Saturday, April 29, 2023

GOD BE GLORIFIED



Bobservations' Column
Pastor Bob Lawrenz

At the end of chapter 2, we are given an example of the meekness of Christ Jesus. In submission to the human government which He authorized in Genesis 9:5-6, we find the Lord Jesus not lording Himself over Pilot, nor over Herod. This is great power under control: meekness.

Then chapter 3, begins with the word “likewise.”  We read the word again later in the chapter. It becomes clear in this Epistle that within human relationships, God has ordained a head, and also a body to follow. And when a husband and wife are aligned in that way, there is then also a spirit between them that causes them to flourish as a couple. It is an example of “the two shall become one" in Genesis 2, and a human example of God Himself, making us in His image: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as in Deuteronomy 6:4-5.

Plainly put, God honors them who honor His authority and are obedient to His will and His commands. He glorified Jesus in His authority over His only begotten Son, and has raised Him to sit at His right hand, and in that, Jesus glorified the Father as well. Then the Father gave Jesus all power and authority over all things in Colossians 1:15-19.

Peter gets into the details of God’s desires for His children within the marriage contract between man and wife. And if they are obedient, they will flourish and glorify God in return.

But in order for this to happen, each must lay aside their own personal plans and desires, and work together to build what God has in mind for them. And then they become an example for the next generation, teaching their family about God’s plan for them all, and for all mankind.

We have all seen good examples of this, and bad examples. We then realize that each of us has the fleshly example and the Godly example from which to make our life choices. Galatians 5:17 describes our problem: our flesh and our Spirit are at odds with one another.
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose ye this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods of your fathers which were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me, and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  ~ Joshua 24:15 ~


Today's Audio Message:
1 Peter 3:1-22 - "God Be Glorified"

Our study is in 1 Peter chapter 3 this week. Peter is dealing with submission. Most of us have a difficult time with that word, especially in marriages.

But to be in submission is to cooperate with another out of love. It’s to honor God in our relationships and to learn to respect one another. Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:21 we are to “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Our greatest example was that of Jesus. He submitted unto death so we could be saved. He gave up His rights for us. Consequently, the hard truth is we will always have to submit to someone. When we do it with a right heart, we honor the Lord, and Christ is seen in us!

God's people have always been called to live set-apart lives, influencing their culture even through suffering. Peter says we are to “sanctify,” or set apart, the Lord in our hearts—we are to give Him a special place of honor. Sanctifying the Lord God in our hearts means giving our wholehearted allegiance to Jesus Christ and worshiping Him only—despite the cost.

Summary/Notes: Forthcoming...







 

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Sermon on the Mount - Series



In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said to His disciples, "You are the salt of the earth." Then, as now, salt served a variety of functions. Before the days of refrigeration, salt was used widely as a preservative. Jesus' call for followers to be "salt of the earth" carries those uses, symbolically, into our spiritual lives.

As salt preserves meat from rotting, believers in Jesus, distributed around the world, help to preserve humanity from falling into godlessness, immorality, chaos, and the resulting judgment. Salt permanently changes the flavor of food, just as the influence of godly people can change a culture. The main point is that Christians serve a godly purpose in the world simply by living out what we believe about Jesus.

Jesus also calls His disciples the "light of the world." Spiritually speaking, there is no light in the world apart from Jesus Christ. His light shines through every person who belongs to Him. In this way, the light of Christ is distributed into the darkness in every corner of humanity. That this light is meant to be visible to the world is also important. Jesus adds to this metaphor by referring to a city positioned on top of a hill. It is not meant to be hidden; a city on a hill is meant to be seen and found even in the darkness of night.

The Sermon on the Mount consists of Matthew 5–7, which features the teaching of Jesus on a variety of subjects pertaining to the Christian life, discipleship, and life in the kingdom of God. This sermon ranks among the most well-known and beloved passages of Scripture, and portions of its content are famous even outside of the church.

