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Change Through The Sufferings Of Christ

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John 19:1-6

[1] Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
[2] And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
[3] And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
[4] Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.
[5] Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!
[6] When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him.

Genesis 22:7-13

[7] And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
[8] And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
[9] And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
[10] And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
[11] And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
[12] And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
[13] And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

Horns were as a sign of strength and power (authority). The symbol of sheep is a sign of humility. The sheep mentioned here is made in reference to a ram (male) instead of a ewe (female). The ram shows the foreshadowing of Christ. Here is the ram caught about the horns (head) in a thicket (bushes or branches) prior to its sacrifice, thus revealing the crown of thorns.

John 19:31-33

[31] The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
[32] Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
[33] But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:

Psalms 34:18-20

[18] The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
[19] Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
[20] He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.As we read this, we recognize the fruit of the new man: it is what we have become through Christ and what we consume to live!

In Pilates not allowing the legs to be broken, the scripture in Psalms was fulfilled, thus demonstrating the favor of God.

John 19:34-38

[34] But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
[35] And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
[36] For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.
[37] And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
[38] And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.

This scripture showed that Christ laid down His life of himself. It broke the fountain of life! The blood and water flowed out, signifying the two great benefits to which believers partake of daily: justification and sanctification. The blood of Christ is for our atonement while the water (of the spirit) is for the purification and stirring of the gifts and callings that flow continually. It is also important to remember that the waters of  the spirit flow continually and are a refresher for whomsoever is in need of the comforter (Holy Ghost).

Matthew 27:50-54

[50] Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
[51] And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
[52] And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
[53] And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
[54] Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

The power of the living God came before the tomb and was a powerful move of God when Jesus gave up the ghost! That same resurrection power is here to heal your life and raise the spiritually dead!

Mark 15:15-17

[15] And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
[16] And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.
[17] And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,

The scourging was by tradition 40 lashes minus one. The strap was usually split up into several ends with the tips combined with sharpened lamb bones, stones, and glass. This weapon inflicted great suffering and affliction, all for our healing (1 Peter 2:24).

Mark 15:21-22

[21] And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.
[22] And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.

Simons walk with Christ (in His suffering) demonstrates the love and humility that was demonstrated towards man, thus showing the fellowship that God has wanted from the beginning.

Luke 23:39-43

[39] And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
[40] But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
[41] And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
[42] And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
[43] And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

The two thieves remind me of how that man has failed all the way even unto death (at times) and how yet that God still has extended mercy for every person for that present moment. As the scripture has made known and we have conveyed continually, there is no better time than now than to begin your life with Jesus Christ!

Steps For A Blessed Life

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Matthew 5:1-3

[1] And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
[2] And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
[3] Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Those who have a conscious need or (1) Humility. When we begin to apply humility, our view of what is important begins to be lowered and our lives can start to be humbled by God. This is an important step because without it we cannot unlock love and compassion for others!

Matthew 5:4

[4] Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

(2)Penitence (mourning for sin) – or mourning in faith for the comfort of God. When we practice penitence, it brings remorse for the sins we have committed and allows us to repent (or turn back) to God. If we learn to look at ourselves and recognize our mistakes, it helps us to not be afraid or to actually get down to our problems and allow God to help us with them.

Matthew 5:5

[5] Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

The birth of a new spirit in you through (3) Meekness. Meekness in use will become submissive humbleness, and how powerful that can be in your walk with God! We will learn to become patient in our trials and learn to be humble and know that God is surely with us. This will help us to cling to God and not search beyond that!

Matthew 5:6

[6] Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Growth – through a (4) Spiritual Appetite through the seeking after God. An appetite represents a strong desire for something, and we have a strong desire for God we will not be easily moved by anything (regardless of what we could define here)!

Matthew 5:7

[7] Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

An attribute of God that demonstrates (5) Mercifulness. Mercy is complete and total compassion. When we have compassion on others, we’ll look beyond their faults and help them find God and get them to a place where they are on the stable foundation (with a strong spiritual rooted life as well).

Matthew 5:8

[8] Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

An attainment of higher attitudes, where comes the vision of God, comes the (6) Purity of Heart. Purity is the freedom from contamination. When our heart is clean and not corrupted with what could come to break it, God can use a vessel that is strong and able to continue and endure!

Matthew 5:9

[9] Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

A Christ-like influence calming life’s storms is (7) Peacemaking. Peacemaking is applied practice in making peace and settling disputes. All that you ever hear is more disputes being made. God wants us to be peacemakers; for when we walk to please others and love them, it demonstrates God within you.

