Monday, June 8, 2015
Friday, June 5, 2015
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Monday, May 4, 2015
Friday, April 3, 2015
Earthly Passion Divine Compassion-Shawn Smith
This is the time of year believers all around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The fact that Jesus rose again separates Christianity from all other world religions. To fully appreciate his divinity I believe we must first understand his humanity. I'm not sure what you're facing in life today but I know if you're his child he's there for you and he'll see you through. The writer of Hebrews tells us we can now come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Jesus is our faithful High Priest and is touched with the feelings of our infirmities because he was tempted in all points yet he never sinned. He overcame it all for us when he cried out on the cross, "IT IS FINISHED!" The veil was torn in two from top to bottom and now you and I have access freely to the throne of God's grace by the blood of the Lamb! When Jesus was here on earth he was often moved with compassion while healing the sick and raising the dead. It was that same love and compassion that drove him all the way to the cross to hang in agony all for you and all for me.
Just imagine with me what Jesus was actually facing that fateful day two-thousand years ago. According to Jewish tradition every passover a spotless lamb was to be sacrificed for the sins of the people. This time however it wouldn't be the traditional lamb slain for sin no this time it would be the precious Lamb of God! Knowing his time had finally come Jesus met with his disciples for one last supper. He explained to them that his time had come to die but they just couldn't understand why. When they finished their last meal together they sang a hymn and headed for the Mount of Olives. Once there Jesus began to agonize in prayer sweating great drops of blood. His closest friends had walked with him for three years watching him often heal the sick feed the poor and raise the dead. After all this now he would have to die? All his disciples could do was simply wonder why.
When they arrived at the garden Jesus knew exactly what he had to do, "THEY WENT TO A PLACE CALLED GETHSEMANE AND JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES 'SIT HERE WHILE I PRAY.' HE TOOK PETER, JAMES, AND JOHN ALONG WITH HIM AND HE BEGAN TO BE DEEPLY DISTRESSED AND TROUBLED, 'MY SOUL IS OVERWHELMED WITH SORROW TO THE POINT OF DEATH' HE SAID TO THEM, 'STAY HERE AND KEEP WATCH' (Mark 14:32-34)." Jesus was so troubled that his sweat became blood facing the cross as he agonized in prayer! Although you and I suffer in life no one has ever had to endure such pain. Here's what the apostle Paul once had to say about what God did for us that unforgettable day, "NOW THEN WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST AS THOUGH GOD DID BESEECH YOU BY US. WE PRAY YOU IN CHRIST'S STEAD BE YE RECONCILED TO GOD. FOR HE HATH MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US WHO KNEW NO SIN THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)."
That's why he's the perfect sacrifice for all who believe in him because under the old covenant a lamb's blood could only cover sin but now because of Christ our sin is totally cleansed by the blood of the Lamb! Knowing his passion for us I often wonder why so many in the world today don't believe in him. Although fully divine Jesus was also fully human with all the emotions you and I experience today. That's why no matter what we go through in life we can always know he truly cares and understands. If you're his child he's always with you wherever you go and whatever you do. He promised to never leave you or ever forsake you! It's true there's nothing he doesn't know or understand about you. If we look hard enough today we can still see the passion of Christ for us in that agonizing walk up Calvary's hill. We can see it there hanging for us on a cross where our total gain was his total loss. It's true he loves you deeply my friend and he's still there for you. If you doubt that today just remember God simply can't lie and his promises always come true! The question however still remains for us today will we draw closer to him or somehow just drift farther away?
Just imagine with me what Jesus was actually facing that fateful day two-thousand years ago. According to Jewish tradition every passover a spotless lamb was to be sacrificed for the sins of the people. This time however it wouldn't be the traditional lamb slain for sin no this time it would be the precious Lamb of God! Knowing his time had finally come Jesus met with his disciples for one last supper. He explained to them that his time had come to die but they just couldn't understand why. When they finished their last meal together they sang a hymn and headed for the Mount of Olives. Once there Jesus began to agonize in prayer sweating great drops of blood. His closest friends had walked with him for three years watching him often heal the sick feed the poor and raise the dead. After all this now he would have to die? All his disciples could do was simply wonder why.
