Category Archives: Holy Week 2019- Jesus is King

2019, Christianity, Holy Week 2019- Jesus is King, Inspiration, love, Salvation, Wisdom

Jesus is King: He is Risen!

Today is the day we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! It is marked on our calendar as ‘Easter Sunday’. Before I get into the scriptures for today, I think it is important that we have a historical understanding of Easter. The word Easter is a word of Saxon origin from the word Estra, which means goddess of the spring. Easter started as a Pagan holiday, however, in the eighth century, Anglo Saxons adopted the name Easter to designate Christ’s resurrection. Paganism represents people who practiced non-Christian religions and traditions. There are some Easter traditions that many people still practice today, and those include egg hunts, candy rabbits, and Easter baskets. The rabbit is a symbol of fertility and agility, sacred to Ostra. Now don’t get me wrong, I understand children enjoy Easter egg hunts, and people enjoy giving others Easter candy as gifts this time of year. But we really need to evaluate what is at the center of our ‘Easter Sunday’? Is the Easter bunny at the center of your ‘Easter Sunday’ or is it our Lord and Savior? Also, if we really want to be true Christians do we want to recognize Paganism and say Happy Easter, or should we say Happy Resurrection Sunday or He is Risen? This is not meant to be condemnation, but we really need to put this in perspective as Christians on what we represent. As I go through this teaching, I want you to really think of what Easter means to you, and what is at the center of your Easter Sunday.

Let’s look at Matthew 28:1-4 (NKJV) which tells us, “Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.  And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.”. There is a good bit going on here in these four verses. First, it is early on Sunday morning, and there was a great earthquake, there was a fear the guards had when this heavenly sign took place, and there was an angelic appearance. I believe that the earthquake was the time when Jesus was raised from the dead, and the earthquake was a sign from heaven. There will be many signs that we will experience before the rapture and at the end of the seven-year tribulation period. Mark 13:8 (NKJV) warns us, “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.”. We have seen much of what is mentioned in Mark 13 as we are nearing the second coming of Jesus. Too often people are more concerned about what they see on the news or hearing certain ‘prophetic’ messages of when the day of the rapture will be. However, we must be reminded that no man will know the hour when Jesus returns, only God does. Matthew 24:36 (NKJV) tells us, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”.  Too often Christians can be worried about what they see on the news and what the latest prophetic word is on when the rapture will be, we need to stop focusing on that and make sure that our hearts are ready for when it does happen.

I would now like to continue in the story of the Resurrection in the Gospel of John. If we look at John 20:1-2 (NKJV) it says, “Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.  Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.””.  I would like to point out in verse two that the disciple who Jesus loved was John, I discussed that in my previous teaching on Good Friday when Jesus entrusted John to be Mary’s son. John 20:3-10 (NKJV) goes on to tell us, “Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb.  So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first.  And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in.  Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.”.  In verse nine it tells us they did not know the scripture that Jesus must rise again. If you remember from one of my other teachings this week when I discussed the term Logos, in that teaching I also mentioned the eight I Am’s in the Gospel of John. One of those eight I Am’s is in John 11:25 (NKJV) where Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”. Jesus told us in that scripture before His crucifixion that He is the resurrection and the life.

I would now like to move on to discuss the reaction of Mary Magdalene at the tomb. John 20:11-13 (NKJV) goes onto say, “But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.””. Again, in this scripture, we see an angelic appearance just like we saw at the beginning of Matthew’s account. When the angels asked Mary why she was crying, she told them she was crying because the body of Jesus vanished, and she did not know where His body was. John 20:14-15 (NKJV) goes on to tell us, “Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.  Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.””. Jesus was right here with her at the garden that was near the tomb, however, she did not recognize Jesus at first, she thought He was a gardener. When He asked her why she was crying she again expresses her concern of the body of Jesus vanishing. He also asked her who she was seeking, and she was seeking Jesus. Continuing John 20:16 (NKJV) tells us, “Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).”. Jesus called her by name when she realized who she thought was a gardener was Jesus risen from the dead. I would like us to think back to two of the eight I Am’s I mentioned in one of my previous teachings where Jesus said He was the Good Shepherd in John 10:11, He also told us that He is the Door in John 10:9. When you look at these two I Am’s you will find out that He calls his own sheep by name, Jesus told us in John 10:3 (NKJV), “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”. When Mary was weeping to Jesus, He called her by name and she recognized that He was Jesus.

