Tag: Jesus Christ

Posted on in Knowing God

Jesus in Red

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

2 CORINTHIANS 5:21, NKJV

This statement alone is enough to offend the modern, culturally-acceptable gospel that presents no need for a bloody Savior. When Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things, be killed and raised the third day, Peter initially resisted Him (Matt. 16:21-22). He had no paradigm for a suffering Messiah or for submitting his life to a Roman cross in order to follow Him. Jesus essentially called this mindset Satanic (Matt. 16:23). For believers in today’s world, we must be prepared to confront this same message of a cross-less Christianity. While there are elements of truth that we must learn to value as the name of Christ is proclaimed and the gospel is brought up as a matter of discussion in our society (Phil. 1:15-18), we must also learn to answer the discussions with clarity and compassion (1 Pet. 3:15).

One thing I have noticed over the years is that there is a real danger that arises when the gospel is subtly mixed with a certain leaven of victimhood and self-righteousness that allows for people to keep their identity wrapped up in what happened to them and to trust more in their own “rightness” or truth. This type of message looks right and feels good, but it ultimately undermines the liberating truth and power of the gospel because it avoids the fundamental crisis and purpose for which Christ came to save us. The modern gospel, which often revolves around human want, rather than human need, will say that the solution is you plus Jesus. But the gospel of Jesus Christ says a dead you is the only you that His resurrection power can work through (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6:1-11; Jn. 12:24-26).

His love was never meant to be used as a weapon against against truth. A weapon that would embolden us to live comfortably in our sin, resulting in blurred lines and moral confusion. You see, the thing about the love of God which sets it apart from every other love is not only that He gets us, it’s that He bled for us. And He bled for us that we might know His love, that we might repent of our sins, receive His forgivness and turn wholeheartedly to Him with joyful obedience. Romans 5:7-9 says, “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. Jesus didn’t overlook our sin, He dearly paid for it with His own blood (1 Cor. 6:20). He didn’t avoid the conflict. He didn’t downplay the crisis. He saw the wrath we brought upon ourselves, and at just the right moment, He hung in our place (Gal. 4:4-6; Isa. 59). In bloody agony, He demonstrated once and for all what love looks like (Jn. 15:13). Jesus in white became Jesus in red.

My beloved is white and ruddy, Chief among ten thousand.

SONG OF SOLOMON 5:10, NKJV

14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

HEBREWS 2:14-15, NLT

17 Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. 18 Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

HEBREWS 2:17-18, NLT

4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.

ISAIAH 53:4-5, NLT

Undoubtedly, we are moved by the selfless sacrifices of men and women throughout history who died protecting those they love, fighting for freedom from tyranny or defending others who could not defend themselves, yet never before has anyone so pure, so innocent and so righteous died for those who were so corrupt, so guilty, so defenseless and so undeserving of mercy. In the fury of His divine love, He wages war on everything that hinders us from knowing His love. That’s what He did to save us from the penalty and power of sin, and it’s what He will come back to do–to forever save us from the presence of sin. What He accomplished through the cross in silent restraint as the Lamb of God, will one day be openly displayed and unleashed on all His enemies when He returns (Isa. 42:13-14).

1 Who is this who comes from Edom, With dyed garments from Bozrah, This One who is glorious in His apparel, Traveling in the greatness of His strength?– “I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” 2 Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?

ISAIAH 63:1-2, NKJV

25 For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. 26 And the last enemy to be destroyed is death.

1 CORINTHIANS 15:25-26, NLT

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. 12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself.13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God.14 The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses.15 From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.

REVELATION 19:11-15, NLT

As I was thinking about the wrath of God, this story came to mind: Imagine you are a child who was told by your father not to play outside alone, and you chose to disobey him. While you are outside wandering in the brush, you hear the backdoor of your house fling open and see your father come charging toward you with a large shovel. In a frozen panic, you await the punishment, but as your father raises the shovel you turn away only to see the real reason for his fury. Right behind you is a large diamondback rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike just as your father steps in the way and crushes its head with the shovel. He was coming after the snake all along (Rev. 12:9; 20:10; Matt. 25:41).

3 “I have trodden the winepress alone, And from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, And trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes. 4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart, And the year of My redeemed has come. 5 I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; And My own fury, it sustained Me.

