The representative of the greatest power on earth, Pilate, confronted his creator, and indeed the Creator of heaven and earth cynically asking if He was king!
The representative of the greatest power on earth, Pilate, confronted his creator, and indeed the Creator of heaven and earth cynically asking if He was king!
Isaiah’s experience in coming to the presence of the Lord described in Isaiah 6:5 speaks of David’s question in Psalm 24, Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ? or who shall stand in his holy place?
Both on the local and international scene, the realities that we are in the last days cannot be gain said.
By Pastor David Nkenchor – 29 April 2018
Bible Reading: John 19:1-24. (Matt.27:35; Luke 23:34)
The High Priest garment similitude – Ex. 39:1-… (22-24)
Significance of High Priest / seamless garment = PERFECT.
Implying,- No patch, No adjustment, Not fitted, Not joined together –
1 Cor. 5:6, Gal.5:9 “A little leaven …”,
I Jn. 2:15-17”Love not … world …
Matt. 6:24 “Ye cannot … mammon”
– PERFECT High Priest
– PERFECT Righteousness of the Lord which He has bequeathed unto us – Rom. 5:1; 8:1-2 (The Msg.)
– PERFECT PROTOTYPE, Sinless life in the body – Heb. 10:5, Jn. 1:14, Rom. 8:3; 1 Jn. 5:18; Rom. 8:29 “firstborn among…brethren”
Mk. 15:34, 37, Luke 14:25 – Israel observed the Passover at the 3rd hour (morning sacrifice / oblation) and 9th hour (evening sacrifice / oblation – time for slaying the Passover lamb) so Jesus our Lord Jesus Christ hung and gave up the ghost consecutively. Perfectly replacing the old priesthood with the eternal priesthood.
Ex. 28:2, Lev. 21:10-12b – Shortly after, Caiphas the High Priest tore his garment (perfect righteousness), temple veil rented in twain Mk. 15:38), confirming the end the old and confirming the establishment of the new, living and eternal priesthood. – Heb. 10:20-22 – While Caipas’ was torn, Jesus’ was preserved
Dt.19:15; Mt. 18:16; 2Cor. 13:1 “In the mouth of … established”
WHY TEAR / DIVIDE HIS OUTER GARMENT BY SINNERS?
– Our (self) out-borne righteousness remains as FILTHY RAGS and MUST be done away with by the instrumentality of worldly trials/temptations – Is. 64:6
– Except our righteousness exceeds … Pharisees” – Mt. 5:20,
Heb.13:10-11 “we have an altar…tabernacle”
WHY ALLOW THE VILEST OFFENDERS (Soldiers) GO AWAY WITH HIS SEAMLESS COAT?
-That the scriptures might be fulfilled –Psa. 22:1-18 (16-18)
– As the prodigal son (Lk. 15) He demonstrates His love by keeping our garment in expectation of our home coming
– As Gentile dogs (Mt. 15:23-28):
1. He left an indelible witness of our salvation in our hands. Jn 1:12-14, and
2. He ultimately made THE PROVISION for our salvation
Rom. 5:6-8 “while yet sinners…”,
Mt.18, Lk. 19:10 “for the son of man is come…lost”
WHY WAS HIS SEAMLESS GARMENT CLOSEST TO HIS SKIN?
Col. 3:23-24, “and whatsoever…”
Mt. 6:4,16,18b”secret works, open reward”
While our thought, intents and inward contemplation/transformation might not be seen by the public, God sees, weighs and rewards.Heb. 4:12, ISam.2:3b.
What will MY ULTIMATE reward be?
Our seamless garment (righteous works in this earthly tabernacle) e.g. faith, holiness, forgiveness, good works, et.c, enviable as they are while serving as THE HIGHEST WITNESS to the world MUST give way as we adopt / get transformed and translated into our incorrupted and immortal heavenly home call. 1Cor. 15:51-54.
LET US THINK ON THESE THINGS AND REJOICE IN THE HOPE OF OUR SALVATION.
Shalom
by Evang. Victor Aina – 8 April 2018
TITUS 2:11-14
We all know now that trials do not necessarily means God has forsaken us.
They come as a part of daily life’s circumstances trials are part of God’s permissive will.
1 Pet 4:12-13 count it not strange.
1 Pet 1:7 trials of your faith much precious than gold that perisheth
Jams 1:2-4, 12, Blessed is the man that endures temptation. The problem we face we either defeat or develop us depending on how we react or respond to them 1 Cor. 11:23-33.
“If you love the Lord your problem was sent to you by him for a purpose – Rms 8:28
Some way God uses problem in our lives
1.To direct you: Sometimes God must get fire under you to get you moving Jonah 2:2-10. Jonah ran to Tarshish, was caught in a storm and swallowed by a big fish before he obeyed God.
