The Plot Against Jesus
Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
See Mark 14:10-11 and Matthew 26:14-16
Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. John 11:32-35
Reading the article below I thought of the words, ‘Jesus Wept’ and the powerful truth those two words reveal about our Lord. The two bible commentaries quoted say it best; Jesus understands and shares our sorrows and grief.
I came upon this article through a link posted in the comments at Cerulean Sanctum under the post, Sadness, Depression, and the Christian (another excellent message).
Why Our Happiness is So Sad
By Paul Coughlin (CrossWalk)
Becoming a dispassionate spectator of life often happens to us from one of the most unexpected sources.Within the framework of Christianity, legalism is the belief that a Christian must always stay on the sunny side of the street, a requirement that hit me between the eyes two days after my mother died.
I was broken inside, as if I had fractured a soul bone or collapsed a lung. A lot of swelling had formed around the traumatic break in the inner me. I was numb to the core, and I thought church would be the right place to help bind up my burden. But given the kind of church I attended at that time, this decision was one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made.
This is my favorite song written by the late Dottie Rambo. The words are beautiful…
In a corner on a table on a spread of Ivory lace.
Framed and kissed by pastel colors dancing through the crystal vase
Scarlet red it’s petals, opened in full bloom.
Taking nothing but the sunshine leaving fragrance in the room
Hands reached out without a reason crushed and bruised the petals so
Causing yet a sweeter fragrance from the weeping dying rose
Lying now in ruins to wither scattered now by careless hands
Once an art of perfect beauty dies to never bloom again
In a corner of a stable on a spread of swaddling clothes
Just a tiny bud but destined to become The Perfect Rose.
Angels hailed His entrance Wise Men brought Him gold
Knowing little of the suffering that would soon befall The Rose
Hands reached out without a reason crushed and bruised The Perfect Rose
Causing yet a sweeter fragrance as the crimson color flowed
Ugly thorns had never marred it ‘till a crown of thorns He wore
Tasting death the Rose of Sharon rose to bloom forever more, forever more.
Jesus’ Authority Questioned
And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders, And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me. And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed. And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things. (see Mark 11:27-33)
Jesus Teaches in the Temple
And he began to speak unto them by parables….
A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the wine fat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty… (see all of Mark, chapter 12)
Jesus Anointed
And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. (see Mark 14:3-9) *Also see John 12:2-11 & Matthew 26:6-13
(This, as well as the ones to follow this week were first posted last April. After re-reading them tonight I decided to repost them)
While tensions continue to simmer around the Temple Mount after riots in and around the capital’s Old City earlier this month, a new campaign calling for the construction of the Third Temple atop the holy site has made its way to the sides of 200 Egged buses in the city, which now sport posters featuring a picture of a rebuilt temple on the Mount, and nothing else.
The posters, which contain the phrase, “May the Bais Hamikdosh be rebuilt speedily and within our days,” were sponsored by the Our Land of Israel group, which is led by Rabbi Shalom Dov Volpo and activist Baruch Marzel, leave out the site’s current structures – namely the the Aksa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
The campaign’s organizers chose to plaster the posters on buses whose routes take them through predominately Arab neighborhoods of east Jerusalem.
Well-known evangelical preacher John Piper announced Sunday that he will be taking his first-ever break from ministry to reexamine his soul.
The long-time preacher apologized to his congregation for not a specific deed but for the “sins of my own soul,” “ongoing character flaws” and stresses that they have caused to others.
“I see several species of pride,” Piper told Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. “They may not rise to the level of disqualifying me for ministry. Nevertheless, while I don’t think they do, I grieve over them.”
Piper, who is considered one of the most influential preachers among Protestant pastors, made the announcement after preaching about Jesus Christ and the cross he beared. It was the first of four final sermons before his eight-month leave from the church and ministry.
In the 30 years he has been preaching, Piper said he has never let go of his passion for public productivity – ever. That is, until now.
“In this moment (the leave of absence), I’m letting go of all of it,” he said.
That means no preaching, no book writing, no blogging, no tweeting, no articles, no papers and no speaking engagements…
This is a very good message by Stephen Sizer.
