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Thoughts Archived > Not Just For The Jewish People


17 Mar 2013

                                   

 

March 17, 2013

  Not Just For The Jewish People  

Luke 13: 31 - 35

 

Luke

A few minutes later some Pharisees said to him, "Get out of here if you want to live, because Herod Antipas wants to kill you!" 

Jesus replied, "Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and doing miracles of healing today and tomorrow, and the third day I will accomplish my purpose.  Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way.  For it wouldn't do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem!

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers!  How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me.  And now look, your house is left to you empty.  And you will never see me again until you say, 'Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'"

 

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Thoughts.....

 

Todays message has a two fold meaning.  Not only will Jesus accomplish his journey to Jerusalem in 3 days, but he also refers prophetically to his resurrection on the third day.  Let's start....

Recall we learned last week that Jesus was pressing on to get to Jerusalem.  Along the way, some Pharisees strongly urged Jesus to get out of the area because Herod Antipas wanted to kill him.  Jesus gave them a message to deliver to Herod Antipas and it, too, had strong urgings, if you will.  He said, "Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and doing miracles of healing today and tomorrow, and the third day I will accomplish my purpose."  Calling Herod Antipas a fox would have been strong language then as now.  Herod was sly, cunning, and swift.  And Jesus essentially said he would carry on doing what God called him to do and would continue to obey and do all that God asked of him.  Jesus would not let Herod, nor anyone else, including the Pharisees who may have been trying to trick him, to stand in the way of accomplishing that which he needed to do for God.  And he made it clear what those things were:

casting out demons and

doing miracles of healing    

today and tomorrow and the next day

[he] must proceed

Are YOU doing all this for God?  If you are a Christian you should be.  It is why we are all here....to do the will of the Father who put us here.  It is how we obey him....show him we love him....how he sees if our love is real....our commitment strong, our hearts sincere....how we can insure the door to heaven is opened when the last trumpet note is sounded and he calls out to us.  Will....you....have a home....forever?  Will you achieve eternal life?  God's plan wasn't just for the Jewish people.... although he called them first.  It is also for the rest of us, too, the Gentiles.

And we must GROW....in God, in Jesus, in Holy Spirit, in our faith, in our Christian walk, in our love, in our commitment.  We must proceed forward on our journey.  Not falter, not become stagnant, move on.....go forth....in him and with him. 

When the Jewish people chose to not accept Jesus as THE Messiah Come, God opened the door to all others.  Will you ignore God, or will you accept Jesus fully into your life today?  Consider that if you reject Jesus, you reject God, and, Jesus' life....and death....will have been a waste.  His flogging for nothing.  Or, by his stripes....those marks on his body left by the flogging.... you can be healed.  You can ask God's forgiveness.  You can ask Jesus into your life.  And you will be given the opportunity to obtain eternal life and get to heaven. 

....and the third day Jesus will accomplish his purpose.   

On the third day Jesus will get to Jerusalem.  On the third day after Jesus died, he arose from the dead, allowing everyone the opportunity to do the same and receive eternal life.  Jesus didn't wait, he proceeded forth.  We cannot wait, we mustn't.  We must move forward continually, hoping, trusting, obeying and loving God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, ourselves, others....for and with the Trinity....Father as Creator/Ruler/Forgiver, Son as Redeemer/Lord/Messiah, Holy Spirit as Teacher/Comforter/Guide.

Jesus goes on to say it wouldn't do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem(!) [his emphasis].  Here, Jesus counts himself amongst other great prophets having been killed in Jerusalem.  But recall, he is not ONLY a great prophet as some other religions believe.  He is the ONLY way to get to THE Father, be forgiven of your sins.  He is THE ONLY person who can save you, give you eternal life. (Acts 4:12)

Jesus bemoans the suffering inflicted upon God's prophets and God's messengers saying, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God's messengers!"  [Hear his pain, see that he emphasizes his groaning of such.]  "How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn't let me."

Can you feel the impassioned cries of the Savior?  He cries out not just for the Jewish people, but for the Gentiles.  You....and me....regardless of whether a Jew or a Gentile.  He knows where he is going and why.  He realizes how futile his death will be for those he came to save.....the Jewish people, and then the Gentiles....all.  But he goes forth knowing his death will not be for naught....because some Jews, and some Gentiles....you and I....realize his sacrifice, that he died not in vain, but with hope for the lost Jewish people and the lost Gentiles, with promise for all.

There is still time.  The end has not come....the Kingdom of God is here....now.  If you are Jewish, know that Jesus died for you and he loves you.  For you, he sacrificed his life:  he was hung on a cross, suffered, died, was buried....yet arose on the third day and ascended into heaven and sits at God's right hand.  And he waits....in love and with love....that you will one day choose him as your Savior....the Messiah come....and make him Lord of your life.  And Gentiles....he did the same for you as well.  He waits for you, too.  Will you turn to him and say, "Come into my heart, into my life, today....now."?  Let him in.

