December 28, 2019

Cry of Victory - Mark 15:37-39

"Let me tell you, from what I understand from history, the veil that covered the Holy of Holies in the temple was a veil, it was so thick that it would take more than a team. Two teams of horses pulling in opposite directions to rip the veil. The veil was the place that separated the mercy seat of God in the Holy of Holies, in God's temple in Jerusalem from all the people of the world."

Family Discussions:

  1. Describe your personal feelings about Jesus' work on the cross.
  2. How would you get to God had the veil not been torn in two?
  3. How in the world could you ever approach a Holy God?
  4. Describe your feelings about the privilege, the honor that you've been given by the act of love.

Transcription:

00:13          Hey, I'll never forget the day my little college team at SMU beat Oklahoma in a bowl game. I mean, we went in the locker, we went crazy. The cries of victory were just incredible, but compared to the cry of victory that we're going to talk about today in this devotional it was but a tiny peep. In fact, you can't even hear it. But this cry of victory was the greatest cry victory of all time. We're in Mark chapter 15 and verse 37 it says this, "and Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last and the veil of the temple was torn into from top to bottom." Verse 39 says, "when the Centurion who was standing right in front of him saw the way he breathed this last, he said, this man truly was the son of God." Jesus' cry was to tell a style. It's paid in full. Your debt is paid in full. It is finished. I've done what I came to do. His final grueling act of crucifixion was over. The veil was torn in two.
 
01:21          Let me tell you, from what I understand from history, the veil that covered the Holy of Holies in the temple was a veil, it was so thick that it would take more than a team. Two teams of horses pulling in opposite directions to rip the veil. The veil was the place that separated the mercy seat of God in the Holy of Holies, in God's temple in Jerusalem from all the people of the world. The only way you could get into the Holy of Holies was the high priest. The ultimate Jewish religious figure could go in once a year and he, after all the washings and purifications, according to the ceremonial rites, he could go in and plead for the mercy and the sins of the nation.
 
02:08          But on this day, when Jesus cried, it is finished. It's done to tell us that over the veil of the temple was torn in two. And men and women, you know what that means? Do you know what that means? That means to you and me that we, based on the blood of Christ, that is in our hearts as believers. We can enter the Holy of Holies and we can come to the mercy of God. Every time I say that I tremble. In the book of Hebrews, it says that we can approach the throne of grace with confidence. And I don't know about you, but every time I read this passage, it humbles me to my knees. That we can literally in the name of Jesus, close our eyes, or leave our eyes open in our days of our greatest sorrow. When this world crushes us as it does or in our days of greatest joy and victory, we can slip in before the mercy seat of God because Christ was the ultimate sacrifice. And his blood gave us the rights to go in before a Holy God and to say, God, I need you. God. Please forgive me, God, I give you my life.
 
03:24          And here's the questions for today. You know, as Jesus did that, as Jesus literally made God's lap as a father accessible to you to come to, describe your personal feelings about Jesus' work on the cross. And the second question today is this, how would you get to God had the veil not been torn in two? How in the world could you ever approach a Holy God? And then the third question is this, now that you can approach God with confidence as it says in Hebrews based on the blood of Christ, describe your feelings about the privilege, the honor that you've been given by the act of love. And then here is the lifeline or the thought for the day. A family that prays together stays together.
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December 24, 2019

God in the Flesh - Mark 14:60-62

"There is no doubt in the world that Jesus knew exactly who he was. He said, I am the vine in John 15. John 10, He said, I'm the door. John 14, He said, I am the way. In fact, he said, I am the only way. He said, I am the Christ."

Family Discussions:

  1. "A man is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." What does that mean to you?
  2. How can you be sure in your mind, in your heart that Jesus was actually God in the flesh?
  3. Why is that statement so significant to you as you face eternity?

Transcription:

00:13          Hey, as we come to the end of this fantastic book together, the book of Mark and the life of Christ. And we get down to the last really breasts of Jesus's life. He's before Pontius Pilate in chapter 14, and we're in verse 60 and it says, "the high priest stood up and came forward in question Jesus saying, do you not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against you? But he kept silent. It did not answer again. The high priest was questioning him and was saying to him, are you the Christ, the son of the blessed one? And Jesus said, I am. And then he fulfill the prophecy of Daniel when he said, you shall see the son of man sitting at the right hand of power coming with the clouds of heaven."
 