Two Sundays ago I didn’t make it to Church in Bethlehem. In fact I skipped the service intentionally. I wanted to spend the day with a Christian family in a village called Beit Jala, near Bethlehem. Their land has been confiscated. Their beautiful old olive trees are being bulldozed to make way for an 8 metre high Separation Wall. It will come within 3 metres from their front door and not only cut off all day light, it will cut their whole village in half. The Hafrada or apartheid wall (that is what it means in Hebrew) has been ruled illegal by the highest court in the world, the International Court of Justice. But few are doing anything about it. So we did. But we never got to see the family that day.
As we walked down the hill towards their property we came face to face with a line of soldiers with guns and tear gas and sound bombs. And they were not about to let anyone through. They tried to scare us off by lobbying few sound bombs at us. And they succeeded in scaring us, temporarily. But we carried on walking toward them until we came face to face with these young soldiers. We assured them that we were unarmed and had peaceful intentions. We were not there to hurt them.
We disagreed with what their government is doing. We wanted to see our friends on the other side of the road – please. They said no and after an hour or so we went home. I came back the next day with a friend and we managed to see the family and take these pictures.
I am still working through the rights and wrongs of civil disobedience. What do you do when you see people made homeless, widowed, orphaned? When you witness deep injustice, theft, exploitation? When you see a State abuse its power? And Christians justify this theft of land in the name of God? What would you have done? More importantly what would Jesus have done?
I can tell you what he would not have done. Would he have picked up stones and thrown them at the soldiers? Would he have taken up a gun and forced his way through? No, of course not. But would he have ignored the suffering? Would he have walked by on the other side? I don’t think so. What was the point of the parable of the Good Samaritan?
Continue here: Surrender to Christ: Palm Sunday (Luke 19:37-44)
Rick Frueh posted something well worth pondering upon at his blog, Following Judah’s Lion. Read it closely.
We in the west have been and continue to be deceived. Our brand of Christianity and its practice is a fraud. From the orthodox to the liberal, and from the watchmen to the emergent, we all live and promote a falsehood that claims to follow Jesus but hoards money, incurs debt, bows to nationalism, enjoys a plethora of entertainment within a stone’s throw of the poor, all but ignores prayer, and in general sacrifices nothing. In general we spend more on our pools and pets than we do on ministering to the poor and worldwide missions, to say nothing of mortgage interest payments for a place to sit on Sundays.
Aside from important doctrinal issues, the form of Christianity we all practice is a self serving construct that cannot claim any resemblance to Jesus or His teachings. We cannot be blamed for being born into such a Christian imposter, however we are to blame as we hand it unchanged to the next generation. (Living Our Christian Imposter)
This was news in my part of the country today.
ADRIAN, Mich. — The FBI said Sunday that agents conducted weekend raids in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio and arrested at least three people, and a militia leader in Michigan said the target of at least one raid was a Christian militia group.
FBI spokeswoman Sandra Berchtold confirmed the FBI had been working in two southeast Michigan counties near the Ohio state line. FBI spokesman Scott Wilson in Cleveland said agents arrested two people Saturday after raids in two Ohio towns.
A third arrest made in northeast Illinois on Sunday stemmed from a raid Saturday just over the border in northwest Indiana, both part of an ongoing investigation led by the FBI in Michigan, according to a statement from agents in Illinois.
It wasn’t clear what prompted the raids, but Michael Lackomar, a spokesman for the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia, said one of his team leaders got a frantic phone call Saturday evening from members of Hutaree, a Christian militia group. They said their property in southwest Michigan was being raided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to Lackomar.
“They said they were under attack by the ATF and wanted a place to hide,” Lackomar said. “My team leader said, ‘no thanks.’”
The team leader was cooperating with the FBI, Lackomar said. He said SMVM wasn’t affiliated with Hutaree, but a handful of Hutaree members twice attended monthly training sessions with his group that focus on survival training and shooting practice. (full story)
I’m not familiar with the Hutaree Christian Militia so did a small search. It appears they are a part of something known as the Colonial Christian Republic, with chapters elsewhere. The Hutaree group have a channel at youtube, (Hutaree).