The Sermon on the Mount is instruction for the Christian community and for life within the kingdom of God as it enjoys a pilgrim status in the world. Furthermore, it is not a set of principles that ensure success as measured by the world’s standards or an outline of principles for positive thinking. Only those who have rested in Christ alone have any hope of living up to the sermon’s teaching. But ultimately, the sermon does not merely give us vital teaching on Christian living—although it does that. The chief purpose of the sermon is to reveal to us the supreme authority of Jesus over all other teachers (Matt. 7:28) and to drive us to faith in Him as the One who fulfills the law of God on behalf of His people.

The following teachings are a 7-part audio series on the Sermon on the Mount. These recordings were part of our Gospel of Matthew series and is taught by Pastor Bob Lawrenz.


Saturday, April 22, 2023

End Times Instruction




Bobservations' Column
Pastor Bob Lawrenz

There is a movement, and an organization acting right now in the USA to return us to God, and to righteousness. A conference gathering is scheduled for this Wednesday, April 26th in Virginia Beach, VA for “First Landing 1607.”

The name is derived from the earliest days of our nation and the settling of Jamestown, America’s first permanent settlement along the James River in Virginia, in 1607.

Jamestown is where our first settlement was established in America, but as the story goes, the first landing in the New World was 45 miles east, near Virginia Beach. There, the same people that built Jamestown hit the shores of North America for the first time. And when they did, they did something that might be considered astounding these days.

They erected a cross on the beach and gathered around the foot of it and prayed in thanksgiving for their arrival to the New World, and then they dedicated this new land to God and the Lord Jesus Christ!


This Wednesday, the organization’s members and the public are invited to gather on the beach again, and re-enact the placement of a cross on the beach, and repeat a covenant prayer, dedicating, and committing this new land to God and His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, stating their commitment to return to God’s Covenant.

In essence, it will be a prayer calling for repentance from America’s ways because we have strayed so far from that Covenant relationship with the LORD God Almighty. But every nation is exactly like our own, even from the time of Cain leaving the presence of the Lord and moving east toward the land of Nod, east of Eden. He did it to get away from God, His established order, and his own guilt. His new city was named Enoch, after his son. Founders of new civilizations all seek a better place, but like Cain, they have already taken their first step away from the One to Who we owe all our allegiance. And once that first step away is taken, the second, and the third steps away soon follow.

< firstlanding1607.com >
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” ~ 2 Chronicles 7:14 ~

 

Today's Audio Message:
1 Peter 2:1-25 - "End Times Instruction"

The book of I Peter is filled with admonitions for Christians of all times and all places on how to live READY for the coming of the Lord. The Apostle Peter under divine inspiration did not see a difference between normal Christian living and last days Christian living. He believed that all Christians at all times should live READY for the coming of the Lord.

The Book of I Peter is literally filled with admonitions and instructions on how all Christians should be living…Whether it is the destruction of Jerusalem that was coming in Peter's time, or the judgment of the world that is drawing near today.

No matter what happens in this world today, tomorrow, next month or next year, don't get caught up in the hype and the panic of the moment.  If foreign enemies threaten, if the economy collapses, if we are persecuted as Christians... in the grand scheme of God's plan, these things matter very little.  What matters is that we live ready for His coming.

Do NOT be DRAWN away by the cares of this world! Draw nigh unto God, and He will draw near to you.  
If you are wondering what you need to do as you see the day approaching, study the scriptures, pray and draw close to the Lord.

Summary/Notes: Forthcoming









Thursday, April 20, 2023

Devoted

 

Sermon Short - Pastor Bob Lawrenz
Acts 2:46-47 

"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." - Acts 2:42
The word for “continued steadfast” means to be “continually devoted.” The early church totally and completely devoted and fully immersed themselves to (1) the apostles’ doctrine, (2) fellowship, (3) in the breaking of bread, (4) and in prayers (Acts 2:42).

And why not, they had met the Messiah and had been forgiven all their sins. What had been important to them before Christ— possessions, money, retirement, prestige, entertainment, popularity, land, security, and even family— would seem like nothing to them after knowing Jesus. What can this world offer that compares with Jesus, who is God in the flesh? He is Creator, Redeemer, Savior, and Lord!