01:06          There is no doubt in the world that Jesus knew exactly who he was. He said, I am the vine in John 15. John 10, He said, I'm the door. John 14, He said, I am the way. In fact, he said, I am the only way. He said, I am the Christ. And then there were other witnesses. You know, Peter said, thou art the Christ the son of the living God. Pontius Pilate in the trial said, I find no fault in this man. Even one of the centurions, one of the guards that crucified Jesus at the end of Jesus' life, he testified. He said, this man must surely be the son of God. And then the apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy spirit in Colassians and other places, he said, Hey, Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. The firstborn of all creation. Paul Roddy said, by him, by Christ, all things were created both in heavens and on the earth, whether visible or invisible, whether rulers or dominions or powers or authorities. All things were created by Jesus Christ and for Jesus Christ.
 
02:09          Jesus knew who he was. Scripture testifies, and literally from BC to AD, the watershed of human history. History testifies that Jesus was God in the flesh. And you know what's important about that? Only God who created you and created every person on this earth had the shoulders broad enough and the span wide enough to die for the sins of all mankind. And that's why John 3:16 says, but who ever, whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. You know, it has been amply said, a man is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
 
03:02          By the way, for questions today, what does that last quote mean to you? A man is no fool to give up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. What does that mean to you? And then the second question is how can you be sure in your mind, in your heart that Jesus was actually God in the flesh? And then number three, why is that statement so significant to you as you face eternity? And here's the thought for the day. You know, an act of love that's unrivaled in greatness, rightly understood, can only produce consistent appreciation and obedience.
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November 20, 2019

The Chosen Messenger - Mark 1:1-4

"I'm blessed to be married to an amazing woman who was the messenger for our football team back in Dallas when we played for SMU. She would be the messenger of our team. We'd run into stadiums around the country and we played some great teams in those days - in Michigan and Auburn and Tennessee and Arkansas and Texas. But every time we'd go into a stadium and play, Debbie Jo would lead us doing hands springs and backflips going into the stadium."

Family Discussions:

  1. As a Christian, how are you like John the Baptist chosen as a messenger to represent Christ?
  2. What character qualities does God want for Jesus as a modern day messenger?
  3. As Paul Revere warned of the British attack on America, how can you warn your friends and your family of Satan's modern day attacks as you present Christ?

Transcription:

00:14          I am really excited to begin this morning, a several day study of the book of Mark. Mark is the second Bible in the four gospel accounts of Jesus's life. And we read from gospel history that Mark whose mother was also named Mary, literally grew up in the middle of the action of the early church and the life of the disciples after Jesus' resurrection. I mean this guy was in the middle of it all. He also traveled with Paul and Barnabas. You can read through the book of Mark, a whole lot of Peter's personality. So we know that Mark was a friend of Peter, and in about 55AD, just 20, 23, maybe years after Jesus' resurrection, this great gospel account, incredibly accurate, dedicated to the purpose of showing the deity of Christ was written. So, if you're excited as I am, let's get into the study.
 
01:06          Today we're in chapter one and we're going to be looking at verse one through four. And it says this, "the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the son of God as it is written in Isaiah the prophet," and he quotes Isaiah and he says, "behold, I send my messenger ahead of you who will prepare your way, the voice of the one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight." John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. You know what? I grew up memorizing a poem and I think all the old guys can relate to this poem. Lots of us memorize it around the country, but it's a poem about a messenger. Somewhat like Paul Revere. I mean someone like John the Baptist and his name was Paul Revere and this is part of the old poem that we memorized.
 