ISAIAH 63:3-5, NKJV

We have painted our own picture of Jesus for so long that we don’t have a grid for Jesus in Red, and like Isaiah we say, “Who is this…” (Isa. 63:1)? Could it be that the reason we still resist His leadership in our lives is because we have yet to agree with the fact that it is actually His love that is making things messy (Heb. 12:3-11)? It’s actually His love that is disturbing our comfort and confronting our presumptious lifestyles, not to harm us, but to save us. It’s actually His love that beckons us to take up our cross and deny ourselves (Matt. 16:21-25; Jn. 15:11-14). Whereas the modern gospel casually permits us to continue fulfilling our own selfish desires, the gospel of Christ liberates us from ourselves, from self-absorption and self-preservation. Distorted versions of the gospel may bring the appearance of freedom, but this is exactly why they are dangerous–for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). God doesn’t break us out of “Egypt” and leave us to wander in the slavery of our old ways, but He desires to bring us into sonship, that we would follow the leading of His Spirit as we long for our heavenly homeland with Him (Rom. 8; Heb. 11; 1 Pet. 2:9-10). We don’t easily admit this because we are so used to dancing around the serpent’s den, but that is why we need the entrance of His Word to bring light to the dire condition of our heart and to the glory of Jesus in Red, who saves us, heals us and transforms us in love (Ps. 119:130; Eph. 1:17-18).

We need the purifying power that comes from hoping in Him alone. Jesus, the One true uncreated and eternal God became flesh and dwelt among us, that He might be the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:1-18; 29). He truly died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried and rose again the third day, beeing seen and reported by many infallbile proofs (1 Cor. 15:1-5; Acts 1:1-3). He became our Great High Priest and King through His once and for all atoning sacrifice, our Mediator and Intercessor who comes to dwell within us through the Holy Spirit, who helps us in our weakness and is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of His purchased possession. He will come again as our Bridegroom and Judge to vanquish every enemy of His love. Every form of sin and evil that is not covered under His blood will have to answer to Him. So I say to myself, along with every bitter, broken and blinded heart: Look to the Lamb. Look to Jesus in Red.

2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

1 JOHN 3:2-3, NKJV

9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”…13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.“

REVELATION 7:9-14, NKJV
Posted on in Kingdom Life

Sit Down and Eat

READING: JOHN 6:1-14

“Sit down and Eat!” This was probably one of the most repeated phrases in my house growing up as a child, and now as a father with kids of my own, the same could be said about our house. My wife and I often get on to our kids for not eating, rushing through their meal, or making a mess around the house because they aren’t eating at the table. As parents, it puts us in a state of frenzy as we try to get them to sit and eat, yet I feel as though we are guilty of the same with our faith in Jesus Christ. I’m convinced that the reason many of us have become so prone to anxiety is because we have become so easily distracted by that which is temporary, and we endlessly worry about things we cannot change (Matt. 6:25-34). We feel this gnawing need to keep moving at a pace that we were never meant to sustain, a pace that is fueled only by the flesh and disconnected from kingdom vision and values. As a result, we quickly fall into the habit of only coming to the Word of God to look for cheap snacks and microwaved answers, while never taking the necessary time to sit down and eat the whole meal.

3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.

JOHN 6:3

When we study the gospels, it will do us much good to not only pay attention to the well-known messages that Jesus spoke and the big things that He did, but also His subtle actions and small phrases. He invites His disciples to learn from His way of life, saying, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30). Jesus worked hard and accomplished much in three and a half years of focused ministry recognizing that His time was short, yet He was never in a hurry (Jn. 5:17-19; Jn. 4:34). He was never restless, discontent or overcome by the fear-producing pressures of His day. In Matthew’s account of Jesus feeding the five thousand, He had just departed to a deserted place by Himself after He heard the news about John the Baptist’s death (Matt. 14:12-13). Mark and Luke add that He brought the apostles with Him as they returned from being sent out by Him to preach the gospel and heal the sick (Mk. 6:30-31; Lk. 9:10). The people still found Him, and He did not turn them away, for He was moved with compassion (Mk. 6:34). But even as the multitudes came to Him, He chose to sit down.

31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

MARK 6:31

Jesus told Martha that she was worried and troubled about many things, distracted with much serving, but one thing was needed, which her sister Mary had chosen–for she “sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word” (Lk. 10:38-42). We can all come into the same presence of Jesus, but not everyone will sit down. There will always be a table to serve, but serving must never take precedence over sitting at the feet of Jesus. One of the direct consequences of serving without sitting is that we begin to be overly critical of others, grumbling and complaining saying, “Lord, do You not care…” (Lk. 10:40; Isa. 40:27; Mal. 2:17; Ps. 37:7-8). May we learn to keep choosing that good part, taking our eyes off of all that appears to be in our way and lifting them to the One who is seated (Isa. 6:1; Rev. 4:2)–The One who is well aqcuainted with our griefs, who bore our sins, who makes intercession for us, who values our unnoticed obedience, who reigns over all that we fear, and who carries us through with His sufficient grace, wisdom, and power (Isa. 40:26; 53:4-5; 1 Pet. 5:7; Eph. 3:20).