About: HUTAREE – Christian Warrior
a few quotes…
As christians we all are a part of the Souls of the Body of Christ, the one true church of Christ. Not any specific man made building or any man controlled organization. This is the belief of the Hutaree soldier, as should the belief of all followers in Christ be.We believe that one day, as prophecy says, there will be an Anti-Christ. All christians must know this and prepare, just as Christ commanded. Luke 22:35-37, And He said to them, “When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?” So they said, “Nothing.” 36, Then he said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. 37, “For I say to you that this which is written must be accomplished in me: ‘And He was numbered with transgressors,’ For the things concerning Me have an end.”
This clearly states the reason for the training and preparation of the Hutaree. (link)
A few of the links listed on their page, “Just some of the various information sources we use” are interesting.
Still looking into this
“Before destruction the heart of man is haughty.” Proverbs 18:12
It is an old and common saying, that “coming events cast their shadows before them;” the wise man teaches us that a haughty heart is the prophetic prelude of evil. Pride is as safely the sign of destruction as the change of mercury in the weather-glass is the sign of rain; and far more infallibly so than that. When men have ridden the high horse, destruction has always overtaken them. Let David’s aching heart show that there is an eclipse of a man’s glory when he dotes upon his own greatness. 2 Sam. 24:10.
See Nebuchadnezzar, the mighty builder of Babylon, creeping on the earth, devouring grass like oxen, until his nails had grown like bird’s claws, and his hair like eagle’s feathers. Dan. 4:33. Pride made the boaster a beast, as once before it made an angel a devil. God hates high looks, and never fails to bring them down., All the arrows of God are aimed at proud hearts.
O Christian, is thine heart haughty this evening? For pride can get into the Christian’s heart as well as into the sinner’s; it can delude him into dreaming that he is “rich and increased in goods, and hath need of nothing.” Art thou glorying in thy graces or thy talents? Art thou proud of thyself, that thou hast had holy frames and sweet experiences? Mark thee, reader, there is a destruction coming to thee also.
Thy flaunting poppies of self-conceit will be pulled up by the roots, thy mushroom graces will wither in the burning heat, and thy self-sufficiency shall become as straw for the dunghill.
If we forget to live at the foot of the cross in deepest lowliness of spirit, God will not forget to make us smart under His rod. A destruction will come to thee, O unduly exalted believer, the destruction of thy joys and of thy comforts, though there can be no destruction of thy soul. Wherefore, “He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”
By Charles H. Spurgeon – Courtesy of The Old Time Gospel
“The blinding effect of pride is probably most evident in your life by the fact that as you read this, you are thinking of how it applies to other people you know” (Anton Bosch: Arrogant: Who, Me?)
Well here’s one for the books; Jesus warned of false Christs but I’ve never heard of a cult leader claiming to be “the” Holy Ghost.
Dalton said he grew up an active member of the LDS church. Some years ago, he said, he started receiving spiritual promptings from the Lord that Mormon church members had strayed from the church’s founding principles. In 2004, he said, he received a revelation that he should start a new church. At one time, his new church had as many as 50 members, he said.
He described a two-day fast that ended with a vision of Jesus Christ, who visited him several times in the following days. It was during one of these visits that he said he was told he was the Holy Ghost and the father of Jesus Christ.
More at Religion News Blog: ‘Holy Ghost’ relocates his flock to Montana
On Palm Sunday, churches around the world will celebrate that fateful moment when Jesus rode a borrowed donkey into Jerusalem.
This event is ironically dubbed the “triumphant entry.” An enthusiastic crowd certainly cheered him on that day, but another crowd would angrily jeer at him only a few days later.
It’s that second crowd that concerns me.
The occasion was a sort of clemency hearing. According to our sources, the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, made a show each year at the Passover of releasing one prisoner as a goodwill gesture. This particular year he found himself with two candidates – Jesus and a man named Barabbas.
The Gospel of Mark describes Barabbas as a “rebel” who was in prison for committing murder during some sort of political uprising. Given the climate in Jerusalem during the time of Jesus, we can be pretty sure the uprising was against Rome, and the murdered victim a Roman soldier. In other words, Barabbas was a freedom fighter.
Jesus, of course, was a holy man. He was variously called teacher, prophet and, of course, Messiah by those who knew him best. None of these designations is particularly dangerous or subversive, at least in the violent sense. In fact, according to the Gospels, after Pilate interrogated Jesus, he reached the conclusion that Jesus was not a threat to Rome at all.
