6 reasons for giving more in 2009

The Last Seven Sayings of Jesus

(1) Matthew 27:46 tells us that about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Here, Jesus was expressing His feelings of abandonment as God placed the sins of the world on Him – and because of that, God had to “turn away” from Jesus. As Jesus was feeling that weight of sin, He was experiencing a separation from God for the only time in all of eternity. This was also a fulfillment of the prophetic statement in Psalm 22:1.

(2) “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Those who crucified Jesus were not aware of the full scope of what they were doing because they did not recognize Him as the Messiah. While their ignorance of divine truth did not mean they deserved forgiveness, Christ’s prayer in the midst of their mocking Him is an expression of the limitless compassion of divine grace.

(3) “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). In this passage, Jesus is assuring one of the criminals on the cross that when he died, he would be with Jesus in heaven. This was granted because even at the hour of his death, the criminal had expressed his faith in Jesus, recognizing Him for who He was (Luke 23:42).

(4) “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46). Here, Jesus is willingly giving up His soul into the Father’s hands, indicating that He was about to die – and that God had accepted His sacrifice. He “offered up Himself unblemished to God” (Hebrews 9:14).

(5) “Dear Woman, here is your son!” and “Here is your mother!” When Jesus saw His mother standing near the cross with the Apostle John, whom He loved, He committed His mother’s care into John’s hands. And from that hour John took her unto his own home (John 19:26-27). In this verse Jesus, ever the compassionate Son, is making sure His earthly mother is cared for after His death.

(6) “I am thirsty” (John 19:28). Jesus was here fulfilling the Messianic prophecy from Psalm 69:21: “They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.” By saying He was thirsty, He prompted the Roman guards to give Him vinegar, which was customary at a crucifixion, thereby fulfilling the prophecy.

(7) “It is finished!” (John 19:30). Jesus’ last words meant that His suffering was over and the whole work His Father had given Him to do, which was to preach the Gospel, work miracles, and obtain eternal salvation for His people, was done, accomplished, fulfilled. The debt of sin was paid.

Source:  http://www.gotquestions.org/seven-sayings-Christ.html

Let Us Remember

 ⁴ Surely he took up our infirmities
       and carried our sorrows,
       yet we considered him stricken by God,
       smitten by him, and afflicted.

 ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
       he was crushed for our iniquities;
       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
       and by his wounds we are healed.

 ⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
       each of us has turned to his own way;
       and the LORD has laid on him
       the iniquity of us all.

 ⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted,
       yet he did not open his mouth;
       he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
       and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
       so he did not open his mouth.

 ⁸ By oppression ^[a] and judgment he was taken away.
       And who can speak of his descendants?
       For he was cut off from the land of the living;
       for the transgression of my people he was stricken. ^[b]

 ⁹ He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
       and with the rich in his death,
       though he had done no violence,
       nor was any deceit in his mouth.

 ¹⁰ Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
       and though the LORD makes ^[c] his life a guilt offering,
       he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
       and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

 ¹¹ After the suffering of his soul,
       he will see the light of life ^[d] and be satisfied ^[e] ;
       by his knowledge ^[f] my righteous servant will justify many,
       and he will bear their iniquities.

 ¹² Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, ^[g]
       and he will divide the spoils with the strong, ^[h]
       because he poured out his life unto death,
       and was numbered with the transgressors.
       For he bore the sin of many,
       and made intercession for the transgressors. 

                                                                                   Isaiah 53

As we celebrate this Easter season let us truly take the time to remember who Jesus is, how He suffered for us,  and why he came.  Spread the news.

The Value of Pocket Change Pt. 3

Jesus watched everyone that day, but judged only the widow’s offering of 2 mites as acceptable. Jesus judges our giving not by how much we give, but by how much we have left. In St. Luke 18:18-23, Jesus spoke with a rich young ruler, who wanted eternal life, but was unwilling to give up his worldly possessions for the sake of Christ. The Bible never tells us whether or not this widow ever had personal contact with Jesus, but she drew closer to the kingdom of God because of her giving – it came from her heart. The rich young ruler had personal contact with the kingdom of God, but rejected it because it cost too much. The scripture says that he went away sorrowful after speaking with Jesus because he had much. Many of us don’t have nearly what the rich young ruler had, but we still don’t want to give God a true sacrifice either. And this includes more than money. Some of us need to sacrifice our faults, bad habits and issues to the Almighty. They are the little foxes that keep spoiling our vines and the strongholds that keep hindering our breakthroughs. Hebrews 12:1 says, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth easily best us, and let us run this race with patience.” You see, you aren’t the only one who’s had to suffer or sacrifice in life to get somewhere. Moses had to leave his position and the riches of Egypt and spend 40 years in the desert as a shepherd before God was ready to use him as the deliverer of Israel; Abraham forsook his family clan and went to a foreign land based on directions given by a God unknown to him for the future promise of countless offspring; in Gen. 35:2, before he went to Bethel to officially establish his covenant with God, Jacob told all his household “to put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change you garments.” And likewise, all of our little gods have to go as well if we’re to see God manifest himself as promised in our covenant relationship. A nickel’s worth of hatred, a dime’s worth of lust, and penny’s worth of disobedience can mean a pocket full of unanswered prayers. What are you missing out on because of your pocket change sins?