01:59          If I can remember some of this, he said, "listen, my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere on the 18th of April in 75 hardly a man is now alive. Who remembers that famous day and year? He said to his friend, if the British March by land or sea from the town tonight hang a lantern, a loft in the Belfry arch of the North, the church tower as a signal light, one if by land, and two, if by sea." You know, he's gotta be one of the great American heroes. I don't think he'll ever be forgotten. Paul Revere was the chosen messenger that told the American soldiers, the British were coming and America was ready to fight for the death for independence as a nation. What an honor. You can almost hear the general saying, you know what, we can depend on Paul Revere. I can almost hear, you know, they're talking about their words of faith and assurance. Imagine the honor of being chosen to be the messenger. And by the way, some historians say it was actually William Daws and only the poet made Paul Revere famous. But whether it was William Daws or Paul Revere, one and was chosen as a messenger.
 
03:05          You know, I'm blessed to be married to an amazing woman who was the messenger for our football team back in Dallas when we played for SMU. She would be the messenger of our team. We'd run into stadiums around the country and we played some great teams in those days - in Michigan and Auburn and Tennessee and Arkansas and Texas. But every time we'd go into a stadium and play, Debbie Jo would lead us doing hands springs and backflips going into the stadium. And it was pretty fun going behind her and the cheerleaders. And now, after 38 years, I'm her cheerleader and I'll be her cheerleader til the day she dies. The chosen messenger.
 
03:45          I have another friend who was a chosen messenger. His name was Dan Roberts. Dan was a great country music writer, songwriter wrote for Garth Brooks and Garth loved Dan. And because of his integrity, Garth would use Dan to open up for him and lead the way as Garth toured the world and some of the great concerts in the middle of his great career, Dan was the, was the messenger. But can you imagine being the, really the honor chosen by God to open up for not a football team, not for a music star, but for Jesus? Can you imagine the honor I chose you, John. You can almost hear God say, I chose you John the Baptist to lead the way for my son. I chose you to pave the highway to prepare the coming. My son will only come to this earth once in all of history to live as a man and die for people's sins. And you know what? His second coming will be so majestic, I won't need an Envoy.
 
04:48          Here's the questions for today. As a Christian, how are you like John the Baptist chosen as a messenger to represent Christ? The second question to think about today is what character qualities does God want for Jesus as a modern day messenger? And thirdly, as Paul Revere warned of the British attack on America, how can you warn your friends and your family of Satan's modern day attacks as you present Christ? Interesting questions, huh? Can anything, here's a thought for today. There is even a way to be John the Baptist in your home, in your school, in your business. Consider your role in that and embark on that fantastic chosen ride today.
 
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October 22, 2019

The Godl is in the Riverbed - Revelation 22:7;12

"The story goes of three riders who were riding through a desert. And when they had come to the end of themselves and had run out of food and run out of water, they encountered three other riders who were riding in the opposite direction on their camels. And the three riders who were coming to encounter these three men said, "well, what's it like on the other side of the desert?"

Family Discussion:

  1. How much are you putting in your backpack and will you be happy or will you be sad when you reach the oasis of Eternal Life with Christ?

Transcription:

00:13          The story goes of three riders who were riding through a desert. And when they had come to the end of themselves and had run out of food and run out of water, they encountered three other riders who were riding in the opposite direction on their camels. And the three riders who were coming to encounter these three men said, "well, what's it like on the other side of the desert?" And the three riders said "between here and the oasis that you'll find in a two day ride, there is a dry river bed. And in that dry riverbed, there are stones take the stones. And when you get to the oasis, you'll be happy and sad." And then the three riders rode away. Well, sure enough, about a day's journey, the three riders in the desert came to the river bed and there were stones just as they had been told. And one of them took some of the stones and put them in his backpack. One of the riders took as many stones he could, and he filled his lap even though he was tired and wary. And their stones were heavy. He filled everything he had in his saddlebags that were beside him. And one writer said, "you know what? I don't have the energy to pick up any stones." Well, in one more day, just as they had been told, they came to the oasis and they were happy and they were sad because when they came to the oasis, they looked down and saw that the stones were rich gold nuggets. They were happy because they had some. But they were sad because they didn't have more. And so it is with the book of Revelation. When you read it, you're happy and you're sad. You're happy because of the love of Jesus that's in your heart and that you get to win it at the Great Victory Party. But there are those who are sad because they didn't pick up the gold along the way.
 