John 20:19-20 (NKJV) goes on to tell us when the Disciples see Jesus and says, “Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.”. The disciples were glad to see Jesus risen from the grave. The phrase ‘peace be with you’ was a common greeting among the Jews and it is still popular in use today. We know that Jesus brings us peace, Matthew 11:28 (AMP) tells us, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation] .”. Our religious rituals will not save us from spiritual death, only Jesus can save us from spiritual death by giving us eternal life. Continuing John 20:21-23 says, “So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”  And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.””. In these few verses, Jesus is talking about the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit which we will see take place on the Day of Pentecost in the Book of Acts. Jesus also talks about forgiveness of sins; Jesus is not giving the disciples the authority to have people go through them to be forgiven of sins but is giving them the authority to tell unbelievers that they do not have forgiveness of sins. We know that only Jesus has the authority to forgive people of their sins, and forgiveness of people’s sins is only through the blood of Jesus. One thing people of all denominations need to understand is Jesus is the one who should have the true authority over the House of God, people of the church need to look to Jesus rather than a pope or bishop. Revelation 3:7 (NKJV) confirms the authority of Jesus in the House of God, “ “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”.

I would next like to talk about the disciple Thomas and his encounter with Jesus after His resurrection. John 20:24-29 (NKJV) tells us, “Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!””. Thomas was not there when Jesus first appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, but eight days later Jesus appeared again and when Thomas put his hands on the print of nails on Jesus’s resurrected body, he believed.  John 20:29 (NKJV) continues and tells us, “Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.””. We who are truly born again believers in Jesus Christ, may not have seen Jesus but we still believe because we know His word is true and we know the power of the Holy Spirit is working today. Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV) tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”.

Lastly, I would like to discuss the Great Commission. Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV) tells us, “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”.  From this scripture, we know that Jesus has an authority that is far greater than Satan’s when you are under attack from the enemy pray in the name of Jesus with authority. He also told us we are to bring people to Christ, Jesus told us in Mark 16:15 (NKJV) “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”. Jesus also told us about the importance of salvation, part of bringing people to Christ is to get them to be saved or born again.  Mark 16:16 (NKJV) tells us, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”. Once one becomes born again, they should be encouraged to be baptized in water as an outward symbol of the old man dying and the new man through Jesus Christ coming forward, I discussed this further in one of my previous teachings on water baptism. Along with salvation and water baptism the baptism of the Holy Spirit should follow, where one received the gifts of the Holy Spirit as God gives them to us individually. In the Gospel of Mark the gift of tongues, miracles, and healing are mentioned, Mark 16:17-18 (NKJV) tells us, “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;  they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”. Therefore, we need our churches filled with the Holy Spirit today now more than ever before. The enemy is working very hard at putting people in bondage with sickness, depression, addiction, anxiety, and much more.

This was an in-depth teaching on what took place when Jesus conquered the grave. So, I must ask you what is at the center of your celebration on this Resurrection Sunday? Is it the Pagan traditions or is it Jesus Christ?  I think it is a no brainer after what I discussed in this teaching and my previous ones during Holy Week that we make Jesus Christ the center of our celebration today. Sure, it is okay to give the kids some plastic eggs with candy or have a basket of candy, but we should not let these pagan traditions blind us of the truth that is found in Jesus Christ.