Pilate was ready to grant him clemency, but that was up to the crowd.
The differences between the two men could not have been more glaring. Barabbas the freedom fighter was committed to waging war against Roman oppression with direct violent action. His creed was likely “hate your enemies and use any means available to defeat them.”
Jesus, on the other hand, was a man of peace. His approach to Roman oppression included turning the other cheek and going the second mile. Later, when Roman soldiers were crucifying him, Jesus asked God to forgive them – his creed being “love your enemy.”
When Pilate called for a decision, religious leaders stirred the crowd in favor of Barabbas, though I doubt it was a hard sell. Rome was a cruel taskmaster. The crowd would have been naturally drawn to someone who was willing to strike a blow against their oppressors. And let’s be honest, turning the other cheek has never been very popular.
So they chose Barabbas. Jesus, of course, the innocent one, was led away to be crucified.
Unfortunately, it was the wrong choice. Barabbas and others like him eventually led Israel into one provocation too many. Roman legions eventually took Jerusalem down stone by stone. Too bad the crowd had not believed Jesus when he said, “Those who live by the sword die by the sword.”
Not that any of us would have done anything differently.
In fact there have been a few times in history when the same sort of choice has presented itself to us. We have found ourselves facing some crisis that forced us to choose either a Barabbas-like solution or the Jesus option. So far, we have not fared any better than that fateful Good Friday crowd. We keep choosing violence over peace, death over life, and hate over love.
Why We Still Choose Barabbas Today by James L. Evans, pastor of Auburn First Baptist Church in Auburn, Ala.
How nice. I read at Todd’s twitter page he and the new bride are building their dream house.
building our new dream home. It’s moving along nice.
Wonder how many impartation services it takes to shake that kind of $$ out of the flock?
We have all been wounded at some time by one who should have only loved us. Every life has a Judas.
His name is synonymous with betrayal. The other apostles recorded his damnation with the indelible ink of history.
The truth is, Judas was not the only traitor. The friends and family who accompanied Christ to Jerusalem basked in the cries of “Hosanna!” When Jesus spoke of his coming kingdom, they argued who would sit where. Then it became clear that the kingdom would come to earth not through glorious victory but through suffering and death. Nobody wanted to be part of that.
Jesus knew. Tonight, he said, you will all desert me. He washed their feet anyway. He prayed for Peter, knowing he would deny ever knowing Christ.
Jesus knew about Judas, too. He knew about the 30 pieces of silver before he wrapped the towel around his waist and knelt on the floor before him like a servant. He knew it as he ran his hands over the man’s grimy feet, cleansing away the stain and stink of the journey.
Later that night, Judas burst into the olive grove with an entourage of soldiers, and betrayed Christ the Lord with a kiss. As his heart was breaking, Jesus called Judas “friend.”
It is easy to kneel before Jesus, who gave up everything for us. But can you kneel at the feet of Judas? Can you wash his feet when you know his heart?
Jesus had already taught the disciples to pray for their enemies. Perhaps they imagined he meant the Romans or the Sanhedrin. They didn’t think of Judas. They didn’t think of Peter. They didn’t think of their own untrustworthy hearts.
When we pray for our enemies, we call down grace on their lives instead of comeuppance. At first our prayer is born of sheer obedience, but if we pray for our enemy diligently – daily – a change begins to take place. Prayer may not change the betrayer, but it changes the one who prays.
You cannot whisper over and over, “Lord, heal her,” without developing a true and earnest desire for your enemy to be healed. You cannot keep asking God to put bread on someone’s table without beginning to think of the surplus in your own cupboard. You cannot pray morning after morning for your enemy, your betrayer, without beginning to love them.
How long must you pray for an enemy? Only until the enemy goes away, and you find yourself kneeling in prayer for a friend.
So pray for Judas. Wrap the towel around your waist. Wash his feet. Love him.
Not only has he recently deemed himself an authority on the Bible, (the man is lost for goodness sakes!) and started attacking specific pastors on his program, he now thinks the Obama Administration may snuff him out.
