Author: holyscript

The Secrets of Recovery

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The Secrets of Recovery

 “The Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So He drove out the man.” (Gen. 3:23,24 ).
 
The Secrets of Recovery


      How many hearts there are with some spiritual loss. They are not enjoying their Bibles as before. They have not got the same burden for prayer as once they had. 

Some weep openly and some secretly, but they have no faith to recover what they have lost. They want to recover it but they do not know how to recover it, and worse still they have lost the hope of recovery. 
They are saying in their hearts, “Maybe I will never get my former joy and peace again.” They maybe saying: ‘I can never do the Lord’s service as before’. 
What ever it may be that you have lost spiritually there is hope for you. Your loss can be recovered. Rather, you can receive much more than you have lost.

      Though in the beginning Adam lost everything, yet man is able to recover everything through our Lord Jesus Christ. In Gen. 1:28, God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden. 

He also gave him power and dominion over the whole earth and over the fish and over the birds and animals. In a very real sense he was the king of the whole earth. 
Yet in chapter 3 he was driven out as a thief and the Word of God says it was God Himself who drove him out. In the beginning he could talk to God as man to man, but now he was being driven out from the presence of God. 
He was driven out from his home in the Garden of Eden and had to surrender all his rights. What a tremendous loss! No man can estimate the loss incurred by the first man, Adam. 
But in Revelation 21 and 22, we find man ruling the new creation, which will be far more glorious than the old.

The World-Wide Commission

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The World-Wide Commission

Matthew 28: 19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 

Introduction all the world 

To the Gentiles as well as the Jews. It was contrary to the opinions of the Jews that the Gentiles should be admitted to the privileges of the Messiah‘s kingdom, or that the partition wall between them should be broken down. 

The World-Wide Commission

See Acts 22:21-22. It was long before the disciples could be trained to the belief that the gospel was to be preached to all men; and it was only by special revelation, even after this command, that Peter preached to the Gentile centurion.

Acts 10; Jesus has graciously ordered that the preaching of the gospel shall be stopped by no barriers. Wherever there is man, there it is to be proclaimed. 

To every sinner he offers life, and all the world is included in the message of mercy, and every child of Adam is offered eternal salvation.

Preach – Proclaim; make known; offer. To do this to every creature is to offer pardon and eternal life to him on the terms of the plan of mercy – through repentance, and faith in the Lord Jesus.

The gospel – The good news. The tidings of salvation. The assurance that the Messiah has come, and that sin may be forgiven and the soul saved.

To every creature – That is, to every human being. Man has no right to limit this offer to any class of men. God commands his servants to offer salvation to “all men.” If they reject, it is at their peril. 

God is not to blame if they do not choose to be saved. His mercy is manifest; his grace is boundless in offering life to a creature so guilty as a man.

Trying to spread lies to cover up Resurrection

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Trying to spread lies to cover up Resurrection

Matthew 28: 13. Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept. 


Saying, say ye his disciples came by night,… They charged them to tell everyone that should ask them about this affair; and even publish it everywhere, that the disciples of Christ came in the dead of the night,

Trying to spread lies to cover up Resurrection


and stole him away while we slept: which was a very unlikely thing, and a foolish scheme this, for such a body of men to form.

There is no show of probability in it, that the disciples, who were intimidated by the taking and putting Christ to death, and were now shut up in a house, 

for fear of the Jews, that these should venture out in the night, to take away the body of Christ, which was decently and honourably interred in a garden of one of his disciples: 

and when they knew it was guarded by a company of Roman soldiers; and who besides had no notion of his resurrection from the dead, 

nor never thought of it till he has risen, and therefore would never attempt anything of this kind, in order to give out such a report. 

Moreover, had they took it away by stealth, it is not reasonable to think that they would afterwards have reported such a lie everywhere, 

that he has risen from the dead when they were sure to obtain nothing by it, but reproach, afflictions, persecutions, and death: add to this, 

that this was never objected to them by their worst enemies, when they most strongly asserted his resurrection: nor was it a feasible account, or well put together, with respect to the watch. 

It can hardly be thought that they should be all of them asleep at once; and if they were, it is much they were not awaked by the coming up of the disciples, 

and the rolling away of the stone, and the bustle there must be in taking up the body and carrying it away; and besides, if they were asleep, and continued so, what is their evidence good for? 

for how could they know that his disciples came and took him away? if they have awaked, though too late, and saw them at a distance, 

why did not they pursue them, who might easily have been overtaken with such a burden? 

at least, why did not they search their houses for the body? and take up both the women and the disciples, and prosecute them for it? and yet nothing of this was done. 

Besides, how came to the linen clothes to be left behind? why did they take the napkin from his head, and give themselves all that trouble to unwrap the body, and carry it away naked? 