2019, Christianity, Holy Week 2019- Jesus is King, Inspiration, love, Salvation, Sin, Word from God

Jesus is King: The Cross

cross at sunrise on beach-side

As you know today is Good Friday, so you can probably figure out I will be teaching on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Savior. Before I go any further, I want you to ask yourself one question, what does Good Friday really mean to me?  As I go through this teaching, I will be using scriptures from all four of the Gospels to help us get a good perspective on Good Friday. I encourage you to also take time to read the full story from all four Gospels when you have time because there is so much in these scriptures.

Let’s take a look at Matthew 27:3-9 (NKJV) which says, “Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.”. Judas was the one disciple who betrayed Jesus, he was remorseful for what he did, he had a sense of guilt and then hung himself. As I go further into my teaching, I would like you to take this into perspective. When we come to Jesus for the first time, right before we repent, we have a sense of guilt that we have done wrong through our sins. But only because of Jesus we don’t have to live in guilt because our sins are washed in the blood of Jesus when we become born again. 1 John 1:9 (NKJV) says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”. Our sins are forgiven when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and confess our sins to Him. We also need to remember to forgive ourselves and truly receive the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Let’s now look at the next part of the crucifixion story in Mark 15:2-5 (NKJV) which says, “Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.” And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.  Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!”  But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.”. One thing we must know is that Pilate did not really want to crucify Jesus Christ. He was shocked at Jesus’s silence to the accusations of the chief priests. Jesus could have tried to have given Pilate a satisfactory response to the accusations and could have been released, but Jesus just stayed silent. This shows the obedience Jesus had to His Father because Jesus knew He was to be crucified.

Mark 15:12-14 (NKJV) goes on to say, “Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?” So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!” Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!””. Pilate asked the crowd of the Jews what they wanted to be done to Jesus, and they yelled for Him to be crucified. Pilate tried reasoning with the Jews by asking what evil Jesus has done, and they only responded with crucify. This shows us that Pilate did not truly want to crucify Jesus, he was simply satisfying the people in the crowd with what they wanted to have done to Jesus.

Mark 15:16 (KJV) continues and says, “And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.”. I want you to notice the word band in this scripture, it is translated from the Greek equivalent of the Latin word ‘cohort’ which means 600 soldiers. When Mark wrote this in his Gospel it was not used technically, but to show there was a very large group of soldiers that mocked and beat Jesus. Mark 15:17-20 (NKJV) goes on to say, “And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”  Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.”. To put it simply Jesus went through a lot of torment from these soldiers, just imagine what your Lord and Savior went through here for your sins.

Now we have just seen Jesus’s trial and torment from the soldiers, now let’s look at Jesus on the cross in the Gospel of John. John 19:17-18 (NKJV) says, “And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha,  where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.”. We will find that two other men are beside Jesus on the cross in Golgotha. Luke 23:32 (NKJV) tells us, “There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death.”. So, we know there are two other criminals beside Jesus being crucified.  What types of crime did these two people commit? The answer is in Matthew 27:38 (NKJV), “Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.”. There were two other men crucified with Jesus because they were thieves. Jesus did not commit any crime; He simply gave His life for us and became sin for us so we can become saved. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”.

John 19:19-24 will go on to tell us about Jesus being given the title of ‘King of the Jews’ on His cross, and about the soldiers casting lots to divide His garments. I would like to skip to John 19:26-27 (NKJV) which says, “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.”.  This is where Jesus entrusted the Apostle John as Mary’s son, some people believe that this scripture gives Mary a level of authority like God, which we know is a false teaching from hell. Jesus could have designated any of His brothers, but He chose one of His disciples. If you read John 7:5 you will find out Jesus’s brothers did not believe He was the Son of God. John 7:5 (NKJV) tells us, “For even His brothers did not believe in Him.”.