2.God uses problem to inspect you: Job & Abraham
Job: The Lord giveth the lord taketh away blessed be the Lord Job 2:3-10,he thanked God in his problem.
Abraham was asked to offer Isaac , He did not complain Gen 22:1-12 LB
3.God uses problem to correct you
Some lesson we learn only through pain & failure. Sometimes we learn the value of some things by losing it.
In Ps 119:71-73 LB David said afflictions taught him to pay attention to God’s laws. With all the wives he had, he still ran after Bathsheba, killed Uriah and lost his joy of Salvation Ps 51:1
4.God uses problems to protect you: there’s a story of an accountant who refused to lie on the tax return should of His company and was fired. A year later, the organization was exposed and he was not part of people sent to prison. Joseph said to his brothers what you intended for evil God has used for good (Gen 50:20)
5.God uses problem to perfect you: When you respond correctly to your problems, they build your character. Your relationship with God and your character are the only 2 things you take to eternity.
Paul’s suffering built his character (Rom 5:5)
2 Cor 12:7-10, Thorn in the flesh- my grace sufficient
SOURCES OF TRIALS
a. Natural result of circumstances i.e sickness, flood, fire out break
b. Persecution from other people – Jn 15: 18-21, Mt 5:10-12,i.e The 72
c. Satan permitted by God Job 1:6, Job 2:3-7
d. Gods proving Ground – Zech 13:9 – God tries us so we may know him better
e. Self-made trails – are the hardest to bear (Seed & harvest – David)
The point is God is at work in your life even when you don’t recognize or understand it, unless we suffer with him, we cannot reign with him.
He puts strenght in us (Job 23:6), Jesus learned obedience by suffering (Heb 5:8-9), His character was perfected by suffering (James 1 2-4)whom the Lord loveth the chastised (Heb 12:6)
Sometimes it takes trials to break the bands of the world off us. Trials after trials, test after test.
To rebuke and reprove: To reprove is to expose with a view to correct, chasten does not mean to punish – Job 18 & 19. It means to discipline Heb 12:5-11
He permits, crosses, cross road and junctions, he always does that to perfect us for his service. God uses this to purge our character (Job 42:1-10)
Job throughout that book – boils, all his children died, even his friends said hath sinned and ran him down – did not offend God.
1 .What to draw from this is that when we are gong through trails His love for us has not changed a bit.
2. He is molding us into Christ-like character. Jer 18:1-6
If everything comes lazy what are we overcoming 1 Jn 4:3-5
Benefits of trials
• Loyalty and faithfulness – Brings us face to face with the decision whether we are loyal to God or not
• Test of our Humility – If He is the Lord indeed we will, wait on Him and Hope in him. It teaches us to be like Paul,” who said your grace is enough for me 2 Cor 12:9-10.
• Test of our Love for God – Can we love God just as much, after we have passed through trails just as we did before – Rm 8:35-39 who shall separated us
• Test of our courage – Satan sometimes threating us by making great show i.e by sickness, sometime he makes things look dark, face them boldly by the word of God.
• Test of our steadfastness – It teaches us patience, whether we really trust in him or we will jump out of the pot 1 Pet 4:12-16, 19 ,commit the keeping of your soul. There is no short cut – Titus 2:11-14
Some costly assumptions Lk 2:41-50 NKJV
vs 41 & 43, First parents then later Joseph and Mary this means, we are individually responsible for letting Jesus have His place in our lives.
Vs 44 They suppose he was in the company ,don’t base your relationship with God on assumption or peoples experience make it personal that is why some fall.
Lk 9:23 – If any man not a group individual
Spiritual experience has become company experience to some people, this means that something is wrong. Some has made themselves also the custodians of the Holy Spirit.
When you have nothing to say about your life and personal walls with Jesus, it means something is wrong.
• How many things have you enter into with assumption thinking the master is there no wonder you have lost your peace, no wonder you can’t cope with the challenges of this world 1 John 4:9 is the greater one in you
• Samson’s case Judges 14:1-3
Vs 1 – He decline, sink, taken, down to Timnath passion for women, starts innocently, beautiful woman, nice shapes…. In Jdgs. 16:1 Harlots
• I believe there are other beautiful sites in the land, than going into an harlot . He has now moved from Timinath to Gaza the headquarters of the city.
• We can see lust of eyes Judge 16:14 meet Delilah, it was not Delilah that killed Samson, it was what he liked that he refuse to ask for Help about .Rom 2:15-16 LB, 1 Tim 4 :16 LB Samson seems to see only women
• Hasty decision, Judges 14:2 – Marry her for me, Prov.. 14:29, Ish 52:12 Isah42:2. Don’t be too hasty in your decision. Law of Nazerite – Numb 6- Consecrated separated to God Samson = Shim-Shone, shimshon = the sun, sunlight Mtt 5:14.
