JESUS SPEAKING

Pilate […] went again in to the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?”  But Jesus gave him no answer.  Then Pilate said to him, “Are you not speaking to me?  Do you not know that I have power to crucify you, and power to release you?”  Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against me unless it had been given you from above.  Therefore the one who delivered me to you has the greater sin.”  (John 19: 8 – 11.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Bound, bloodied, and beaten, Jesus Christ stood before Pontius Pilate (the Roman Governor of Judea.)  The Jews demanded he be sentenced to death.  Not wanting to kill an innocent man, Pilate proceeded to question him; but Jesus remained silent.  Unaware he was standing before the Son of God, Pilate warned him that his silence could lead to his crucifixion.  Jesus kindly corrected the Governor; reminding him that it was God who would dictate his sentence.  Pilate falsely believed he was in control of the outcome of the trial; in reality, he was merely an instrument in the hands of God; used to bring about His eternal plan of salvation.

Still today, many look back upon the events surrounding Christ’s death and blame the Romans or the Jewish people.  They forget that Jesus Christ was not murdered; his crucifixion was the work of God (not the work of man.)  Our Lord was not forced to endure the cross, he chose to endure it.  Nor was it the nails that held him in place that faithful day; it was love.  He died freely to accomplish the will of God.  The cross is not a symbol of anguish, but an emblem of grace and mercy; for upon the cross, the Lord endured the punishment for our sins; that through his selfless act, we might all enter in to fellowship with the Almighty God.  Sacrifice is a necessary expression of ultimate affection; Jesus Christ’s death is a love letter addressed to mankind.  The blood spilled at the foot of the cross is proof that God desperately loves His children.

Have you come to know the love of God?  Do you know why Jesus Christ died for you?  He died so all those who believe can draw near to their eternal Father.  Accept God’s sacrifice and invite Him in to your heart.  Give Him your life, and let him guide you.  He will adore you; He will love you; and He will protect you.  Surrender to your creator, and you will know true peace.  Open your heart to the Son of God and receive His blessings.  Accept the love of God, and your heart will overflow with unending joy.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we accept Your sacrifice, and we thank You for sending Your Son to die for us.  His blood is our blessing; may we surrender our lives to You.  Draw near to us Father, that we might know you intimately.  Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and give us new life; and may You dwell in our hearts forever.  We love You Lord, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.

JESUS SPEAKING

                “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?” (Luke 16: 10-12)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

There are two kinds of riches; earthly riches, and heavenly riches. The heavenly riches are far more valuable, for they are eternal.  God has granted to mankind temporary possession of many earthly treasures.  Every human being is a steward; a steward is ‘someone who manages property or other affairs for someone else.’  How one handles what they have been given in this life, indicates whether they are capable of properly handling eternal life.  Those who have abused what is God’s will never receive their own everlasting possessions.

When I was young (before I knew Jesus Christ) I had little respect for the possessions of others.  Whenever my mother allowed me to take her vehicle, I abused it.  I would hit jumps, take friends out riding on dirt roads, and drive through snow banks.  In college, my dad bought me a new vehicle; a car ‘all my own.’  I abused that car to within an inch of its life. I smoked in it; I left garbage wrappers in it; I hit jumps with it; once when I was drunk I rode over a bunch of mail-boxes with it (popping the tire.)  I had a friend kick in the side door; I got it stuck in a ditch; I had a window smashed in; the door handles were ripped off etc.  Eventually the automobile was taken away from me.  Had my Dad read this scripture, he would have known I was not worthy to possess my own vehicle.

This life is a test.  The things we have are not ours; they are God’s.  Our wives, our children, our houses, our cars, our friends, our families, our bodies, our jobs, and even our money; it all belongs to God, and we must care for them accordingly.  If we succeed in being good stewards of the possessions in this life, we will receive for ourselves, eternal possessions.  Be a good steward of what you have been given; take care of what is His; and your reward will be great.  If you can be trusted with what is least, He will one day entrust you with what is much.

“Lord Heavenly Father, we come before You and ask that You help us to be good stewards of what we have been given.  May we be faithful in the very least of our possessions.  May we always be pleasing to You; and may we one day inherit true riches; eternal riches; everlasting riches.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You; and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.”  God bless all of you.

JESUS SPEAKING

                “But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles” (Mathew 30: 20 – 21.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

                The gospel is a powerful force; like a raging torrent, it demands reverence and respect.  Just as rivers gouge out valleys and tear apart mountains, the gospel transforms lives.  Many eagerly receive God’s Holy Spirit but lack foresight; they do not understand the magnitude of changes God intends to perform in their lives.  True faith is costly; the price of salvation is death; death to our old lives.  One must willingly be destroyed in order to be remade in the image of Christ.  Those whose hearts are stony experience a very shallow relationship with God.  They desperately cling to old familiar habits and abandon their faith when it requires real change.  They turn from the light and live in darkness; choosing comfort above growth and sin over righteousness. 

                When a famous gangster named Mickey Cohen was released from prison in the 1950’s, a Pastor by the name of Bill Jones made it his personal mission to convert him to Christianity.  When Jones presented Mickey with the gospel, he said a prayer and accepted Jesus in to his heart.  Soon, word of his conversion spread, and many were amazed to hear that this once villainous mobster had turned to Christ.  Although Mickey enjoyed being called a ‘Christian,’ he refused to live like one.  “He soon lost touch with Pastor Jones, and began to hang around his old buddies from the criminal underworld.  The disheartened Jones confronted Cohen to tell him that as a Christian, he needed to put distance between himself and his old [criminal associates].  Puzzled, Cohen responded, “Jones, you never told me that I had to give up my career.  You never told me that I had to give up my friends.  There are Christian movie stars, Christian athletes, and Christian businessmen.  So what’s the matter with being a Christian gangster?  If I have to give up all that – if that’s Christianity – then count me out.”

                Sadly Mickey’s story is not uncommon; out of the four different types of soil Christ describes, the stony heart can be the most deadly; for within it, there exists the greatest propensity for self-deception.  Believing a verbal profession of faith to be sufficient for salvation, many remain unchanged.  With their lips they affirm Christ, but with their lives they deny him.  Continuing in behaviors such as, pornography, fornication, drunkenness, idolatry, and dishonesty (to name a few), many delusional souls travel toward an eternal precipice from which there is no return.  If you can identify with this type of soil, then you have two choices; continue forward toward damnation, or get honest with yourself and begin a new life with Jesus; a life of repentance; a life free from darkness and unrighteousness; a life lived as a disciple of Christ; a life fully committed to purity, church fellowship, prayer, evangelism, and bible reading.  May the Lord give you the courage, strength, and conviction to make the right choice.

                “Lord Heavenly Father, transform us in to the image of Your Son.  May we lay down our old lives to take up our new ones.  May our relationships with You be deep and meaningful.  May our lives always confirm our verbal professions of faith.  If we have not fully committed our lives to You, reveal to us the areas where we have refused to change; and by the power of Your Holy Spirit, help us to overcome and to conquer.  We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.