SIMON OF CYRENE WAS THE BLACK HANDS THAT HELP TO CARRY THE CROSS

Simon of Cyrene the black hands that helped carry the cross (PHOTO BY PASTOR DAVIS)

And when they had [finished] making sport of Him, they took the purple [robe] off Him and put His own clothes on Him. And they led Him out [of the city] to crucify Him.

And they forced a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming in from the field (country), to carry His cross.

And they led Him to Golgotha [in Latin: Calvary], meaning The Place of a Skull.  (Mark 15:20-22 AMP).

In verse 21, Mark tells us that Simon of Cyrene, was coming into the city from the countryside into the city of Jerusalem, but the Lord was traveling out of the city.  These two men were traveling in opposite directions.  Simon was coming in and the Lord was going out being led by the Roman Soldiers and a large crowd of haters.  Simon suddenly found himself turned around at the instructions of the Centurion and finds his life walking in exactly the opposite direction from where he was first headed.  Meeting Christ at this point and being forced to place his hands on the cross and carry it would be a life changing experience for him.

Now some of you might ask, “why would he ever mention Simon of Cyrene as the Black Hands on the cross, and how would he even know that Simon of Cyrene was a Black Man?  For those of you who are truth seekers, these would be legitimate questions to ask.  For me as a Minister of the Gospel, called and ordained to come boldly before the throne of grace, and speak truth to power, convince, rebuke, exhort and teach, it is my job to empower you with knowledge in order that you may know the truth and the truth will truly set you free.  (John 8:32)

For me to state here with absolute certain that Simon of Cyrene was a Black Man is impossible.  This is a question that has been debated by Scholars worldwide for hundreds of years.  However, I should start by pointing out it is difficult to determine with accuracy black men and women in the Bible because the Bible is color-neutral. There is never any reference to race or racial features. The main distinction throughout the Bible is between those that serve God and those that do not, whether as individuals or as nations. It is not definite that everyone from Ethiopia or Cyrene was black, but certainly you could reasonably assume that it was a good possibility. So this study will have to be considered reasonable speculation.

We know very little about Simon. We see from this Mark’s writing that he had come from the country to Jerusalem on this occasion, perhaps on business. He must have been a strong man. I don’t think the soldiers would have picked a weakling. God had appointed him to be there, not to help Jesus with the cross, but to encounter the one who was to be crucified for his sins. Except for Mark’s obscure reference to Rufus and Alexander we would have no more information about Simon.

What we do know about Simon called Niger is his name.  Simon is a Jewish name and Niger comes from the Latin word for “black”.  It’s safe to say he was Jewish and may have been called “Black” simply because of his looks.

Research shows that Simon of Cyrene was from a country in ancient northern Africa (bordering Egypt) called Libya. According to Spirit of English Magazine Vol. 10, pg. 286; in ancient times Libya contained two countries Cyrenaica and Marmarica.  Wikipedia [the on line encyclopedia], shares that Libya was until recent times, the home of one the oldest Jewish communities in the world, dating back to at least 300 BC. In the 1st century, the Jewish historian for the Roman Empire, Josephus Flavius, noted 500,000 Jews lived in Libya. By today’s standards, people from North Africa may or may not be classified as Black. The New Testament, let’s us in on the fact that Joseph, Mary and Jesus spent time in Egypt, This raises an equally intriguing question as to whether or not Simon’s friend, Joseph of Marmarica (a.k.a. Joseph of Marmore, Joseph of Arimathea, brother of Jesus’ grandmother) from the neighboring district of Marmonica/Marmarica, should also be classified as African or Black. –Satchell Intell.

We find here in (Matthew 27:32 NKJV).  Simon of Cyrene was from Ethiopia, and this text and the identity of this man clearly reminds us all of us today that all cultures were represented at Calvary and in the church.  This further reminds us that wise men of all ages would be honored to be allowed to perform the task that was conferred upon Simon of Cyrene, the Ethiopia from northwestern Africa.  Whether it was voluntary or by force, in any case, black hands were extended to help the Savior bear His cross.  The Ethiopian eunuch from Africa (Acts 8:26) was the first Gentile convert mentioned by name in the Book of Acts.  History reports that he returned to Ethiopia to found the Abyssinian Christian Church, which exists until this day.

May God’s saving grace, be with each one of you whose hands, regardless of their color, feel obligated to pick-up your cross and carry it this day be blessed with love, peace and power.  Only because Jesus loved all of us and died for our sins do we have the opportunity to celebrate his life, death and resurrection on this EASTER weekend.  I remain your brother in Jesus Christ, Pastor Davis/Master Teacher!

Related articles

• Lenten Reflection Day 2 (makingroomforgod.wordpress.com)
• 100% Guarenteed Weight Loss Plan! … Tuesday, February 5 (judemarian.wordpress.com)
• Re-visiting “One does not get down from the cross” (hughosb.wordpress.com)
• Jesus and Simon (samuelatgilgal.wordpress.com)
• Carrying the Cross (fonsofafool.wordpress.com)
• Mark 15:16-21 (houseofthedread.wordpress.com)
• The Black Presence In The Bible (shalomministries77.wordpress.com)
• Genesis 45; Mark 15; Job 11; Romans 15 (66books.wordpress.com)

LIVING IN SIN IS A DEAD-END LIFE

WRITTEN BY SHIRLEY RHODES

Believers of Jesus Christ, the time has come to stop living in sin, because sin is a dead-end life.  You must enter into the fullness and knowledge of Jesus Christ, and this should be the desire of our hearts.

The process is not something we figure out or achieve, Christ has already paid the price, destroying the power of sin. Submitting to baptism, going under water is a burial of the old life, coming up out of the water is resurrection to your brand new life. God lifting you from the dead as he did Christ; for you to continue living in sin is a dead-end life, which makes us incapable of responding to God, having a relationship deeply rooted in Him.

PASTOR DAVIS PERFORMS BAPTISM

Through baptism, all our sins are washed away and forgiven, the slate is wiped clean, nailed to the cross and we are now able to have a relationship with God and take part in all God has to offer. Jesus is the source of life that makes us complete, his very breath and blood flow through us. He is the Head and we are the body, we can only grow up healthy in God as he nourishes us.

After receiving Christ Jesus, the Master we live in him because we are deeply rooted and constructed upon him. We all know the teaching (the plan) revealed to us in John 15: 1-17.

Now it is time to do what we’ve been taught and start living it, and allow our living to spill over into thanks-giving. So if we are serious about living the new resurrection life with Christ, let’s act like it. Our mission should be to pursue those things over which Christ is head. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, look up and be alert to what is going on around us in Jesus Christ, see things from his perspective.

Our old life is dead; we now have been given a brand new life– even though invisible to onlookers—is with Christ in God. He is life. .Colossians 2:6-7, 11-15, 18-19; 3:3

“I, Jesus,” sent my Angel to testify:

I am the Beginning and Conclusion; the First and Final; A to Z; the Root and Branch of David, the Bright and Morning Star, “Come!” Whoever hears, echo, “Come!” Is anyone thirsty? “Come!” All who will come and drink drink freely of the Water of Life! Revelation 22:6-7, 9-10, 12-17.

Believers in Jesus Christ, now is the time to free ourselves from living in sin, and learn to live free indeed.  The choice is ours, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ has made it all possible.  Now raise up your Holy Hands, and just begin to thank God, praise God and give Him all the honor and glory that can mustard from deep inside of you, because He is truly worthy, I say He is truly worthy, one more time, He is truly worthy to be praise.  Glory, Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!

Related articles

• Do You Understand How Jesus Christ Daily Lives His Life in You? (vineandbranchworldministries.com)
• Jesus Christ is Everything (justificationbygrace.com)
• The Call To Separation: The Perversion (ptl2010.com)
• Christians are obsessed with End time!!? (mayan2012.tk)
• Are you in the spirit or in Christ Jesus? (bishopmichaelreid.wordpress.com)
• Hope Is Not Lost (jimmyproulx.wordpress.com)
• Paul’s Ministry Methods and Philpsophy (mgriffinrobert.com)

SHOULD WOMEN BE PASTORS

Rev. Patrica Gross speaks truth to power (Photo by Pastor Davis)

What would life be like if CHRIST had not come and Christianity had not spread throughout the world?  Christians believe that all humanity is a creation of God, and he gave us a foundation to the self-evident truth of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Since people are made in the image of God, they are valuable apart from their station in life, amount of wealth, or utility to society.  People are helped, educated, and protected simply because they are made in God’s image.  Loss of these Christians ideals world undoubtedly would be a tragic loss to the well-being of humanity.  Even though this is a small sampling of what Christians believe, the real question here is, “DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE THAT WOMEN SHOULD BE PASTORS?”