It is clear the chief priests themselves were convinced in their own minds, that he has truly risen, or they would have punished the soldiers severely for their sleep and negligence, and would never have given them money to spread such a story.

Unbelief – Mark 16 : 10

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Unbelief – Mark 16: 10

Mark 16: 10. And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11. And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. 

Unbelief - Mark 16 : 10

Mark 16:11. And when they heard. The testimony of Mary alone is related by Mark, but I am convinced that all of them in common conveyed the message in obedience to the commands of Christ. 

And even this passage confirms more fully what I have just now said, that there is no disagreement among the Evangelists when one of them specially attributes to Mary Magdalene what the other Evangelists represent as common to all the women, though not in an equal degree. 

But the disciples must have been held bound by shameful indifference so that they did not recall to their recollection that what they had often heard from their Master was accomplished. 

If the women had related anything of which they had not formerly heard, there would have been some reason for not immediately believing them in a matter which was incredible; 

but now they must have been uncommonly stupid in holding as a fable or a dream what had been so frequently promised and declared by the Son of God when eye-witnesses assured them that it was accomplished. 

Besides, their unbelief having deprived them of sound understanding, they not only refuse the light of truth but reject it as an idle fancy, as Luke tells us. 

Hence it appears that they had yielded so far to temptation, that their minds had lost nearly all relish for the words of Christ.

The Importance of the Resurrection

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The Importance of the Resurrection

John 19.28-30; 1 Corinthians 15.1-23

Introduction

The most important event in all of history and eternity is the death of Jesus Christ on the cross as a payment to God for sin. “It is finished”.

Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, preaching the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ is useless, our faith in Jesus Christ for eternal life is futile, our witness about God is false, and we are still in our sins and are eternally lost.

Without the resurrection, we Christians are to be pitied in this life more than all men for practising such an empty and useless faith. What part does the resurrection play in salvation?

The resurrection of Jesus Christ confirmed

Resurrection Happy Easter

1) The preaching and teaching of Jesus and God’s Word.
  • Validated the prophecy of Jesus, His teaching, and all of God’s Word. The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself.
  • Read it and learn what God says about eternal life.

2) God accepted the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins.
  • Seated at the right hand of God
  • Declared Lord of all creation
  • Will you voluntarily bow your knee to Lord Jesus Christ?

3) Our salvation and eternal life.
  • I can have salvation through faith in the death of Jesus Christ for my sin. Romans 10.9-10; 4.25

4) Our future resurrection.
  • Christ is the firstfruit of all who will be raised up
  • Our eternal hope is based on the death and resurrection of Christ. 1 Corinthians 15.20-23; 42-44; 49-50; 53-57


Happy Easter 


Jesus Buried

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Jesus Buried

Jesus Is Buried Later
John 19:38-39 Jesus Is Buried Later, a man named Joseph from Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. 

Jesus Buried
(Joseph was a follower of Jesus, but he did not tell anyone, because he was afraid of the Jewish leaders.) 

Pilate said Joseph could take Jesus’ body, so he came and took it away. Nicodemus went with Joseph. 

He was the man who had come to Jesus before and talked to him at night. He brought about 100 pounds of spices—a mixture of myrrh and aloes.

Joseph of Arimathea is a secret disciple. When it seems as if the movement has been squashed into the sands of history, he comes out of the closet of his fears. 

Often fear presents itself as prudence or caution in order to gain respectability. It hides behind the tradition. It warns that the devil one knows is better than the devil one does not know. 

It proclaims no gospel and warns that anarchy and innovation are two sides of the same coin.

Caution is good, but when our fears govern our actions we have lost before we have even begun to act. Fear is like farmland depleted of its nutrients. 


The same crop has grown there for so long that eventually, the land has lost its ability to produce. Today our fears take many forms: ethnicity, socioeconomic status, human sexuality, political persuasion. Our fears keep us from seeing other human beings as human beings. They keep us from living our faith.

Nicodemus, on the other hand, represents the life of faith. In the first instance (John 3:1-2), Nicodemus came by night to meet with Jesus. 

Obviously, a person of his status meeting an itinerant Galilean preacher openly would have caused heads to turn at every level of Judean society. 

Nicodemus has been moved, but he is still reluctant to be seen with Jesus. The second time Nicodemus appears (John 7:50-51) he not only publicly speaks up for Jesus, he does so before his contemporaries.

At the very least, it is obvious that Nicodemus wants his peers to treat Jesus fairly according to the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 1:16-17). 

In the third instance, Nicodemus provides for a (very expensive) proper burial for Jesus. The number of spices used to prepare Jesus for burial implied that Jesus had royal status. 

