Something Greater

Hearing and Measuring "Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you." Mark 4:24 (ESV) The King James Version of this verse more accurately follows the original Greek: "Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given." Mark 4:24 (KJV) The emphasis of this verse is upon hearing with understanding . Jesus earlier ended a message to a crowd by saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." (Mark 4:9) The disciples of Jesus lacked understanding, just as much as the crowd. They asked Him to explain why he spoke obscurely, using symbolic stories or parables, rather than plain, simple language. His answer indicated that the stories were a proof or test: "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that they may indeed see but not ...

So You Also Must Forgive "Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." Colossians 3:13 (ESV) Paul says in Ephesians 4:32 that God forgives us on the basis of the sacrifice of Christ. Forgiveness of our sin cost God the life of His Son. In Colossians 3:13, Paul says that Jesus Christ, the Lord, has forgiven us on the basis of His own personal death . As the Lord has forgiven us, so we are to forgive others . On what basis? On our death? Yes . Becoming a Christian means complete identification with Jesus Christ, a radical return to the Original Plan in which God created us in His image. We are spiritually immersed into all that Christ is and does. We are spiritually baptized into His death, burial, and resurrection. We no longer live to ourselves, but to Christ . We have died to ourselves , yet we live in Christ. "Now if we have died with Christ, we be...

Prepared for Death "Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed." Luke 2:34-35 (ESV) "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29 (ESV) "Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Matt 26:26-28 (ESV) Jesus was born to die, and He knew it . His death was preached by prophets centuries before His birth. He was described as a Sacrifice and a Lamb for slaughter . I believe Jesus knew His destiny even when He was still an unborn baby . Every lullaby sang by his ...

The Suffering Savior: Isaiah 53 There is a tragic tendency of organized religion to minimize God's involvement in the death of Jesus . Even more offensive is to ignore or conceal God's intense indignation against sin, together with His awesome and incredible desire to see sinful mankind rescued from His own wrath. The plan of God to rescue us from His own wrath required that a perfect human, God's Servant , take upon Himself that wrath, as an offering for our sin, much like an innocent lamb is slaughtered as an offering. But God's Servant is much, much more than an innocent lamb. The One chosen by God to bear the sins of the world was One adored by God : Jesus Christ the Son of God. Isaiah describes a vivid picture both of the indignant wrath of God against our sin and His anguish in seeing His Son pay for our sin. Understanding the 53rd chapter of Isaiah's revelation is best understood by looking first at chapter 52. Through revelation to Isaiah...

A Psalm of Gratitude For my sin, O God, You have not of me required payment. All of Your justice and sovereignty demand that I be punished to death for my sin against You. Yet upon me You place no punishment. I have been ignorant, willfully ignorant of Your sovereignty over me. I have rejected and quenched Your Spirit as You offered comfort and guidance and knowledge. Yet from me You exact no revenge. God, I have used my hands and eyes and ears and mind to worship myself and my concerns. I have ignored You. I have been satisfied with worshipping and adoring temporary, fleshly, impure pleasure, rejecting the pleasure of intimacy with You. Lord, my mind is double, my heart divided, still loving what the Old Man loves, yet aware of Your greatness and Your superiority. And still You forgive me and withhold your righteous anger. Because of Your Son. Jesus suffered Your angry, righteous judgement and punishment for my sin. For my selfish lust, content to exchange worship of...

My Enemy I often long misunderstood the definition of "enemy". I wrongly have placed the root of "enemy" upon my own feelings. I have thought that an enemy was one whom I hated because of wicked actions done to me. That is wrong. The Greek work for "enemy" means hateful, odious or hostile...an adversary. Jesus commanded us to love our enemies, yet He did not say that they would thus cease being our enemies. Jesus made no guarantee that an enemy would become a friend if we demonstrate love. Whether someone is my enemy does not depend upon whether I hate them or not. Rather, my enemy is one who hates me. Jesus often referred to Satan as our adversary, and Satan hates us, seeking to devour us. Yet, we seldom hate Satan. We usually ignore or disbelieve his existence. He most often successfully deceives us by masquerading as an angel of light. Satan, however, remains our enemy, whether we hate him or not. No, my enemy is not one whom I hate. M...

Praising God And Having Favor "And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." Acts 2:43-47 AWE: "Phobos", alarm or fright; from "phebomai" (to be put in fear) PRAISING: "Aineo", to praise God; from "ainos" (a story) and "epainos" (laudation, a commendable thing) FAVOR: "Charis", graciousness; from "chairo" (to be cheerful, calmly happy or well-off) The first, immediate, tangible result of experiencing complete an...