Blog 09-13-2011

Tuesday

 PRaP 09-13-2011  

           

 250 Events In The Life Of Christ/ A Harmony Of The Gospels Part 230

Section 3: Death And Resurrection Of Jesus Christ

“Jesus Stands Before Pilate”

Matthew: 27:11-14

Mark 15:2-5

Luke 23:1-5

John 18:28-37

 

John:

²⁸ Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. ²⁹ So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”

 ³⁰ “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”

 ³¹ Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”

   “But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected. ³² This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die.

 ³³ Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

   ³⁴ “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?”

 ³⁵ “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”

 ³⁶ Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

 ³⁷ “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

   Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”

 

Pilate asked Jesus straightforward and Jesus gave him a straight answer.  Jesus is a king, but not of this world.  There seems to be no question in Pilate’s mind that Jesus spoke the truth and was innocent of any crime.  It also seems apparent that while recognizing the Truth, Pilate chose to reject Him.  It is a tragedy when we fail to recognize the Truth.  It is a greater tragedy to recognize the Truth and fail to heed it.

Pilate was cynical; he thought that all truth was relative.  To many government officials; truth was whatever the majority of people agreed with or whatever helped advance their own personal power and political goals.  Sounds a lot like today doesn’t it?  When there is no basis for Truth, there is no basis for moral right and wrong.  Justice becomes whatever works or whatever helps those in power.  In Jesus and His Word we have a standard for truth and our moral behavior.  But in our world today it seems we have slipped back into the times of Pilate.  It seems that whatever the majority thinks is right and true is accepted as right and true even if it doesn’t line up with the Word of God.  Politicians speak words that tickle the ears just to get you to vote for them again and again, especially those who have the most to lose.  It doesn’t just happen in the political side of our society it happens everyday within the world’s people.  God has laid out very clear and simple rules of life with Him and yet we fail daily to follow them.  How do you choose your moral standards?  You may say they are Biblical but are they really?  You may say that you aren’t hurting anyone by the way you live but you break the heart of Jesus if you are not following the plan that has been given you.  So you are hurting someone.  If you think you are doing the right thing.  Line it up and check it out.  If you find fault in your way, switch to His way and it will go well with you.

Peace and Agape Love,

Pastor Steve

Blog 07-29-2011

Friday

 PRaP 07-29-2011  

 

 250 Events In The Life Of Christ/ A Harmony Of The Gospels Part 206

Section 2: Message And Ministry Of Jesus

“Jesus Tells About The Final Judgment”

Matthew 25:31-46

 

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

   ³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

   ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

   ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

   ⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

   ⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

   ⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

   ⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

 

Baaaa Baaaa Baaaa! For when you see someone hungry feed them and when someone is thirsty give them drink and when someone is naked clothe them. Not just in the physical but in the spiritual as well. Many come to you hungry for the Word yet you send them away empty and so many come to you from the world thirsting for Truth and you send them away thirsty and some come naked and raw yet you do not cover them. REPENT and take care of those to whom the Lord has brought you. You can’t have Salvation in Christ and not share it for that isn’t salvation at all. For Salvation is a heart renewal and your life is for the work of Christ and no longer of your own or of the world. Christ alone gives and takes and by His hand shall you feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty and clothe the naked.

 

We will begin section 3 next week on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

Peace and Agape love,

Pastor Steve

Blog 05-23-2011

Monday

PRaP 05-23-2011  

 

250 Events In The Life Of Christ/ A Harmony Of The Gospels Part 188

Section 2: Message And Ministry Of Jesus

“Jesus Says The Disciples Can Pray About Anything”

Matthew 21:18-22     

Mark 11:20-26

 

Matthew:

¹⁸ Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. ¹⁹ Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

 ²⁰ When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

 ²¹ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. ²² If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

 

Mark:

²⁰ In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. ²¹ Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

   ²² “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³ “Truly^[a] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ²⁵ And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

 