Beck suggests Obama administration “coming after him” and may kill him
Word to Glenn: If you truly believe the crazy ideas you perpetrate on your radio and TV programs, you’re suffering from Paranoia, Megalomania and Grandiose Delusions. Your deliverance can be found in the real Jesus of the Bible: I hope you humble yourself and turn to Him before its too late.
You are guilty of working as one of Satan’s Bellwethers, spreading your spiritual ‘illness’ among the body of Christ and pointing the lost to the pretend Jesus you follow.
Lord, we ask your supernatural peace continue to rest upon Michael and the entire Spencer family.
Update from Denise Spencer, posted by Chaplain Mike.
There has been another change in Michael’s situation, and I would like readers to know so you can better pray for us.
At the encouragement of our oncologist, we have opted to discontinue treatment. He said the chemotherapy was not working, and it would actually be doing a disservice to Michael to continue. We are now receiving help from our local hospice. We know we are in good hands with them, and we are at peace that we have made the best decision under the circumstances.
Several people have already suggested various alternative treatments. While we appreciate their concern and helpfulness, we have discussed this possibility and Michael does not want to try anything else. Please pray for strength and acceptance, for trust in God, for minimal pain and for a peaceful passing.
“Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (Philippians 3:20-21)
Thank you, one and all, for your continued prayers.
Denise
See: iMonk blog
I thought Bene Diction chose an appropriate title when posting this at their blog: “Finishing the race – IMonk”.
Before shutting down tonight I came upon this week’s featured sermon at SermonIndex and as its too late to start listening to it, I’m posting this as much for myself, as a reminder to listen tomorrow, as for anyone else who may be interested. (ahaha)
Back in December I posted the link to a library of his sermons along with a video clip titled, A Tour of Hell by Rolfe Barnard. Looking forward to listening to this one!
MUST HEAR: The Missing Presence of Christ by Rolfe Barnard
Saints,
Rolfe Barnard (biography) shares from a deep prophetic burden of the lack of the true conception of what Church is. He also laments the lacking presence of Christ in the midst of assemblies in America. Truly there is a deep need for revival in our day.
“The more you know the more severely you will be judged. For that reason you should not be puffed up because you have learned something. Even though you may know much, it is very little when compared to what you do not know.” – Geert Groote (1340-1384)
For a change of pace I decided to check in on Kim Clement’s latest prophecies. Below are quotes from the latest three posted at his vault.
The last one is a prophecy issued by Kim Clement to Benny Hinn. You might find it interesting…
quote
God said, I’ve sanctified My altar, there is no dust; there is no stain of flesh, for you see the spirit of Eli that has rested upon this place, the spirit of Eli that has come and endeavored to take the sons of the kingdom and corrupt them in their service for the Lord is about to be annihilated by the emergence of the spirit of Samuel.
Your soldiers have died on the battlefield, so few realizing, so few realizing that wherever you set your feet, God has given it to you. The wars that you have waged were not in vain. Now you will hear the sounds of triumph. Media, media will report and say “There is great evil.” But the Spirit of God said there is great evil everywhere. You shall hear of triumph. You shall hear of great victories.
This nation has come to a place to give birth to that one thing that was dreamed about, prophesied, preached about – which is the greatest, greatest shaking the planet has ever felt in the history of humanity. This shaking is of the Spirit of the Lord and the Lord says beginning the month of March for the decade that is ahead of you, God says the heavens have been torn open to pour out a new fresh rain upon this nation.
We are prophesying to our nation. America, America, you are the light of the earth. America, America, you are the salt of the earth.
All over the world the Spirit of the Lord says there are clouds of my glory coming, clouds that contain my voice, clouds that will affirm the Son of the Living God. This is no small thing. You have broken through from the previous decade. You have broken away from war. You have broken away from poverty. You have broken away from sickness. You have broken away from curses. You have broken away from religion. You have entered into a new decade; therefore, take what I have for you tonight says the Lord!
Contrary to what was ‘prophesied” I woke up this morning to no sign of Armageddon and not a single Communist tank rolling down the streets of my city. And the last time I looked out, the sky hadn’t fallen either.
But I didn’t really expect to see any of those things. God is still in control!
What I did expect to see was an immediate resurgence of the typical ”Nuts on Parade” I’ve become use to in the last 2 years.
I wasn’t disappointed.