• A desire for self pleasure Judge 14:3 self can never please God 2 Tim 2:3-4 please the one that sent you 1 Tim 5:6 she that liveth in pleasure, is dead alive.
• Despiser of Godly counsel Judges 14:6,8,9, when a man is about to be cut off, devil deceive him, to hide in the secret, Satan threw in dankness, A nazerite is not supposed to touch dead things, not to talk of eat from it sometimes we break personal consecration and hide from people that can help us.
This is a trick of the enemy to destroy you Mary thinks and assume spiritual gift is a sign of spiritual authentication very wrong. Rom 11:29 gifts and calling.
a.Samson was still removing gates of city after sleeping with harlots God’s gift and calling are without repentance (backslider can still manifest the power of GOD,Matt 7:21-22)
b.Ate honey from a dead carcass, sin is infectious, He gave people around him honey 2 Tim 2 :19-21
– Do you build anointing to make yourself a name, he is only carrying out a random raid in His own interest, not rooting out the philistines
– Anointing many flow for a time, but once it cease to promotes Gods interest, it begin to fade away judges 16:19-20.
c.But he rose again Jdgs 16:28-30, He killed more in one day then all he killed in 20 years.
Some of us may have jumped out of pot because of the heat, instead of patently waiting for him. To bring out his image in us.
Or we might have been using his grace for self interest. He wants us to grow to his stature and fullness that is why he is working in us. Eph 2:8-10 grace NASB/NLT Eph 4:11-15 growth through (5 fold).
Are you sure he is with you or you a living on assumption some steps in Luke 2:44-50 NKJV
1.Insist on making your relationship with Jesus a personal experience Lk 2:44, they assume he was with the crowd. What some do is follow the crowd and teleguided by them no natural fire in your heart. Call him back today.
2.Do not Act in Haste, Be truthful to yourself don’t pretend to be who you are not (Hypocrisy) 1 Cor 4:1-6 NASB NKJ 1, Tim 4:1-2, 1 Kgs 17
3.Repent seek, and follow Jesus only on his terms Mtt 11:27-30 NASB
4.Turn back to where you have erred, go back to that point where you missed it, in your spiritual journey, we are in a race.
Go back to your personal quiet time, reverence for the word constant fasting and prayer, separation and personal vigil, evangelism, hospital visitation pick it up don’t wait a day longer, the grace is available today. Lk 2:45-46. Mary and Joseph turn back again the went back to Jerusalem no other Agenda, but just to seek for Jesus.
Preacher: Afolabi Oladele
Texts:
Ps 40: 6 – 8 (NLT); Luke14:15; Isaiah 5: 8-10; 1 John 2:15-16; James 4: 4; 1 Corinthians 1: 3; Ps27:4-6; Matthew 28:18 – 20; Luke 12:42 – 48; Luke 15: 4-7; Philippians 1:12-17; Ephesians 3:8 – 10; Acts 20: 22-45 ; John 10:20; Ish 50; James 10; John 10, Luke 13; and Galatians 6.
Summary of Message:
We need to watch out for the situations or things that makes us focus our attention more on the present than on our destiny and our eternity. 1 John 2:15-16 states, Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.
The best that God has for us is in relation to the Kingdom of God and not our current circumstances. James 4:4 says, You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.
We need to put God first, this should be our desire as it was David’s, even a busy King’s desire was to only to put God first as seen in Ps 27:4-6 – The one thing I ask of the Lord- the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me.
At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.
When this becomes our desire as it was Paul’s also, we will see that Grace is already available as seen in 1 Corinthians 1: 3 says, May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
As the church of God, in order to be balanced, we need to stand on two legs. We teach and are taught the word of God but do our lives evangelize to the world?
Matthew 28:18 – 20 states that 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nation, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Luke 12:42 – 48 states,
And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
The servants in this text knew and understood their roles as ministers. They knew the mind of their master and they knew that he had a goal, the goal of reaching a number of completion. In the same way, we need to ask ourselves, do we know the mind of Christ, do we know His goal and do we work towards it?
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
luke 15:4-7
The parable of the lost coin and sheep, were all aimed at reaching a complete number, reaching the goal of the master.
Paul was so driven by the goal of the master that he did not mind sufferings or insults. We need to do our part in reaching God’s goal. Let our lives reach out to those around us.
In order to reach God’s goal, we must learn to live a sinless life; working towards dropping our sins and leaving them for good. God wants us to delight in him and share this same delight with the world not living religiously. Ps 40:6-7 (NLT) 6 You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings. Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand— you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.7 Then I said, “Look, I have come. As is written about me in the Scriptures: 8 I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.” for your instructions are written on my heart.”