02:00          Chapters 22, verse seven says this, "And behold, I'm coming quickly. Blessed is he, his backpack is full of gold. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book." And then verse 12 says, "For behold, I'm coming quickly and my reward is with me to render to every man according to what he has done." The story goes, and I believe it's historical of Augustine, you know, now, one of the most, you know, noted and famous, you know, writers and followers of Christ that ever lived. But one time, Augustine was a womanizer. At one time, Augustine had elicit relationships with women. But Augustine went to England where he received Christ at a crusade and then Augustine went home a new man. And he went back to one of his old, you know, stomping grounds.
 
02:53          And as Augustine was walking down the road, one of his old girlfriends came up behind him and she tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around to see one of his old girlfriends. And she said, "Augustine Augustine, it is me." And Augustine simply turned around and looking at her eyes. And he says, "but it is not me." He had literally become a brand new man in Christ. He had picked up the gold. He had filled his backpack in his heart with the gold of Christ. And even though this person made herself available to him, and she said, "it is I." He said, "it is not I. I have a brand new heart." And so 2 Corinthians 5:17 concludes today when it says, "if any man is in Christ, he's a brand new creation. All things have gone. Behold, the new has come." My question to you today is this, the gold is in the river bed. How much are you putting in your backpack and will you be happy or will you be sad when you reach the oasis of Eternal Life with Christ?
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October 21, 2019

Judged at the End - Revelation 21:8

"I have a friend who is a fired up Christian businessman in Dallas, Texas, and he was in a head on collision and his in his car began to burn, but he couldn't get out of the car. And he said, Joe, he said, I felt like I was living in hell. He said, I was trapped and I couldn't get out. And he said, I was, I was being consumed with fire."

Family Discussion:

  1. What is your prayer need to look like before God?

Transcription:

00:14          If you've ever wondered what the final judgment of God is going to look like, here is the description and if you've ever wondered who will be judged at the end and what will happen to those that are condemned. Here is the final judgment. Revelation chapter 21 verse eight and it says this, "but for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and adulterers and all liars, their part will be in the lake that Burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." We learned yesterday that heaven is going to be unbelievably beautiful and hell is going to be indescribably sad and destructive. I have a friend who is a fired up Christian businessman in Dallas, Texas, and he was in a head on collision and his in his car began to burn, but he couldn't get out of the car.
 
 01:05          And he said, Joe, he said, I felt like I was living in hell. He said, I was trapped and I couldn't get out. And he said, I was, I was being consumed with fire. Well, fortunately there were some rescuers on the scene that yanked him out of that car before the flames actually got to his face and began to burn his body. But he said it changed my life. And he was already the most fired up Christian Guy that, you know, you can imagine. But living in a picture of hell, being trapped, you know, in fire and having nobody with him alone in that fire he saw literally a picture of hell. And this verse describes, you know, who falls in the judgment and it talks about people in all sorts of walks with sin. But I think there's a distinction that you and I've got to understand today.
 
01:55          You know, Romans 3:23 says all have sinned. You know, we all slip and fall. But it says we don't practice that sin. There's a difference between slipping. There's a difference between, you know, accidentally sinning and continuing to live in sin. And scripture is clear, men and women, that when someone gives their heart to Christ, that they have a heart that wants to get out of that sin. Like the student at the University of Alabama at the college event that we did. As he came to the cross with hundreds of other students around him. Weeping at the cross. And he gave his heart to Christ and I threw my arms around and gave him a big victory hug.
 
02:46          But he knew when Christ gave him a new heart that he wouldn't practice that sin anymore. And I called him two years later and I said, Ben, are, are you clean? He said, absolutely. He wasn't going to be one who's going to be judged for practicing sin because the heart of Christ gave him the freedom to get out of that sin and to never go back again. So the great verse in Romans is in Romans 5:8 and it says, even though we were yet sinners, even though we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. So you and I've got to get on our knees today and say, Jesus, show me. Do I have a new heart? You know, do I have a heart that wants to practice sin or do I want to have a heart that wants to confess my sin and to receive your grace and to receive your forgiveness so that that judgment will not be a judgment for me? By the grace of God. He will pass you through judgment into eternal life. And so my question for you today is this. When you get on your knees tonight before bed, you know, what is your prayer need to look like before God? And maybe you need to do that prayer right now.
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October 19, 2019

Wed to Christ - Revelation 21:1-3

"The most beautiful picture for me is a bride walking down the aisle. And I will never forget as long as I live the beauty of my two daughters walking down the aisle. As I sort of gave them away to their husbands for marriage, for life. I wept like a baby."