Today, we are going to dive into this very difficult question and give you the opportunity to be the judge for yourself.  Below we have presented several videos with some AMAZING FACTS that you would want to take note of and study for yourself.  In John 8:32, the bible teaches us to know the truth and the truth will set us free.  Therefore, we encourage you to take some time and listen to what each side has to say on this subject and then discover the truth for yourself.

This first video clip deals with what the women have to say on this subject.  But don’t stop here please listen to the next video of what men think and the third video on the amazing facts.

Now watch this video clip on what men think.

Our final video for today deals with some amazing facts on God’s Word. It is one hour long, but it will be well worth your time in watching it.  This lesson is taught by one of our great teachers, my brother in Christ, Pastor Doug Batch.

Related articles

• What Should I Expect From a Sermon? (kathrynleighaz.wordpress.com)
• Christianity in America (christiansunitedforchrist.wordpress.com)
• Does Christianity Have a Masculine Feel? (challies.com)
• Church Programs and Policies (mgriffinrobert.com)
• What is Man? (christianity201.wordpress.com)
• Chapter Seven, Soul Deceiver, Don’t Be Late for the Wedding! (read Second) (lynleahz.com)
• It’s out with the old as Christian values fall away (smh.com.au)

WITH A SPIRIT OF HUMILITY YOU CAN CURE WORLDLINESS

Humility

We as believers are to sit ourselves apart from the world.  In other words, we are to humble ourselves before God and resist the evil things that the devil will set before us.  We find that the bible dictionary meaning of Humility is, “the quality or condition of being humble, modest opinion or estimate of one’s own importance.”

Now let us take a look at what James tells us about this subject.  He says, “Submit yourselves’ therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:7-10 ESV).

In this, we are given a choice, we can befriend God are we can befriend the world.  Some of us may say that we will befriend both God and the world, but in practice, we can only choose one way.  The more we give ourselves to the world, the stronger will be our allegiance to the world.  The more we give ourselves to God, the stronger will be our bond with him.  This is what Jesus says, “Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be. (Matthew 6:21)

We have to remember, that we can find strength in the Lord, although the world may consider us weak when we show humility.  This is because the world wants us to be filled with pride, and God sets himself against the proud because pride makes us self-centered and leads us to conclude that we deserve all we can see, touch, or imagine.  It creates greedy appetites for far more than we need.  Pride can subtly cause us to no longer see our sins or our need for forgiveness.

But remember this one great truth, humility opens the way for God’s grace to flow into our lives; thus, God shows favor to the humble.  Humility is not weakness; instead, it is the only place that believers gain courage to face all their temptations and sins with God’s strength.  As God gives us more grace, we realize that this world’s seductive attractions are only cheap substitutes for what God has to offer.  It is our choice we can humble ourselves and receive God’s grace, or we can continue in our pride and self-sufficiency and experience his anger.

Now let me conclude this by leaving you with these two questions; (1).  How do we, so prone to pride at the very moments when we think we might be approaching humility, discover true humility?  (2). How do we become the kind of humble people who find the overflowing grace that God promises?

May the grace of God fill your lives with His overflowing blessings, and bring you much joy and peace now and forever, in Jesus name.  I remain your brother in Jesus Christ, Pastor Davis/Master Teacher!

Related articles

• The Grace of God (tos4god.wordpress.com)
• God Humbles the Proud and Raises up the Humble (hillsbiblechurch.org)
• Humble Yourself…Or Else (trinityspeaks.wordpress.com)
• Faith Produces Humility (loopyloo305.com)
• The Law of Humility Defined and Celebrated! (roixcroix.wordpress.com)
• The Secret of Humility (joyofthemaster.wordpress.com)
• March 27 – He Gives Grace To The Humble (lelandfleming.wordpress.com)
• Getting ahead without getting a big head (setwatchman.com)
• The Source of Humility that Leads to Unity (jasoncrandall.org)
• The Humblest Words (challies.com)

YOUR EYE IS A LAMP THAT LIGHTS UP YOUR WHOLE BODY

The lamp of the Whole Body (Photo by Pastor Davis)

What a bold statement to make, however, this is not one that I made, but one that Jesus made.  Jesus wanted you to understand the pure simple operating powers of one of the tools that the father gave to you to help you function in this universe.  Jesus often used bold language to describe the powers God had already invested in us.  Jesus wanted us to understand that if we learned how to use this one great tool, we could achieve the supernatural in our lives that otherwise would be lost to us.

Now listen to how Jesus describes the use of this tool for us.  He says, “No one lights a lamp, then hides it in a drawer. It’s put on a lamp stand so those entering the room have light to see where they’re going. Your eye is a lamp, lighting up your whole body. If you live wide-eyed in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. Keep your eyes open, your lamp burning, so you don’t get musty and murky. Keep your life as well-lighted as your best-lighted room.”  (Luke 11:33-36 MSG).

In our previous lessons we described to you how Jesus used parables to help you understand the truth of His teachings.  This simple message of the lamp and eye is a powerful truth for those who take the time to understand what it means in their own lives.

Let me explain, when Jesus used the word “lamp” he was referring to the person who hears His message, responds to it, and spreads it to others.  In this teaching situation, it seems that Jesus was describing his own ministry and message as lighting a lamp that was not hidden or put under a basket, but was done in public with a message available for all to accept.

The lamp is Christ’s message, and “light” is the truth of his revelation and guidance; the eye represents spiritual understanding and insight that is filtered through the “good” or the “bad” in a person.  When a person’s eyes are pure, that is, when they are operating properly, the illumination makes it easy for the body to function.  Those with “pure eyes” are those true disciples who listen and respond to Jesus guidance.  By contrast, when eyes are evil, that is, when they are not operating properly, the result is impaired functioning for the rest of the body.  Those with “evil eyes” are those who reject Jesus words; all they have is the darkness and futility of their own evil ways.

To have the light within actually be darkness would be a dismal condition.  That would mean that no goodness would be left, for even what might have been light would actually be dark-what good should have been there would actually be evil.  But with Jesus, and with the filling of the Holy Spirit, a person can be filled with light, with no dark corners.  This cannot happen from within–for the light does not originate there.  It has an outside source, as though a floodlight is shining on you.  That outside source is Jesus himself.  Jesus is truly the light of the world and your eye should always remain focus on that light, because in Jesus there is truly no darkness.  Now watch this short video clip which summaries what it means to keep your eyes on Jesus.

MY MAXIMIZED PRAYER FOR PURE EYES

Father in the name of Jesus, as your servant, I seek pure eyes that I may listen, be obedient, and respond to your son Jesus’ guidance.  I seek to do your will as you would have it done.  My eyes have been open to the truth of your teaching, and I will go forth into the world and carry out your mission, in Jesus name I pray, AMEN!

Related articles

• Gonna Let my Light Shine … (barefootpreachr.org)
• [10] Ready to meet God? (notmanywise.wordpress.com)
• Good Morning April 25 (lifesmeaningministries.wordpress.com)
• The Bridegroom Comes (lancelottuckerblog.com)
• TCC: Finding Jesus in the Temple – of You! (chickenscratchinnovations.wordpress.com)
• Fill Your Lamp With Oil – Before Darkness Falls (christcenteredteaching.wordpress.com)
• A Guiding Light (cbnindiablogs.wordpress.com)
• Come to Jesus (gospelline.net)
• The Missing: Light (nathanology.us)

The Good Samaritan by Rembrandt (1630) shows the Good Samaritan making arrangements with the innkeeper. A later (1633) print by Rembrandt has a reversed and somewhat expanded version of the scene. Roland E. Fleischer and Susan C. Scott, Rembrandt, Rubens, and the Art of their Time: Recent perspectives, Pennsylvania State University Press, 1997, ISBN 0915773104, pp. 68-69. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

WHO IS YOUR “NEIGHBOR?”

In today’s lesson we will use the scriptures from Luke 10:25-37 and allow you to sit in awe as Jesus the great Master Teacher, teaches an expert in religious law on the subject, “Who is your Neighbor?”  The story begins when this lawyer asked Jesus a question that revealed the lawyer’s profound ignorance about the central issues of the faith, eternal life and the basic command to love one’s neighbor.  The word “Neighbor,” refers to fellow human beings in general.  A person cannot maintain a good vertical relationship with God without also caring for his or her neighbor.

Now listen to the Master Teacher as he schools this expert lawyer in religious Law. The bible says, “Just then a religion scholar stood up with a question to test Jesus.”Teacher, what do I need to do to get eternal life?”  The lawyer asks!