John 19:28-29 (NKJV) continues and says, “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.”.  Jesus became thirsty and they gave Him sour vinegar on a sponge to sip on. This is portrayed in Psalms 22:15 (NKJV) which says, “My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death.”.  Additionally Psalms 69:21(NKJV) says, “They also gave me gall for my food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”. Jesus needed a drink so He could say His final words, this also shows the amount of suffering Jesus went through to die for our sins. John 19:30 (NKJV) says, “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”. Jesus told us ‘IT IS FINISHED’. The ultimate satisfice was finished. The prophet Isaiah talked about Jesus Christ a lot, you will find a lot of reference notes in the Gospels, that go back to Isaiah. Isaiah 53:12 (NKJV) tells us, “Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.”.

The end of the story for Good Friday takes us to the tomb, which John 19:42 (NKJV) tells us, “So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.”. There is so much more to the story of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ from the accounts we have in all four Gospels. So I encourage you to take some time and read them out of all four of the Gospels and reflect on it, what I have taught only scratches the surface of what you will find in your time of study in God’s Word. At the beginning of this teaching, I asked you to think to yourself what does Good Friday mean to you? Does Good Friday just mean that you get a day off work or school? For those of you who have religious spirits, does Good Friday mean it is the last Friday you can’t eat meat on during Lent? Or does it mean that the Son of God paid the ultimate price for your sins so that you could have eternal life? When one becomes born again you should have a strong desire to sin no more and seek God on corrections as you go along your walk with God. Just because you say the sinner’s prayer does not mean you can go back out and sin all you want without a care in the world. Just because you said the sinner’s prayer at an altar call does not give you a free pass to stay out of the word of God. Matthew 16:24-26 (NKJV) says, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”. I again encourage you to take some time and read the accounts of Good Friday in all four of the Gospels and really reflect on what Good Friday means to you. This might be a good opportunity to rededicate your life to Christ or seek a more serious walk with Christ.

2019, Christianity, Holy Week 2019- Jesus is King, Inspiration, Salvation, Wisdom

Jesus is King: The Concept of Logos

opened Bible to book of Isaiah with cup of coffee

In my current series this week that is focused on Jesus in the Gospels, I would like to discuss the concept of Logos. The word Logos in Greek means: word, speech, principle, or thought. The Gospel of John is a Spiritual account of Jesus, and it is the only Gospel to explain the concept of Logos. John 1:1 (NKJV) says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”. In the beginning, was the Word, God created by speaking. The Word was with God and was God. Jesus was with God from the beginning. Reading further John 1:2-3 (NKJV) says, “He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”. Without Jesus we have nothing.

John 1:14 (NKJV) goes on to say, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”. This is a very powerful verse right here. The Word became flesh, this is something thought to be impossible by the Gentiles. There are three characteristics that Jesus brings with Him. The first characteristic is glory. Hebrews 1:3 (NKJV) tells us, “who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”. The second characteristic Jesus brings with Him is grace, we know that we are saved by grace through Jesus Christ only. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (NKJV) says, “Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.  And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”. The third characteristic that Jesus brings with Him that we find in John 1:14 is truth, we know the Word of God is true. 1 John 4:6 (NKJV) tells us, “We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this, we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”. Additionally, 2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV) tells us, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”. We need to constantly be in the Word and have our trust in Jesus Christ because He is the truth. We need to be equipped with the Word every day of our lives. Ephesians 6:14(NKJV) reminds us, “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,”.

Along with the concept of Logos there is something else about Jesus that you will find in the Gospel of John that I absolutely love and would like to share with you this week as we get close to Good Friday. In the Gospel of John, you will find eight I Am’s of Jesus. Here is the list along with the scripture, I encourage you to reflect and study each of these this week:

  1. The Bread of Life
    John 6:35 (NKJV): And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.
  2. The Light of the World
    John 8:12(NKJV): Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
  3. From Above
    John 8:23 (NKJV): And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
  4. Before Abraham Was
    John 8:58 (NKJV): Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”
  5. The Door
    John 10:9 (NKJV): I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
  6. The Good Shepherd
    John 10:11 (NKJV): “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
  7. I Am
    John 10:36 (NKJV): do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
  8. The Resurrection and the Life
    John 11:25 (NKJV): Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.

