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  Here’s a *News Flash* for all those who may have not read the rest of the ‘memo’: God did not just send Jesus to pay off our ‘debt of sin’ by forgiving us of our sins; He came to set all men free from sin where they could actually ‘go and sin no more’ (John 5:14; 8:11; 1 John 5:18). I mean really…what’s the point in sending a plumber and clean-up crew to remove all the standing sewage that has spilled into your yard…if the broken pipe that lead to the stinking mess is not repaired? Yeah…go read that one more time, aloud. That passage in John’s gospel that ‘sparked’ these blog posts nearly five years ago is quite an indictment made by Jesus: “I tell you most assuredly: whoever commits sin is a slave to sin” (8:34). That’s the same passage where He was promising those in His audience that they could know the truth and the truth would set them free (32). And what was the first thing out of the mouths/hearts of those who heard this? “Oh…we’ve never been in bondage to anyone, so ho...
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  “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness… and every disease… among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” (Matt. 9:35-36) That portion of text gets me every time. The mission of Jesus was simple, and His message was clear and direct. He came to help hurting people, wanting to heal them and set them free. And He never held back when it came to teaching them why they were hurting, and who had them bound. “Repent…and follow Me.” That was the condensed version. Like Paul, Jesus did not come with the enticing words of men’s wisdom and intellect; rather He was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and power in order to heal all who were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). Paul echoed this sentiment when he made it clear that he too…did not come with excellence of s...
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  About those ‘paradigms’ we talked about yesterday…here’s a pretty common one that many sincere ‘believers’ subscribe to: “I’m a sinner saved by grace.” Would you align yourself with that statement, or not? Or maybe you have just always been led to believe that ‘Christians’ are simply ‘saints who sin’. After all…Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven, right?  The assumption here, of course, is that one who views or sees themself remaining 'as a sinner' must continue to live as a 'sinner'...because they continue to sin?  Maybe not as 'bad' or as 'often' as they 'once did'...but still... If that is your paradigm, or set of ‘spiritual lenses’ you have always viewed this Christian life through…what would it take to get you to take a ‘second look’ and maybe reconsider that a ‘paradigm shift’ might be needed in our churches today? And it really wouldn’t require some heavenly sign from above to get our attention…since it’s already laid out in our...
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  In the Book of James, the reader is challenged towards the end of the 5th chapter with a series of questions along with a ‘remedy’ to their pressing problems. I’m paraphrasing here, so I’d encourage you to read the passage in its full context (5:13-16) Is anyone among you…suffering? Is anyone among you…sick? Here’s a suggestion- why not try confessing your sins to one another…and pray for one another…that you may be healed. In fact, you might even just call for the elders of your church assembly and let them pray over you, even anointing you with some oil in the name of the Lord. And guess what? That prayer offered in faith will raise you up. And if that person has committed sins, they will be forgiven, provided they confess and repent of them (implied). In John’s gospel, we read about a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. Jesus came upon him, asked him if he wanted to be made well, and then healed his body instantly, where he was able to get up and walk. (John 5:1-9). It...
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  “IF you love Me…keep My commandments.” – Jesus (John 14:15) “Blessed is the man…whose delight is in the law of the Lord. And in His law he mediates day and night.” (Ps. 1:1-2) “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.” -Paul. (1 Cor. 7:19). Can I just tell you that if one is truly following the leading of God’s Spirit…that is what they are doing? (Rom. 8:13-14, 4; 1 John 2:3-4; 5:2-3) If you’ve been reading here the past week or so, we’ve actually been touching on the first 3 commandments, even though that was not my intent or original plan. The first commandment, as you probably know... highlights the need of recognizing there is only One God and He is the One worthy of our worship above all others. The second commandment introduced us to this idea that God was a ‘jealous God’ and was known for ‘visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Him…but s...
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  When Jesus gathered with His disciples on the Mount of Olives, they asked Him privately if He might share with them how one could know when the ‘end of the age’ would come and what might be some evident ‘signs’ leading up to His return. (Matt. 24:3) And what a ‘sermon’ of a response Jesus gave them. It would appear that it spans two chapters if you read 24 and 25 straight through. Jesus touches on so many points in His response, but it’s always the first statement out of His mouth that always gets my attention: “Take heed that no one deceives you, for many will come in My name…and will deceive many.” (Matt. 24:4-5). (Paul alludes to this fact as well in 2 Cor. 11:3-4 and Gal. 1:6-9) Jesus goes on to point out of a great divide that will arise between ‘nations’, a word derived from a Greek word that we get the word ‘ethnic’. He continues on… warning how ‘you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake’ (9). But it’s the next verse that I’d like to launch from for today’s le...
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  This idea that God desires, wants, and yes…even ‘requires’ that we come to Him with our ‘whole heart’… really is ‘a thing’ with Him. Seriously, He really meant that! Jesus agreed that loving God with ‘all our heart’ was the single most important and ‘greatest commandment’. (Matt. 22:36-38) When asked what one ‘must do’ in order to receive or inherit ‘eternal life’, Jesus told the lawyer who quizzed Him…”love the Lord your God with all your heart…” (Luke 10:25-28) When a rich, young ruler came to Him asking a similar question, Jesus again…pointed to the ‘law’, as in ‘keep the commandments and you will enter into life’, the young man pressed Jesus asking ‘which ones?’ (Matt. 19:16-18). We soon discover that this ‘seeker’ makes the same mistake that many of us have been guilty of doing over the span of our lives and just automatically ‘assume we’re good with God’. But wait…a more probing conversation ensues and reveals something that was not apparent at first. This young man was a...
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