He answered, “What’s written in God’s Law? How do you interpret it?”

He said, “That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.”

“Good answer!” said Jesus. “Do it and you’ll live.”

Looking for a loophole, he asked, “And just how would you define ‘neighbor‘?”

Jesus answered by telling a story, [parable] “There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man.

Now here is where the story really gets interesting because the next person to come alone this same road was a despised Samaritan.  Jews hated Samaritans, so when Jesus introduced this Samaritan man into the story, the Jewish listeners would not have expected him to help a Jewish man.  But in great detail, Jesus described all that the Samaritan did for this man.  This Samaritan is pictured as understanding what it meant to help someone in need, to be a neighbor, regardless of racial tensions.

Now here is how Jesus continues the parable, he says, “A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I’ll pay you on my way back.’

After Jesus had completed His story [the parable], He asked the lawyer, who was the expert in religious law, who had also been a neighbor to the wounded man this question; “What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?”  The lawyer had no choice but to answer that the one who showed him mercy, the Samaritan, had been the true “Neighbor.”  The Samaritan traveler and the Jewish man were far apart in distance and spiritual heritage, but the Samaritan had loved his neighbor far better than the hurt man’s own religious leaders.  Jesus said that the legal expert had answered correctly and should go and do the same.  Jesus taught that love is shown by action, that it must not be limited by its object, and that at times it is costly.

Let me conclude this lesson with the same question we begin it with, “WHO IS YOUR NEIGHBOR?”  May God’s grace and mercy rest and abide with you now and forever, in Jesus name. Amen!

Related articles

• On Neighborliness (ntinterpretation.wordpress.com)
• Be a Good Neighbor (chasingthewind.net)
• Today’s Scripture (stand Your Ground) (vineandbranchworldministries.com)
• The Story of The Good Samaritan (21st-century-faith.com)

Loaves of bread at Stroud, Gloucestershire UK, farmers' market (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

JESUS WAS A MASTER OF TEACHING IN PARABLES

Today’s Scripture is one of Jesus great parable lessons and it points out with a touch of humor, that God’s people must persist in their prayers, and that God is always ready to give.  The setting is midnight.  A journeying friend has arrived, presumably unexpected.  Social custom dictates providing food, but the bread is gone and the person has nothing for him to eat.  The person knows that another friend has some bread, so he goes to him and asks to borrow three loaves of bread.

Now listen to how Jesus the Master Teacher tells the story, [parable].  “Then he said, “Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don’t have a thing on hand.’

“The friend answers from his bed, ‘Don’t bother me. The doors locked; my children are all down for the night; I can’t get up to give you anything.’

“But let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he’ll finally get up and get you whatever you need.

(Luke 11:5-8 MSG)

Related articles

• The Parables of Jesus (pickandprintgallery.wordpress.com)
• The Road to Emmaus (billpeddie.wordpress.com)
• In New Book ‘The Power of Parable,’ John Dominic Crossan Explains How the Gospels are Fiction (prweb.com)
• Parable of the Talents (christianpf.com)
• 04 The Manna from Heaven (sabbathsermons.com)
• Parable of the Great Supper; Jesus Teaches in a Pharisee’s House (brakeman1.com)
• Parable of the Sower (menofmud.org)

JESUS WAS A MASTER OF TEACHING IN PARABLES

Salvation (Photo by Pastor Davis)

Jesus was truly THE MASTER TEACHER, [His Disciples called Him Master], and he taught the people in a true manner that was meant to bring them unto God.  He did not talk down to the people are try to put them down with his manner of teaching.  He built the people up and brought them together with His stories.  The people themselves were great story tellers and Jesus lived among them.  However, Jesus approach to the way He instructed the people were still quite unusual.  His stories were memorable, but they were not transparent.  The People heard them but did not necessarily understand them.  They are clearer to us because of the Apostle Paul’s writings, but few of the first hearers of the parables understood them.  At one point the disciples asked in frustration, “Why do you speak to [the peoples] in parables?” (Matthew 13:10).  The disciples did not grasp the stories any better than the rest of the crowd did.

Before going any further, let me give you the Bible Dictionary’s working meaning of a parable:  A parable is a short, simple story designed to communicate a spiritual truth, religious principle, or moral lesson; a figure of speech in which truth is illustrated by a comparison or example drawn from everyday experiences.

You see after the disciples question Jesus, his answer to the disciples reveals much about the purpose of His teaching.  He quoted (Isaiah 6:9-10) to demonstrate that those with physical sight and hearing may still not be able to perceive the truths presented to them.  For Isaiah, the “dullness” or hardness (Isaiah 13:15) of the human heart directly affects spiritual insight and understanding.  People need to soften their hearts, humble themselves before God, and honestly seek the truth in order to find it.

Jesus stories are like wrapped gifts.  The packaging of the story can either distract or captivate.  But unless the package is opened, the gift itself remains unseen.  Likewise unless one seeks the core of the parable, its truth and application, of the lessons will remain hidden.  Yet when discovered, these lessons prove extremely valuable.  The testimony of millions of changed lives over two thousand years attests to this fact.

When unwrapped, Jesus stories include powerful multiple applications.  The same parable can strike people in different ways. For example, the parable of the Soils Matthew 13:1-23 may be “heard” by at least four distinct people depending on their identification with one of the soils.  The parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-32) will affect a father in quite a different way than it does a rebellious younger son or a jealous older brother.

When Jesus taught in Jerusalem during His last week, His parables focused on the acceptance or rejection of Him.  This time even the priests and the Pharisees “perceived He was speaking of them.”  They were stung by Jesus’ parables, and they despised Him and His message.  But they were unwilling to give up their pride, learn at Jesus’ feet, and seek the forgiveness they so desperately needed.  They sensed they would not appreciate what they found if they un-wrapped the parables, so they refused to seek the truth any further.  In doing this, they perfectly conformed to Isaiah’s description of a people with dull hearts, hardness of hearing, and closed eyes.  These religious leaders who should have been leading the people into the truth were the very ones who were the most blind to it.

Most of Jesus’ parables have one central point.  Thus, Bible students should not resort to faithful  interpretations that find “spiritual truth” in every minute detail of the parable.  The central point of the parable of the Good Samaritan is that a “hated” Samaritan proved to be a neighbor to the wounded man.  He showed the traveler the mercy and compassion denied to him by the priest and the Levite, representatives of the established religion.  The one central point of this parable is that we should also extend compassion to others-even those who are not of our own nationality, race, or religion (Luke 10:25-37).

This will conclude the teachings of this portion of our lesson and I will finish it in the next session.  Now let me leave you to ponder this question:  Jesus quoted (Isaiah 6:9-10) to demonstrate that those with physical sight and hearing may still not be able to perceive the truths presented to them.  How would you use parables differently to get the people to understand your teachings are would you use parables at all?  Please Share with us your thinking on this question.

May God’s grace and mercy rest and abide with you now and forever, in Jesus name. Amen!

Related articles

• The Parables of Jesus (pickandprintgallery.wordpress.com)
• John 15:1 – I Am the True Vine (readingacts.wordpress.com)
• The Parable of the Four Soils (dailybibleplan.com)
• Sermon Notes for the Prodigal Son and the Loving Father (frted.wordpress.com)
• Understanding Christ’s Parables (wordsofgrace.wordpress.com)
• Lost…explosive parables, and the fall out (thewearypilgrim.typepad.com)
• Parable of the Sower (menofmud.org)
• Jesus Tells Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven (brakeman1.com)

WHERE WOULD WE BE TODAY WITHOUT GOD’S AMAZING GRACE?

A Symbol of God's Amazing Grace (Photo by Pastor Davis)

As we go through life day by day, trying to understand our amazing lives, our purpose for being here which includes our destination, and how we are able to travel towards that goal we have set for ourselves, although we stumble and fall, we soon discover that we all have a story to tell.

Our stories on the surface may seem to be different, but when we look deeply at where we are and how we got to where we are, the story lines begin to merge and we all begin to repeat the same line we “are saved” by “grace.”  It was nothing but God’s amazing grace that brought me through the darkness of this wilderness and into His marvelous light.  Grace is God’s unmerited favor. It is kindness from God we don’t deserve. There is nothing we have done, nor can ever do to earn this favor. It is a true spiritual gift from God. Grace is divine assistance given to us humans for our regeneration (rebirth) or sanctification; a virtue coming from God; a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine favor.