When they arrived at the garden Jesus knew exactly what he had to do, "THEY WENT TO A PLACE CALLED GETHSEMANE AND JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES 'SIT HERE WHILE I PRAY.' HE TOOK PETER, JAMES, AND JOHN ALONG WITH HIM AND HE BEGAN TO BE DEEPLY DISTRESSED AND TROUBLED, 'MY SOUL IS OVERWHELMED WITH SORROW TO THE POINT OF DEATH' HE SAID TO THEM, 'STAY HERE AND KEEP WATCH' (Mark 14:32-34)." Jesus was so troubled that his sweat became blood facing the cross as he agonized in prayer! Although you and I suffer in life no one has ever had to endure such pain. Here's what the apostle Paul once had to say about what God did for us that unforgettable day, "NOW THEN WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST AS THOUGH GOD DID BESEECH YOU BY US. WE PRAY YOU IN CHRIST'S STEAD BE YE RECONCILED TO GOD. FOR HE HATH MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US WHO KNEW NO SIN THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)."
That's why he's the perfect sacrifice for all who believe in him because under the old covenant a lamb's blood could only cover sin but now because of Christ our sin is totally cleansed by the blood of the Lamb! Knowing his passion for us I often wonder why so many in the world today don't believe in him. Although fully divine Jesus was also fully human with all the emotions you and I experience today. That's why no matter what we go through in life we can always know he truly cares and understands. If you're his child he's always with you wherever you go and whatever you do. He promised to never leave you or ever forsake you! It's true there's nothing he doesn't know or understand about you. If we look hard enough today we can still see the passion of Christ for us in that agonizing walk up Calvary's hill. We can see it there hanging for us on a cross where our total gain was his total loss. It's true he loves you deeply my friend and he's still there for you. If you doubt that today just remember God simply can't lie and his promises always come true! The question however still remains for us today will we draw closer to him or somehow just drift farther away?
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Monday, March 2, 2015
Perilous Times Significant Signs-Shawn Smith
Lately you may agree it seems like things in the world today just continue to go from bad to worse. That's of course because they are! Although some today falsely predict that things will somehow get better they are sadly mistaken. Here in America we're all dealing with an ongoing economic crises as the dollar shrinks and the deficit rises along with many other serious problems as well. And while it's true our economy is collapsing here around the world chaos and violence continue to dominate the headlines along with the constant threat of war in the Middle East. As terrible as this all is as believers this really shouldn't surprise us at all if we know our history and true Bible prophecy well. Because that's exactly what the holy apostles and prophets of old predicted would happen at the end of this age along with of course the Lord Jesus Christ himself! As evil continues its steady rise in the world today rearing its ugly head with relative ease and regularity now sadly righteousness and godliness continue unfortunately to decline. We need to realize if we don't already that obviously there's much more at work behind the scenes today in the spiritual realm where the real battle is actually waged. Maybe you've come to that realization yourself as well lately watching the news unfold completely baffled and bewildered by it all. Surely we must know by now that God's word is much more than just you're average history book. With so much corruption and chaos in the world today it's high time again that we gave its prolific and prophetic pages a long and hard second look.