As Christians, our devotion should be to Jesus. When you’re devoted to something, it is evident. What is internal becomes external. Our devotion to Jesus should be played out in our lives just like the early church. 
"And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."  Acts 2:46-47

What are you devoted to?







Saturday, April 15, 2023

Last Days, End Times, Last Times



Bobservations' Column
Pastor Bob Lawrenz


Just prior to the Resurrection Holiday studies, we were looking at Prophecies of the End Times. There is still much to be covered when we speak of the Times of the End. Hence, the title of today’s teaching is “Last Days, End Times, Last Times.” These phrases all point us in the direction of God’s prophetic words of those days as life on this Earth winds down.

But end time prophecies are not just for the Church, they are spoken for the benefit of all. Some, such as Genesis 49 are specific to groups of people, as is the case there, spoken by Jacob on his death bed, concerning the Twelve Tribes, his sons, his progeny.

This may bring a question to mind which we will address today. “Just when did the end times begin?” “The Last Days” may make us think about the final 48, or 72 hours of the Earth. But, what about 2 Peter 3:8: “a thousand years is like a day, and a day is like a thousand years?” I don’t think we can define scriptural days and millenniums with any specificity, or by an earthly calendar.

Why is it so confusing? It is indeed more than likely that what is confusing to us, is perfectly clear to God, for He lives outside the physical property of Earth’s time. His time periods are not our time periods!

In Daniel 12:7 we read of a “time, and times, and a half,” which has been interpreted to correlate to the three and a half years of Daniel’s “70 weeks” prophecy. The 70 weeks refers to a period of time given to the nation of Israel to finish the transgression of mankind, and bring an end to sin, and to reconcile for sin (Daniel 9:24).

We will look today at a more specific time period spoken of by Peter regarding the time that Messiah Jesus was here on Earth, ministering and teaching, and fulfilling the Father’s plans during those “last times.”
“For whatsoever things were written afore time were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” ~ Romans 15:4 ~

Today's Audio Message:
"Last Days, End Times, Last Times" - 1 Peter 1:1-25


The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross wasn't improvised. God didn't make it up in response to the unfolding events of history. Peter writes that Christ was known before the world was founded. As God, Jesus existed in eternity past as the one whose blood would cover the sins of all who receive salvation. Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection, and return to the Father were always God's plan to save us. Always. Jesus was always the answer to the questions asked by the prophets and the angels investigating what the Holy Spirit's Old Testament prophecies were pointing to (1 Peter 1:10–12).

Finally, in Peter's lifetime and those of his readers—the beginning of what Peter calls the "last times"—God revealed the mystery. He showed Himself and His plan to the world by coming to earth as a baby, a man, God in flesh, the final sacrifice for sin. Why? For our sake. God's great gift of mercy, and the timing of that gift in human history, demonstrates God's great love for us (John 3:16; Romans 5:8).


Summary/NotesComing Soon!







Friday, April 7, 2023

Light of the World!




We invite you and your family to join us this Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, at Whitestone Christian Fellowship in Victor, NY.  Service starts at 10:00 am.  


Bobservations' Column
Pastor Bob Lawrenz
Sunday, April 9, 2003

Happy Resurrection Day!

We are blessed to gather together on this great day of promise that God gave us way back in Genesis 3.

The closets in my home are some of the darkest places in the house. Built in the 1960’s, it was a “boom” economy at the time. Putting up houses as fast as they could was the goal of many builders. Closet lights apparently slowed down their progress.

Every morning, every night, and even cloudy days, one cannot see inside the closets. We put in lights, just so we could see. Light dispels darkness, and this world is among the darkest places when Jesus and His light are not present. We see this in social circles and in politics. We even see it in some places that call themselves “churches” but do not teach the scriptures as handed down to us.

Jesus told us in John 8:12, “…I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

Jesus told His followers at the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:14, “Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.”

Jesus said in John 9:5, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

The Lord God Jesus did leave this world, but He left His Holy Spirit in the hearts of His Disciples, and those that believe in Him because of their word (John 14:16-26). His light lives on, and the world no longer must live in the darkness of sin, as long as there are Believers alive on Earth. His Spirit lives in us! But there are nations and people that shut Him out at their borders, and at the wall of their chests. Refusing to allow His light in, they live in darkness and worship other things equally as dark and empty as they are themselves.