I have come to see the doctrine of the God’s Amazing Grace  as one of the dominant themes of the Bible. In musical terms, God’s Amazing Grace is like the melody line of a beautiful song, and the greatest song of all that comes to my mind is, “Amazing Grace.”  As a rule, only one note carries the melody, and all of the other notes serve to compliment that note with a harmony. I believe that grace is the dominant note in God’s dealings with man. His justice, His holiness, His omnipotence, and His omniscience are all an integral part of the music of His character and activities, but grace stands apart and above them all.

Now pause with me for a moment and let us listen to one of my favorite songs that really tell the true story of God’s redeeming quality for all of us who have accepted Jesus, as our Lord and savior, and then we will continue this discussion on the other side of this beautiful melody.

When I look back over my life, I know that it was nothing but God’s amazing grace that brought me through my trials and tribulations, and I am certain you will say the same.  This amazing grace comes only from the Lord and is simply the God-given desire and the power to do God’s will.

In order to help us truly appreciate and understand the value that this one song has done to help transform our lives and the lives of people all over the world, let me share with you the history of this great song.  Now please take note of this next video because it does provide us with a deep understanding of the History of this song Amazing Grace as this part of the lesson is taught by Dr. Wintley Phipps.  We will join you in words once again when Dr. Phipps has concluded.

“Amazing Grace” is a Christian hymn written by English poet and clergyman John Newton (1725–1807), published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God, “Amazing Grace” is one of the most recognizable songs in the English-speaking world.

Newton wrote the words from personal experience. He grew up without any particular religious conviction but his life’s path was formed by a variety of twists and coincidences that were often put into motion by his recalcitrant insubordination. He was pressed into the Royal Navy and became a sailor, eventually participating in the slave trade. One night a terrible storm battered his vessel so severely that he became frightened enough to call out to God for mercy, a moment that marked the beginning of his spiritual conversion. His career in slave trading lasted a few years more until he quit going to sea altogether and began studying theology.

Ordained in the Church of England in 1764, Newton became curate of Olney, Buckinghamshire, where he began to write hymns with poet William Cowper. “Amazing Grace” was written to illustrate a sermon on New Year’s Day of 1773. It is unknown if there was any music accompanying the verses, and it may have been chanted by the congregation without music. It debuted in print in 1779 in Newton and Cowper’s Olney Hymns, but settled into relative obscurity in England. In the United States however, “Amazing Grace” was used extensively during the Second Great Awakening in the early 19th century. It has been associated with more than 20 melodies, but in 1835 it was joined to a tune named “New Britain” to which it is most frequently sung today.

Author Gilbert Chase writes that “Amazing Grace” is “without a doubt the most famous of all the folk hymns,” and Jonathan Aitken, a Newton biographer, estimates that it is performed about 10 million times annually.  It has had particular influence in folk music, and become an emblematic African American spiritual. Its universal message has been a significant factor in its crossover into secular music. “Amazing Grace” saw a resurgence in popularity in the U.S. during the 1960s and has been recorded thousands of times during and since the 20th century, sometimes appearing on popular music charts.  Now let us pause again, and listen to one of the world’s greatest singers, “Mahalia Jackson.”

I know deep in my soul that this song has had an impact on your thought process.  It has made you pause and think for a moment just why God has allowed you to be where you are in your life today.  When we understand and can comprend in our thought process the deep meaning of these words, we know in our hearts that it was only by His grace, we were spared, the wrath we deserve.  Instead, we receive the favor we do not deserve. Why is this true? The answer is found in the two words: through Christ. It is because of Christ’s death in our place that we do not experience the wrath of God, which we so richly deserve. Jesus satisfied God’s justice and turned away God’s wrath from us by bearing it Himself on our behalf. Now God can extend mercy to us without subverting His justice. Mercy and justice meet together at the cross.

Jesus did more, however, than satisfy God’s justice and turn aside His wrath. By His perfect obedience, He earned for us all of God’s favor, all of His blessings. To use my kid’s illustration, they would say, Dad, “He mowed the grass, trimmed the hedges, washed the windows and painted the porch. He did it all. He perfectly obeyed all the law of God, and He did it in our place.”  Just as He died in our place, so He also obeyed in our place. That is why those two words “through Christ” are so critical to the definition of grace. Without Christ’s work for us, there could be no grace.

Therefore, when we speak of God’s grace, we mean all the good gifts we enjoy freely in this life, and there are so many. We could spend a lifetime celebrating them, and there is no need to attempt to list them here.  Your own life is a mirror of them all. A summary approach is to affirm that life itself is the fundamental gift, with all its delights. For us, the gift of life includes the wondrous gift of being human, finding ourselves plopped down in the midst of the larger gift of creation. That is the bedrock of grace—creation, life, and human being. As humans, we are given a unique place in the created order.

Now please allow me to conclude with this thought, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.  Do you believe it was grace and nothing but grace that has brought you through many dangers, tolls and snares.  Do you believe that it was nothing but grace that has brought you safe thus far, and it will be nothing but grace that will lead you home?  Grace, God’s Amazing grace; how sweet the sound that saved a wretch, the likes of me! WHERE WOULD WE BE TODAY WITHOUT GOD’S AMAZING GRACE?  I have ministered to you today from a position of peace, power, purpose and prosperity.  I remain your brother in Christ, Pastor Davis/Master Teacher.

Related articles

• Amazing Grace (pickandprintgallery.wordpress.com)
• Amazing Grace X Two For Easter 2012 (gadabout-blogalot.com)
• Amazing Grace (divinechioma.wordpress.com)
• Amazing Grace Celtic Hymns & Blessings CD (haroldcameron.wordpress.com)
• Amazing Grace, Amazing Love (debbie915631.wordpress.com)
• Amazing Grace – The Story Behind John Newton’s Famous Song (garyware.me)
• Amazing Grace (scripturenuggets.wordpress.com)

WE ARE CALLED TO BE RESPONSIBLE STEWARDS OVER MOTHER EARTH

The poets of the Old Testament loved to describe the natural world.  Like all people in that ancient time, they lived closer to nature than do most of us.  They enjoyed nature’s beautiful and fascinating manifestations.  They observed the ways of birds and badgers, the flowing rivers, and the pulsing of the waves.  In this respect, the biblical poets have much in common with many other poets throughout history.

Nevertheless, in two important ways the biblical poets were different from their neighbors in the ancient Middle East.  First, they resisted the temptation to deify nature.  Their neighbors did not merely rhapsodize about birds and trees, hills and seas they worshiped them.  The biblical poets learned to do something truly new.  Namely, they loved nature but did not bow to it.  They enjoyed nature but did not worship it.

The second distinctive of the biblical poets was their identification of “nature.”  For them, nature was always “creation.”  The word nature does not itself deify the world, but it still implies that the world has its own sense of being, its own power, and its own dynamic.  On the other hand, the word creation is a term of faith.  It expresses the belief that everything that exists is made by God.  All the beauty and splendor of the universe comes from God’s creative hands.

In some ways, the modern emphasis on “Mother Earth” is simply a revival of the goddess cults of the ancient Middle East.  However, the authors of the creation psalms have the right perspective.  We can express our enjoyment of creation without worshiping it.  We can love the earth because we first love its Creator.  We can rejoice in the marvels of nature, the sparkling waterfall and the soaring eagle, because we know they are the handiwork of God.  Any efforts to “save” the earth should arise from our worship of its Creator and our knowledge that we are called to responsible stewardship because everything God created is a gift from Him.

YOU HAVE THE POWER TO LIVE IN DIVINE ORDER

Today, my life is in DIVINE ORDER; I am assured by the word of God that peace and tranquility will prevail in my life because I am a work in progress. I do all that needs to be done by me with ease and efficiency.  I balance my work, family, and social life, my schedule may be tight and my responsibilities many, but I am not concerned.  I keep my thoughts up above the busyness and remain calm and clear, knowing that divine order is established in my life, and in all of life.

Because I center my plans and activities in the divine order that is always present, I do all that is before me with love and grace and without fatigue or pressure.  I do what needs to be done by me with ease.

Divine order assures that I am abundantly supplied with all I need.  Time and resources are available to me.  Strength, energy, and intelligence are mine.  Aligned with God’s law of divine  order, I flow with life’s scheduled and unscheduled events.

“Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low.” (Luke 3:5).

Divine Order is my perfect state of being.  I will remain calm, at peace and living out my purpose as I move swiftly towards my destination that has been set in order by the laws of Divine Order.

I chose not allow anyone or anything to disturb my inner peace.  I flow with the rivers of life that is always flowing all around me and through me; I am one with the rivers, the wind and the universe.