Many have wondered about Jesus’ statement that if we have faith and don’t doubt, we can move mountains.  Jesus, of course, was not suggesting that His followers use prayer as “magic” and perform unrealistic “mountain moving” acts, instead He was making a strong point about the disciples and our own lack of faith.  Also this isn’t a blank check and no guarantee that we can get anything we want by simply asking Jesus and believing.  God does not grant us requests that will hurt us or others or that would violate His own nature or will.  To be fulfilled, our requests must be in harmony with the principles of God’s kingdom.  The stronger our belief, the more likely our prayers will be in line with God’s will for our life and then God will be happy to grant them.  What kinds of mountains do you face in your life?  Have you talked to God about them?  How strong is your faith?

Peace and Agape Love,

Pastor Steve

Blog 05-20-2011

Friday

PRaP 05-20-2011  

 

250 Events In The Life Of Christ/ A Harmony Of The Gospels Part 187

Section 2: Message And Ministry Of Jesus

“Jesus Summarizes His Message”

John 12:44-50

 

⁴⁴ Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. ⁴⁵ The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. ⁴⁶ I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

   ⁴⁷ “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁴⁸ There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. ⁴⁹ For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. ⁵⁰ I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

 

By these words we do not need to judge others for they judge themselves with their actions.  How they speak and how they live their lives speaks volumes and we need not say a word for The Word has judged them completely.  We need to judge ourselves for how we choose to live our lives that on the day of judgment we can come in with clean conscience knowing we have loved Christ and His plan for our lives will be fulfilled and we will have a genuine joy free of guilt.  Now that’s something for you to chew on this weekend!

 

Peace and Agape Love,

Pastor Steve

Blog 12-14-2010

Tuesday

PRaP 12-14-10

 

250 Events In The Life Of Christ/ A Harmony Of The Gospels Part 101

Section 2: Message And Ministry Of Jesus

“Many Disciples Desert Jesus”

John 6:60-71

 

⁶⁰ On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

 ⁶¹ Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? ⁶² Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! ⁶³ The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit^[a] and life. ⁶⁴ Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. ⁶⁵ He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”

 ⁶⁶ From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

   ⁶⁷ “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

 ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹ We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

 ⁷⁰ Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” ⁷¹ (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)

 

This is a scripture that holds true even today.  When you have a man or woman of God that speaks Truth into people’s lives and the teachings get hard most of who were there will leave because they aren’t true believers.  Spiritual Truths of Christ are not easy for everyone to understand or to hold on to and even when you think you have their attention it is lost on a hard teaching. This is why churches fail and this is why many churches still preach the easy lessons of milk and not meat.  Their bottom line depends upon people staying in those pews so they will teach all the happy things of Christ and not the things that make them think and grow spiritually.  We have to have a balanced diet of milk and meat not just all milk and not just all meat.  You even sometimes have to throw a little honey in the mix to give it a different flavor to keep people nutritionally sound spiritually.  I have seen this time and again over the last ten years of ministry and I am guilty of slamming down the slab of meat without adding milk or honey and have lost many.  If you are a pastor and you only feed your members meat they will grow fat and lazy with no desire to hear more nor will they even be able to reach for the goal because they can’t climb the mountain.  It will be the same way with feeding them all milk they will never mature enough to learn to walk in faith up that hill and they too will become fat and lazy.  But if you give them a regular diet of milk meat and an occasional dessert of honey you will have a lean mean spiritual machine and they will be out there kicking the devils assets into the ground and there will be plenty to go around and many will come to walk in Christ and know Him like no other before them.  The church needs to come together as one body with many parts spread out all over the world to efficiently and completely finish the work that has been laid before us.  Go out into the world and make disciples of everyone to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Oh wait I’ve heard this before!  It is the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) set fourth before us by Jesus Christ.

Stay tuned God has a message for you!

