was without sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. To reconcile with others, we must first be reconciled with God through the prince of Peace. Ephesians 2 says, Jesus Christ has broken down the middle wall that separates us from God, and makes of Twain, one new man.

When we realize what God has done in our salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, then we have no problem forgiving others and loving them with God’s unconditional love. For in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly.

By grace we are thankful for what God did through his son’s sacrifice on our behalf. Thankfulness and grace are the same Greek root word. Both are the result of the gift of God…. His Holy Spirit.

When two people realize that they cannot fix each other and come to the end of their ropes, then their last alternative is to give the other party to God. Only then can God can reconcile their hearts together in the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

After Peter had betrayed Jesus the third time, the cock crowed and Jesus and Peter locked eyes…. Peter in guilt and shame, ran off and wept bitterly. A broken and a contrite heart God will not forsake. To come to the Lord with meekness and humility, our prideful heart must be broken. Then God can by his mercy and grace pick up the threads of our broken hearts and weave them together again. God will cleanse our hearts and our lives by the precious innocent blood of the lamb of God.

The golden rule starts in the home…. A wise man once said, the best way to love your children is to love your wife. Our first mission field is in our own minds and then in our own homes. In loving God, love your wife and children. The love of God is unconditional… it is not dependent on the response of the other party. Therefore, above all things, put on charity… the love of God which is the bond of perfectness. That we may live in the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace…

… to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Give ‘em Heaven

What’s on your heart? Are we seeking to bless rather than to be blessed? Your heart determines what you’ll give. If you don’t have it, you can’t give it away. Even though we cannot fully imagine what heaven will be like, Jesus said, treasure treasures upon heaven and not upon earth. The scripture says, eye has not seen nor ear heard the things that God has prepared for those who love him and are called according to his promise.

It’s not natural to give ‘em. Heaven. A glimpse of heaven is a glimpse of God’s loving kindness and tender mercy… it is a glimpse of the divine love of God. It is a glimpse of turning the other cheek and going the second mile. In this life, it’s rare to get a glimpse of God’s eternal nature.

At the end of this life, the question will be, “did you give ‘em heaven?” When they encountered you did they get a glimpse of utmost happiness and peace with your Heavenly Father?

The devil will distract our eyes from seeing God’s heavenly purpose in the things that the Lord calls us to do. This is why Jesus said, we walk by faith and not by sight… set your affections on things above and not on things here below. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The god of this world is the god of death and hell.. There is much to be disappointed about in this world of darkness… When we focus on the problems, tribulations, and pain and suffering around us, we will be consumed by the things of this world… by the devil’s schemes to distract us with thoughts of sin, death, and hell.

However, the Apostle Paul said, walk in the light as he is in the light and the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In walking in close proximity with our lord… he will fill our field of vision. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim… in the light of his glory and grace.

The weeping prophet Jeremiah set his affections on things above… he said. I found thy words, and I did eat them. And they became unto me the joy and rejoicing of my soul. As Psalm 19 says, the words the precepts, the law of the Lord, and his statutes are more to be desired than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honey comb.

Jesus said, ye are the light of the world…. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven. To reflect the light of Christ, we must turn our face toward him. Then when others see us, they will see the light of Christ reflected in our face.

Jesus said, ye are the salt of the earth. But if the salt has lost its saltiness, then it is useless, gets thrown out and gets trampled underfoot. Salt will lose its saltiness if it is diluted and polluted by the world. The question is, whose influencing whom? Are we influenced by the world or does the salt of the truth of the Word of God influence the world around us?

Our first priority is to have our priorities in order…. To seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Then when we have our vertical relation in alignment with our Father, we can approach our horizontal relationships with others from a heavenly perspective.

Salt represents truth… God expects us to infiltrate the lies with truth and the darkness with light. Jesus in his authority said, go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the age.

When the student is ready the teacher will come. God brings across our path, those to whom we can demonstrate the power, comfort, and love of God’s salt and light. He has called us to plant and water… to cultivate the soil and to plow and fertilize the ground which represents the hearts of others.. to pull the weeds of lies and temptation. Then God will give the increase at the time of harvest.

God allows tribulation and testing to refine us. Jesus said, blessed are they when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, for great is your reward in heaven. Even though the god of this world, thee devil and his followers will despise and ridicule and persecute those who walk in the light of Christ… greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.