There will come a future day when the Holy Spirit is removed from this Earth, and the world will fall into the darkness of wickedness perfected. This planet will not be a pleasant place by any stretch of the imagination, except for those that love darkness.

Rejoice with us today! The stone of His grave was rolled away, not to let Him out, but to let light in so the world see that He is risen as promised!

In this world, there is nothing at the end but death and the grave.
“… but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33

Today's Audio Message:
John 20:1-32 - "Light of the World"

Praising our Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ 
for the GREAT work HE has done!!!

At this time of year, the world stops and recognizes the historical event of the resurrection. Most people are content to accept the fact that maybe it happened and maybe it didn’t. But it seems to have some sentimental value to people, and they don’t want to argue whether or not it happened. It kind of slides by as a recognized holiday. But for us, the resurrection is not a once-a-year discussion, it is a constant reality for us. We live every day of our lives in light of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Because of Jesus resurrection, the true church is alive. Despite all that it endures and suffers, it is alive. The resurrection life of its Lord is the very life of the church. Because He lives, we live.

Ask yourselves: What gathered the scattered apostles? What transformed them? What took that little band of followers of Jesus going through very difficult times and being fearful, what took them to the place where they literally turned the world upside-down with the message of Jesus as Lord and Messiah? It was one event: The Resurrection! The resurrection of Jesus became the message of the apostles, a message essentially that established the church and continues to advance the church.

How important is the resurrection of Jesus Christ? It vindicates the truthfulness of the Word of God, the deity of the Son of God, the completion of the salvation of God, and the establishment of the church of God. There’s another reality that is tied inextricably to the resurrection: the inevitability of the judgment of God. Jesus rose not only to be Lord of His church, Jesus rose not only to be the life of His church, but Jesus rose to be the Judge of the world.

Summary/NotesComing Soon!









The Love of God - Isaiah 53:5

 


“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5


Simply put, the meaning of the cross is death. From about the 6th century BC until the 4th century AD, the cross was an instrument of execution that resulted in death by the most torturous and painful of ways. In crucifixion a person was either tied or nailed to a wooden cross and left to hang until dead. Death would be slow and excruciatingly painful; in fact, the word excruciating literally means “out of crucifying.” However, because of Christ and His death on the cross, the meaning of the cross today is completely different.

In Christianity, the cross is the intersection of God’s love and His justice. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). The reference to Jesus as the Lamb of God points back to the institution of the Jewish Passover in Exodus 12. The Israelites were commanded to sacrifice an unblemished lamb and smear the blood of that lamb on the doorposts of their homes. The blood would be the sign for the Angel of Death to “pass over” that house, leaving those covered by blood in safety. When Jesus came to John to be baptized, John recognized Him and cried, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29), thereby identifying Him and God’s plan for Him to be sacrificed for sin.

One might ask why Jesus had to die in the first place. This is the over-arching message of the Bible—the story of redemption. God created the heavens and the earth, and He created man and woman in His image and placed them in the Garden of Eden to be His stewards on the earth. However, due to the temptations of Satan (the serpent), Adam and Eve sinned and fell from God’s grace. Furthermore, they have passed the curse of sin on to their children so that everyone inherits their sin and guilt. God the Father sent his one and only Son into the world to take on human flesh and to be the Savior of His people. Born of a virgin, Jesus avoided the curse of the fall that infects all other human beings. As the sinless Son of God, He could provide the unblemished sacrifice that God requires. God’s justice demanded judgment and punishment for sin; God’s love moved Him to send His one and only Son to be the propitiation for sin.

