Random Thoughts on the Really Good News

Jesus and his disciples were in the region of  Caesarea  Philippi. Jesus was 34 years old and had spent three and one half years with his disciples traveling around Israel and proclaiming the Kingdom was near and that Jesus was the Messiah, doing miracles to authenticate His claim. Jesus told them he was going to Jerusalem and would be killed but would rise again three days later. Peter took him aside and rebuked him saying that would not happen. " But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s purposes, but men’s.”  (Matthew 16:23) Several years later ,  the apostle Paul reminded his apprentice Timothy... "...we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers." (1 Timothy 4:10) Most  churches today take acceptation to that and teach that only those who accept Jesus in this life will be saved. I think Jesus would say to them  ...

God said... " By Myself I have sworn; Truth has gone from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow to Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.  It will be said to Me: Righteousness and strength is only in the LORD." All who are enraged against Him will come to Him and be put to shame."   (Isaiah 45:23-24) Those enraged and proud will be put to shame and humbled. And when humbled, God gives them His grace. "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."  (1 Peter 5:5) Politicians are overconfident in their ability to change things. They have to be for others to support and vote for them. Voters are an interesting lot, generally voting for whoever promises the biggest Goose in their pot. We are almost always disappointed when our "Goose is cooked". Nevertheless, in about a month I will vote for one of those proud candidates - hoping that before he or she leaves office they will be "put to shame" , "humbled...

  I just turned 74 and have lived all my life in the US. In thinking about the upcoming election the following verse came into my mind... "The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you." (2 Chronicles 15:2) Neither candidate is the LORD, that is for certain, and so I do not "seek after" either one of them. When voting I prayerfully consider the one who it seems to me would not "forsake" my LORD during times of crisis in this world in which we live. People can and will differ on who that is I suppose, so I will not judge them if their choice differs from mine. After all... "...the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men. He gives it to anyone He wants and sets the lowliest of humans over it." (Daniel 4:17)..."Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by...

Paul declared… “I am crucified with Christ…” (Galatians 2:20) “Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep...Ought not Christ to have suffered these things (events of his death) and to enter into His GLORY (thru his resurrection) ...But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death , crowned with GLORY and honor" ...(1  Corinthians 15:20; Luke 24:26; Hebrews 2:9) When Jesus hung on the cross it was a graphic declaration that death is the path to GLORY, for himself and for humans.  Got it? Sin, death, and the grave is the path to GLORY. Christ the first fruit, then all the rest of us. It is the SPIRIT within us which longs to live, not die, and testifies to us “the sufferings of Christ and the GLORY that should follow.” (1 Peter 1:11) There is NO path to GLORY among the present self-righteous institutions of men in this present age. It is not our good works, nor our bad that de...

"...TAKE UP the complete armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all things, to stand.  Stand therefore, having girded your loins with TRUTH, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and having shod the feet with  the  readiness of the gospel of peace;  besides all, having taken up the SHIELD OF FAITH with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is  the  word of God..."  (Ephesians 6:1 3-17) We are instructed to "take up" God's armor of "truth" , and "stand" behind the "shield of faith" in the truth of God's word. Only then can we be safe from the lier who comes to steal our security, peace, and joy in the salvation promised us by God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have i...

"I have been young, and  now  am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." (Psalm 37:25) Of course King David was not alive to see the crucifixion of Jesus. "About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  (Matthew 27:46) Some saw the righteous one forsaken, but three days later the one forsaken righteous human was raised to life, never again to be forsaken - and the judgment of all other humans has been given to Him. "And I have a hope in God, which these men themselves also accept, that there is going to be a resurrection, both of the righteous and the unrighteous." (Acts 24:15) "Father forgive them, they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever — the spirit of truth. The world cannot receive it, because it neither sees it nor knows it. But you do know it, for it abides with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17) The word "spirit" refers to power of truth.   "Jesus is saying to him, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one is coming to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6) When we hear the truth and believe, the truth sets us free from wasting our lives trying to save ourselves by the  works of the law. Now we are aware that, whatever the law is saying, it is speaking to those under the law, that every mouth may be barred, and the entire world may become subject to the just verdict of God, "...because, by works of law, no flesh at all shall be justified in His sight, for through law is the recognition of sin.  Yet now, apart from law, a righteousness of God is manifest (being attested by the law and...

Job said... " For the arrows of the Almighty have pierced me;  my spirit drinks in their poison;  the terrors of God are arrayed against me." (Job 6:4) King David said... " My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from my deliverance and from my words of groaning?" (Psalm 22:1) Ever felt like God doesn't give a damn about you?  Me too.  There are times when I get mad at God for things that happen to me or especially my family. He could prevent it but he doesn't. Why? To be honest, I do not know why, b ut in those times  I find comfort knowing that even Jesus felt God had abandoned Him, and it humbles me and helps me find peace in troubling times. "About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46)

"I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God; but their devotion is not based on true knowledge." (Romans 10:2 NLT) "These ignorantly zealous persons think altogether too much of themselves. According to their idea it would seem to be a marvel how ever the Lord got along before they were born, and altogether a dead certainty that He will have to suspend operations altogether after they are dead." - Arthur P. Adams Such seems to be the state of many evangelists I have heard over the years. “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world." (Psalm 46:10 NLT) Trust Him, He's got this!