As Randy Neugebauer cops to shouting “baby killer” on the House floor, a pastor who ran for VP with Alan Keyes has asked for the death of all 219 Democrats who voted for yesterday’s bill.
Orange Country Pastor Wiley Drake fired off an email to his supporters this morning, telling them that all 219 Democrats have been placed on the “imprecatory prayer list.” “We’ll remember in November and pray Psalms 109 while waiting,” he urged, before listing each offending congressman by name in “Satan’s domain in Washington D.C.”
Psalms 109:8 reads: “May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership” followed by “May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.”
In recent weeks, Drake has stepped up his calls to stop the health-care bill through the death prayer, offered as part of a morning “Telephonic Imprecatory Prayer Team” conference call. After Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s wife and daughter were seriously injured in a car crash this month, Drake wrote “Since God almost let family members die, maybe Mr. Reid sees Imprecatory Prayer in a different light, ya think??”
A quote and a question,
(IsraelNN.com) The Temple Mount Institute has filed suit in its fight for the right to sacrifice a sheep on the Temple Mount prior to Passover, as commanded in the Torah.
“The command to perform a Paschal [Passover] sacrifice is a positive commandment; the punishment for failing to perform it is ‘karet’ [lit. — ‘cut off… (link)
I know a number of Christians personally, who have sent money to the Temple Mount Institute for years in support of their work. While I don’t have the link I do recall reading that Christians in the US contribute more money to the Institute then Israeli’s do.
My question is hypothetical at the moment for the Institute may not win this suit, but lets say they do win the right legally to sacrifice a sheep on the Temple Mount; if not now, next year, or sometime in the future.
Will God see this as sin on the part of the Christians who have been financially supporting the organization…especially in light of it being common knowledge that resuming animal sacrifices was one of their goals?
This is a favorite of mine.
Gordon Mote has sure been blessed by God with talent and a beautiful voice. I’m so glad he uses both to Glorify the Lord.
This time every year I find myself contemplating anew, the Cross, the blood, and Jesus’ self-sacrifice. My heart overflows with renewed gratitude for the morning ‘Mercy’ walked into my livingroom almost 30 years ago, and called me to Himself.
Imagine yourself threading your way along a most difficult and perilous path, every step of which is attended with pain and jeopardy, and is taken with hesitancy and doubt. Unknown to you and unseen, there is one hovering each moment around you, checking each false step, and guiding each doubtful one; soothing each sorrow, and supplying each need.
All is calm and silent. Not a sound is heard, not a movement is seen; and yet, to your amazement, just at the critical moment the needed support comes- you know not from where, you know not from whom.
This is no picture of fancy. Are you a child of God, retracing your steps back to Paradise by an intricate and a perilous way? Jesus is near to you at each moment, unseen and often unknown. You have at times stood speechless with awe at the strange interposition, on your behalf, of providence and of grace.
No visible sign betokened the source of your help. There was no echo of footfall at your side, nor flitting of shadow across your path. No law of nature was altered or suspended, the sun did not stand still, nor did the heavens open; and yet deliverance, strange and effectual deliverance, came at a moment most unexpected, yet most needed.
It was Jesus, your Redeemer, your Brother, your Shepherd, and your Guide.
He it was who, hovering round you, unknown and unobserved, kept you as the apple of His eye, and sheltered you in the hollow of His hand. It was He who armed you with courage for the fight, who poured strength into your spirit, and grace into your heart, when the full weight of calamity pressed upon them. Thus has He always been to His saints.
The incident of the disciples in the storm presents a striking instance of this.
Behold Him standing upon the shore, eyeing, with riveted gaze, the little boat as it struggled amid the sea. They were often invisible to human eye, but not a moment were they lost to His. Not even when in the mount alone in prayer, were they forgotten or unobserved. He beheld from thence their peril, He knew their fears, and He hastened to their support. Stepping from the shore, He approached them. Oh how majestic did His form now appear- walking like a man; and upon the water, like a God! They did not realize that it was Jesus, and were afraid. But their knowledge of Him was not necessary to their safety. It was enough that He knew them.
And just as the storm was at its height, and their fears rose with their peril, He drew near and said, in His own gentle, soothing tone, unto them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” (John 6:20)
~ Morning Thoughts by Octavius Winslow ~
That was in the subject of 2 separate emails received in the last 48 hours.