Nicodemus’ faith grows in each instance from inquirer, to advocate, to disciple. This is true faith, not mere belief.

Faith is not a one and done enterprise. It must grow and develop. If it does not, it will become stale and meaningless. If Nicodemus had not taken the first step and gone to Jesus by night, the subsequent steps would have been much more difficult for him. 

We are no different. If we do not live what we say we believe, our faith cannot grow and develop and become stronger as we go along our Christian journey.

The linen clothes symbolized purity. For example, the high priest wore linen on Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16:4; Ezekiel 10:1-8). Angels also appeared in linen dress (e.g., Daniel 10:5-6). 

Thus, this image connoted the purity of Jesus and that he had been given a proper Jewish burial. His body was placed in a tomb that had never been used, i.e., if the tomb is empty there can be no confusion whose body is missing. It also enabled them to bury Jesus on the day of Preparation, a holy day in the Jewish calendar.

Good Friday 2019

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Good Friday 2019

Three life applications from the passion and death of our saviour.

Good Friday 2019

1. The Benefits

When they had crucified him, they divided his clothes by throwing dice. (Matthew 27:35)

A. Like we learned before Romans crucified their victims naked in order to humiliate them as much as possible.

B. It was the custom of the Roman soldiers to divide the clothes of the victims among each other.

C. Jesus’ tunic was seamless, woven from top to bottom as a single piece. The soldiers cast lots to see who will get it.
Why cast lots?

Fulfilment of the Old Testament Prophecy. Psalm 22:18 says “they divided my garments among them and for my clothes they cast lots”

Unlike now in Jesus’ day, clothes and fabrics were a rare material. Therefore were very valuable.

The more criminals a Roman solider crucified the more was his reputation. They kept the victim’s clothes as a trophy.

Implications

Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money, saying, “Give me this power too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 8:18-19)

The soldiers represent the carnal minded Christian. He comes to Christ only to receive the material blessings. Don’t be like him.

The Old Testament prophecies indicate God foresaw the fall of mankind and their need for a saviour. 

Thus the birth, death and resurrection of Christ were not coincident.

2. The Grace

Then they sat down and kept guard over him there. Above his head, they put the charge against him, which read: “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.”Then two outlaws were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. (Matthew 27:36-38)

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.”And Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43)

A. Jesus was falsely accused of treason. Which is why they put the charge against him above his head which read “This is the king of Jews”.

B. These verses show that Jesus not only lived among sinners but he also died among sinners.

C. Matthew says the outlaws also hurled insults on Jesus. Luke, however, says one of them repented and Jesus promised him a place in paradise.
Why two outlaws?

Again this was the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy. Isaiah 53:12foretold Jesus will be numbered with the transgressors.

The outlaws were rebels charged with treason against the emperor. It seemed fit for the Roman soldiers to crucify Jesus between them.

To demonstrate the unfathomable depths of shame into which Jesus had to descend to earn our salvation.

Implications

The one who covers his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses them and forsakes them will find mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)
From Jesus’ conversation with the repentant outlaw, it becomes evident whoever confesses his sin to God and repent can receive grace and be saved.

3. Self Control

Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are God’s Son, come down from the cross!” (Matthew 27:39-40)

A. The mocking of Jesus occurred several times, after his trial and before his crucifixion and after.

B. The narratives of Jesus being mocked are filled with irony, while the mockery focuses on Jesus’ prophetic and kingly roles.

C. He was mocked by four groups of people while on the cross. Religious leaders, people passing by as well as the unrepentant outlaw.

Why was he mocked?

Once again this was the fulfilment of more Old Testament prophecy recorded in Psalm 22:7-8; 69:20

Mockery was a part of Jesus’ passion because he bore the shame of our guilt.

Satan attempted to get Jesus to evade the Father’s will and avoid further suffering by getting people to mock him.

Implications

A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. (Proverbs 25:28)

As the one person who had self control his entire life, Jesus exhibited it on the cross also, because his goal was to rescue us not himself. Likewise, we also need to grow self-control for God’s glory.

Conclusion

This Good Friday message calls us to evaluate ourselves in the light of the three areas mentioned below.

Did I become a Christian only to enjoy the benefits of being one?

Do I depend on my own strength more than I depend on God’s grace?

Do I need more self-control in my life to make progress toward my goals?

You will need to permit the Holy Spirit to change your lifestyle depending on your answer to these questions. In which one of these areas do you must change?

The Last Supper

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The Last Supper

Last Supper Luke 22:19-20 

Then he took some bread and thanked God for it. He broke off some pieces, gave them to the apostles and said, “This bread is my body that I am giving for you. Eat this to remember me.” In the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup of wine and said, “This wine represents the new agreement from God to his people. It will begin when my blood is poured out for you.” 