Matthew 6:21 says, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Many of us are like the widow in our text, empty inside and searching. We don’t have much of anything left, for the devil has tossed us all about. We have a broken heart, shattered dreams, penniless bank accounts, and/or messed up minds. Don’t be ashamed to bring those small sacrifices to Jesus for there is still value in them. God does great things from humble beginnings. The Samaritan woman at the well didn’t have a good reputation, but Jesus made her a missionary; the lame man at the gate called Beautiful didn’t have much strength, but God gave him testimony; the man with the legion of demons controlling his body in the country of Gadarenes didn’t have his mind, but Jesus brought back his sanity.

You may not have much, but willingly sacrifice what you have. You may not have much faith left, but use the mustard seed that you have to trust God. You may not have a lot of food in your own cupboards, but if someone’s hungry, feed him. You may not have much of a praise left, but throw your hands up and say, “Hallelujah” anyway; you may not have a lot of gas in your tank, but come to church anyhow!

God meets you where you are!! When the prodigal son came home, he had nothing more than the clothes on his back. But that was ok; he was still of value. And there is also value in your pocket change!!!

The Value of Pocket Change Pt. 2

Next, let’s look at the other “worshippers”. Others refer to other Jews, Jewish proselytes and the rich, which probably included the Sadducees and Scribes or other members of the Jewish upper class. Another group included were the Pharisees, who were popular in Jesus’ day, but mainly from the Jewish middle class. However, these religious leaders had been instrumental in transforming Judaism into a temple system far from the original intent of the Law of Moses. It is thought that seeds of Pharisaism could’ve been planted as far back as the Babylonian captivity, but it’s generally agreed that a defined party emerged after the revolt of the Maccabees (167-165 BC). The word, Pharisee, is derived from an Aramaic word meaning “separated ones.” Disgusted with the influence of worldliness into Judaism during their time, they made themselves into experts of the Law, demanding strict adherence from all. The oral law as well as the written Mosaic law were of equal importance. The initial intentions of this group were honorable for Jesus even said in Matt. 23:3, “All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, [“they” referencing the scribes and Pharisees in verse 2] that observe and do.” But he also said in the same verse “But do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.” Jesus called this group “hypocrites” on a regular basis. The charges were that they made clean the outside of the cup, but within they were full of extortion and excess, they outwardly appeared righteous to man, but within were full of hypocrisy and iniquity; they paid tithes of mint, anise, and cumin, but omitted the more important matters of the law, such as judgment, mercy, and faith. They knew letter of the law, but did not understand the spirit of the law or what it meant in the life of the believer. They had a form of godliness, but denied its power. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, an expert in the Mosaic law, a ruler of the people. However, he didn’t understand how to apply his head knowledge to his heart. Jesus threw Nicodemus totally off when he flatly told him “except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” Some think that they can enter the kingdom of God through their church offering or their church attendance; some think because they hold an office such as deacon or trustee they’re ok in God’s sight. Others think worldly possessions are proof of spiritually stability. Neither Nicodemus nor many of his contemporaries really understood God’s concept of worship, for Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that they that worship God must worship him in spirit and in truth. One can only worship God in the spirit when he has been born again OF the spirit. This refers to the inward change that comes through regeneration, when one allows Christ to come into is heart and give spiritual life to a soul dead in sin. Man can’t understand how that happens for Jesus told Nicodemus in St. John 3:8, “the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell when it cometh, and whiter it goeth: so is everyone that is born of the Spirit.” We just notice that our hands and feet look new. We don’t talk the same talk or walk the same walk. The songwriter picked it up and said its just something on the inside, working on the outside brought about a change in my life. The “others” thought they would impress God and people through their quantity of offering, but Jesus was disgusted because of its quality – it didn’t come from the heart. Believe it or not saints, I’m still talking about the value of pocket change.

Jesus sat in the temple that day watching the offering line. And we also ought to remember that Jesus is watching us and is our ultimate judge. He was sent by God as the promised Redeemer to restore mankind back to Him. As far back as Genesis, Jesus’ coming was foreshadowed. Gen. 3:15 says “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” The prophet Isaiah had numerous prophecies concerning the promised Messiah. Isaiah 40:3 says “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a high for our God.” This also refers to John the Baptist, the precursor of Jesus, whom the Jewish religious elite also rejected. Chapter 53:4-5, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrow: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Those are just a few. He was the fulfillment of the law and sacrificial system that the religious leaders knew so well, strictly adhered to, but most totally missed. He was to become the official intercessor for mankind, just as he was the official atonement or sacrifice offered for the sin of man. Hebrews 7:24-25 says, “But this man because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Verse 27 says, “who needeth not daily, as those high priest, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once when he offered up himself.

Search Me!

