February 10, 2013

  Decide  

Luke 12: 49 - 57

Luke

"I have come to bring fire to the earth, and I wish that my task were already completed!  There is a terrible baptism ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished.  Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth?  No, I have come to bring strife and division!  From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against - or the other way around.  There will be a division between father and son, mother and daughter, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law."

Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, "When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, 'Here comes a shower.'  And you are right.  When the south wind blows, you say, 'Today will be a scorcher.'  And it is. You hypocrites!  You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but you can't interpret these present times.

"Why can't you decide for yourselves what is right?"

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Thoughts.....

Todays lesson seems simple but indeed is quite complex if we get to the meat of the matter.  In the first sentence, Jesus says, "I have come to bring fire to the earth, and I wish that my task were already completed!"  At first read, you might think of the baptism of the Holy Spirit spoken of in Acts 2 where it looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of those present and they could speak in foreign languages.  Yet throughout Scripture many references are used to help us better understand Satan's world and what can happen, if we do not choose God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit....we can be thrown into fires of hell.....where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Read Matthew 8:10-12, 13:40-42, 13:47-50.  See Strong's Exhaustive Concordance anytime you need more references for anything.  In this sentence, Jesus is giving a warning and telling of his task before him that he wishes he didn't have to do and experience.  He would rather all creatures would turn to God, so he wouldn't have to bring the fire, and so, as he refers to in the next sentence, he would not have to suffer a 'terrible baptism'.  If everyone had chosen to decide to turn away from Satan and their sins, and turn to God, Jesus might not have had to suffer the 'terrible baptism'.  But....that didn't happen....and he did. 

What is this 'terrible baptism'?  The baptism of suffering Jesus alludes to is being hung on a cross and dying for the sins of others....that would be you and me.....and all others in the world.  This is also referenced in Mark 10:35-40 when James and John had asked Jesus to sit in places of honor next to him in his glorious Kingdom.  And Jesus said to them, "You don't know what you are asking!  Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of sorrow I am about to drink?  Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?"  They said, "Oh yes, we are able."  And Jesus said, "You will indeed drink from my cup and be baptized with my baptism....".  See also Matthew 20:22 & 23, Luke 12:50.  No wonder he is under a heavy burden until it is accomplished!  He has to suffer persecution, abuse, discrimination, being attacked, lies being told about him, and more, and, being hung on a cross, dying on that cross, and later, he has to kill people....sending them into hell.  The upside is that graves will be opened, and heaven's gates will be opened to those who choose to decide to believe in him and God.  But he is not there yet in the documented historical reference we are reading.

Although we are taught ad nauseum that Jesus is peace and with him we will have peace that passes all understanding, if we decide to accept him as Savior and make him Lord of our life, there is much more that we can also expect.   He tells us about it in todays lesson.  In what appears to be a low moment for him, certainly a frustrating one, he expressfully exclaims, "Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth?  No, I have come to bring strife and division!"  [Note exclamation point.]  It seems the realities of his ministry are coming to the forefront of his understanding and he is seeing the 'lay of the land', so to speak.  He seems agonized with the truth of it. 

He goes on to say, "From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against - or the other way around.  There will be a division between father and son, mother and daughter, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law."  The freedom in free will?  Doesn't seem to be a freedom for Jesus in this moment....at least he doesn't seem to be feeling it.  But there is free will for all in the world.  We have been granted free will by God who made us.  He doesn't want to demand we believe in him or love him.  He is not a dictator.  He wants us to believe in him and love him of our own free will, for only then, will we be free indeed.  And only then will our gratitude for our lives be felt and recognized by us and by him.  Unfortunately, not all will believe as we decide to believe.

In the next paragraph, Jesus indicates that people can't "interpret these present times".  Perhaps can't decide what is right....maybe who he is, if he is really God's Son, where they should place their allegiance, their heart....their very soul.  And that they need to do it N O W.  You've heard me say a LOT.....YOUR end time may come before THE end times, be ready, make the right decision, choose to turn your life over to him today.  Ask Jesus to be your Savior and make him LORD over your life N O W.  For when your end time comes, there will he be.  You will have to answer to him then.  In Matthew 24:30-31, 'the angels will gather together his chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven'.  Where will you be....in heaven....or in hell? 

The world was about to end as the crowds knew it.  The Kingdom of God was to be ushered in.  When Jesus died. "...he gave up his Spirit.  At that moment, the curtain in the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.  The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened.  The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead after Jesus' resurrection.  They left the cemetery, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to may people.  The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened.  They said, "Truly, this was the Son of God!"   Matthew 27:50-54  Jesus knew this was going to happen, but the crowds did not.  

Jesus turned to the crowd and said, [rather emphatically - please note the exclamation point after he calls them hypocrites] "When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, 'Here comes a shower.'  And you are right.  When the south wind blows, you say, 'Today will be a scorcher.'  And it is.  You hypocrites! <  You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, but you can't interpret these present times."   