Matthew 5:10-12

[10] Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[11] Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
[12] Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Reaching the pinnacle, when you are able to endure the (8) Suffering for Christ! When we learn to bear the pain and distress of being obedient vessels, it allows us to continue going forward to fight the good fight for those who need God and not the fight within ourselves!

A couple supplemental readings worth mentioning:

Psalms 149:4

[4] For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

1 Peter 3:3-4

[3] Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
[4] But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

When we stop worrying about the condition of what we see in people and get down to the condition of their heart, we can really begin to execute the true mission of Christ: that the world through Him would be saved!

Strength From Humility

Before I begin, let me define my title:

Strength – the quality or state of being strong: capacity for exertion or endurance

Humility – a disposition to be humble; a lack of false pride

In the fast paced world that we exist in today, you rarely hear acts of true humility. More time is spent telling you about the stories of despair, tragedy, and destruction. Not that I am taking anything away from that, there (to me) has been such a loss of focus on the great acts that still take place every day.

Along with listening to constant negativity, I find it very hard to see anything good from anyone anymore. In fact, everything that comes to me in conversation is always about what they are going through, who they have a problem with, who doesn’t like them, what makes them upset, what drives them crazy, the list goes on and on. Here is the part that leaves me heavy hearted. There are all kinds of people out there, who stand in terrible need, and yet never get anything but the tough treatment and neglect from everyone. These kinds of people don’t have enough willpower within themselves anymore to be able to stand on one’s own and be able to handle is in front of them. They are desperate for help, and get passed on by. They are looking for humility from others so that they can receive something they don’t have within: Strength.

I know you think I’m going to take a laid back perspective, and say things that we should do, that no one actually will perform. Not only am I going to stray from that view, I will surprise you with this concept:

A self-centered personality can be easily lessened in one’s life by finding strength from humility.

If life is always about you, then you can’t possibly be of help to others. More boldly, if life is always about what you need, how can you ever hear God’s voice telling you to help the person right in front of you?

Let me give you 2 verses to support my following statement:

Proverbs 22:4

[4] By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.

1st Chronicles 16:27

[27] Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.

Here is the last part I will leave you with today. If we can take more moments in our life to not just worry about ourselves, but applying Godly humility to others: that is, leading them to a source that will last them far beyond just a little help from just you. And in that Godly humility that you show to someone else, not only will you get strength, but God will strengthen you, and add blessings upon blessings to your life. Just like the old adage, it’s always better to give then receive! And now it should all make sense, strength from humility! God Bless!

Make The Effort

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I would like today’s message to be simple, and to just be the exact statements that God has put on my heart. I tried to figure out a way to say it that it would be not offensive or provocative, but there is no real way to get around the truth other than to just say it. I come to you today with a very heavy heart. I have been broken inside from the things that I have sat around and pondered on.

You see, the reality of everything that I know is that my life would have never had the wonderful transformation without the intervention of God and its people. In other words, I would still be addicted to drugs and alcohol, would still be bound in that old depression and confusion, and more than likely would not be alive today. I will never be able to get around this, and will always remember where I have come from. I say all of that because every single day, I see and think about people that I know could have that same change done in their lives, but it doesn’t seem to happen like it did for me.

So in that, I am seeking and looking for myself as to which why I might be the holdup with that. And when I began to seek, the scriptures I am about to read came to mind.

1 Peter 5:1-11

1 – The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

2 – Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy Lucre, but of a ready mind;

3 – Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

4 – And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

5 – Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

6 – Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

7 – Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

8 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

9 – Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

10 – But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

11 – To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

There are so many present sufferings all around us, to which most of them seem to not have a solution. Rather than trying to be of help in most cases, we join in with the popular opinion, simply because it is easier on you and I to not get involved and help anyone. I know that this sounds so harsh even now, but I am one to not hide the truth. The truth is that people need our help every single day, without wavering. So many people are on the brink of suicide that we cannot even see, and yet, with our obedience could save them. There are others that just need a good friend, and yet, with our disobedience could lead them to a deeper depressed state.

If there is anyone around you that you know NEEDS your help, I urge you to get out of your comfort zone and reach out to them. It is never too late to lend a helping hand. It is never too late to lead someone to Christ. Don’t let the enemy devour up any more of our people. Don’t let the enemy let people be persuaded in these horrible mental states, which put themselves in a pit, ready to be taken from us and this world. Make the effort to win hearts to Christ, just as someone did for you. Show the same love and kindness. Never give up on the fight to see them saved. I encourage you this day.