Jesus Requests Your Presence

"So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good.  And the wedding hall was filled with guests." (Matthew 22:10)

Today is the beginning of Passover.  One Bible calls this section of Matthew's Gospel, "The Final Journey."  The Cross was now looming before Jesus.  From the Bethlehem stable to this moment, the "journey" has been to the Cross.  It "started," in reality, from "eternity past."  Jesus' sojourn as, "the carpenter's son," to His "announcement" by John the Baptist, was full of many events, e.g., encountering the crowds along the way, those who plotted to kill Jesus at various times and locations.  The "Passion" of Jesus, however, was a predetermined place and time which The Blessed Trinity had set for the events of the coming week.  There was nothing nor no one who could affect "the Christ Event."  The, "dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born."  Nice try, Dragon.  It still rings through the ages, "Christus Victor!"

The glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ declares, "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, Jesus Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."  What glorious Gospel!, and the invitation in our text still goes to every person on Planet Earth, "to as many as receive[] Him."  Throughout the ages, Jesus has been calling man to Himself, from His first call to Adam, "Where are you?" to this very moment the, "Marriage Supper of the Lamb," or as it is described in another passage, "the Supper of the Great God," is open to, "both bad and good."  Praise the Living Triune God that it is, "both bad and good," otherwise I would be left out. 

Verse 12 says that Father asks one of the invited, "Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?  And he was speechless."  Don't be, "speechless...in that Day."  The, "wedding garment," is Jesus Himself.  Be clothed in Jesus and the door, the seat, and the festivities, well, someday we may hear something like, "Let the festivities begin!"

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray for my friend and me that we will have remained in You, "to the end."  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"....We...Pleaded With Him Not To Go"

"Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem." (Acts 21:12)

Paul would have none of it.  And, as with Paul, attempts to nullify the will of Jesus in our lives can come from many quarters.  There is good advice, counsel and then there is that which is just looking for "the path of least resistance," which Brother Charles Simpson once said, "makes both men and rivers crooked."  Our Lord Jesus had the same "pleadings" to not go here or there because of death threats.  The Jews were seeking to kill Jesus from early on, but Jesus, "steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem"; nothing could stop that.  As my Dad once said, "The Cross was in the Heart of God from eternity."  It was a "determined" event. 

I have said many times that the will and purposes of God "operate" in our lives something like a river with currents, backwashes, eddies.  Do not fall victim to the notion that every movement, every decision, every event in our lives is "determined," viz., we have nothing to do with anything.  This is popularized in the awful cliche, "Well, God makes no mistakes." It sounds so pious, and may seem to give "all glory to God," but the only thing such a philosophy/theology ultimately does is to attribute to God both the good and "bad."  It is like saying, "Well, I broke the law, but God makes no mistakes."  Yet regardless of the currents, backwashes, and eddies in which you and I have flowed in our life's journey, I believe the "banks on the river" are still in the Hands of Jesus Christ.  I made mistakes; you made mistakes, and we are probably not finished with mistakes.  Admit them; repent of them and walk in that spirit of repentance and pray, "Thy Kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven," because both will, "be done."  The frightening variable is, Will we miss them or be in them. 

There is and has been danger in the world from Abel and Cain on.  The moment, however, you and I give in to fear is the "moment" we will make some big mistakes.  I have no doubt that our Lord Jesus Christ laid out a "plan" for our lives, as Jesus says in a parable, "prepared for you from the foundation of the world."  We disrupted that, "prepared for you," probably many times.  How about, No more!

Father, in Jesus' Name, Holy Spirit, convict me when I take my course instead of Yours."  Amen.
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"Made His Own With His Own Blood"

"Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit made you overseers, to shepherd the Church of the Lord and God which He purchased with His own blood." (Acts 20:28)

One translation can be, "....the Church of the Lord and God which He made His own with His own blood."  You see, without the Cross, you and I would still be, "dead in trespasses and sin," under the power of the prince of darkness, slaves to him, his rebellion toward Jesus Christ and Jesus' Kingdom.  As Ephesians declares, "without Christ,...having no hope and without God in the world."

This could be the reason someone wrote, "In the cross of Christ I glory, towering o'er the wrecks of time
....Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure, by the cross are sanctified; Peace is there that knows no measure, joys that through all time abide."  The writer was a man born in 18th Century England, born just a few years after the American Revolution.  "Jesus, The Very Thought of Thee" was written by a Medieval monk, born in the 11th Century.  When "doubts and fears assail," I encourage you to remember that Jesus Christ, His Church, His Kingdom knows no end.  Since Adam, Jesus has ruled in the hearts of those who, "rejoiced to see [Jesus'] day.  They, as Jesus said (literally) of Abraham, "saw and were glad."  Jesus has been saving, delivering, keeping, sustaining, providing for His Followers from, "In the beginning."  There should be absolutely no doubt that He will continue in His Faithfulness to us.  Our text proclaims that Jesus, "made (you and me, all humanity) His own with His own blood."  Jesus did not need any "help" or "assistants" in this.  It is something of what the hymn writer said, "Jesus Paid It All." 