Family Discussion:

  1. What did Jesus do to allow you and I to get to heaven?
  2. What are we going to do with the life that he gave us and the spirit of Christ that he puts in our heart when we receive him by faith and when we follow him and give our lives to him?

Transcription:

00:14          If you could paint any picture of any scene on the earth and that was going to be the most beautiful scene you can imagine, what would you paint? Well, I want to tell you the day the painting that I have seen painted before my eyes. The most beautiful painting of my life and it is a small picture. That painting is only a snapshot about the painting that God is going to paint in this passage today. Listen to this believers. Revelation chapter 21 verse one through three. Here's the painting that John saw in this vision from God. "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth passed away and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven as a bride made ready, adorn for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, behold, the Tabernacle of God is among men and he will dwell among them and they shall be his people and God himself will be among them."
 
01:15          The most beautiful picture for me is a bride walking down the aisle. And I will never forget as long as I live the beauty of my two daughters walking down the aisle. As I sort of gave them away to their husbands for marriage, for life. I wept like a baby. I just cried like a baby. There was just no sight more beautiful than seeing your daughter adorn in a wedding dress. And you know what? That is only a teeny sliver of the beauty of the picture of heaven. But God uses the picture of a bride adorn for husband as a picture of what it will be like when we are wed to Christ for eternity in the new heaven, the new heaven, the heaven that will live with God forever and ever comes down out of the sky.
 
02:05          We've got to ask ourselves, you know, where we going to be when the new heaven comes? And how is it that we're going to get there? Somebody asks a wise man one time, how long has eternity? And the wise man said, you see that little bird and the man said yes. And he said, picture that bird taking a drink out of that lake every 10,000 years and that bird flies away. And then 10,000 years later, that bird comes down to the lake and takes another sip. And then 10,000 years later, the bird comes down to that lake and takes another little sip. And the wise man said, when the lake is dry, then eternity is over. And so it is with eternity and God. One bird will never dry up the lake and eternity never ends.
 
02:50          And you and I either get to spend our eternity in heaven with God in the new heaven as a bride adorned for her husband, or we get to spend our eternity in hell a place that was built for Satan and his angels. But you've got to walk around the cross to get the hell because God in 2 Peter 3:9 says that God is patient, slow to anger, not wanting any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. So the new heaven is coming and the bride is adorn for her husband today. My question to you is what did Jesus do to allow you and I to get there? And what are we going to do with the life that he gave us and the spirit of Christ that he puts in our heart when we receive him by faith and when we follow him and give our lives to him?
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October 18, 2019

The Faithful - Revelation 20:4

" I was just in Chicago with a high school student, a 17 year old boy named Jacob, who's faithful. That boy had a vision for a thousand of his friends to come to this event and to come to Christ. And because of Jacob's faithfulness that little theater we were in was packed because one boy was faithful and he wanted everybody he knew to come to Christ. He's a hero to me. "

Family Discussion:

  1. Don't you want to be one of the faithful?
  2. What are you doing today to become one of the faithful?
  3. Who are you leading to the throne of grace today? 

Transcription:

00:14          Who are your heroes? You know my heroes are students that I get to work with that are faithful. My heroes are men and women that I get to work with that are faithful. My hero is my wife Debbie Jo because she's faithful. My hero was my dad because he was faithful. My hero still is my mom who's faithful. Revelation 20 verse four talks about the Faithful. Listen to this. This is so incredibly inspirational and motivating to me. Verse four he says, "and then I saw Thrones and they sat on them and judgment was given to them and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the Word of God and those who had not worshiped the beast are his image and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."
 