Therefore, we have been called to freedom and liberty in Christ… Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has set you free and be not entangled with the yoke of bondage (of sin and death.). Only use not liberty as an occasion to sin, but to serve one another in love.

For even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly.. For Jesus Christ who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him. He has seated us in heavenly places and has empowered us with his Holy Spirit and commissioned us as his ambassadors. As His emissaries, our mission and our commission is to deliver a peace treaty from our home in heaven. Therefore we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to Christ.

In other words, Give ‘em Heaven….
…that we may ever live in the unity of the spirt in the bond of Peace to the praise of the glory of His grace.

Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Give ‘em Heaven!

What does it mean to “give ‘em heaven?” Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount was his message from his Heavenly Father to give ‘em heaven. In the world around us, the message is, “give ‘em hell.” The devil, the god of this world, has blinded the eyes of those who are under the control of the power of darkness…. Those who do not have the gift of the holly spirt and are under the power of sin, death, condemnation, and hell. To counter the darkness and sin and death, God gave us his light in Christ… He gave us righteousness and life through his son’s payment for our debt of sin. Jesus Christ did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.

Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount was summarized by the apostle Paul in Romans 12: “recompense to no man evil for evil. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Therefore, love your enemies, bless them that persecute you and despitefully use you. If they slap you on one cheek to shame you, then turn the other cheek. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ… for it is the power of God unto salvation, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.

Love is the fruit of the spirit that is cultivated by abiding in the vine… in joining ourselves in proximity to our Lord Jesus Christ. For he is the vine, we are the branches, and our life is hid with Christ in God.

Do you measure your worth by how many you’ve led to Christ? Pete’s church encouraged him to share the gospel. Pete took this assignment to heart. He stopped by the 7-Eleven late one night to pick up some bread for his wife. The cashier was the only other person in the store. Intent on sharing the gospel Pete said to her, “If you died today, where would you spend the rest of eternity?” In a panic, she opened the cash register and bills and coins spilled out on the floor. Pete suddenly realized the cashier thought she was being robbed. He threw some money on the counter for the bread, ran to his car, and left before she could call the police.

Matthew 24 says that in this world there will always be wars and rumors of war. However, the song from Casting Crowns says, The world is not falling apart, it’s falling into place. Everything is unfolding according to God’s plan… he is still sovereign overall. Nothing surprises God… there is nothing that he didn’t see coming.

There is so much confusion in this world. The devil’s ploy is to divide and conquer… to separate our hearts from God’s heart. However, Jesus Christ came to reconcile our hearts with God’s heart. When Jesus saw the multitudes, his heart was filled with compassion… they were under subjection to the troubles of this world… they were beaten down by the enemy’s onslaught in the spiritual battle.

Jesus said, I always do my Father’s will. What was his Father’s will? Jesus came to open the eyes of those born blind, to bind up the wounds of them that have been bruised, to heal the broken hearted… to set at liberty those who are held captive by sin and death… to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Jesus Christ is the one who reconciles… he links heaven and earth… he reaches down with nail-pierced hands and says, come unto me all ye who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest… the rest is in salvation.. in the saving grace of God… not because of who we are, but because of who God is… For by grace are ye saved by faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast.

Jesus said to his disciples, I have to leave so that the Holy Spirit will come. He will lead you to the all-truth. He said, the works that I do shall ye do, and greater works shall ye do because I go unto my Father. The greater works is salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Jesus Christ paid the price of our debt of sin… for he who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.

Abiding in Christ is to be attached to the vine.. to be salt and light, we must abide in the truth of the Word of God and walk in the light as he is in the light… then the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In order to give ‘em heaven, Jesus said, treasure treasures in heaven and not treasures upon earth, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed three times, Father, if there be any other way, let this cup of wrath… of sin, death, and separation pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. His Father’s will is not revealed in the gospels. God’s answer to Jesus’ prayer is in Hebrews 12: Jesus Christ for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame (of the wrath of God, of sin, death, and the power of the grave) and is set down on the right hand of the throne of Grace. The joy that was set before Jesus was his Father’s business…. Your redemption and mine. His joy was the joy of our salvation.