Nothing I desire today, that I do not already have.  My life is filled with the abundance of wealth that is free to me because I am living my life in Divine Order.  Your brother in Christ, Pastor Davis/Master Teacher.

To Be Right Where We Need To Be – We Live By The Law of Divine Order

By Adam Price

Everything in our lives is in a perfect state of grace and is right where it needs to be. We can often fall into a victim mentality, thinking that society has punished or harassed us in certain areas but if we look more deeply and “trust” the process, we’ll realize that what is happening is divine order in action. Nothing is either good or bad, it’s our perceptions that colour the situation, there’s only neutral energy.

It’s only our perceptions that taint a situation good or bad, but the fact is, from a viewpoint of the law of divine order, that everything happens in a perfect state of grace and is neither good or bad.

The main harmful point to us as human beings, and having a victim mentality is the fact we’re surrendering our control over to the external force of the material earth. In other words we giving away our spiritual power and becoming dependent on an external factor to control our own fate as humans (and in reality this fate can never be taken from us, it’s within us already, we only experience the illusion of it being taken from us, as we experience this illusion of material life, then we wake up again and are ourselves… spirits again). But you must remember this, you always have a choice to manifest your own destiny and create your very own divine life, the way that the law of divine order meant for it to be.

In order for us to be able to get passed the distortions of imperfection labeled by man, things are still happening in the perfect order that the universal energy desires. Once we realize and acknowledge this, we’ll realize that God really does have a purpose for everything that goes on, on this planet and the billions of other planets in the entire universe.

We have to learn to see divine order in every situation we have created for ourselves, and allow the universal force to work in unison with us and the circumstance that has manifested in our lives so we can learn the lesson of that divinely ordered series of events.

If you look at man’s law from this perspective, which has been created so that to some degree, we each express likeness and unity with each other. So we say things like, we’re individuals and need to be unique, we hear that for our general lives and quite a bit if you’re in business, as “differentiation” is one of the dominant factors. In this unique identity we are all trying to create for ourselves (so that we “fit in” or “stand out”), we each approve and accept a slice of the divine concept of identity.

For example, man’s law says that we must look beautiful (in accordance to man’s ideals of beauty), but the law of divine order states we are already in perfect condition, even if we are seen in man’s eye as “ugly” or not attractive, because natural universal laws don’t recognize vanity.

We also are led to believe that we must judge ourselves and “live up to” certain standards and goals that we set for ourselves, and when we don’t achieve them we think along the lines that we aren’t living up to our expectations and this can sometimes cause people to feel down and stuck in a rut. But these are all self-inflicted pains… The law of divine order states, “You are in order as long as you are listening to me.”

Can you begin to see the conflict between our own perceptions of perfect and that of the law of divine orders?

According to natural law we are all already perfect, beautiful, and in the right situation at the right time. Even those of us who are dying, taking their last breath, we do so in perfect grace and will of the ever powerful universe. For it’s not in our control to massage our fate, therefore all laws that we create for ourselves and our own lives for our own gain, are really temporary illusions.

Take for example the rose, it would still bloom even if man didn’t exist at all, it’s completely perfect without man. Our bodies are created perfectly the way nature wanted them each and every time. The fact that we see deformity, and abnormalities in our human form, and the fact that we think we can improve upon our shape and health by pumping ourselves full of all sorts of substances, doesn’t alter the fact that we all come into this world in a perfect state of grace, and we all leave this world in exactly the same way.

With or without human intervention, trees would still grow, the sun would still shine and the winds and rains would still occur in a perfect sense of purpose.

Therefore the purpose of the law of divine order is this, to see that absolutely everything happens for a reason and nothing by chance.

Here’s the main challenge, look upon all the actions on earth as part of a divine plan that has been blue printed in advance by the universal God intelligence, and this intelligence has allowed for multiples of free will outcomes. So instead of seeing certain situations as good or bad, we just see them as information that we can then utilize for future creations. We are in perfect essence right now, and that’s how we chose to be, and how we created ourselves right from the start, which is in the state of perfect grace.

The same goes for everyone around us, and sometimes it can be very difficult when our emotions are involved, but in the world of natural law, especially that of the law of divine order it takes but a fraction of a second for it to recognize everything is perfect in God’s world of divine order.

By not interfering with the way things are, and the way some people are because of the way we were brought up, or the way society wants us to conform. We’re able to work in this world and know that we can leave things as they are, because they are in a state of divine order.

This allows others to more easily connect on a soul level, and lets them discover they as a soul are better than they think from a human understanding. Because if we only give sympathy, pity and empathy, we’ll in effect block the process of them discovering their own divine process.

If we can concentrate on stimulating what is known as the Christ principle, which can be related back to the law of divine order. Because we irrespective of how we assimilate the actions and side effects we see in society, our family, others families and professions, things will be in a state of divine order. We only need to practice “detachment” from our temporary existence as creatures of form on this earth, learn from the lessons of our experience and then identify the balance that lies beneath the experience.

In summing up, here’s an example… If we look upon illness in a human or creature of form as suffering, what we are actually doing is projecting the energy pattern of suffering to continue being active in that individual, as opposed to the energy of being in perfect health or state of grace. This is because we look upon illnesses such as cancer, HIV, and heart disease as a destructive energy.

If only we could refocus outside the socially accepted “norm” and see such events as an opportunity to grow and learn, for the individual with the so called affliction and for ourselves, we’d realize that the chance of greater self-discovery and attunement to our own God force has been right here inside of us all along.

Adam Price is a successful holistic life coach and author around the laws of the universe. Learn how tap into the powerful laws of the universe in your life by visiting:

http://www.Law-Of-Attraction-And-Success.com

Source: http://www.submityourarticle.com

WHERE WOULD WE BE TODAY WITHOUT GOD’S AMAZING GRACE?

As we go through life day by day, trying to understand our amazing lives, our purpose for being here which includes our destination, and how we are able to travel towards that goal we have set for ourselves, although we stumble and fall, we soon discover that we all have a story to tell.

Our stories on the surface may seem to be different, but when we look deeply at where we are and how we got to where we are, the story lines begin to merge and we all begin to repeat the same line we “are saved” by “grace.”  It was nothing but God’s amazing grace that brought me through the darkness of this wilderness and into His marvelous light.  Grace is God’s unmerited favor. It is kindness from God we don’t deserve. There is nothing we have done, nor can ever do to earn this favor. It is a true spiritual gift from God. Grace is divine assistance given to us humans for our regeneration (rebirth) or sanctification; a virtue coming from God; a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine favor.

I have come to see the doctrine of the God’s Amazing Grace  as one of the dominant themes of the Bible. In musical terms, God’s Amazing Grace is like the melody line of a beautiful song, and the greatest song of all that comes to my mind is, “Amazing Grace.”  As a rule, only one note carries the melody, and all of the other notes serve to compliment that note with a harmony. I believe that grace is the dominant note in God’s dealings with man. His justice, His holiness, His omnipotence, and His omniscience are all an integral part of the music of His character and activities, but grace stands apart and above them all.

Now pause with me for a moment and let us listen to one of my favorite songs that really tell the true story of God’s redeeming quality for all of us who have accepted Jesus, as our Lord and savior, and then we will continue this discussion on the other side of this beautiful melody.

When I look back over my life, I know that it was nothing but God’s amazing grace that brought me through my trials and tribulations, and I am certain you will say the same.  This amazing grace comes only from the Lord and is simply the God-given desire and the power to do God’s will.

In order to help us truly appreciate and understand the value that this one song has done to help transform our lives and the lives of people all over the world, let me share with you the history of this great song.  Now please take note of this next video because it does provide us with a deep understanding of the History of this song Amazing Grace as this part of the lesson is taught by Dr. Wintley Phipps.  We will join you in words once again when Dr. Phipps has concluded.

“Amazing Grace” is a Christian hymn written by English poet and clergyman John Newton (1725–1807), published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God, “Amazing Grace” is one of the most recognizable songs in the English-speaking world.

Newton wrote the words from personal experience. He grew up without any particular religious conviction but his life’s path was formed by a variety of twists and coincidences that were often put into motion by his recalcitrant insubordination. He was pressed into the Royal Navy and became a sailor, eventually participating in the slave trade. One night a terrible storm battered his vessel so severely that he became frightened enough to call out to God for mercy, a moment that marked the beginning of his spiritual conversion. His career in slave trading lasted a few years more until he quit going to sea altogether and began studying theology.