 

Peace and Agape Love,

Pastor Steve

 

Blog 12-10-2010

Friday

PRaP 12-10-10

 

250 Events In The Life Of Christ/ A Harmony Of The Gospels Part 99

Section 2: Message And Ministry Of Jesus

“Jesus Is The True Bread From Heaven”

John 6:22-40

 

²² The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. ²³ Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. ²⁴ Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

 ²⁵ When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

 ²⁶ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. ²⁷ Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

 ²⁸ Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

 ²⁹ Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

 ³⁰ So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? ³¹ Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’^[a]”

 ³² Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

 ³⁴ “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

 ³⁵ Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ³⁶ But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. ³⁷ All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰ For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

 

Jesus is the Bread of life itself.  You will never go hungry or thirst.  The Father in heaven gives to Him those He chooses.  Are you one of those who have been chosen?  Have you been called by the Father to eat the bread and drink the water of life?  Do you profit from your calling?  If you do then I question the call.  Is your calling a job?  If so then it is a job and not a call.  If you are called then you do it freely.  You freely give because you have freely been given.  Freely eat of the Bread and drink of the Water but do not take it and sell it but give it freely unto the world that they may eat at the table of the Lord in their eternity.  Are you grumbling?  Stay tuned God has a message for you.

 

Peace and Agape Love,

Pastor Steve

Blog 12-03-2010

Friday

PRaP 12-03-10

 

250 Events In The Life Of Christ/ A Harmony Of The Gospels Part 94

Section 2: Message And Ministry Of Jesus

“Jesus Prepares The Disciples For Persecution”

Matthew 10:17-42

 

¹⁷ Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. ¹⁸ On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, ²⁰ for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

   ²¹ “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. ²² You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ²³ When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

   ²⁴ “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

 

That was just a small part of our reading today.  These words are not just for the Disciples of that time.  These words hold true for all who share the Gospel.  When’s the last time you shared the Truth about Jesus Christ out in public and were not afraid of the consequences?  I tell you the truth there will come a time that I do not know of that all who speak the name of Jesus Christ in public will be subject to persecution.  Ladies and gentlemen we are in a time that our brothers and sisters in Christ are suffering persecution for speaking the Holy Name of Christ on the streets.  We have brothers and sisters that have to speak His name only in the darkness of night gathered in hiding to speak His name.  There are less and less public arenas that you can speak the Truth of Jesus Christ and these are things that must take place before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

²⁶ “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. ²⁸ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.^{[a] 30} And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

   ³² “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.

 

Peace and Agape Love,

Pastor Steve

           

Blog 10-13-2010

Wednesday

PRaP 10-13-2010

 

250 Events In The Life Of Christ/ A Harmony Of The Gospels Part 65

Section 2: Message And Ministry Of Jesus

“Jesus Teaches About The Way To Heaven”

Matthew 7:13-14

 

¹³“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

 

Jesus is saying here that He is the only way to heaven.  You must come through Him to get to the eternal life that is promised in God’s Word.  Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life and no one may have eternal life except through Him.  So knowing this information wouldn’t it be in your best interest to find Him?  It is up to each individual person to make the choice to follow Him.  It doesn’t matter what Church you go to it doesn’t matter what denomination you call yourself.  It doesn’t matter your status in the community or how much money you give.  It doesn’t matter what your family does or how many times you parents beat you.  It doesn’t matter how good you think you are you are never going to be good enough without Christ in your life.  Jesus holds the key to your eternity and the only way to get to that key is by repenting and believing and once you do that with an open heart to receive this free gift of Salvation you will be directed on the path to the narrow gate where Christ will be standing waiting for your arrival to eternity with Him.

 

Peace and Agape Love,

Steve

Blog 01-19-2010

Tuesday

PRaP 01-19-2010

 

“The Truth”

 

We say the truth will set you free.  Well yes the Truth will set you free.  When you know the Truth you spread the Truth and when you spread the actual Truth many will call you radical, not in touch with reality, in need of a physician that can prescribe medication.  They even send threatening letters and emails trying to stop you.  Why am I radical?