Because of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross, those who place their faith and trust in Him alone for salvation are guaranteed eternal life (John 3:16). However, Jesus called His followers to take up their cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24). This concept of “cross-bearing” today has lost much of its original meaning. Typically, we use “cross-bearing” to denote an inconvenient or bothersome circumstance (e.g., “my troubled teen is my cross to bear”). However, we must keep in mind that Jesus is calling His disciples to engage in radical self-denial. The cross meant only one thing to a 1st-century person—death. “Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). Galatians reiterates this theme of death of the sinful self and rising to walk in new life through Christ: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

There are places in the world where Christians are being persecuted, even to the point of death, for their faith. They know what it means to carry their cross and follow Jesus in a very real way. For those of us who are not being persecuted in such fashion, our job is still to remain faithful to Christ. Even if we are never called to give the ultimate sacrifice, we must be willing to do so out of love for the One who saved us and gave His life for us. 

- Excerpt from got questions.org






Thursday, April 6, 2023

Passover, The Last Supper


Jesus, Our Passover Lamb

Join us
 as we discover how Passover and the redemptive Blood of our Passover Lamb—Yeshua, Jesus, our Messiah—are as important for Believers today as they were for the Israelites in Egypt!

Thursday, 7:00 pm. Bible study will be held downstairs in the Fellowship Hall.

The Old Testament Passover lamb, although a reality in that time, was a mere foreshadowing of the better and final Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ. Through His sinless life and sacrificial death, Jesus became the only One capable of giving people a way to escape death and a sure hope of eternal life (1 Peter 1:20-21).

From the moment sin entered the world through the fall of Adam and Eve, death followed. While they themselves would eventually die as a result of their rebellion, their sin also resulted in immediate physical death—that of an animal, as noted Genesis 3:21 when the Lord made clothes for them.

That simple act of God’s kind provision foreshadowed the substitute He would eventually send to redeem sinners. And the foreshadowing didn’t end there—substitutionary atonement is woven throughout Jewish history and culture in the Old Testament.

In Genesis 22:13, the Lord provided the ram for Abraham to sacrifice in Isaac’s place. God similarly provided a substitute—the spotless Passover lamb—to spare Israel’s firstborn from the last of His plagues against Egypt (Exodus 12:3-13). Substitutionary death was essentially the heart of the sacrificial system the Lord instituted under the Mosaic covenant. The message to God’s people was clear: death always follows sin, and atonement for sin was not available without a sacrifice.

However, it was not the sacrifice of an animal itself that brought pleasure to the Lord or actually atoned for sin (Psalm 51:16). Those sacrifices were divinely designed as acts of obedience in faith—each of them foreshadowing the final Lamb God would ultimately provide in Jesus Christ.

And while Israel missed the significance of God’s foreshadowing—they expected the Messiah to come as a lion, not a lamb—the Passover celebration remained a highlight of the Jewish calendar. And several centuries after the Lord first delivered the Israelites from Egypt, Christ, as the fulfillment of everything Passover pointed toward, transformed the Passover meal into a new celebration of His sacrificial death on our behalf.

As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection this week, we’re going to visit the Upper Room, examine the link between Passover and the Lord’s Table, and consider the substitutionary atonement for sin available only through Jesus.





Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Resurrection Sunday - Join Us!


We invite you and your family to join us this Sunday morning, Resurrection Sunday, at Whitestone Christian Fellowship in Victor, NY.

I love the hope of the resurrection! I love the declaration the empty tomb makes that one day the dead in Christ will be raised unto eternal life, never to die again, never to be parted from one another again, never to say goodbye. Every tear wiped away, every sorrow swallowed up in everlasting joy.  

What a hope we have in Jesus! What a joyful hope we have in the Resurrected Christ! The tomb is empty, Jesus is risen! He has conquered death! And we have the promise of Jesus: all those who believe in him will never die, but one day will be resurrected to everlasting life.  

Jesus’ resurrection was a true and total defeat of death. As the Holy Son of God, Jesus overcame death once and for all, as Peter explained: “It was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” (Acts 2:24). The triumphant, risen Christ said, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” (Revelation 1:18). Keys are a symbol of authority.  Jesus is sovereign over death. Christ’s conquest of death was permanent and eternal.