Ordained in the Church of England in 1764, Newton became curate of Olney, Buckinghamshire, where he began to write hymns with poet William Cowper. “Amazing Grace” was written to illustrate a sermon on New Year’s Day of 1773. It is unknown if there was any music accompanying the verses, and it may have been chanted by the congregation without music. It debuted in print in 1779 in Newton and Cowper’s Olney Hymns, but settled into relative obscurity in England. In the United States however, “Amazing Grace” was used extensively during the Second Great Awakening in the early 19th century. It has been associated with more than 20 melodies, but in 1835 it was joined to a tune named “New Britain” to which it is most frequently sung today.

Author Gilbert Chase writes that “Amazing Grace” is “without a doubt the most famous of all the folk hymns,” and Jonathan Aitken, a Newton biographer, estimates that it is performed about 10 million times annually.  It has had particular influence in folk music, and become an emblematic African American spiritual. Its universal message has been a significant factor in its crossover into secular music. “Amazing Grace” saw a resurgence in popularity in the U.S. during the 1960s and has been recorded thousands of times during and since the 20th century, sometimes appearing on popular music charts.  Now let us pause again, and listen to one of the world’s greatest singers, “Mahalia Jackson.”

I know deep in my soul that this song has had an impact on your thought process.  It has made you pause and think for a moment just why God has allowed you to be where you are in your life today.  When we understand and can comprend in our thought process the deep meaning of these words, we know in our hearts that it was only by His grace, we were spared, the wrath we deserve.  Instead, we receive the favor we do not deserve. Why is this true? The answer is found in the two words: through Christ. It is because of Christ’s death in our place that we do not experience the wrath of God, which we so richly deserve. Jesus satisfied God’s justice and turned away God’s wrath from us by bearing it Himself on our behalf. Now God can extend mercy to us without subverting His justice. Mercy and justice meet together at the cross.

Jesus did more, however, than satisfy God’s justice and turn aside His wrath. By His perfect obedience, He earned for us all of God’s favor, all of His blessings. To use my kid’s illustration, they would say, Dad, “He mowed the grass, trimmed the hedges, washed the windows and painted the porch. He did it all. He perfectly obeyed all the law of God, and He did it in our place.”  Just as He died in our place, so He also obeyed in our place. That is why those two words “through Christ” are so critical to the definition of grace. Without Christ’s work for us, there could be no grace.

Therefore, when we speak of God’s grace, we mean all the good gifts we enjoy freely in this life, and there are so many. We could spend a lifetime celebrating them, and there is no need to attempt to list them here.  Your own life is a mirror of them all. A summary approach is to affirm that life itself is the fundamental gift, with all its delights. For us, the gift of life includes the wondrous gift of being human, finding ourselves plopped down in the midst of the larger gift of creation. That is the bedrock of grace—creation, life, and human being. As humans, we are given a unique place in the created order.

Now please allow me to conclude with this thought, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.  Do you believe it was grace and nothing but grace that has brought you through many dangers, tolls and snares.  Do you believe that it was nothing but grace that has brought you safe thus far, and it will be nothing but grace that will lead you home?  Grace, God’s Amazing grace; how sweet the sound that saved a wretch, the likes of me! WHERE WOULD WE BE TODAY WITHOUT GOD’S AMAZING GRACE?  I have ministered to you today from a position of peace, power, purpose and prosperity.  I remain your brother in Christ, Pastor Davis/Master Teacher.

JESUS TEACHES US THE MEANING OF THE GREAT COMMISSION

When someone is dying or leaving us, we pay close attention to his or her last words, Jesus left the disciples with some last words of instruction.  Here are those words as spoken by Jesus, “Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them ^[a]into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you ^[b]all the days (^[c]perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. ^[d]Amen (so let it be).” (Matthew 28:19-20 AMP).  Now watch this short video clip and we will continue this discussion on the other side.

God gave Jesus complete authority over heaven and earth.  On the basis of his authority, Jesus told his disciples to go and make disciples as they preached, baptized, and taught.  Making disciples means instructing new believers on how to follow Jesus, to submit to Jesus lordship, and to take up his mission of compassionate service.  Baptizing is important because it unites a believer with Jesus Christ in his or her death to sin and resurrection to new life.  Baptism symbolizes submission to Christ, a willingness to live God’s way, and identification with God’s covenant people.  To baptize in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit affirms the reality of the Trinity, the concept coming directly from Jesus himself.  He did not say baptize them into the “names,” but into the “name” of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  How long will it take to reach the entire world?  It is your job to go and make disciples. Now watch this video and prepare your mind to truly become a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Whereas in previous missions Jesus had sent his disciples only to the Jews, their mission from here forward would be to go to all the nations.  This is called the Great Commission.  The disciples had been trained well and they had seen the risen Lord.  They were ready to teach people all over the world to obey all the commands that Jesus had given.  This also showed the disciples that there would be a lapse of time between Jesus resurrection and his second coming.  During that time, Jesus followers had a mission to do, evangelize, baptize, and teach people about Jesus so that they, in turn, could do the same.  The Good News of the gospel was to go forth to all the nations.

Jesus commanded the Church to go, he also commanded us to go.  We are to carry the good news into the world and teach it to all people.  The great commission is not a choice, it is our responsibility.  Now click on this video and and allow it to become you and what you do.

With this same authority, Jesus still commands us to tell others the Good News and make them disciples for the kingdom.  We are to go whether it is next door or to another country and make disciples.  It is not an option, but a command to all who call Jesus “Lord.”  As we obey, we have comfort in the knowledge that Jesus is always with us.  This would occur through the Holy Spirit’s presence in believer’s lives.  The Holy Spirit would be Jesus presence that would never leave them.  Jesus continues to be with us today through his Spirit.

Now that you understand what the Great Commission means, know that it is not a choice, because when Jesus gave it to the disciples he did not give them a choice of deciding if they would except their commission, therefore for us today, it is not a choice but it is truly our responsibility to except Jesus marching orders to us.  The harvest is ripe, but the labors are few.  

Equip yourself and get ready for this mission that has been assigned to you, not by your church, your pastor are any one else, but by Jesus Christ.  The warnings we received from the earthquakes this past week and massive storm of Hurricane Irene should have left each one of us with a very valuable lesson, that is our time on this earth is short, our mission is clear, and our responsibility is to do the will of God with complete obedience.

Today, I am equipping you as God has equipped me and sent me into the world, let this message become your calling to prepare yourself for the calling of Jesus Christ.  I know you have heard his voice speaking to you and you have ran away and shut it out with all sort of excuses.  But what better time than now to open up your ears and allow Jesus to speak to you and you obey his command.  I minister to you from a position of peace, power, purpose and prosperity.  I remain your brother in Christ, Pastor Davis/Master Teacher.

Image via Wikipedia

HOW JESUS TURNED THIS DEFEAT INTO THE MOST GLORIOUS VICTORY THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN (Luke 23:26-35 MSG)

As they led him off, they made Simon, a man from Cyrene who happened to be coming in from the countryside, carry the cross behind Jesus. A huge crowd of people followed, along with women weeping and carrying on. At one point Jesus turned to the women and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children. The time is coming when they’ll say, ‘Lucky the women who never conceived! Lucky the wombs that never gave birth! Lucky the breasts that never gave milk!’ Then they’ll start calling to the mountains, ‘Fall down on us!’ calling to the hills, ‘Cover us up!’ If people do these things to a live, green tree, can you imagine what they’ll do with deadwood?”

Two others, both criminals, were taken along with him for execution.

When they got to the place called Skull Hill, they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right, and the other on his left.

Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing.”

Dividing up his clothes, they threw dice for them. The people stood there staring at Jesus, and the ringleaders made faces, taunting, “He saved others. Let’s see him save himself! The Messiah of God—ha! The Chosen—ha!”

At the time of Jesus death, crucifixion was considered the most painful and degrading form of capital punishment in the Roman Empire.  It was considered so horrible that it was used by the Romans only for slaves, those from the provinces under their control, and the lowest types of criminals.  It was not to be used for a Roman citizen.  This is in accord with the biblical account of Christ’s death and with church tradition, which asserts that Peter was also crucified, but Paul, a Roman citizen, was beheaded.

Crucifixion as a means of execution probably grew out of the practice of displaying the heads of captured enemies or criminals on a wooden stake, like those used to build a wall or erect fortifications.  Later, entire bodies were impaled.  By Jesus time, crucifixion was a common sight.