The power to save humanity is in Jesus' Cross and in Jesus' Cross alone.  Billy Graham called the Cross, "the pivotal point of history."  Man was familiar with the Laws of God, "the Words of God," viz., God's will for mankind, but had no power to walk in His will, His purposes for us.  There was power "released" in the Cross of Jesus which enables us to walk in what Jesus commanded, "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as Your Father in heaven is perfect."  Yes, you and I are commanded to be, "just as Your Father in heaven...."  And you know as well as I, that is a human impossibility.  "In the Cross of Christ I glory," because "In the Cross of Christ," we can be, "just as []our Father in heaven...."  I did not say that, though I accept it.  This is, and only could be, the Words of the, "Word of God," Himself, Jesus.  It would be absolutely absurd, ludicrous for any man to say such a thing, other than the "God/Man," I mean.

Now, today, what are you and I going to do with this?  You may be facing sickness, discouragement, heartache.  It is is purpose of, "the power of darkness," to destroy you and me in such battles.  Take up the theme once again in this moment: "In The Cross of Christ I Glory."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I do.  In You, Your Power, I continue this day.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Revealing A "Secret"

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."  (Psalm 91:1)

That, "secret place of the Most High," is just that: "Secret."  Do not think for a moment that it is open for just anyone to find, whether by worship, prayer, great preaching and teaching, or some great philosophical discussion.  There is no way that you nor I nor anyone on Planet Earth can know anything about that, "Place."  It is, "the secret place of the Most High," and can be "found" only by the One of Whom the Bibles says, "reveals secrets." 

Enter, the Cross of Jesus.  It was on the His Cross that Jesus "told" the "secret," unlocked the entrance to the, "secret place....I am the door.  If anyone enters by Me, He will go in and out and find pasture," aka, "the secret place."  The Bible is very clear (and I replace the pronouns with the Proper Noun here): "For it pleased the Father that in Jesus should all fullness dwell; and having made peace through the blood of Jesus' cross, by Jesus to reconcile all things unto Father; by Jesus, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." 

Nothing, not those who tell you that if you "just do this, then this will happen," can bring us to, "dwell in the secret place of the Most High."  And let me be very, very clear here: "The secret place of the Most High," is not some great "ministry," or some property of the "favored ones," or a great "anointed" worship gathering, or even that "prayer closet."  Those are all of our own creation.  "The secret place of the Most High," is the Heart of Jesus, the Body and Blood of Jesus, "Christ in you, the hope of glory."

The "place," for which you and I and all who, "hunger and thirst after righteousness," long for is nothing other than, "....the secret place of the Most High," the Blessed Trinity, the Living Triune God Himself.  And my daily life, my moment by moment existence is sustained in Jesus, Who Alone is, "the Door," to, "the secret place of the Most High."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You for inviting me to Your, "secret place."  Amen.
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* I am sending separately a great song on the Cross of Jesus. 
* Read about the bus bombing in Jerusalem at:    jhs58.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"I Have Nothing To Add To What I Have Already Said." (Judgment At Nuremburg)

"Lord, You have been our dwelling place (refuge) in all generations.  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God."  (Psalm 90:1, 2)

Every month when I read our text, I realize again that the awesomeness of the Blessed Trinity is just very simply beyond, way beyond me, "from everlasting to everlasting, You are God," and I can repeat, "from everlasting to everlasting, 'to everlasting to..........'"

I have referenced before my Dad's preaching in a "Good Friday" service in McKeesport, PA.  I had never, nor still have never heard a message about the Cross of Jesus as that message.  My Dad had faults and weaknesses, and, if you have someone you admire who does not, stop admiring him/her.  You are living what Bonhoeffer called a "wish dream", translated, "They don't exist."  Yet someone, concerning the Cross of Jesus, who can "bring it's scenes before me," is of more value to me than gold or silver.  Yes, the Cross is still shrouded in mystery, but I am so thankful for those who can at least shed a little more light on Jesus' Shed Blood and Death and Resurrection. 

The psalmist here tells us something which we cannot understand in our time/space mind.  If a person attempts to "figure out" God or, "His ways," they will live in frustration and despair.  On an episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond," his daughter asked him, "Why did God put us here."  One of Ray's attempted answer was, "Because Heaven was crowded."  Now just remember, if you or anyone else attempted to answer this question, the response would be just as absurd.

Hebrews 11 tells us of people just like you and me who dealt with the same, "glass darkly," but they pressed on through "many dangers, toils, and snares," and "kept going," kept pressing, "into the "Kingdom of the Son of His love," Jesus, until they reached that "golden shore."  So too, may you and I.  "I Stood At Calvary" the hymn writer said.  The song does not try to "explain" what he "saw"-- of course, not.  All one can do is, "having done all, to stand," and rejoice, and worship.  "Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God."  Today, I just "leave it there."

Father, in Jesus' Name, "You Are God."  That's all I need to know.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2