If you do not let him in, you will hear from him as he says,

"And now look, your house is left to you empty."

"And you will never see me again until you say,

'Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'"

During this time when we celebrate the anniversary of Jesus' death and resurrection, will you let him in, allow him to resurrect your life and give it new meaning, have a relationship with the Savior....accept him as YOUR Savior....and....make him LORD of your life?  Ask God to forgive you of your sins.  Make the path clear for Jesus to enter your heart fully.  Ask Jesus for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, that you may be filled to overflowing with all the fruits and gifts he so wants to give you.  Make straight the path for a profound journey as you accept, love, and obey him, God, and Holy Spirit.  Say, 'Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!'  Alleluia! 

    

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Let Us Pray

 

God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I realize now that there is only one way to be forgiven, to get to heaven....have eternal life.  "'The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.'  There is salvation in no one else!  There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them." (Acts 4:11-12)  Hallelujah!  Alleluia!  God, I have sinned, please forgive me.  Thank you.  I call on you now, Jesus, to save me....please help me.  Thank you.  I desire eternal life.  Jesus, please baptize me with the fullness and fire of THE Holy Spirit.  Thank you.  Please, Holy Spirit, give to me all the fruits and the gifts that I need to carry me on my profound journey.  Thank you.  Help me hear you....that I may know all I need to learn, and to know what I need to do to obey you....all of you....God, Jesus, Holy Spirit.  Thank you.  I am humbly sorry and I heartily repent.  I get it now.  I get, Jesus, what you did for me....the sacrifice you made.  And the pain that you, God, experienced in having to watch your son be disbelieved, abused, threatened, denied, neglected, tortured, hung on a cross to die.  But thank you for making it worth something....have meaning....to me and to the world....for Jesus' sake....and mine.  And thank you for making him Lord Almighty....Savior....Redeemer....King of Kings and Lord of Lords....allowing him to sit at your right hand and rule the world.  For allowing him to be Messiah Come!  Hosannah in the Highest!  Thank you for making me one of your 'promise children'."  I am prepared and blessed to be the object of your mercy, whether a Jew or a Gentile, I am ready to have you pour out the riches of your glory upon me.  Thank you.  Make me right by faith in you....by depending on that faith in you.  Be my rock, Jesus, that I not be disappointed.  Thank you.  (From Romans 9:22-33.)  I trust you, Jesus....you are within reach....within me.  Your message is close at hand; it is on my lips and in my heart.  Thank you.  I will confess with my mouth that you, Jesus, are my Lord, and that you were raised from the dead.  And I believe in my heart that I am now made right with you, God.  I confess with my mouth that I am saved!  You are my Lord and you will give riches to me and all who ask for them.  The greatest riches are your love and my family....those Christians in the world who surround me, and my beloved pets.  Thank you.  I know this is for everyone, Lord, not just for me....for Jews and Gentiles alike....EVERYONE who believes, trusts, has faith in the Trinity.  Now help me as you send me forth, so I can tell anyone who will ask about you....or not...so they WILL find you. Thank you.  (From Romans 10:5-21.)  I am grateful to you, God, and you, Jesus, and you, Holy Spirit for giving me life, saving me, giving me the opportunity for eternal life, and for filling me to overflowing with your fruits and gifts, that I may love and live abundantly for and with you.  I praise you and thank you in need, in want, in crisis, in abundance, in joy, in sorrow....for your names' sake....now and forever.  Yea, tho' I walk through the valleys, I will fear no evil for you are with me.  Restore my soul....now and always.  Guide me in and on the paths of righteousness.  Anoint my head with oil....that I may be covered with you and embraced by you.  Allow my cup to overflow with goodness, mercy, love.  Follow me, please, all the days of my life that remain.  And please, help me know all the right steps to take, so that I may dwell in your house, Lord, forever. (From Psalm 23.) Continue to send Christians to surround me to help build me up and to have fellowship with, but don't forget to send those who need you, so I can tell them about you....who you are, that you are, and how wonderful you are.  I am so honored thus.  Thank you.  I love you.  Amen. 

 

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NOTE:  I said it long ago, but let me say it again.  If you are wanting to lead a group, start a church, or are confined in an institution, or live in a country where the Gospel is not preached, and you don't know what to say or how to say it, and yet feel led to share, teach, or preach, please feel free to share what I've written, as long as you include where it comes from due to copyright laws.  Jesus gave God's love and healing freely, as well as his message.  Our responsibility is to get the Word out to those who need to hear it.  If what I've written....by the power and direction of the Holy Spirit....or what he has said through me....has helped you, it may help others that you know, and you are welcome to share it.  God calls all of us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.  Please share it with the fullness of love that God, Jesus, Holy Spirit....and I....have given it.  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.  I encourage you to pray your own prayers as well.

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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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Bible Authors and Minister