Please take some time this week to reflect on the concept of Logos and reflect on these eight I Am’s of Jesus Christ. My next teaching will be on The Cross and will be posted on Good Friday.  Please be sure to subscribe to my blog!

2019, Christianity, Holy Week 2019- Jesus is King, Inspiration, love, Old Testament, Salvation, Sin, Wisdom

Jesus is King: Water Baptism and Salvation

under water with sun reflection

As I continue my teaching series this week before Resurrection Sunday, I would like to teach on Jesus’ baptism and how it impacts us.   Before looking into the baptism of Jesus, I would like to discuss one important person and that is John the Baptist. There was a false teaching back in those days where people believed that John the Baptist would be greater than or equal to Jesus Christ. This false teaching or heresy was addressed in The Gospel of John. John 1:6-8 (NKJV) tells us, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.”. Jesus is the true Light, and John the Baptist is a forerunner for Jesus. John the Baptist baptized people with water for the remission of sins, however, we know that Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit. Matthew 3:13-14 (NKJV) says, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?””. John the Baptist wanted Jesus to baptize him because he knew who Jesus was. However, we will find out that Jesus wanted to be baptized by John the Baptist. We will also find out why Jesus got baptized by him.

So why did Jesus wanted to be baptized by John the Baptist? Jesus was clearly without sin so why was it necessary? Matthew 3:15 tells us, “But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.”. Jesus got baptized so He could be identified with sinners. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”.  Reading further into the passage in Matthew, verse 16 goes on to say, “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.”. John the Baptist witnessed the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus, it appeared to be like a dove. John 1:32 (NKJV) says, “And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.” The Holy Spirit remained on Jesus during His earthly ministry, and we know that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to the disciples after His ascension as you would read in the Book of Acts. John the Baptist also got confirmation from heaven that Jesus is the Son of God, Matthews 3:17 (NKJV) tells us, “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.””.

So now that we know about what took place during the baptism of Jesus, let’s look at two key Old Testament scriptures. There are many Messianic scriptures found in the Old Testament that often get overlooked. First Isaiah 42:1 (NKJV) says, “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.”. Jesus is God’s Elect One, who He sent His Spirit upon. Matthew 3:17 is also confirmed in the Old Testament, look at Psalm 2:7 (NKJV) which says, ““I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.”.

Now that we have a background on the story of Jesus’ baptism and why He got baptized let’s look at the difference between water baptism and salvation. First, salvation needs to come before water baptism. Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV) instructs us, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.”.  Salvation is what is required of us to make it to Heaven when we die.  If water baptism was the way to heaven then we would be saying we are saved by works, which we know is false teaching. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV) tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,  not of works, lest anyone should boast.”. This would also cancel out the largely popular tradition of newly born babies being baptized in water. Pouring water over a newborn baby in a church is no greater than giving your baby a bath at home, except you don’t invite the whole family to watch your baby get a bath at home. Also, we cannot be forgiven by anyone except Jesus, and we can go directly to Jesus in prayer. We don’t need any priest, bishop, or pope to go to Jesus, simply come as you are to Him. 2 Timothy 2:5 (NKJV) says, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,”. Once we are truly saved at salvation, water baptism is an outward expression of the old man dying and the new man coming forth. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”. I encourage you this week to reflect on the following questions:

  1. Think about how this scripture impacts your specifically: 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”. 
  2. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17. Describe the transformation that took place in your life after your salvation?

I welcome you to feel free to share your comments to this post.