19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

EPHESIANS 1:19-23

There is most assuredly a time to walk, a time to run and a time to stand, but not before we learn how to sit. “Sitting” is a posture of repentance and humility because it communicates a willingness to receive and rely upon that which is given to us. It is an honest expression of what it means to be poor in spirit, to be meek, gentle and lowly in heart. It is a posture of faith which waits on the Lord. It is an action that communicates trust and readiness. Eagles do not fly higher by flapping harder. Instead, they simply spread their wings to catch rising air currents as they soar to higher altitudes. Likewise, we wait on the Lord by sitting at His feet, staying attentive to His voice, remaining ready to obey Him, praying and relying on the rising currents of His Spirit. Many times, sitting down and waiting upon the Lord begins with looking at Jesus who endured the cross, and it ends with us following His example to take up our own cross, surrendering that which we were never meant to hold on to (Heb. 12; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 3; Rev. 5:6).

31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

ISAIAH 40:31

Then Jesus Said, “Make the people sit down” (Jn. 6:10). Our anxiety serves as a witness that we still have not learned to sit down. Therefore, because He is a Good Shepherd, there are times in our life when Jesus makes us sit down. As a father, sometimes the last thing I feel that I can afford to do is sit down, especially when it comes to providing for my hungry family–yet Jesus shows us that we can’t afford not to sit down. This has nothing to do with promoting laziness or apathy, but it has everything to do with bringing us into a life of peace and gratitude which will feed more people than we ever could in our own frantic exertion of strength. Jesus telling His discples to make the people sit down before He multiplied the loaves and fish gives us a picture of what our ministries should be doing today–leading people into such a place of rest in Christ where they learn to feed on His faithfulness, that they may truly run and not be weary, walk and not faint (Ps. 37:1-7; Gal. 3:1-3). The easy yoke is not inactivity, it’s right activity–which is produced by right relationship with Jesus (Matt. 11:28-30). The difficulty comes from trying to stay yoked to everyone and everything except Jesus, putting our effort into temporary things that oppose what He teaches us to value. I believe in calling people to respond with action, to pursue wholehearted obedience, to love God with all of our strength, but not apart from abiding in Him (Jn. 15:1-5). Are we helping others to sit down and eat or are we spreading our restlessness to them?

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures…

PSALM 23:2

6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…

EPHESIANS 2:6

Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (Jn. 6:5). Jesus doesn’t ask us questions because He doesn’t know the answer. He asks the right questions in order to lead us into the right answer (Jn. 6:6). Phillip immediately starts counting out how much it will cost, but Jesus never asked “How?” He asked “Where?” When we are restless, we look for solutions based on what we have or don’t have instead of finding them within the One we are seated with. My wife knows that she can go to the bank and withdraw funds, not because of anything other than the fact that she has covenantal access through my name. What if we didn’t allow our problems to produce more anxiety, but we let them expose where we buy our bread? Jesus called out the fact that the multitudes sought after Him, not because they saw the signs, but because they ate of the loaves and were filled (Jn. 6:26-27). He alone is the Bread of Life who supplies everlasting life, therefore, let us repent for working for that which doesn’t fill, but instead work to find our delight in Him (Isa. 55:1-3; Jn. 6:33-35; Ps. 1). Let us seek after this fresh bread that comes only from Him, that we may have something truly satisfying to set before those who are searching, to give them the food of the Holy Spirit, of the message of His body that was broken for our sins, and of knowing Him and doing His will (Lk. 11:1-13; 22:19; Matt. 24:45; Acts 3:6; Jn. 17:3; Jer. 3:15; Jn. 4:34).

11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.

JOHN 6:11

So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost” (Jn. 6:12). It’s helpful to note that this miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand took place near the time of the Passover, a time when Israel was commanded to commemorate how the Lord mercifully passed over them and did not destroy those who obediently applied the blood of the lamb over their door posts (Ex. 12; Jn. 6:4). The details of this feast would have been in the minds of the disciples and the Jews who were witnessing this miracle, indicating Jesus’ intentional timing. The Passover lamb, which was a prophetic picture of Jesus, was to be a male without blemish, one for each household, and they were to eat it in its entirety, letting none of it remain before the next morning. In light of this, I believe He had them gather up the fragments of bread to teach them why He multiplied the bread–He desires that nothing would be lost. Jesus would later go on to say, “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day” (Jn. 6:39). Much like the bread from heaven [manna] which was not to be stored for the next day [aside from the Sabaath], Jesus wanted His disciples to visually learn that He does not let anything go to waste and neither should they (Matt. 4:4; 6:11). He is the True Bread from Heaven sent to give life to the world, so that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have life without end (Jn. 6:40). In other words, He is saying, “Who will sit down and eat, receiving all that I have provided?” and “Who will obey my voice to go and gather all who have been invited to come, that no one may be lost?” And as we sit with Him, this is how we eat: We see Him and believe in Him. Not part of Him, but ALL of Him. For each household. Who will take the time to realize the table that has been set before us in the midst of all that we fear and worry about (Ps. 23:5-6)? He is seated and waiting for us to come today, that we would see His new mercy for us this day, and to receive this day our daily bread. I believe this way of life will produce in us a gratitude that will crucify the anxiety and sin that so easily ensnares us (Heb. 12:1-2).