01:12          There are those at the end who are faithful. I was just in Chicago with a high school student, a 17 year old boy named Jacob, who's faithful. That boy had a vision for a thousand of his friends to come to this event and to come to Christ. And because of Jacob's faithfulness that little theater we were in was packed because one boy was faithful and he wanted everybody he knew to come to Christ. He's a hero to me. And then down in Florida, a boy named Connor, his daddy said, you can take a senior trip. You can go anywhere you want to go. And he said, only places I want to goes to heaven and I want to take all my friends with me. And he literally got 6,000 Orlando kids together for this event. And I was able to build a cross and just see over a thousand kids give their hearts to Christ because Connor was faithful.
 
02:05          Just recently I was at the Air Force Academy where the Christian students are getting persecuted and Christianity is getting put down. And through the influence, the ACLU and the agnostics and the cynics and, and even, uh, some, some people are into Wicca. These Christian students are faithful in three students brought 20% of the student body to the event before the cross. And hundreds of those students came to the cross that night because Scott and because of the faithfulness of Jack and before the faithfulness of Matt Rotor. We were at Virginia Tech and 2000 students followed one girl and one guy into this event to come to the cross. 2000 kids because one guy and one girl were faithful. Do you know that people are following you? And do you know that you can be a Jacob? You could be a Jordan? Or like my friends, Beau and Cooper up in Kansas City who had Saturday night parties that were free of alcohol that sometimes over a hundred students would come to because Beau and Cooper were faithful.
 
03:13          Do you know that you can be one of those people? And certainly at the end, you're going to want to be one of those people because the faithful who don't get into the work of Satan, who don't follow the anti-Christ, even though the antichrist, the beast is not yet appeared as he will to the degree he does a Revelation. He's everywhere today, but the faithful will celebrate with Christ forever. Don't you want to be one of the faithful? My question for you today is this, whether you're a student or whether you're, you know, in the workplace or you know, husband or wife or father, what are you doing today to become one of the faithful and who are you leading to the throne of grace today? At the end, the ones that follow you will call you faithful.
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October 14, 2019

Like a Thief - Revelation 16:15

"Years ago when my kids were small, I was at home alone. Debbie Jo was on a trip and the kids were sleeping in their room and about 2:30 AM I heard a thief in my kitchen and I jumped up out of bed and saw that thief running out the front door. And I chased that thief is as hard as I could. And you know what? It's a good thing he didn't have a gun. But when a thief comes into your house, you don't care, you'll do anything to get him out of your house and fortunately for him and me, he didn't come back. "

Family Discussions:

  1. What's your house doing to get ready for the coming of Christ?
  2. Personally in your heart knowing that the blood of the lamb on your heart is the only ticket, the only key to live with Christ forever. What are you doing with the lamp?
  3. What are you doing with Jesus?

Transcription:

00:13          You know, I can smile about it now, but I sure wouldn't smiling about it when it happened. Years ago when my kids were small, I was at home alone. Debbie Jo was on a trip and the kids were sleeping in their room and about 2:30 AM I heard a thief in my kitchen and I jumped up out of bed and saw that thief running out the front door. And I chased that thief is as hard as I could. And you know what? It's a good thing he didn't have a gun. But when a thief comes into your house, you don't care, you'll do anything to get him out of your house and fortunately for him and me, he didn't come back. But today we're going to talk about a thief and you know, a thief when he shows up, no one knows when he's coming. He doesn't announce his arrival. And so scripture says, the coming of the son of man will be.
 
01:05          We're in Revelation chapters 16:15, and we're in the middle of the bowls of wrath in the judgment of God. But he says this, "behold" Jesus is speaking through the angel to John. "Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed it is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes so that he will not walk around naked and men will not see his shame." Jesus is certainly not the thief but he comes like a thief and that we won't know the day or the hour that is coming. Acts 1:7 makes it clear that only God knows the day and the hour of the coming of Christ. But Jesus said in Matthew 24 that the coming of the son of man will be just like it was the day of Noah.
 
