Don't think persecution is coming?
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
SALVATION REQUIRES LOOKING UPON HIM WHOM WE PIERCED!
Zachariah 12:8 In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the LORD before them. 9 It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. (NKJV)
10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. (NKJV)
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
WHY AM I NOT PREACHING A PALM SUNDAY SERMON ON PALM SUNDAY?
Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem is both a high and low point in His earthly ministry. One moment they are crying - "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' Hosanna in the highest" (Matt. 21:9) and within a few short days we hear - "Pilate said to them, 'What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?' They all said to him, 'let Him be crucified!'" (Matt. 27:22). The triumphal entry is an important fulfillment of prophecy as it quotes from Zach. 9:9 predicting the king coming "lowly and riding on a donkey" (Matt. 21:5). The prophetic fulfillment is a fact, but so is the failure of the people to understand Jesus' message and mission. The more Jesus' mission unfolds the more the people's misunderstanding and sin will become evident.
The cross becomes even more significant when the failure of the people to truly embrace the King is understood. They think they need a political/military king to free them from the Romans and corrupt Jewish leadership, but Jesus knows what they need is a savior from sin - the cross! How does one who worshipped Him one day and cried crucify Him several days later find hope and forgiveness? The Cross! This is why I choose to spend one of the few times many people come to church in the year (Palm Sunday) to focus on Jesus' crucifixion rather than His triumphal entry. It is the crucifixion where God's wrath is satisfied and the glory of God's grace in Jesus is on display. This is the centerpiece of all creation and can't be over emphasized!
If we understand and accept what the cross is about, we will be on Jesus' side when He comes to reign. If we only hear about the triumphal entry and the resurrection without embracing and celebrating the cross and Jesus' payment for our sin, we will find ourselves among the conquered when Jesus returns to reign.
One solution would be to have the week between Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday serve as a week of revival. By spending a week on the events leading up to the crucifixion the whole story could be covered in chronological order without missing the most important thing - Jesus' sacrifice for sin on the cross. Of course the Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday only attendees would probably not attend many midweek services anyway. As usual, my plans are less then perfect.
Thanks be to God for His perfect plan that culminated on the cross!
The cross becomes even more significant when the failure of the people to truly embrace the King is understood. They think they need a political/military king to free them from the Romans and corrupt Jewish leadership, but Jesus knows what they need is a savior from sin - the cross! How does one who worshipped Him one day and cried crucify Him several days later find hope and forgiveness? The Cross! This is why I choose to spend one of the few times many people come to church in the year (Palm Sunday) to focus on Jesus' crucifixion rather than His triumphal entry. It is the crucifixion where God's wrath is satisfied and the glory of God's grace in Jesus is on display. This is the centerpiece of all creation and can't be over emphasized!
If we understand and accept what the cross is about, we will be on Jesus' side when He comes to reign. If we only hear about the triumphal entry and the resurrection without embracing and celebrating the cross and Jesus' payment for our sin, we will find ourselves among the conquered when Jesus returns to reign.
One solution would be to have the week between Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday serve as a week of revival. By spending a week on the events leading up to the crucifixion the whole story could be covered in chronological order without missing the most important thing - Jesus' sacrifice for sin on the cross. Of course the Palm Sunday and Resurrection Sunday only attendees would probably not attend many midweek services anyway. As usual, my plans are less then perfect.
Thanks be to God for His perfect plan that culminated on the cross!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Martin Luther Movie Clip
I have mentioned this movie several times while teaching. Here is a short clip!
Monday, April 4, 2011
ESCAPE HELL OR CHERISH JESUS
As we enter the time of year when we focus even more on the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it seems wise to ask if our response to His sacrifice is appropriate. If our eternal life (after death/glorification) will look anything like what we read in Revelation 20-22 then the main attraction will be God and the main activity will be worship. What place does He have in our lives now?
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