35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.“

JOHN 6:35

46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

ACTS 2:46-47

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7

ACTION POINTS: Lord, we repent and ask that You would help us…

  1. Change Our Pace [sit down and rest]. Help us to resist the temptation to chase temporary riches and cares. Help us to rest in what You have provided and wait on what You have promised.
  2. Change Our Diet [eat and receive by faith]. Help us to resist the temptation to trust in our own strength and wisdom. Help us to rely upon Your grace and look to You as our source and our delight.
  3. Change Our Perspective [respond with gratitude and obedience]. Help us to turn our eyes from worthless things. Liberate us from the bondage of fear and victimhood. Help us see You in all of Your glory, to know Your beauty, Your goodness, Your power and Your love. Help us to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, that we might do our part in gathering up those whom You give us, that no one would be lost.

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Posted on in Kingdom Ministry, Prayer Room Debriefs

Prayer Begets Evangelism

PRAYER ROOM DEBRIEF | MARCH 2023

The late Reinhard Bonnke, a mighty evangelist to Africa said, “Evangelism without intercession is like a bomb without a detonator. Intercession without evangelism is like a detonator without a bomb.” In the same way that it is impossible to separate the first commandment of loving God from the second commandment of loving our neighbor, so it is with prayer and evangelism.

As someone who leads a prayer ministry, one of the objections I often face in regard to spending time gathering for prayer is that we as Christians need to instead be spending our resources elsewhere into various activities, programs, production, services and events that bring people into the church. The list can go on. While I wholeheartedly agree that we as a Church need to be investing into all that Christ commanded and commissioned us to do, I do not believe we should put activities such as prayer and evangelism in competition with one another. To use the analogy of Jesus, to make such an objection is like trying to be fruitful apart from being connected to the vine (Jn. 15:1-5). In Luke 11, Jesus spoke a parable to teach His disciples about prayer describing someone who had nothing to set before a friend who came to him in need. How do we expect to evangelize, disciple and serve people when we have nothing to set before them? All throughout the days of the early Church, we see them repeatedly gathering for prayer unto multitudes being saved, healed, delivered, discipled and sent back out into the harvest fields. This is not an either – or issue, it is a first things first issue.

The more we give ourselves to prayer, the more we will desire to give ourselves to the Great Commission in the right ways. In my experience and understanding of Scripture, prayer truly begets evangelism. It is nearly impossible to spend time with Jesus and not be moved with compassion and an intercessory groan for the Church and for the lost in our city, that things such as drug and alcohol addiciton would be eradicated, depression and anxiety would be abolished, sickness and disease would be healed, orphans would be adopted into Godly families, those in genuine need would be helped, that wrong things would be made right, and that all would be saved and discipled as children of God. Oswald Chambers said, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work.” If someone believes that prayer isn’t work, then they’ve never truly prayed. To spend long hours before the Lord, especially on behalf of others, is a genuine investment of faith sustained only by the power of His grace which mightily confronts our latent pride, selfishness and anxiety. The prayer meeting may seem lonely, uncomfortable and even unproductive at times, but then again, so did the cross.

24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

John 12:24

7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

Luke 18:7-8

APPLICATION POINTS:

  • Get to the Prayer Meeting: Show up and keep showing up, even if there are only two or three. Set the attention on the Lord and who He is, worship Him, praise Him and thank Him. Be disciplined to pray the Bible, use short phrases, and prepare your heart to hear from the Lord and to obey His voice. Let Him lead the meeting.

  • Get in the Field: Be watchful of the needs in your own community, among your family, friends, co-workers, co-students, neighbors, and strangers unto the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Ask the Lord to reveal opportunities to serve. Go to where the people are and come alongside them. Use your testimony to share the gospel, heal the sick, and obey the leading of the Spirit. Find ways to put action to your prayers. Use your skills and interests to meet these needs and create opportunities for the gospel to go forth.

Venture Church

Venture Prayer Room

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