What sorrow for you who buy up house after house and field after field, until everyone is evicted and you live alone in the land. But I have heard the Lord of Heaven’s Armies swear a solemn oath: “Many houses will stand deserted; even beautiful mansions will be empty. Ten acres of vineyard will not produce even six gallons of wine. Ten baskets of seed will yield only one basket of grain.”
Isaiah 5:8-10
Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!”
In the times we are, we are seeing that the things of this world mean nothing and the only delight a child of God will have is the joy of looking forward to meeting Jesus. Luke 14:15
Points to Ponder:
– What am I doing in pursuit of living a sinless life?
– Do I know God’s goal and am I aligning with it?
– Is my life ministering/evangelizing to the world?
– Lord help me let go of any good that is distracting me from the best you have for me.
Prayer Points:
– Lord, help me live a sinless life and not just a religious one
– Lord, help me tap into the grace available to live a life for you
How long will God condone carnality? Answer, till it injures you.
Don’t cut off people’s ears, they need it to hear – Peter and Malchus (king or kingdom representative). You can carry your carnality – knife with you without Jesus complaining, it doesn’t mean He approves (JN. 18:10-11). You get to a point when you are supposed to know better – Paul in 1Cor. 13:11; Eccl. 10:16.
2 extreme cases where God spoke up (Ex. 4:21-25: Num. 22:22-32. Num. 31:8, Josh. 13:22).
We live in the age of prophecies fulfilling, yet we gloss over them, instead of using them as the standard to measure our walk with God. 2Tim. 3:5 is one – people will have a form of godliness. As we long as we are in the latter/perilous times, the spirit will come after anybody that wants to practice Christianity. So first, there is a spirit of “form of godliness” roaming seeking whom it may devour. We need to live with that daily! What’s the meaning of the word “form” and what is the meaning of the word “godliness”? that should help us to pin it down.
Form – mere (not real), semblance – something that resemble something – not the original.
Godliness is reverence, respect, piety towards God, holiness.
A “semblance of holiness” or 90% holiness is not acceptable – because what we call holiness is actually the nature and character of God (Hab. 1:13; Heb. 4: 14-15; 2Cor. 5:21). We are not better than old Israel that God sentenced to captivity for their sins. See His comments against them in Ezek. 36. 1 –
Yahweh
In the ancient world, names communicated something about a person’s character. See Ex. 3:12-14. In Ex. 3:15 Ex. 6:3.
Name discussed (Gen. 11:4 2Sam.7:23 Prov. 22:1). Name is SHEM i.e. fame, glory, reputation, memorial, monument. Strong: An appellation as a mark or memorial of individuality – by implication, honour and authority.
How do we meet His standard to maintain fellowship with Him that will take us to the Promised Land? There’s the crossing of Jordan in front of everyone before you get to the Promised Land. What is Jordan? Understanding this will help us. It means to descend, sink, to subdue, run down, to bring down – all from YARAD the root word for YARDEN which means one going down – descender. See Gen. 11:7; Gen. 26:2; Gen. 18:20-21
Crucified with Christ is total and true Christianity (Gal. 2:20; 1Cor. 2:2; 2Cor. 5:16;)
Character Upgrade
Because we live in Satan’s World
• Eph. 2:1-3
• Ps. 58:3
Those who serve the Lord must not bring in what they have, rather, their character must be suitable for the Lord’s use. This is possible only after you have gone through the process of refinement – character upgrade like Abraham and Moses.
• See Col. 3:10; Rm. 13:14; 1Cor. 13:11; Gal. 3:27; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:14
Inside Egypt
The Exodus, note He didn’t tell them they were going to the Promised Land; He said, let my people go that they may worship me” (Ex. 4:5).
And here, the Lord began to lay a condition for heaven: unless you worship God in spirit and in truth (live to please Him John. 4:26) you don’t deserve heaven, the City of God. Also, by this statement God was questioning their knowledge of Him and their faithfulness – consistency. The desert and the hardships would unveil their nature.
You need to understand that the Lord will not use the things of man alone. Your talents or other forms of endowment by themselves are not useful to Him. They can only be useful to Him if He is the one using them – telling you what to do and what not to do. That was the first lesson Moses learnt, in the burning bush episode where the bush was burning but it was not consuming the wood.
God was showing him that He does not need what he has. He had been a general and a state builder in Egypt; these characteristics were of no use to God by themselves. God had to unlearn him – drop the nature of Egypt so that He could fill him with godly qualities needed for the job at hand.
• 2Cor. 4:7
• 2Cor. 3
Our person must have been dealt with by the cross. (Matt. 16:24-28)
(1Pet. 2:21)
(c) The Christian Brethren Church