Some time ago I was having one of those days.  I felt compelled to read Psalm 139 and afterward I penned the following note to God.  I pray it is as much of a blessing to you as it was to me.

Dear God,

Show me what is not like you in my life.  Examine me Lord.  Help me in the areas where I am weak.  Comfort me Father and leave me not in my sin.  Deliver me from myself that I may serve you and worship you with my whole heart.  Let there no longer be a great chasm between me and thee.  Clean me and make me as white as snow.  Mold me and make me into the vessel that you would have me to be.  I desire that you would get the glory out of my life.  Show me what is in me that I must put aside and Lord forgive me that I would sin in that area no more.  I long to be pure before you.  Take complete control of my life.  No longer will the enemy push the desires of the flesh forward.  Kill my flesh that my spirit may live in you.  Order my steps Lord, in Your Word.  Make me a worthy vessel.

My Thoughts

One of the ways that we are attacked as Christians in is our thoughts.  Sometimes we struggle with negative thoughts that may stem from hurt, frustration, sickness, doubt, and fear, just to name a few.  The battlefield of the mind is a very powerful thing.  It can direct everything a person does and says.  The scripture states, “For as he thinks within himself, so he is… Proverbs 23:7a.  We have to be very careful that God controls our total being, especially our mind.  God has provided a remedy through His Word.  Here are just a few scriptures to help guide you through this journey.

Proverbs 16:13

Psalm 139:23

Ephesians 4:23

2 Timothy 1:7

Romans 12:2

Philippians 4:8

The Application of Scripture

A couple of weeks ago I was rather disturbed by a lengthy comment we received here on the blog. Initially, I was concerned that readers might believe that the comments were a reflection of what we, Sisters of the Faith, believe.  After prayer and consultation with some “spiritual giants” I realized that our readers would probably greatly benefit from reading the comment.  It is a great example of the improper application of scripture and why we should be careful not to take scripture out of context.
In our eagerness to understand the Bible, on occasion, Christians inadvertently reach premature conclusions and misapply God’s intended meanings.  Please read the comment and share your thoughts.
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From the Inside Out

Last year, my mother, who happens to be my pastor, preached a sermon that continually ministers to my spirit.  From the Inside Out continually reminds me that we are new creations and should live our lives as such.  Enjoy!

From the Inside Out
2 Corinthians 5:17-21

17 Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence. 18 God has done all this. He has restored our relationship with him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships. 19 In other words, God was using Christ to restore his relationship with humanity. He didn’t hold people’s faults against them, and he has given us this message of restored relationships to tell others. 20 Therefore, we are Christ’s representatives, and through us God is calling you. We beg you on behalf of Christ to become reunited with God. 21 God had Christ, who was sinless, take our sin so that we might receive God’s approval through him.
2 Cor 5:17-21 (God’s Word Translation)

God changes us from the inside first when we accept Him. The Holy Spirit gives us a new life.  We are recreated.  We begin a new life with a new master.  People often say there is something on the inside working on the outside bringing about the change in their lives.  That something is the Holy Spirit.

43 “When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it goes through dry places looking for a place to rest. But it doesn’t find any. 44 Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to the home I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean, and in order. 45 Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself. They enter and take up permanent residence there. In the end the condition of that person is worse than it was before. That is what will happen to the evil people of this day.”
Matt 12:43-45 (God’s Word Translation)

It is important that we replace the “old man” with Jesus Christ.  If not, Satan will replace the one demon with seven more demons and that person is far worse than when they began.

Our sins are no longer held against us once we accept Christ into our lives.  We are here to cause other people to want to come to Christ.  Jesus willingly gave His life for us that we might give our lives to Him.

We who are reconciled have the privilege of counseling others.  We do this by sharing our testimony.  We are Christ’s ambassadors.  When we Jesus on the inside, we do not mind telling other people about Him.  We are changed from the inside out!

How have you been changed from the inside out?

Share your testimony of God’s saving grace.

Back to School

For most of us, school is either already in session or just about to begin.  Whether you are a student yourself or you have children in the school system, you have some knowledge of the many pressures of student life.  Students encounter various forms of peer pressure and increasingly more challenging academic expectations (we have to compete with other countries).  These pressures can be very stressful.  However, we can find clear instruction and guidelines for many of the situations one might encounter this academic year.

Attitude of students toward teachers, Matthew 10:24.

Student, teacher, Luke 6:40.

Hearing, not understanding, Matthew 13:14-15.

Knowledge beyond the classroom, John 7:14-16.

Knowledge gives strength, Proverbs 24:5-6.

Teaching truth, Malachi 2:6.

Faith is the ulimate intelligence, 1 Corinthians 3:18-23.

Learn what pleases the Lord, Ephesians 1:17.

Ask God for wisdom, James 1:5-6.

Keep your head in all situations, 2 Timothy 4:5.

What matters most, Galatians 5:6.

Priorities change with progress, Isaiah 28:28.

Procrastination, making excuses, Luke 14:16-21.

Hide these in your heart and apply them to your life.  Take a step further and allow them to encourage someone else.

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