2019, Christianity, Healing, Holy Week 2019- Jesus is King, Inspiration, love, Salvation, Sin, Testimony, Wisdom

Jesus is King: Are You Bound Spiritually?

chains

As we are in the month of April it comes time to remember Jesus going to the cross and dying for our sins and conquering the grave. I will be giving a few teachings over the next few days about Jesus’ earthly ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection.  During His earthly ministry, He did many great things. One of the things Jesus did was preach because this was one of His purposes in His earthly ministry. Jesus said in Mark 1:38 (NKJV) “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.”. Jesus also performed many signs; He had several healings that we will find an account for in the Gospels. Many of His signs were related to healings, for example, when He healed the blind beggar, John 9:7 (NKJV) says, “And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.”. Another great sign Jesus performed was raising Lazarus from the dead.  As I was studying the story of Lazarus God put the word bondage on my heart, which is what I will be discussing in this teaching. In this teaching, we will not only look at the story of Lazarus but also why we need to be loosed from our bondage. Also, I am going to discuss eight common bondages many people, including Christians, deal with. And most importantly I will address how to be loosed from these bondages.

When Jesus went to the tomb that Lazarus was buried in there was a stone in the way. With this stone in the way there would be no way that Jesus could speak life to Lazarus, this is why He said: “Take away the stone” in John 11:39. Jesus could have called angels down to remove the stone, but He had the Jews remove the stone. Sometimes God will want us to remove the stone in our life before the breakthrough comes our way. If you look at the many miracles Jesus did in His earthly ministry you will see He wanted to get people involved in some way in their miracle. Maybe you might have to ask yourself what is He wanting me to do in my situation? If we read further into the scripture, we will find that when Lazarus was raised from the dead, He was still bound to the graveclothes. John 11:44 (NKJV) says, “And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.””. There are many born again Christians who are still bound to something and need to come loose of it, or maybe you became bound to something after you got born again. Regardless of the situation there is one person who can make you be loosed of your bondage, and His name is Jesus and He is alive and working today!

As I was studying bondage, I then obviously came across the word ‘loose’, so I got my Strong’s Concordance and dug deeper into the word ‘loose’. Jesus told us in Matthew 16:19 (NKJV), “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”. So, do you have something that needs to be loosed here on earth, before you make your way to heaven? God wants us to be loosened of our bondage because He desires us fully. Matthews 21:2-3 says, “saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.  And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”.  When we are fully loosened of our bondage God will do even greater works in our lives, therefore we need to really step back from our circumstances and look at the Spiritual roots of our circumstances and deal with the Spirit in the mighty name of Jesus!

I am going to go over eight common bondages that we could all be facing or could face. I must remind you that we live in a dark world and there are many demonic doors the enemy can use to enter our lives. Many of these problems will have a demonic spirit behind them. Therefore, we must deal with the spirit, and once we deal with the spirit the restoration can begin if we fully trust in God and His Word. I am going to warn you I am going to be to the point on these items, it is not to be offensive but to stress the importance of taking each of these to God. If we continue tolerating these things in our lives and churches, they will dominate us if they already haven’t.  I would also like to make the disclaimer that some of the problems we face can be self-inflicted also and may not have a spiritual root behind it. Therefore, it is important to seek God to properly deal with our problems in life and be open to hear His voice.  So here is my list of eight common bondages that have Spiritual roots behind them:

1.    Addiction

You might be addicted to drugs, alcohol, gaming, pornography, sexual immorality, or unhealthy food. Regardless of the addiction, it can be broken by putting your faith in Jesus and getting the Word in you daily. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV) says, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

2.    Depression

Let’s face it the Spirit of Depression is so common anymore, so many people turn to psychology and medications rather than focusing on God’s word. Don’t get me wrong it is important to follow your doctor’s recommendation, but God is above all things. If you fully put your trust in God on your depression you can be delivered, and even get off your anti-depressant (please consult with your doctor first before getting off any medications). Psalms 34:17-18 (NKJV) says, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears And delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.” If you are dealing with depression, I would encourage you to not only read but study the whole Book of Psalms.