What were the present times to which Jesus was referring?  His arrival placed strife on the world.  There was already strife amongst the religious groups.  The world was at war with itself in essence from a spiritual context.  And against Satan and his assigns.  The Jews were stringent, exacting, demanding in their religious beliefs of God.  The Greeks were worshiping every God that came along.  The Romans were pointing fingers over everything bad and wrong with everybody else, with more fingers directed back at them for all the sins they were committing.  Many of all backgrounds were having all kinds of sex orgies apparently, and hatred, division, quarreling, angry outbursts, etc. were abounding.  Satan and his assigns were running rampant through out the regions.  Hence Paul's later ardent preaching to the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians and more.  People were not making right decisions for themselves.  Jesus was calling them to turn from their sins and turn to God.  To be ready.  To know where their treasure was, so their heart and thoughts would be as one.  To be ready for the masters return.  

His last line with respect to everything he had just said was, "Why can't you decide for yourselves what is right?"  He not only meant in regards to accepting him over Satan.  God over the world.  But in everyday life.  How do we do this?  We turn to his Word.  The New Testament is full of everything we need to know on how to live our lives for and with Jesus and God today and everyday.  We turn to the New Testament because it is the way we are now called to live.  We are not under the old law....the Old Testament....we are under the new.  Jesus brought us a new way of life, a new way of living.  He opened doors and clearly closed others not in our best interest.  His death allowed us to be forgiven of our sins.  His resurrection showed us, we, too, can go to heaven....if we but believe in him as Savior of the world....AND....make him LORD over our lives.  Many will say "Yes, Lord, I will accept you as my Savior and make you Lord over my life".  And many more will also say, "Ya, I'll accept you....and I'll catch up with you later".

What will you decide this day?  Do you know how to interpret these present times?  Will you decide....'to follow him more nearly, love him more dearly day by day'?  Decide this day whom you shall serve.  Will you go to Heaven or Hell?  Where will you be when he calls that final time?  I hope you will decide to accept Jesus as your Savior and make him Lord of your life. 

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Let Us Pray

God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I see now there are many fires.  Fires I go through daily, fire in the baptism of Holy Spirit, fires of hell.  Lord, please keep me from the fires of hell.  Please forgive me of my sins, and come into my life....fully and completely.  Please baptize me with your Holy Spirit giving me all the fruits and gifts available to me.  Please save me from the fires of hell.  I get why you might have been so upset that day you preached to the crowds.  I get why you might be angry with me at times for bothering you so much in asking what is right, what I should do, how I should go about something, where I should go, etc. I have been a burden to you by not better knowing your Word as outlined in the New Testament.  Surely it can't hurt me to pick up the New Testament and read a book at a time....they are only a few pages compared to sitting down and absorbing the whole thing at a time, but I know I am free to do that as well.  By reading a book at a time, I am better able to take the time to make it a study, underlining those things that standout....which must be what you are wanting me to know right then.  Which I will probably learn over and over again until I get life right...or more right....I don't ever expect to be perfect.  Thank you for coming into my life early on, so that I have a better grip on who you are, that you are, and how wonderful you are.  Unfortunately, I haven't had as great a grip on me becoming wonderful.  But as we journey together, I know that I will continue to improve because of your love for me, your guiding touch, your loving embrace.  Please continue to carry me through all things too difficult to walk through.  Lead me on the paths of righteousness for you, that others may see your glory through me and want to fly into your arms with love for you.  Show me, please, what steps I need to take to step into the vision you've given me of my future to better serve you and your creatures, all those around me.  Open the hearts and the minds of all, that they may search you and find you.  Lord, I pray you will find me and this website I've dedicated to preaching your Word worthy, and, that you will lead others to it to learn your truths, and their own, so they may learn to love you and follow you....day by day.  Let me not put aside my duties, but learn everything you need me to learn, to better represent who you are and be strengthened to feed your sheep.  I am very grateful God, Jesus, Holy Spirit that you are in my life and I am in yours.  Thank you so much for my wonderful loving family in heaven and on earth.  I have been blessed beyond measure.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  And thank you for making provision that we can all be together one day.  I dearly love and deeply miss my family in heaven.  I dearly and deeply love my family on earth.  I dearly and deeply love you.  Amen.     

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More love.... 

  Benediction....Blessing

Let us hear from Paul as he prays:  

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.  Amen.  Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT         

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Scroll down to read Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving...'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'.

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Definition of a Christian:  Anyone who believes in God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Regardless of church name or religious affiliation. 

It is not how we worship, but that we worship....the Trinity!   

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Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this:

I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

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  Our Current Cause

It is time to reach into the community and the world around you to see wherein lies the greatest need.  As you choose to focus on these areas, do so with a servant's heart.  Whether the need is for children, adults, or animals, or any cause in between that will help those in need, ask God how you can best serve his needs, what path you must take, and how long you should persevere.  Sometimes we are to be in the lives of others merely as stepping stones.  Sometimes we are to touch those lives forever.  Whatever journey you are called to take, whatever team you will be a member, know this:  God is with you always...even til the end of time.  He loves you, is grateful for you, and will help you along life's way, especially if you are helping others along theirs, persevering with a servant's heart.  

Please accept my sincerest thanks....and God's....and may God richly bless you! 

BesidesBesid   

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    One last thing....

 Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'

"Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

   Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

And the people said,

"Amen."

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I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided. 

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  Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

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