Many I speak to today sadly often know little or nothing about God's love and plan for their lives personally let alone about what's actually fulfilling prophetically in our world today. Thankfully there are exceptions at times and I'm always pleasantly surprised to find that there are those out there who on occasion actually do. But on average most are blinded from the real truth today. Here's what the apostle Paul once had to say about life at the end of this age and what we see unfolding today, "THIS KNOW ALSO THAT IN THE LAST DAYS PERILOUS TIMES SHALL COME. FOR MEN SHALL BE LOVERS OF THEIR OWN SELVES, COVETOUS, BOASTERS, PROUD, BLASPHEMERS, DISOBEDIENT TO PARENTS, UNTHANKFUL, UNHOLY, WITHOUT NATURAL AFFECTION, TRUCEBREAKERS, FALSE ACCUSERS, INCONTINENT, FIERCE, DESPISERS OF THOSE THAT ARE GOOD. TRAITORS, HEADY, HIGHMINDED, LOVERS OF PLEASURES MORE THAN LOVERS OF GOD HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS BUT DENYING THE POWER THEREOF, FROM SUCH TURN AWAY (2 Timothy 3:1-5)." Does that sound familiar? Yes because of course like me you see this clearly today and just how prevalent it is now sadly in our world today. In light of all this I truly hope you and I never forget to always watch and pray!
Often as humans however we simply don't want to face the facts. It's much easier to pretend that somehow someday the peril prevalent today will all just go away and life will eventually return to normal again one day. After all we have enough problems of our own so why should we concern ourselves with the rest of the world? The truth is that just as predicted things will continue to worsen over time whether we believe it or not because God has clearly revealed what the future of the world truly holds. Of course we'd all like to believe somehow things will eventually get better here but sadly things will not because in his word God has made it all perfectly clear. In fact here's what the apostle Peter also had to say about life as we near the end today, "KNOWING THIS FIRST THAT THERE SHALL COME IN THE LAST DAYS SCOFFERS WALKING AFTER THEIR OWN LUST AND SAYING, WHERE IS THE PROMISE OF HIS COMING? FOR SINCE THE FATHERS FELL ASLEEP ALL THINGS CONTINUE AS THEY WERE FROM THE BEGINNING OF CREATION (2 Peter 3:3-4)." They say what?! Sadly what these scoffers somehow choose to ignore is that the flood in Noah's day actually did occur in fact on earth once before. And as you may know Jesus himself once said life in the last days would be just as they were long ago back in Noah's day.
And now we are quickly approaching the end of this age and God's judgment upon an evil and sinful world is once again looming. But this time as you may know if you're well read it will not be by flood but by fire instead! So what can you and I do today to overcome the present evil of our day? Walk in love and grow in God's grace always determined to keep seeking his face. And of course come what may always listening carefully to what Jesus himself and all the holy apostles and prophets also had to say, "BUT THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL COME AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT IN WHICH THE HEAVENS SHALL PASS AWAY WITH A GREAT NOISE AND THE ELEMENTS SHALL MELT WITH FERVENT HEAT. THE EARTH ALSO AND THE WORKS THAT ARE THEREIN SHALL BE BURNED UP. SEEING THEN THAT ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE DISSOLVED, WHAT MANNER OF PERSONS OUGHT YE TO BE IN ALL HOLY CONVERSATION AND GODLINESS LOOKING FOR AND HASTING UNTO THE COMING OF THE DAY OF GOD WHERIN THE HEAVENS BEING ON FIRE SHALL BE DISSOLVED AND THE ELEMENTS SHALL MELT WITH FERVENT HEAT? NEVERTHELESS WE, ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE, LOOK FOR NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH WHERIN DWELLETH RIGHTEOUSNESS. WHEREFORE BELOVED SEEING THAT YE LOOK FOR SUCH THINGS BE DILIGENT THAT YE MAY BE FOUND OF HIM IN PEACE WITHOUT SPOT AND BLAMELESS (2 Peter 3:10-14)." Today violence and corruption is on the rise just as predicted and we're obviously now living in perilous times. But the question remains as we near the end will we draw closer to Him and farther from sin?