Although methods of crucifixion seem to have varied throughout the Roman Empire, through biblical and historical accounts the basic pattern is known.  The condemned person was first scourged with a flagellum, a whip of leather thongs with bits of metal or bone attached.  This whipping greatly weakened the victim, who then had to carry the crossbeam to the place of execution.  A sign specifying the crime was often placed around the criminal’s neck or on the cross.  The person was stripped naked, laid on the ground with the crossbeam under his shoulders, and tied or nailed to it.  Nailing made the victim die quicker, as it did Jesus, whom the Jewish officials wanted dead before the Sabbath.  The crossbeam was lifted and secured to a post so that the person’s feet were hanging just off the ground.  Some archaeologists think a pin or wooden block was placed halfway up the post to provide a seat for the body so that the nails would not tear open the wounds, causing the body to fall.  The feet also could be nailed or tied to the post.

Although the pain was excruciating, some victims survived on the cross for days.  As in the case of the two criminals crucified with Jesus, the legs of a crucified person were sometimes broken to make the sufferer die.  This caused massive shock, followed by loss of circulation and heart failure.

Although completely innocent of all sin, Jesus suffered the most horrible, disgraceful punishment known.  But His agonizing death was not an ordinary death, for it was not the final chapter.  Jesus turned this apparent defeat into the most glorious victory the world has ever known.  At the Cross, He suffered for the sins of the world.  Then after His resurrection from the dead three days later, Jesus empowered His disciples with a new message, the Good News that He had finally defeated the power of sin and death.  Through the Cross, Jesus offers salvation to all who will believe in Him.

Now listen to the words Jesus spoke to his disciples, He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

And ye are witnesses of these things.

And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:46-49 KJV)

As this story clearly shows, there is power in the word for those who believe.  God never makes a promise that he cannot fulfilled.  It is up to you to always stand on God’s promise, believe it and watch God work in your life.  When the light seems to be the dimmest and the enemy is attacking you on all fronts it is time to stand still and watch God work.  With God there is nothing that is impossible.  God is truth, he is also the light, when you know the truth, not what you perceive is the truth, but what God has spoken of as truth, you can rest assured that you will have peace in your life, and your soul will be free to experience the manifestation of that truth and the light that God has promised.  No weapon that the enemy may train its sights on you with, can penetrate the armor that God places around you.  You are a child of God, and God will never allow any harm to come to those who keep his word, stand on faith, and not be swayed like the motions of the ocean, always going back and forth.

Now know this, God wants you to experience victory over all aspects of your life.  He allowed himself to experience a horrible death on the cross in order that you might enjoy the fruits of life.  He defeated sin and death in order that you may have eternal life.  What more can anyone ask for, to know that if you believe in the word, except the word as ruler of your life, you can experience the joy and satisfaction of knowing that you can have victory over the world.

Now in closing, let me state that believers today should always look to the cross in understanding God’s plan and purpose for their lives.  The cross is no joke; it is the reality of Christ’s death for your victory over the world.  You can continue to live in this world, partying and having fun, proclaiming that you are a Christian, but remember, your actions speak louder than your words.  Jesus was not pretending when he allowed himself to be executed for our sins.  We should obey the Lord in every detail as we seek to live a Christian life as we help those that are lost in Christ, find their way and understanding of the Heart of the cross and what salvation truly means in their lives.  If we truly want to know how to live a perfect life and experience victory over the enemy attacks on our well being, then I say to you right here in now, turn away from the world and look to Jesus as the perfect example.

I minister to you today from a position of peace, purpose, power and prosperity.  I remain your brother in Christ, Pastor Davis/Master Teacher.

TODAY‘S MESSAGE GOD’S AMAZING GRACE

Grace is a part of the character of God. Grace is most frequently spoken of as a commodity, that is distributed, and such it is. But first and foremost, grace is a description of the character of God, which is displayed by His gifts to men. God is a God of grace, and He desires to make this known not only to men, but also to the angelic hosts.  Now let us pause right here and watch this video by Leann Rimes as she sings Amazing Grace.

What beautiful and amazing words for all of us to comprehend.  For all of us as believers truly must have felt this way at some point in our lives. He truly is an amazing God, because He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ should be to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:5-12).

WHAT IS GOD’S GRACE?

The fullness of God’s grace is beyond human appreciation, comprehension or full knowledge. The riches of His goodness cannot be expressed or described by mortal tongue. We can only attempt to describe it, and our best efforts will be a puny approximation. We can admire the beauty of divine grace, but we cannot really explore its depths. At best we can only stand in awe at what we see, and exclaim with the Apostle Paul:

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments and unfathomable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became his counselor? Or who has first given to him that it might be paid back to him again? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen. (Rom. 11:33-36.)

Anyone who attempts to talk about God’s grace must begin, again with Paul, by confessing personal inadequacy for the task (2 Cor. 3:5). We are at best clay pots, entrusted with a priceless treasure (2 Cor. 4:7). Yet God can enable even clay pots to speak his word and glorify his name. “Our adequacy is from God” (2 Cor. 3:5). “We do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5). The “surpassing greatness of the power” is from God and not from us (2 Cor. 4:7).

Scripture reveals much about the grace of God, and we will profit from studying what it reveals. It is possible that sermon subjects, like ladies’ fashions or teenagers’ music, go in cycles. Perhaps we have neglected the grace of God — to our own great loss and harm — because those before us, or around us, neglected man’s responsibility to obey God. Whatever the reason, many sermons, conversations and class discussions these days seem to indicate a lack of basic appreciation for this central theme of the New Testament. Let us give some thought to what Scripture says about God’s grace.

Now bear with me as we pause and watch this next video:

What Grace Is Not

Before we notice what grace IS in the New Testament, we need to see two things that grace is NOT. Both these errors are popularly taught and believed today. Sometimes one of them leads to the other. Sometimes people who have been taught one, and learned better, go so far from that error that they fall into the other extreme which is also erroneous. Let us see, then, two erroneous ideas about God’s grace — and see by the word of God that neither is true or worthy of our confidence, but that both deserve only to be rejected and warned against. These two erroneous ideas about grace relate to the two eternal principles we have already noticed. One of them fails to take into account what we have seen about God. The other does not deal with the truth we have observed about ourselves. These are the twin errors of LICENSE and LEGALISM.

Grace Is Not License

In the first place, grace is not license! The doctrine of “license” says, in effect: “Ignore God’s law and count on his grace.” This doctrine implies that our attitude and actions toward God do not matter at all — that we can flagrantly live in knowing and willful rebellion against God if we wish –and that somehow God’s grace will take care of anyway when we face God in judgment. There are those today, and were in New Testament times, who taught LICENSE in the name of grace. But Scripture plainly teaches that grace is not license.

License is a perversion of God’s grace. It denies what we have seen already about God: that he hates sin and always punishes it. This error ignores God’s just demand for a sinless life. It perverts the true grace of God. It is wrong, and always has been. License is not grace, because license does not take into account the eternal principle which grows out of God’s very nature: God demands a sinless life and always punishes sin with death.

Let us notice the New Testament evidence of three writers which proves beyond the shadow of any reasonable doubt that LICENSE is not the true grace of God. Other Scriptures could be found along this same line. But these will be enough to clearly demonstrate to any honest person that the grace of God is not LICENSE. Grace does not mean “do as you please and somehow God will forgive everything.”

The first witness is the Apostle Paul. When Paul preached on grace, sometimes his critics accused him of preaching license. He answers this charge very clearly in his epistle to the Romans. Paul speaks there of God’s grace to man in these words:

For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. And the law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 5:19-21) .

In these verses Paul magnifies the grace of God. As much as Adam did for harm to the human race — and Paul affirms more about that than we sometimes have wished to acknowledge — Christ did so much more for mankind by His own life of obedience to God. Where sin increased, Paul says, grace increased even more! Satan could not have the last word! His most horrible evil is overshadowed entirely by God’s kindness to sinners through Jesus Christ.

Some of those who heard Paul preach these things responded by accusing him of teaching license. They said that his teaching would encourage people to go ahead and sin, counting on God’s grace to save them. Paul responded to this charge in the very next verses.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? . . . Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. . . . Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts (Rom. 6:1, 2, 6, 12).

Grace does not mean LICENSE! Grace is NOT permission to go on sinning. Anyone who says that it is, is wrong — according to the Apostle Paul in these verses. But this is not all. The advocates of LICENSE — whether they be indulgent “church members” who want to do as they please, advocates of a so-called “new morality” who say that all the gates are now open for unbridled satisfaction of every desire of body and mind, or libertines who preach as gospel a doctrine of “do as you please and God will overlook it all somehow” — are all WRONG! Grace is not license.

This will conclude Part 1 of God’s Amazing Grace.  Watch this last video, and meditate on all you have heard and read here, then share this message with your family, friends, relatives and business associates.  May God’s grace rest and abound upon you all the days of your glorious life as you live and work in his abundances of love and prosperity.