01:47          He says, for men will be eating and drinking and marrying and giving into marriage. Before Noah entered the Ark and they did not understand until the floods came and swept them all away. He said, two men will be in the field, one will be taken and what will be left. Two women will be grinding in the meal, one will be taken, one will be left and I'm offering humor to about the two men who are standing there talking, the two women are out working. What are we doing men? Standing around talking. But no one knows when the thief is gonna come. In this case it's going to be anything but a thief. It's going to be Christ, but he gives us signs. He gives us signs. He said there'll be earthquakes like never before in the earth. There'll be wars and rumors of wars like never before in the earth.
 
02:26          There'll be false prophets running around the earth, getting followers, claiming to be Christ. The cults will be like never before. He said there'll be seances, a Satan worship of demons and demon possession and tarot cards and dungeons and dragons and satanic movies and music. It'll all be a part of the signs, but people won't heed the signs. Even though the signs are all over. It's the gospel that we preach to the whole world at that time. There will be a proliferation of the gospel like never before. Like we're seeing the day travel where we prolific like we've never seen before. Daniel said people will be moving from place to place. The second coming of Christ will have signs, but people will not see the signs. But like a thief, he will appear. And then the ones who follow him and love him sincerely will be taken away.
 
03:14          On December 7th, 1941 there were signs, but our navy and our military didn't see the signs. And the next thing we knew, hundreds of Japanese planes were sinking our navy in Pearl Harbor. On 911, there were signs and we didn't see the signs. We didn't pay attention. Until the planes were flying into the buildings and terrorism struck the United States of America. Well today there're signs. It's December 7th. It's 911. There's signs everywhere. Christ is coming back and he'll appear like a thief in the night. So my question to you today is, is what are we doing? What are you doing? What's your house doing to get ready for the coming of Christ and personally in your heart knowing that the blood of the lamb on your heart is the only ticket, the only key to live with Christ forever. What are you doing with the lamp? What are you doing with Jesus?
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March 25, 2019

Welcoming Jesus to the Gates of Our Lives - John 12:12-16

"Kids all wait in line for days to buy a ticket to some gigantic rock concert. There's a rock concert where 16 people were literally literally smothered. Some of them almost smothered to death."

Family Discussions:

  1. What would people do if Jesus came to your town?
  2. What star would would you go across the street to see what? What star would you rush to see?
  3. Who would you rather spend the night at your house? Your favorite actor, your favorite singer, your favorite icon or Jesus?
  4. Why did the crowds say on this palm Sunday, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord"?

Transcription:

00:14  This passage today, I can't wait to share with you. This is not only one of the greatest days that we celebrate each year before Easter, but uh, but this day was actually prophesied, uh, about 600 years before it ever happened by the Prophet Daniel. Here we go. This is awesome. John 12 verses 12 through 16, and it says this, "The next day the great crowd had come for the feast. They had heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took some palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, 'Hosanna, Hosanna. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is the king of Israel.' Jesus found a young donkey and sat up on it as it is written, 'Do not be afraid O Daughter of Zion. See, your King is coming on a donkey's colt.' At first, his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they see that

01:13 They realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him." We call it Palm Sunday. Bless him who comes in the name of the Lord? This is awesome. Now you and I watch sometimes, you know, kids, you know, all wait in line for days to buy a ticket to some gigantic, you know, rock concert. I read about another rock concert where 16 people were literally literally smothered. Some of them almost smothered to death. It's 50,000 people, you know, crowded this stage at another, you know, rock concert. Uh, you, you know, you, you see, you know, television or maybe you've been to some of these concerts where tens of thousands will scream themselves breathless as, you know, some of these, you know, rock stars play their songs. What would we do if Jesus came to town?

