Category / New Testament Blog

by In Light Of The Cross

John 2; A Savior From Social Embarrassment

I am writing tonight from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

John 2:1       And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 

 2:2      And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 

 2:3      And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 

 2:4      Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 

 2:5      His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do [it]. 

 2:6      And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 

 2:7      Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 

 2:8      And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare [it]. 

 2:9      When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 

 2:10    And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: [but] thou hast kept the good wine until now. 

Not only was this Jesus’ first recorded miracle, but consider why He performed this miracle. It was to save the host social embarrassment. That tells us something about Jesus. It tells us that He was a very social person, and He was very sensitive to the feelings of others. Did the people really need wine? No. They could have survived with water. Jesus obviously wanted people to have fun at the party and did not want the host to be embarrassed. That right there tells me a lot about our God.

I like the simple words of Mary, “Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it.” It is as simple as that. I remember several years ago, while living in Texas, I went to a three church district in Oklahoma to preach one Sabbath. On most occasions, when I did this, each church that Sabbath would give a little offering to help with my gas expenses. It usually totaled around $200.00 give or take a few.

One Sabbath when I arrived at the first church where I spoke that Sabbath, I found out that one of the families in that district had just lost a young boy. The family was poor and did not have the money to bury him. The pastor said an offering would be taken to help the family. He assured me there would still be an offering for me.

As I sat on the platform getting ready to preach, I heard a testimony about the family who lost the little boy. The Holy Spirit tapped me on the shoulder (heart?) and told me to tell the pastor sitting on the platform with me, to not take up an offering for my expenses but to have it all given to the family. I thought about it for a second, and started doing the math, thinking about how much money I would be losing and how I could get by without it. As I was doing the math in my head, the Holy Spirit tapped me on the shoulder again and said, “I already told you what to do. Why are still trying to figure things out?” I then leaned over and whispered in the pastor’s ear to not have an offering for my expenses, but to give all the money that Sabbath to the family. I never missed the money. More importantly I learned the simplicity of Mary’s words, “Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it.” It doesn’t have to be complicated. Don’t worry about the consequences. Simply do as He says, and see if Jesus does not bless your life the way He blessed that wedding party in Canaan.

by In Light Of The Cross

John 1; John Sees What is Right With The Church

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

John 1:26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 

 1:27       He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. 

I have already noticed something different about the book of John. The other gospels record the strife between the disciples as to who is the greatest. John does not record this strife. John speaks about John the Baptist leading people to Jesus and not to himself. In John 3:30 John records John the Baptist saying, “He must increase, I must decrease.”  I think John is focusing on what is right with the church instead of what is wrong.  He is giving us some good role models. Former U.S. President, Bill Clinton, once said, “Nothing is wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.” I choose to believe that there is nothing wrong with the church that cannot be cured by what is right with the church. Of course, Jesus is what is right with the church, but let’s look at what else is right with the church.

1:40 One of the two which heard John [speak], and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 

 1:41       He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. 

 1:42       And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. 

 1:43       The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. 

 1:44       Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 

 1:45       Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 

 1:46       And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. 

 1:47       Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! 

 1:48       Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. 

 1:49       Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.  

 1:50       Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. 

We have Andrew who is working hard and quietly behind the scenes to bring people to Jesus. In the other Gospels we never heard him mentioned by name, like we did James and John in the fracas as to who was the greatest. We never heard him making outrageous boasts like Peter made. About the only other time we hear of him, is when he found a boy with a sack lunch that saved the multitude from hunger. Andrew seems to work best one on one and without much fanfare. I would say he is what is right with the church.

Next we have Nathanael. Nathaniel seems to be a man of prayer. Jesus says Nathanael is an Israelite who has no guile! Wow! I pray Jesus can say that about me! That would be awesome. I do not know of a higher compliment that Jesus ever gave to anyone, and he gave it to a man the other three gospel do not even mention, and is only mentioned six times in the book of John, five of those times are in this brief story above. This tells me there are people in our church today who have no guile. We may not notice them because they are not drawing attention to themselves. They are quietly praying and bringing people to Jesus instead of arguing over who is the greatest.

by In Light Of The Cross

Luke 24; Seeing is Not Believing

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

Luke 24:13   And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem [about] threescore furlongs. 

 24:14            And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 

 24:15            And it came to pass, that, while they communed [together] and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 

 24:16            But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. 

 24:17            And he said unto them, What manner of communications [are] these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? 

 24:18            And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? 

 24:19            And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: 

 24:20            And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 

 24:21            But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. 

 24:22            Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; 

 24:23            And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. 

 24:24            And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found [it] even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. 

 24:25            Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 

 24:26            Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 

 24:27            And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 

 24:28            And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. 

 24:29            But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. 

 24:30            And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed [it], and brake, and gave to them. 