HOW DOES FOREKNOWLEDGE AND PREDESTINATION WORK IN OUR LIVES (ROMANS 8:29-30)

²⁹For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was ^[a]aware and ^[b]loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.

³⁰And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being].

Today as we begin our study of the subject foreknowledge and predestination please know that this is a doctrine that has many different points of view.  However, in teaching any bible doctrine the theology of it all will cross many different paths.  Therefore we will attempt to explain to you in very simple terms what the bible teaches us concerning this subject.

One of the greatest difficulties in discussing theological issues is recognizing and understanding the assumptions upon which any particular theology is built, as well as the questions, perspectives and points of emphasis that give shape to how it unfolds. Those are almost always influenced by the needs of a community of faith in particular historical circumstances. The logic of a theological system is rarely the source for contention, nor is the fact that particular communities formulate theology based on the kinds of questions they ask from a particular historical frame of reference.

However, the way those questions are formulated from that historical situation is almost always a function of the assumptions that support the theological system, sometimes even more so than the theology itself. That gives rise to a great many points of contention, especially if the theological system is built on ways of thinking in one group or at one time that are not shared by another group or at another time.

Therefore we come to the point of knowledge, knowing how God works, and how He created all things before the foundations of the world to work for His glory.  We as human had no input into how the outcome would be.  Let us know the reality of the situation is this, everything in this life is directed towards the goals of God and Him only.  What happens may not itself be good, but God will cause everything to work together for the ultimate good of his children, to meet his ultimate purpose for their maturity.  The point is, God works all things for good, not all things work out.  Suffering will still bring pain, loss, and sorrow, and sin will bring shame.  But under God’s control, the eventual outcome will be for our good.

God works behind the scenes, ensuring that even in the middle of mistakes and tragedies, good will result for those who love him.  At times this will happen quickly, often enough to help us trust the principle.  But there will also be events whose results for good we will not know until eternity.  Our ultimate destiny is to be like Christ.  God’s design is more than just an invitation; God summons us with a purpose in mind: we are to be like Christ and share his glory.

We as believers are those people whom God knew in advance.  God’s foreknowledge refers to his intimate knowledge of us and our relationship with him based on his choosing us.  God chose believers to reach a particular goal: to become like his Son.  When all believers are conformed to Christ’s likeness, the resurrected Christ will be the firstborn of a new race of humans, who are purified from sin.  Because we are God’s children, we are Christ’s brothers and sisters.

Let us look at it from another point of view:  Foreknowledge means to have knowledge of things to be. Foreknowledge is an attribute of God, while Predestination is the act of God. Only God knows the future. And He does know the future. He wouldn’t be God if He didn’t, but the fact that He knows who is going to be saved, and who isn’t going to be saved, does NOT determine who is going to be saved and who is going to be lost. Someone may ask, ”If God does know who is and who isn’t going to be saved, how, then, can the sinner get out of it?” Foreknowledge, in Scripture, never determines what is to be – foreknowledge is only the knowledge of things to be beforehand. It is the same with our scientists, they can tell when there is to be an eclipse of the sun or of the moon: on a certain day at a certain hour, minute and second; but the scientists do not bring about the eclipse. God has foreknowledge, and by this foreknowledge knows the future, but that is where it ends.

Of course God knows everything! He knows the very number of the hairs of our heads. He knows the number of the stars and calls them by name. God knows everything, including the future. And, not only that, but God knows what would have happened if things had happened that didn’t happen. He knows the results of all possibilities. The same is illustrated when David inquired of the Lord concerning his enemy. If he should go to one place, would the enemy be there? God said they would. So David went in another direction. Foreknowledge simply means to possess knowledge of things to be.

Therefore let us understand what it means to chosen?  What keeps foreknowledge and predestination from being determinism?  How can belief in predestination avoid leading someone to despair over the futility of any human choice?  God’s foreknowledge does not imply determinism—the idea that all our choices are predetermined.  Since God is not limited by time as we are, he “sees” past, present, and future at the same time.  Parents sometimes “know” how their children will behave before the fact.  We don’t conclude from these parents foreknowledge that they made their children act that way.  God’s foreknowledge, insofar as we can understand it, means that God knows who will accept the offer of salvation.  The plan of predestination begins when we trust Christ and comes to its conclusion when we become fully like him.  Receiving an airline ticket to Chicago means we have been predestined to arrive in Chicago.

To explain foreknowledge and predestination in any way that implies that every action and choice we make has been not only pre-known, but even predetermined, seems to contradict those Scriptures that declare that our choices are real, that they matter, and that there are consequences to the choices we make.  What is clear is that God’s purpose for human beings was not an afterthought; it was settled before the foundation of the world.  Humankind is to serve and honor God.  If we have trusted Christ as Savior, we can rejoice that God has always known us.  His love is eternal.  His wisdom and power are supreme.  He will guide and protect us until we one day stand in his presence.

God’s plan for the salvation of those who believe in Christ has three steps: chosen, called, and glorified.  When we are finally conformed to the image of Christ, we will share his glory.

Now let me close with this final thought for each one of you who have taken the time to read this entire lesson and the many lessons we teach here daily, “Think globally, and work locally.  Looking beyond ourselves in the real and on line world, to reach out to others who might be in need, for we all are truly our Brothers Keeper, salvation is FREE for the asking.  If you are lost and have not received the saving grace of Christ, take a moment wherever you may be, and ask the Lord to come into your heart.  Ask Him to forgive you of your sins, and if you have spoken these few simple words in truth, you are saved, and now have eternal life. May the grace of God abide in you now and forever, in Jesus name,  Amen.  I remain your Brother in Christ, Pastor Davis/Master Teacher.

PLACE WHERE THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS WERE FOUND

HOW THE INSPIRED WRITINGS WERE PASSED DOWN

THE OLD TESTAMENT

The Old Testament was written between 1440 B.C. and approximately 400 B.C. The Law of Moses was maintained in the Hebrew community by the priests of the temple.  Later books continued to be deposited with these leaders until the destruction of the temple and then found their way into the teaching community begun by Ezra and continued in the synagogues.  Trained scribes copied biblical texts by hand until the modern printing press came into use.  The copies of the Masoretes of the ninth century A.D. are very close to the recently discovered Dead Sea Scrolls, which originated a thousand years earlier.

THE NEW TESTAMENT

The New Testament books were copied by local Christian communities and passed from one to the other for decades before an entire collection was made.  Since the early letters were written on papyrus, they wore out rapidly and required regular copying.  In the early fourth century A.D., fifty copies of the entire Old and New Testament Greek Scriptures were made at the order of the first Christian emperor, Constantine.  It is likely that the Vaticanus and Sinaiticus codexes, two of the longest early manuscripts to survive, originated from the order.

Image by arellis49 via Flickr

HOW THE WORD OF GOD CAME TO BE WRITTEN

THE OLD TESTAMENT

The authors of Hebrew Scriptures are not as identifiable as those of the New Testament.  The books arose in the midst of the law given by Moses and the prophets sent by God to the children of Israel.  The first five books (the Law) were written by Moses almost entirely.  The remainder of the Old Testament is composed of the prophets and writings in the Hebrew canon, whereas the English Bible includes the following categories: historical books, poetic books, and prophetic books.  These books include such authors as Samuel, David, Joshua, Solomon, and major prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and a number of lesser-known figures who wrote smaller books called the Minor Prophets.  Each of these authours presents his words as being the Word of God.

THE NEW TESTAMENT

The New Testament was written by apostles of Jesus Christ and companions of the apostles.  Letters were written to individuals, churches, or larger groups of persons either to confirm the truth of Christianity, engender belief in Christ, correct problems in the local churches, or argue against error.  The Book of Revelation also seeks to present God’s plans for the end of the age.

Image by sea turtle via Flickr

HOW CHRISTIANITY HAS AFFECTED SECULAR HISTORY

What would life be like if Christ had not come and Christianity had not spread throughout the world?  It would most likely be much different.  Although Greece gave western civilization much art, philosophy and literature, and Rome provided law and government, it was the Christian world view that provided the basis for modern science, efforts to alleviate poverty, universal education, and the ideals of equality and liberty enshrined in the documents of the many governments.  The God of order and beauty provided for the view that nature was predictable and orderly.  The Christian belief that all humanity is a creation of God gave a foundation to the self-evident truth of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.  Since people are made in the image of God, they are valuable apart from their station in life, amount of wealth, or utility to society.  People are helped, educated, and protected simply because they are made in God’s image.  Loss of these Christian ideals world undoubtedly be a tragic loss to the well-being of humanity.