02:06 Who would it be like, you know, the rock stars traveling these gigantic jets. Jesus came on a donkey, I heard about one, you know, rock star who made $161,000 a day. Uh, you know, uh, I mean, he could, he could walk down a sidewalk of gold into his concerts. Jesus rode in on simple palm leaves. Uh, you know, the stars are raised up on the stage, you know, with thousands of lights around. Jesus was raised up on a Roman cross. Funny thing about that. The stars will be forgotten almost, you know, after they played their last chorus. Jesus' song of love will be number one forever. What a paradox. Hey, here's the questions today. What would people do if Jesus came to your town? And then what star would, uh, would you go across the street to see what, what star would you rush to see? Um, well, let me ask you this question. Who would you rather spend the night at your house? Your favorite actor, you know, your favorite singer, um, your favorite icon or Jesus? And then, um, this is a good one. Why did the crowds say on this palm Sunday, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord"? And here's the lifeline. Can you imagine the home, what it would be like if you gave Jesus the welcome he deserves every single day when he shows up at your Bible study?

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March 9, 2019

Against the Odds - John 7:40-42

The odds, it has been calculated, that any other man could fulfill all of these and all the other prophetic claims about Jesus are as impossible as these odds that you could fill the solar system with golf balls and mark one golf ball with a red dot then ask a golfer with a blindfold on to go out and swing and hit the red dot ball on the first swing.

Family Discussions:

  1. What do Jesus' fulfilled prophecies tell you about your faith?
  2. What difference does today's devotional make in your life and your belief system today?
  3. How else can we be sure that Jesus is who he said he was when he claimed to be God?

Episode Transcription:

00:13 You know, we often use the word awesome and amazing. Well, I'm gonna tell you something today. This is awesome. This, this is amazing. We're in John chapter seven, verse 40 through 42, and it says this, "On hearing his word, some of the people said, 'Surely this man is the prophet.' Others said, 'He is the Christ.' Still, others asked, 'How can the Christ come from Galilee? Does not the scripture say that Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the place where David lived?'"

00:46 Listen, the men of the Bible lived by what the Old Testament said. So check this out. Josh McDowell is one of the most intelligent men I know, and he's a whole lot of fun. He wrote a book called "The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict." And Josh pointed out from his research that during the thousand or more years that the Old Testament was written before Jesus' birth, several hundred specific prophetic details are given that accurately predict the birth, the life, the death, and the resurrection of the Messiah who was to come.

01:17 Here's just a few of the following prophecies that give interesting details of Jesus' coming, as I've gotten from Josh's book. First of all, it says that he would be born of a virgin - Isaiah 7:14. That was fulfilled in Matthew chapter one. It says he'd come from the family line of Jesse in Isaiah chapter 11. That was fulfilled in Luke chapter three. It said he'd be from the House of David - Jeremiah 23:5. That was fulfilled in Luke chapter three. It says he'd be born in Bethlehem in Micah 5:2. That was fulfilled in Matthew 2:1. He would be preexistent, Micah 5:2 says. That was fulfilled in Colossians. He shall be called Emmanuel, Isaiah 7:14 says. That was fulfilled in Matthew chapter one. He would be proceeded by a messenger. Sound familiar? Isaiah 40:3 says. That was fulfilled in Matthew chapter three. His ministry would begin in Galilee,

02:08 Isaiah nine said. That was fulfilled in Matthew chapter four. He would be sold or betrayed for 30 pieces of silver, Zechariah 11 and 12 said. That's fulfilled in Matthew 26. His hands and feet would be pierced. A thousand years before the crucifixion, 800 years before the crucifixion was even invented, it says in Psalms chapter 22 that his hands and his feet would be pierced.

02:36 You know what? The odds, it has been calculated, that any other man could fulfill all of these and all the other prophetic claims about Jesus are as impossible as these odds that you could fill the solar system with golf balls and mark one golf ball with a red dot then ask a golfer with a blindfold on to go out and swing and hit the red dot ball on the first swing. It's crazy to imagine, but so it is with any other man fulfilling all 300 prophecies as being the true Jesus of the Bible. He must be Lord and God.

03:22 Here's the questions for the day. What do Jesus' fulfilled prophecies tell you about your faith? And then secondly, what difference does today's devotional make in your life and your belief system today? And then lastly, how else can we be sure that he is who he said he was when he claimed to be God? And here's the lifeline. If you have a difficult task today, know that if you're a believer that the only one, the only Jesus of prophecy, lives in your heart, and it's he who can do his work through you.

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