 24:31            And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 

 24:32            And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? 

Whenever I give a Bible study on the Scriptures, I always share this story, about how Jesus showed them in the Scriptures all the things that pointed to Him as the Messiah, instead of just letting their eyes be opened and see that it was Him to begin with. He did not want them going by sight. He wanted them going by the Word of God. Seeing is not always believing. Look at all the miracles the children of Israel saw and still did not believe. Jesus performed miracles all the time and the Pharisees did not believe. Belief takes place in the heart and not the eyes. Jesus opened the Scriptures and their hearts burned within them. Today we must put the Bible above anything that we see or feel. Like Jesus we must go by the Scriptures and not by sight.

by In Light Of The Cross

Luke 23; The Prayer That Embraced The World

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

I love how the prayer of Christ on the cross embraces the entire world!

The Saviour made no murmur of complaint. His face remained calm and serene, but great drops of sweat stood upon His brow. There was no pitying hand to wipe the death dew from His face, nor words of sympathy and unchanging fidelity to stay His human heart. While the soldiers were doing their fearful work, Jesus prayed for His enemies, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” His mind passed from His own suffering to the sin of His persecutors, and the terrible retribution that would be theirs. No curses were called down upon the soldiers who were handling Him so roughly. No vengeance was invoked upon the priests and rulers, who were gloating over the accomplishment of their purpose. Christ pitied them in their ignorance and guilt. He breathed only a plea for their forgiveness,–“for they know not what they do.”   

     Had they known that they were putting to torture One who had come to save the sinful race from eternal ruin, they would have been seized with remorse and horror. But their ignorance did not remove their guilt; for it was their privilege to know and accept Jesus as their Saviour. Some of them would yet see their sin, and repent, and be converted. Some by their impenitence would make it an impossibility for the prayer of Christ to be answered for them. Yet, just the same, God’s purpose was reaching its fulfillment. Jesus was earning the right to become the advocate of men in the Father’s presence. 

     That prayer of Christ for His enemies embraced the world. It took in every sinner that had lived or should live, from the beginning of the world to the end of time. Upon all rests the guilt of crucifying the Son of God. To all, forgiveness is freely offered. “Whosoever will” may have peace with God, and inherit eternal life.  {Desire of Ages, p. 745} 

by In Light Of The Cross

Luke 22; Eternally Saved

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

Luke  22:39          And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. 

 22:40    And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. 

 22:41    And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 

 22:42    Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 

 22:43    And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 

Many times over the years my heart has been comforted by the passage below from The Desire of Ages. When my heart is broken because it appears evil is winning, I remember the angel assuring Jesus and the rest of us, that Satan will be defeated and not just a few, but multitudes will be saved, and I love the emphasis on eternally saved.

The angel came not to take the cup from Christ’s hand, but to strengthen Him to drink it, with the assurance of the Father’s love. He came to give power to the divine-human suppliant. He pointed Him to the open heavens, telling Him of the souls that would be saved as the result of His sufferings. He assured Him that His Father is greater and more powerful than Satan, that His death would result in the utter discomfiture of Satan, and that the kingdom of this world would be given to the saints of the Most High. He told Him that He would see of the travail of His soul, and be satisfied, for He would see a multitude of the human race saved, eternally saved.  {Desire of Ages, p. 693}

by In Light Of The Cross

Luke 21; What if I Gave All?

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

Luke 21:1 And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. 

 21:2       And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. 

 21:3       And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: 

 21:4       For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. 

Many years ago, one Christmas season, a good friend of mine’s daughter was having her 12th birthday. I feel sorry for people whose birthdays fall around Christmas, because they seem to get lost between the cracks. So I gave her a card and some money. In the meantime our church was sponsoring a family who had a couple of sick children in the hospital. My friend told me her daughter gave all of her birthday money that year to that family.

I remember when I was about four or five, a family came to our church who had just had a house fire. My parents were giving them some furniture, while their little boy watched me ride around on my tricycle. My dad came up to me and told me he did not have anything to play with. I had never seen this boy before, but I just hopped off my tricycle and gave it to him. A few days later, a friend of mine with two tricycles gave me theirs.

Giving is so easy when you are a child. I am asking God to help me mature as a Christian this year, but when it comes to giving, make me a child again. Here is one of my favorite songs by Ray Boltz. What if I Gave all?

by In Light Of The Cross

Luke 20; Spies Who Dress Like Sheep But Really Are Wolves

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

Luke  20:19 And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them. 

 20:20    And they watched [him], and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor. 

Do you believe Satan uses these same tactics today? You better believe he does! He will use wolves in sheep clothing who pretend to be sincere, to get you to open up to them so that they can report what you have said, and hopefully twist your words and malign your motives to destroy the work you are doing for God.

While it is true that no weapon formed against God’s people can prosper, and that the enemies of truth can do nothing but advance the truth, Satan and his spies can still cause some headaches along the way. This is why Jesus warns us, “Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.” Luke 12:3    And remember Jesus said that before there were cell phones and Facebook! Solomon in his wisdom advises, “ Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.” Ecclesiastes 10:20

  The last time I performed a baptism at church, when I changed into my robe, I did not want to leave my wallet with my clothes, so I gave it a friend to watch for me. While I would never dream of anyone in the church taking my money, there was still only a handful of people I felt comfortable leaving my wallet with. While I assume many are trustworthy, there are very few that I will put in a position where they need to prove they are trustworthy. Many of us have friends all over the country. If we must talk about a problem that is sensitive and needs secrecy, it may be best to share it with a friend who is way outside the picture rather than one who is close by. They will have less opportunity to let it slip to the wrong people, and they may even be able to give us a better neutral objective view point on the issue. Of course we have a friend in Jesus, who we can trust with all our secrets, and in reality He is the only one who can help us anyway. Also remember, evil spies cannot twist words that were never spoken.

by In Light Of The Cross

Luke 19; Jesus Does Not Overlook Anybody!

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

Luke 19:2 And, behold, [there was] a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. 

 19:3    And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 

 19:4    And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that [way]. 

 19:5    And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house. 

 19:6    And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully. 

 19:7    And when they saw [it], they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner. 

 19:8    And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore [him] fourfold. 

 19:9    And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 

 19:10  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. 

What I love about this story is how it reminds us that Jesus does not overlook anyone, no matter how small, no matter how sinful. Contemplate for a moment the perception of Jesus. He saw the widow secretly putting in her two mites. He saw Nathaniel simply praying under a tree. In a huge crowd he felt a woman brush his shoulder. He saw Zacchaeus hiding in a tree.

  Jesus knows us individually, and is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He knows us all by name. He knows the very house in which we live, the name of each occupant. He has at times given directions to His servants to go to a certain street in a certain city, to such a house, to find one of His sheep. 

     Every soul is as fully known to Jesus as if he were the only one for whom the Saviour died. The distress of every one touches His heart. The cry for aid reaches His ear. He came to draw all men unto Himself. He bids them, “Follow Me,” and His Spirit moves upon their hearts to draw them to come to Him. Many refuse to be drawn. Jesus knows who they are. He also knows who gladly hear His call, and are ready to come under His pastoral care. He says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” He cares for each one as if there were not another on the face of the earth.  {Desire of Ages, p. 480}

by In Light Of The Cross

Luke 18; The Pharisee and Publican

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

Luke 18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 

 18:10    Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 

 18:11    The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men [are], extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 

 18:12    I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 

 18:13    And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as [his] eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 

 18:14    I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 

Who do you identify with most in this story? Pride is so deceitful. A couple decades ago, I actually sat and listened to a lady brag to me about how humble she was. She had no idea what exactly she was doing. A few years later, I was visiting with a family who thought they were being perfectly humble by telling me that nobody is perfect, and then emphasizing , “NOT EVEN US!”  We all are tempted to take pride in our humility, if that even makes sense. This is why we need to ask Jesus to anoint our eyes with eyesalve so that we may see. When we see ourselves the way we really are, we will, like Paul confess that we are the chief of sinners.

It was the publican who went away justified. “ What is justification by faith? It is the work of God in laying the glory of man in the dust, and doing for man that which it is not in his power to do for himself. When men see their own nothingness, they are prepared to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ.”  {Faith I Live By 111}

It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit. If we would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of the cross.  {Desire of Ages 83} 

“When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.”

–          Isaac Watts – When I survey the Wondrous Cross

by In Light Of The Cross

Luke 17; Secret Rapture?

I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

Luke 17:33     Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. 

 17:34  I tell you, in that night there shall be two [men] in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. 

 17:35  Two [women] shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 

 17:36  Two [men] shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 

 17:37  And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body [is], thither will the eagles be gathered together. 

 

Christ’s saying that he who tries to save his life will lose it and he who gives His life will safe it. It is true everywhere. Satan wanted to kill God and anyone else who was more popular than him. He is all about preserving himself, even if it mean killing others. Satan will lose his life. Jesus, who gave His life on the cross will reign forever.

 

Many take verses 35-36 of Luke 17 to teach of a secret rapture where the saved will just disappear and be found in heaven. The Bible does not teach of a secret rapture, and even while some people try here to make a point that people are taken to heaven, Jesus plainly clarifies in verse 37 that they are not taken to heaven. When asked where, he replies “Wheresover the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.” Jesus is talking about scavengers destroying the flesh. That does not sound like heaven to me! Jesus’ explanation in Luke 17 makes His illustration in Matthew 24 even more clear.