What does it mean to give ‘em heaven? It means to set others free from the bondage of sin and death. For Jesus said, if the son has set you free, you shall be free indeed. Therefore according to 2 Corinthians 5, we are ambassadors for Christ. As his emissaries, his non-secret agents, Our mission and our commission is to deliver a peace treaty from our home in heaven to a world lost in sin…. “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor. 5:20-21)

This is what it means to give ‘em heaven…. To build a bridge through our Lord Jesus Christ that ye may be reconciled to God…

…. That we may forever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Two Great Commandments

There is nothing new under the sun. The devil is up to his old tricks. Our sin nature keeps raising its ugly head. In Matthew 7 Jesus continued his sermon on the mount…. We’re all judged according to the standard of the truth of the Word of God. How can we sit in a seat of judgement to judge others? We ourselves are judged according to God’s righteous standard.

Jesus continued, seek and keep on seeking. Knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened unto you. Ask and you shall receive. God, our loving Heavenly Father has in store only that which is good for his children. His nature is to abundantly bless those who come to him with a heart to love him above all.

Pete recalls that as a brand new Christian, he went into a drugstore and a book by Billy Graham caught his eye. The book was Peace with God. When Pete read this book he understood the meaning of peace, goodness, and self control. As he read, Pete prayed, God, I know I’m not the man you intended me to be… Lord, please make me that man…. This is a prayer that God longs to answer.

Jesus sums up his sermon in Matthew 7:12…. As ye would that men should do unto you, do ye also to them. Treat others as you would have them treat you. The context of this “golden rule” is hypocrisy. If you want to bless and encourage others, if you want to correct others, then get the log out of your own eye. The log is the 2 x 4 of judgementalism. If we think that we can judge others because we’re superior, then the attitude of self righteousness is the plank in your own eye. Before you can take the splinter out of your brother’s eye, you need to yank the plank of self righteousness.

You cannot legislate righteousness…. Righteousness is only in Christ. We were all born sinners… it’s part of the nature of the flesh we inherited from Adam. Without righteous men, you cannot keep the peace…. You cannot hire enough police. Righteousness is through salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. For he who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

The world is obsessed with self. There are over two hundred words in English that begin with the prefix “self.” There is selfish, self centeredness, self aggrandizement, self fulfillment, self satisfaction, and self actualization.

There are only two commandments that sum up all of the commandments in the Old Testament law. The first commandment is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength. Only in keeping this first commandment can we keep the second great commandment: thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The keeping of the Old Testament Law starts with loving God above all.

According to Isaiah 6:1-7, In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
3 And one cried unto 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 moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.
5 Then said I, 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 mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:
7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

In the presence of our Holy God, we are all undone…. In his presence we are humbled and fall on our knees in awe and wonder, overwhelmed by his holy presence.

God condescended to our level…. He bowed down to our level in order to communicate with our feeble minds.. To bless means to bow down… He blessed us before we could receive his blessings and then bless and bow down in awe and reverence to him in return.

Grace is God’s giving us what we did not deserve… it is a gift given of God’s unconditional love. For by grace are ye saved through faith, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should work.

The most often used descriptions of God in the Old Testament KJV is “loving kindness and tender mercy.” Other translations translate this phrase as “steadfast love.” Mercy, grace and love is the nature of God himself.

Jesus Christ is the picture of God’s grace, mercy, and justice side by side. God is also a God of Justice… the scales of his righteous judgement must be balanced according to God’s righteous standard. All have sinned and come short of God’s righteousness…. Thou art weighted in the balance and called wanting…. However, Jesus Christ died in our stead to balance the scales of God’s justice… for he. Who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.

To come to the Lord Jesus Christ is to forsake the god of self. This is a hard lesson to learn… the kingdom of self is heavily defended territory. What brings a man to repentance… to the inflection point of turning from self and unto the Lord? Peter had said, though everyone else will forsake you, I will never leave you. Jesus said to Peter, Before the cock crows twice you shall deny me thrice.

Peter thought that he could follow Jesus in his own strength. While Peter was warming himself in the courtyard of the high priest, a girl said to him. I recognize you as one of those Jesus-followers. I recognize by your accent that you are one of those Galileans who follow him. Peter cursed and said, I know not the man. Then the cock crowed the third time and Jesus from inside the judgment hall looked at Peter in the courtyard. They locked eyes. Peter realized that he had denied his Lord. He went off and wept bitterly. A broken and a contrite heart, the Lord will not forsake.

When we turn our eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, the things of this world will grow strangely dim… in the light of his glory and grace.

John said, Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved.

According to Ephesians 2:4-10:
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, whic God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

…. That in loving God above all and our neighbor as ourselves, we may live to the praise of the glory of God’s grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael