Moosic Alliance Church

Title: Power Hour Prayer Meeting
Date: 2010-09-08

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If you read yesterday you know that today I promised to give you the solution to the problem of “badness” that every person has as part of their character. Remember that according to God’s standard we are all “bad” and as a consequence our eternal destiny is the lake of fire.
If you have concluded that you would rather have heaven as your eternal destiny then read on! It will mean your willingness to submit yourself to God’s rule and rules; it means surrender of your will for His.
Is there anyone who doesn’t know about John 3:16? Here how it reads from the New International Version of the Bible, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The word “world” does not refer to the planet but rather to the humans living on the planet. Notice that is also so says “whoever” which simply means we all qualify. “Eternal life” equates with eternity in heaven with God. The word “gave” refers to the historical fact that God took on flesh (remember Christmas?) – we call Him Jesus – and lived a sinless life. Jesus was crucified and served as a substitute sacrifice for everyone sins; that is, He paid the price for your sins so you don’t have to pay it. What is boils down to is rather simple (though not simplistic). If you believe in Jesus Christ (what He did for you) God promises you heaven as your eternal dwelling place.
So let us get down to what it means to believe. The apostle Paul, the major writer of the New Testament, deals with this in Romans 10:9-13 if you want to see it in context. A person needs to confess “Jesus is Lord”. That means willingly, honestly, submitting yourself to His rule over your life such that your goal is to do His will not your will in all things, as you live your life. A person also needs to accept as true that God the Father raise Jesus the Son from the dead; you believe that in your heart. I know, your high school biology class proved that can not happen. But consider this. If God really is who He claims to be – a supernatural being – then it is not impossible with God to raise a dead man to life again; it is supernatural! High school biology is only intended to study the natural things of life not the supernatural. There were many eyewitnesses to the fact that Jesus died and rose again from the dead and there are a number of their written testimonies in the Bible for you to read. The celebration of Easter each year is the recognition of the event of Christ’s resurrection almost 2000 years ago. Paul then writes, “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” The promise from God is straight forward, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
If you are willing to tell God and others that you submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ, believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and then ask God to save you based upon what Jesus has done (and not on anything you have done) you will be saved. And this just starts the journey! The choice is up to you.
Want to talk about any of this? Drop me a line and let the dialogue begin. Oh, and if you do talk to God and ask Him to save you please let me know.

Tags: Gospel, Heaven
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We, as in the human race, have a problem! Look around you and then consider why we have to have laws? Why can’t we just accept that a person will do what he/she says they will do? Why do we have to have contracts instead? How come we have to have locks and bolts on our doors? Why do we have to have police to enforce the laws we have?
I suppose we could conclude that we are in the shape we are in because there are a few “bad” people out there that have to be controlled. But is it possible that you and I are also part of the “badness”; just different by degree? Look at your own life a minute. Have you ever done something you later wish you had not done? If so, why did you do it in the first place? Just a little mistake perhaps; or are we quibbling about degree again? Have you ever said you would do a thing and then didn’t do it? Why didn’t you keep your word? Have you every said you would not do a thing and then did it? Why didn’t you keep your word?
Ok, so can we agree that none of us humans is perfect though there are varying degrees of “badness” among us? If that is the case then as long as I compare myself to some one with a larger “badness” number than mine I guess I could say I’m pretty good (if only in a relative sense). But by my admission that we are all “bad” (again with different degrees) I am also admitting there is a standard by which “badness” can be measured (again even if it is only relative). But whom shall we trust to set up the standard since all of us are “bad”. Right, that is a problem.
Let me give you further discouraging news. The Bible says, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.” God has spoken in agreement with our conclusion that “all are ‘bad’.” I guess I could agree with God and then just go on living my life the way I wanted; always making sure someone had a larger “badness” number that mine. That way I can always say I’m good compared to him/her. I suppose that will make me feel better about myself.
But suppose I don’t feel good about myself and I want to change? Honestly, have you seen people live perfectly good lives? Me either. Though I have read about Jesus, who lived in the flesh but did not sin. Oh! I should have said, but did not do “bad”. But you knew I was getting to sin didn’t you?
The problem with sin is that the standard by which you and I are measured is determined by God and He has already said no one is seeking Him and so no one is righteous by His standard. The Bible says that if you and I stay in that condition we eventually end up in a lake of fire where we spend eternity. Even if that is figurative language it still does not sound like a place any of us want to end up. Do you?
There is a way to avoid the lake of fire. Do you know that way? I’ll get back to you tomorrow with the answer. So try to be good; or at least less “bad”.

Tags: bad, lake of fire, Sin
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After “cleansing the Temple courts” on Monday Jesus returns to the Temple area on Tuesday. Tuesday is a very busy day for the Lord (read Matthew 21:23 – 25:46 to get an idea of how busy) but there are two points I want to pick out for us today.
As Jesus was walking and teaching in the Temple courts He was confronted by “the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders” (Mark 11:27) who challenged Him with the following questions (Mark 11:28). “By what authority are You doing these things? … And who gave You authority to do this?” Jesus responds by asking them about John’s baptism, “…was it from heaven, or from men?” These leaders talked it over among themselves, couldn’t figure out which response was most politically correct so replied that they didn’t know! Jesus then told them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.” Jesus then proceeded to teach the people in the hearing of these leaders using parables. One parable in particular cut them to the quick and (Mark 12:12), “Then they looked for a way to arrest Him because they knew He had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left Him and went away.”
When Christians today speak in public places about the Kingdom of God and Jesus Christ His Son they should not be surprised if there are some listeners who take offense! So, Christian friend, do you know by what authority you speak about these things? And do you know who gave you this authority? If not, I believe you need to open your Bibles again and find the answers to these questions; otherwise you could find yourself not holding firm to the faith you profess.
Eventually Jesus leaves the Temple courts and goes to the Mount of Olives for the night. Here He gives what we commonly call the Olivet Discourse which is primarily about His second coming; you can read the short version of this in Mark 13. Among the volume of teaching He does that night look at this one section near the end found in Matthew 24, “Be on guard! Be alert! … keep watch because you do not know on what day your Lord will come [back]. … Who then is the faithful and wise servant…? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing [his master’s appointed work] when [the master] returns.”
There is a lot of talk about the end times going around in Christian circles today. I don’t think that is a bad idea at all. Just be careful that all the talking prevents you, as a follower of the soon coming King, from doing what our King has appointed you to do. Jesus will return at God’s appointed time – make sure you are busy with Kingdom work when He does.
I’ll be gone for Wednesday so here it is in a nutshell. The chief priests and the teachers of the law and the elders “plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill Him.” (Matthew 26:1-5) At the dinner party that night Mary anointed the Lord to, as He said, “prepare Me for burial.” (Matthew 26:6-13) And Judas made his deal to betray Jesus for thirty silver coins. (Matthew 26:14-16)
When you make your plans for the future do they include the Lord and what He desires for you to plan?
Think about these things and let me know what you think.

Tags: Enemies, Faith, Planning
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Mondays! For most people Monday is a return to what we got away from on the weekend. The Lord’s Monday was busy with people just like Sunday was. Jesus of Nazareth had quite a Sunday; we traditionally refer to it as the Triumphal Entry. He had spent all day with people; first on the road into Jerusalem from Bethany, then a short visit to the Temple followed by a return to Bethany with His Twelve (the apostles). Early Monday morning (Matthew 21:18) He was headed back to the Temple.
Once in the Temple area He “began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.” (Mark 11:15b-16) Since His teaching during this event was about the sacredness of the place for prayer the general consensus is that He was ridding the place of offensive people and noise to provide more space with a quieter environment for prayer which is what God had in mind originally for that location.
Later, as He was teaching His followers some Greeks, who had gone up to the Temple during these days of preparation for Passover to worship, found Philip and told him that they would like to see Jesus. Philip found Andrew and the two of them told Jesus. (John 12:20-22). The Lord’s response was to teach the crowd that His time was drawing to an end. One thing He said I think is striking. “Now My heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your Name!” (John 12:27&28) Jesus was certainly aware of what was going to happen on Friday but choose to continue on the path His Father had set before Him so that His Father would be glorified. His commitment to the will of God cost Him His life.
What about Christians today? Are they/we/you as committed? I like to hope so but I continue to see professing Christians who shrink back from some of the Lord’s commands, often uttering the phrase, “It is too hard for me.” I do not condemn them for I have found myself among them. I know I need to become more consistently filled with the Holy Spirit so as to complete the tasks set before me. My prayer is that I will grow more in the faith. How about you? How is your commitment level? Are you satisfied or do you want to grow more? Let us encourage one another as these days go by.

Tags: Commitment, Staying the Course
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