Christ conquered death because He was sinless. The curse upon mankind in the Garden of Eden, brought about by their sin, was plainly stated: “You will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17). Ever since, we have seen the truth of Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death.” But Jesus Christ had no sin (1 Peter 2:22); therefore, death had no power over Him. Jesus’ death was a voluntary sacrifice for our sin, and, given His sinless perfection, His resurrection logically followed. “I lay down my life,” Jesus said, “only to take it up again” (John 10:17).

The fact that Christ has conquered death has eternal consequences for us. The good news—THE GOSPEL—is grounded in Christ’s victory over death. Without the resurrection, there is no gospel; indeed, there is no hope for us at all:
and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. (1 Corinthians 15:17). But Christ has risen, and, as fellow conquerors with Him, Christians “have passed from death to life” (1 John 3:14). Christ who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:10).

The fact that Christ has conquered death means that believers have also been granted victory over death. We are “more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). Christ is “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20), which means that Jesus’ resurrection is the first of many: believers who have “fallen asleep” (died) will be likewise resurrected. Jesus promised His followers, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19).


Salvation is only available through faith in Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), and there is salvation in no one else (Acts 4:12). To trust in Jesus means to believe in Him for salvation (John 3:16). Our faith is focused on the person and work of Jesus Christ—we trust who He is and what He’s done. We trust that He is God made flesh (John 1:14) and that He died for our sins and rose from the dead. Salvation cannot be separated from the person and work of Jesus Christ.

If you choose not to believe, you choose to reject the greatest gift ever offered, and God will respect your choice. But I pray that you won't reject His gift. 

Join us!


Sunday, April 2, 2023

Beautiful Feet



Bobservations' Column
Pastor Bob Lawrenz

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Passion Week, and some of Jesus’ best and cherished teachings as He prepares His Disciples for the commission He will give them to take the Good News to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

If we daily stay in the Word this week, the Gospels cover great lessons: the disbelief of the Apostles as He announces His coming death (John 12:20-36). His return to Bethany, staying with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.


Monday we will read of the nation of Israel in the parable of the cursed fig tree (Matthew 21:18-19). A dead faith and vain teachings have no place in God’s Kingdom. Jesus cleanses the Temple of the money-changers, restoring holiness to the House of the Lord, and His return to Bethany again.

Tuesday, more on the withered fig tree (Matthew 21:20-22), as He affirms His authority; teaches on the two sons; the vine dressers; the Marriage Feast; tribute to Caesar; exposes the error of the Sadducees; gives the Great Commandment; and offers insight as the Son of David and the Lord of David; exposes the hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees; teaches about giving in the parable of the Widow’s mite. He prophesies on Jerusalem and the end of the world; teaches us of wisdom and self-control in the parable of the ten virgins, and the parable of the talents; the Last Judgment, and foretells again of His coming death (all from Matthew 21:23 – 26:1-12).

Wednesday we read of the conspiracy against Jesus, and Judas’ betrayal (Matthew 26:1-12 and 114-16).

Thursday brings us to the Last Supper, the Seder Meal for the Passover Feast.

Jesus’ teachings during this week are warm and personal for those closest to Him, and they are instructive examples of what to expect, and how to respond.

He leaves them with all this knowledge and they witness how He wants them to know ahead of time what to expect. These are prophetic utterances to all those who follow Him, and that includes every Christian or every denomination.
"Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you.” - John 15:15

Today's Audio Message:
Matthew 21:1-27 - "Beautiful Feet"

In ancient times, a King would ride a horse into town if he was declaring war. When a leader chose instead to ride a donkey it signified that he was coming in peace. This choice alone spoke greatly to what Jesus was doing. Not only was he declaring He was King. He was symbolizing the truth that the battle was over, the victory had been won and the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Peace had been established.

But there was more. Jesus was fulfilling the prophecy by Zechariah over 400 years before about the Messiah who would come.  Jesus was entering into Jerusalem as the conquering King. He had come to them. He brought salvation.

Historians say that some 2 1/2 million Jewish people would have been in Jerusalem for Passover that week. They had traveled from all over to be part of the festivities and also to sacrifice a lamb for their sins. This ride not only was a fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus was intentionally making a statement to the entire crowd and population that He was the Messiah. He alone held salvation. He alone held peace.

Summary/Notes: Coming Soon!






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