Many I speak to today sadly often know little or nothing about God's love and plan for their lives personally let alone about what's actually fulfilling prophetically in our world today. Thankfully there are exceptions at times and I'm always pleasantly surprised to find that there are those out there who on occasion actually do. But on average most are blinded from the real truth today. Here's what the apostle Paul once had to say about life at the end of this age and what we see unfolding today, "THIS KNOW ALSO THAT IN THE LAST DAYS PERILOUS TIMES SHALL COME. FOR MEN SHALL BE LOVERS OF THEIR OWN SELVES, COVETOUS, BOASTERS, PROUD, BLASPHEMERS, DISOBEDIENT TO PARENTS, UNTHANKFUL, UNHOLY, WITHOUT NATURAL AFFECTION, TRUCEBREAKERS, FALSE ACCUSERS, INCONTINENT, FIERCE, DESPISERS OF THOSE THAT ARE GOOD. TRAITORS, HEADY, HIGHMINDED, LOVERS OF PLEASURES MORE THAN LOVERS OF GOD HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS BUT DENYING THE POWER THEREOF, FROM SUCH TURN AWAY (2 Timothy 3:1-5)." Does that sound familiar? Yes because of course like me you see this clearly today and just how prevalent it is now sadly in our world today. In light of all this I truly hope you and I never forget to always watch and pray!
Often as humans however we simply don't want to face the facts. It's much easier to pretend that somehow someday the peril prevalent today will all just go away and life will eventually return to normal again one day. After all we have enough problems of our own so why should we concern ourselves with the rest of the world? The truth is that just as predicted things will continue to worsen over time whether we believe it or not because God has clearly revealed what the future of the world truly holds. Of course we'd all like to believe somehow things will eventually get better here but sadly things will not because in his word God has made it all perfectly clear. In fact here's what the apostle Peter also had to say about life as we near the end today, "KNOWING THIS FIRST THAT THERE SHALL COME IN THE LAST DAYS SCOFFERS WALKING AFTER THEIR OWN LUST AND SAYING, WHERE IS THE PROMISE OF HIS COMING? FOR SINCE THE FATHERS FELL ASLEEP ALL THINGS CONTINUE AS THEY WERE FROM THE BEGINNING OF CREATION (2 Peter 3:3-4)." They say what?! Sadly what these scoffers somehow choose to ignore is that the flood in Noah's day actually did occur in fact on earth once before. And as you may know Jesus himself once said life in the last days would be just as they were long ago back in Noah's day.
And now we are quickly approaching the end of this age and God's judgment upon an evil and sinful world is once again looming. But this time as you may know if you're well read it will not be by flood but by fire instead! So what can you and I do today to overcome the present evil of our day? Walk in love and grow in God's grace always determined to keep seeking his face. And of course come what may always listening carefully to what Jesus himself and all the holy apostles and prophets also had to say, "BUT THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL COME AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT IN WHICH THE HEAVENS SHALL PASS AWAY WITH A GREAT NOISE AND THE ELEMENTS SHALL MELT WITH FERVENT HEAT. THE EARTH ALSO AND THE WORKS THAT ARE THEREIN SHALL BE BURNED UP. SEEING THEN THAT ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE DISSOLVED, WHAT MANNER OF PERSONS OUGHT YE TO BE IN ALL HOLY CONVERSATION AND GODLINESS LOOKING FOR AND HASTING UNTO THE COMING OF THE DAY OF GOD WHERIN THE HEAVENS BEING ON FIRE SHALL BE DISSOLVED AND THE ELEMENTS SHALL MELT WITH FERVENT HEAT? NEVERTHELESS WE, ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE, LOOK FOR NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH WHERIN DWELLETH RIGHTEOUSNESS. WHEREFORE BELOVED SEEING THAT YE LOOK FOR SUCH THINGS BE DILIGENT THAT YE MAY BE FOUND OF HIM IN PEACE WITHOUT SPOT AND BLAMELESS (2 Peter 3:10-14)." Today violence and corruption is on the rise just as predicted and we're obviously now living in perilous times. But the question remains as we near the end will we draw closer to Him and farther from sin?
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