The Last Supper

The Last Supper: An Introduction 

The Last Supper is one of several major events in the earthly life of Jesus Christ that are recorded in the Bible. 

Last Supper is a description of the last meal Jesus Christ had with His disciples prior to His arrest and crucifixion on a Roman cross about 2,000 years ago. 

The Last Supper contains many significant principles and continues to be an important part of Christian lives throughout the world. 

The Last Supper: The Significance 

The Last Supper is described in three of the four New Testament Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke. 

Here are some of the life-changing highlights, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke. 

First, Jesus predicts He will suffer soon after this meal and it will be His last meal prior to finishing His work on behalf of the kingdom of God (Luke 22:15-16). 

Second, Jesus gives His followers symbols of remembrance for His body and His blood sacrificed on behalf of all mankind. 

“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me'” (Luke 22:19).  

Third, Jesus provides a very important principle for living a Christian life: the greatest are those who serve others, not those who expect to be served (Luke 22:26). 

Finally, Jesus provides hope to his followers: “and I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:29-30).  

For the last two millennia, the Last Supper has inspired people to live by faith in Jesus Christ, by serving others instead of following the worldly influences of expecting to be served.

Mary of Bethany Anoints Jesus

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Mary of Bethany Anoints Jesus

John 12:1-8 in Its Context 
Within the narrative world of John’s Gospel, this passage acquires a good deal of meaning through its connections to other scenes and themes. Mary’s gift, along with Judas’s stinginess, has greater significance because of how it participates in a series of developments. 

Mary of Bethany Anoints Jesus

Passover is near, and so too is Jesus’ “hour” (see 13:1). He spends time with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus soon after the pivotal scene of Lazarus’s revivification (11:1-44). 

That is the “sign” that brings many to believe in him (11:45; 12:9-11), many to flock to him (12:17-19), and others to plot his death (11:47-53). 

When Jesus mentions his burial in 12:7, this confirms that his end is coming. 

Yet Lazarus’s presence at the table confirms that death does not speak the final word. 

Jesus forges the connection between the anointing and his burial in 12:7, a verse that has proved challenging to render into sensible English. 

The phrasing is not helpful in its implication that Mary purchased the perfume meaning to use it for Jesus’ burial. 

Rather, Jesus suggests that Mary’s keeping the perfume in her possession and using it on him now have consequently achieved a greater, more meaningful purpose that she perhaps intended: announcing the nearness of Jesus’ death and preparing for his burial. 

The sweet smell of Mary’s perfume counters the stench of Lazarus’s tomb (11:39). 

Life and death, wholeness and corruption remain contrasted throughout both scenes. 

Mary’s wiping of Jesus’ feet prefigures the time when he will wipe the feet of his disciples (13:5). 

This reveals her as a model disciple, for the washing and wiping of feet expresses unity with Jesus (13:8) and reflects his command (13:14-15). 

Readers know from 6:70-71 that Judas is “a devil,” but John chooses this point in the narrative to reveal him as a thief (compare 13:29). 

This creates a clear opposition between him and Mary. He is false; she is true. 

He is greedy and self-serving; she is generous and ebullient in devotion.

The Secrets of God’s Glory

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The Secrets of God’s Glory

Acts 12:22. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. 

The Secrets of God's Glory

Acts 12:23. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him because he gave not God the glory, and he was eaten of worms and gave up the ghost. 

When you celebrate your achievements, you tell the whole world that you are happy with yourself and with the outcome of your efforts. Most importantly you tell them about how good the Lord has been to you. 

However, we often hear the sad news about famous people after they enter into stardom. We can make a tall list of great men in sports, academia, politics, media etc. who faced serious problems after achieving the great feat. 

The wrong handling of their success led them into alcoholism, drug abuse and various vices. Some are still battling with cocaine addiction and others have seen their untimely deaths. 

Anybody who tastes success in any field can be trapped into these misfortunes at any moment of time if not careful. Being cast in the spotlight can be dangerous.

Is it then alright to celebrate when we have excelled in our education? The answer is YES! When you experience success, celebrate. 

But it is important not to go too far in the celebration. It is important as a child of God to first and foremost acknowledge that it is by the grace of God that you were successful. 

Give Him the glory. Sincerely know that without Him you could not have been successful. Go to church and join believers in lifting up an anthem of praise to Him. It is also important to share the success.

Show gratitude to people who cheered you on and supported you, especially your parents. Be sure to thank them for all of their efforts. 

It is not wrong to say a few positive words about yourself and your accomplishment. Reward yourself with things you enjoy. Be proud of your accomplishments. But be careful your success does not get into your head. 

That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God (Ecclesiastes 3:13).