The Peter in question is none other then Peter Wagner who has decided to start blogging: “Thoughts from Peter” .
Sent out by Global Harvest,
Good Afternoon, Everyone!
We are thrilled to let you know that Peter Wagner has started a blog!
Mailed out by Fresh Fire USA,
Todd’s NEW Heavenly Realities TV SHOW LAUNCH!!!
EPISODE 1 : Pilot
In this first episode of Heaven Realities Todd discusses a glory encounter he had in 2007 which was the root of the Greater Glory Gathering that Fresh Fire Ministries will be holding April 18-21st. Todd teaches on positioning yourself not only for visitation but for habitation and elaborates on details on how to do this. He ends the show with prayer in releasing glory, strength and might in the inner man. Link
What bible do these people read? Its not the one I read which says ‘ye must be born again’…and not a word about one ethnic group being “completed”.
Contrary to what some mission leaders think, J.D. Greear does not accept the equal comparison between Jews who come to accept Jesus as their savior and Muslims who become Christian. Messianic Jews are sometimes called completed Jews, but it would be incorrect to apply the term to Muslims. (Pastor: No Such Thing as a Completed Muslim)
Its biblically incorrect to apply the term to members of either group, after they come to Jesus and are born again.
I see Brother Andrew of Open Doors has helped draft a petition,
The Bethlehem Evangelical Affirmation
March 17, 2010
Bethlehem
We affirm the foundational truth that God loves everyone (John 3:16).
We affirm that as followers of Jesus Christ we are called to do justice and love mercy (Micah 6:8), to be ministers of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:11-21), and to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9).
We affirm that the Holy Spirit empowers followers of Jesus to speak and live humbly and prophetically (Acts 1:8).
We recognize that this is the time to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Therefore, we are convinced that the Holy Spirit is leading us at such a time as this to unite as Christians throughout the world in order to pray and work for a just peace in Israel and Palestine.
To this end, we commit to reconnect with the local Palestinian church and to listen and learn from all those who follow Jesus in the Holy Land and to share their stories with our own faith communities.
We further commit to work together to advocate changes in public policy and so achieve a just and lasting resolution of the conflict. Our vision and our hope is that Israelis and Palestinians will live in justice and peace in the land of the Holy One.
The Bethlehem Evangelical Affirmation arose from the international conference Christ at the Checkpoint sponsored by Bethlehem Bible College
If you’ve never read Brother Andrew’s story, its very interesting.
Years ago a sister in the Lord and I traveled to a near by city to attend a dinner sponsored by Open Doors; it was one of the most inspiring events I ever attended. The guest speakers told of amazing miracles which occurred during their years smuggling bibles into areas where they were not allowed (legally) to be brought in.
(In case you’re wondering, yes I signed the petition. Not for political reasons, but for the sake of the Palestinian Church and Christians. They both have been separated from other parts of the body of Christ for too long)
False teacher John Hagee has been on a personal crusade this week, since the reported dispute between Israel and the US broke in the news. I’ve received a number of letters from him through his CUFI organization, proclaiming outrage (and asking for $$).
Chaplain Mike, at InternetMonk, has posted an interesting video clip from a recent CUFI sponsored, ‘Night to honor Israel’ along with the question:
Is this man and the movement he represents the ones you want influencing the Prime Minister of Israel and U.S. policy in the Middle East?
Listening to Hagee take things straight out of his blasphemous book, In Defense of Israel, (I read it as did other much wiser Christians then myself, who wrote excellent articles concerning its content), didn’t surprise me. The man has never repented of his false and dangerous teachings, or his warmongering.
John Hagee along with his org. has attempted to influence American foreign policy and policy makers for years. If interested in reading up on the topic, type in John Hagee or CUFI in the search here at my blog–you’ll be led to a substantial number of articles on the topic which have been posted over the last 3 years.
In the meantime see the video and post at InternetMonk,
If time allows, also please read:
Christian Zionism, and ‘John Hagee by Brother Steve of Apostasy Watch’
The Threat of Christian Zionism by Nathan Pitchford
And then ask yourself, “Is this man and the movement he represents who you want influencing Israeli and U.S. policy in the Middle East?”