3.    Anxiety

With as hectic as life can get, we can worry from time to time, but then some people have issues with chronic anxiety, they might even have panic attacks. When I was younger, I had issues with anxiety. I was on medication for it until one night at church I got delivered of it and never had the problem again and never needed any medication for anxiety. 1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV) says, “casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”. Another word for care is anxiety, so cast your anxiety to the Lord.

4.    Rejection

Some people might be dealing with rejection. Whether it stems from an abusive relationship, abusive parent, rejection from another person, or even self-rejection. Rejection may also lead to poor emotional health and may even lead to poor physical health. Your medical condition may not be caused by the Spirit of Infirmity but might be a result of rejection. Remember 1 Peter 2:4 (NKJV) says, “Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,”.

5.    Infirmity

If you have sickness in your body, turn to Jesus. Healing might not be instant; it might be a process. More importantly, we should not let our sickness hinder our walk with God. The enemy can use infirmities to hinder or even destroy our faith. Luke 13:12-13 (NKJV) says, “But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.”  And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight and glorified God.”. When you feel fatigued, get The Word into you. We need to get to a place when we are at our weakest, we turn to God and His Word first rather than the pill bottle. While God can use medicine and doctors to heal us, it important to always put God first in every situation even sickness.

6.    Trauma

Whether this is an emotional or physical trauma it must go in Jesus name. The bondage of trauma can come together with any of the previous five bondages I just listed. Maybe a trauma resulted in your self-rejection, or maybe a trauma resulted in anxiety or depression. Maybe a trauma resulted in arthritis, and you might have become addicted to pain medicine or alcohol. Or maybe you are suffering from arthritis because of a past injury. Regardless Jesus can heal us of both our physical and emotional traumas. Have you truly given your pain that you have buried away to Jesus? Or do you cope with it from something of this world?  Remember Mark 10:27 (CSB) says, “Looking at them, Jesus said, “With man, it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God.””.

7.    Generational Curse

You might have one of the six problems I just listed, and it might stem from a generational curse. You might have had a grandparent or great grandparent who suffered from addiction, depression, or anxiety. Or maybe someone in your bloodline had cancer or another disease that you are dealing with right now. Generational curses can run up to the third or fourth generation. Exodus 20:5 (NKJV) says, “you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,”. When one becomes born again, they should not only ask for forgiveness of their own sins but also the sins of their ancestors that run in their bloodlines. John 8:36 (NKJV) says, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”.

8.    Religious Spirits

Oh man, I can really go into this one! Christianity is not a religion; it is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Many people get stuck on tradition and man-made doctrine and fail to truly accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. If you look back to Jesus’ earthly ministry you will see that the Jews did not accept Him because they were stuck in tradition and because they were looking at human standards.  A question I would like to challenge you on is why do the Catholics have mass at every service? Mass is the continued sacrifice of the cross, why are Catholics continuing to redo this sacrifice today? There is no need to because Jesus said, “It is finished”. I am calling on the Catholic Church in general because the Catholic Church is the largest seed planter of Religious Spirits that are straight from the pit of hell. Let me be clear I love all people of all denominations, but people need to wake up and read their Bible and realize the truth and be set free. Romans 10:3 (NKJV) says, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.”.

I am hoping by me listing some common bondages you might be able to realize that you have some in your life, or maybe a loved one has them in their life. Regardless, these bondages can be broken in the name of Jesus.  Galatians 5:1 (NKJV) tells us, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”. God loves you so much that is why He sent His only Son to save us, to heal us, to deliver us, and to set us free. He sent His Son to die on the cross for us, and His Son conquered the grave. John 3:16 (NKJV) tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”. I encourage you to take some time in prayer and seek God to be delivered of any of these eight bondages I just discussed with you. Also ask God to reveal areas of your life that you need to correct so there can be fewer doors for the enemy to enter in through. Finally, be sure to be in The Word everyday of your life as much as you possibly can along with prayer and worship.