Pronunciation: \ˈra-di-kəl\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin radicalis, from Latin radic-, radix root — more at root

Date: 14th century

1 : of, relating to, or proceeding from a root: as a (1) : of or growing from the root of a plant <radical tubers> (2) : growing from the base of a stem, from a rootlike stem, or from a stem that does not rise above the ground <radical leaves> b : of, relating to, or constituting a linguistic root c : of or relating to a mathematical root d : designed to remove the root of a disease or all diseased and potentially diseased tissue <radical surgery> <radical mastectomy >
2 : of or relating to the origin : fundamental
3 a : marked by a considerable departure from the usual or traditional : extreme b : tending or disposed to make extreme changes in existing views, habits, conditions, or institutions c : of, relating to, or constituting a political group associated with views, practices, and policies of extreme change d : advocating extreme measures to retain or restore a political state of affairs <the radical right>
4 slang : excellent, cool

— rad·i·cal·ness noun

 

In the first description I can say that I am from the root of Christ but that would mean I was from His family and that is considered to be a radical view of things.  The Bible says we are all grafted in from the same vine so therefore making us all brothers and sisters of Christ now why is that so radical?  When a good vine grows it begins to radically sprout and produce good fruit and the roots grow deep and sends tubers of the radical kind from the root to grow more vines of good fruit.  What is so radical about that?  The 3^rd description (a) of radical describes me because I teach the Truth of how Christ wants us to live.  But I personally think it is number 4.  Being radical with the Truth can set you free!  Changing your life for Good is most excellent and cool if you can succeed in doing so.  It’s not going to be easy but the rewards of Christ cannot be matched here on Earth.  Get radical in the Truth and the Truth will set you free and when Jesus sets you free you are free indeed.

 

Ephesians 4

 

Key Verse:

Ephesians 4:15
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Ephesians 4:14-16 (in Context) Ephesians 4 (Whole Chapter)

 

Peace and Agape Love,

Pastor Steve

Blog 10-30-2009

Friday

PRaP 10-30-2009

 

“Being A Light”

 

What does being a light in the darkness in the name of Jesus Christ mean to you?  I don’t think I have ever discussed this with you guys.  This is the tag line on our web site at c2C Ministry.  Being a light in the darkness for Jesus Christ means to me what is written in the book of Matthew about being the salt and the light, the city on a hill that is always shining.  A beacon of hope for those who have only been in the darkness and do not understand the Light and fear the Light.  A gentle yet sometime stearn voice in the darkness reaching out to someone who is lost in their darkness.  A piece of sand paper that softens rough edges upon the ones who are in the Light yet still has that dark patch on their root.  Being this light for Christ is my world.  Him centered here with me that I may follow His will to share His love and His way and His Truth and the Life that only can come from Him.  Being a light to me is being flexible in what is believed without falling from the Truth.  Being a light is gaining the wisdom and knowledge of the world that I may serve Jesus Christ in the best way that I can serve Him.  Speaking the Truth no matter who is offended by it, even if I am offended by it.  Continuing to grow in Light that I may someday be with the Light and to take as many other lights with me when His time has come to return and be King of kings and Lord of lords.  Being a light in the darkness for Jesus Christ is not just a tag line on a web site for me, it is who I am and who God has chosen me to be, still being shaped and molded, still be educated and educatable, never closing my mind to expanding His kingdom for all who pass through these gates.  Will c2C Ministry cease to exist?  Only on the day that I take my last breath and am with Jesus in His mansion in the sky.  Upon that time that He chooses to do so will be the time for someone else to take my place and to follow the path that Christ has lead them down to begin their season as the light in the darkness in the name of Jesus Christ.  All I want is for someone to come up to me and mistake me for Him.  That my light shine so bright that when they look into my eyes all they see is Christ that lives in me.  That when they touch my hand that all they can feel is the Jesus that flows through me.  That the sound of my voice isn’t mine but His as He speaks through me.  That when people watch my walk that it is like His because He is the center of my life.  That is what being a light in the darkness in the name of Jesus Christ.

 

Matthew 5

 

Matthew 5:13-16

Salt and Light

 13″You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

 14″You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

 

Jesus Bless,

Pastor Steve