Mat 27:46 - "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?""
This verse portrays the culmination of hours of hanging upon the Cross. At this point the weight of the sin of the world taken upon Himself must have been more then Jesus could bear and He cries out, not from physical pain, not from fear, but from the feeling of being separated from the Father by sin.
Jesus felt forsaken and abandoned by God for the first time in His life.
Sin has a way of doing that to a person.
The forsaken streak continues unbroken.
I wonder if Jesus feels forsaken when His sacrifice gets trampled underfoot by those who mock Him even today?
How about those who have not acknowledged God? Or those who had but walked away?
The face of God turns away from the sin of man and the only bridge between God and man is the Savior Jesus Christ.
How many relationships are breeched and broken by people who refuse to forgive and remain estranged and forsaken from each other?
Jesus is familiar with it.
He wants to make it right between us and Him. Between you and others.
Jesus suffered that for us in order to attain a greater good.
We on the other hand just obstinately suffer for no good reason at all.
How about if we just give it back to Jesus instead of carrying it around?
How about replacing forsaking with forgiveness?
Out of Jesus being forsaken by the Father came the forgiveness of mankind.
Out of us accepting and receiving what Jesus did comes the ability for us to turn our face back toward others in forgiveness as well.
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
www.reallifect.com
Monday, April 2, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
If
Mat 27:39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads
Mat 27:40 and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross."
Mat 27:41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying,
Mat 27:42 "He saved others; he cannot save himself. If He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.
Mat 27:43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"
If.
Such a small word with such large ramifications.
Contained within one vowel and one consonant is a desperate lack of faith and hope.
It's almost as if the people wanted to believe, but they needed some super huge miracle to prove to them once for all.
However, that was it.
The miracle was being performed.
Right before their very eyes.
It was the great once for all sacrificial miracle.
The spiritually blind will never receive.
I doubt that all of the "if's" could ever have been satisfied.
No, it's not "if". It's "He is".
"If" replaced by "Is".
One vowel and one consonant taking up the same space.
Only this word is packed with faith and hope.
You know, all of those things the people were asking for came true.
He came off the cross. His Father delivered Him. He is the King.
Now He is waiting to come back to gather His Church.
Will the Son of Man find faith upon the earth when He does?
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
www.reallifect.com
Mat 27:40 and saying, "You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross."
Mat 27:41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying,
Mat 27:42 "He saved others; he cannot save himself. If He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.
Mat 27:43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"
If.
Such a small word with such large ramifications.
Contained within one vowel and one consonant is a desperate lack of faith and hope.
It's almost as if the people wanted to believe, but they needed some super huge miracle to prove to them once for all.
However, that was it.
The miracle was being performed.
Right before their very eyes.
It was the great once for all sacrificial miracle.
The spiritually blind will never receive.
I doubt that all of the "if's" could ever have been satisfied.
No, it's not "if". It's "He is".
"If" replaced by "Is".
One vowel and one consonant taking up the same space.
Only this word is packed with faith and hope.
You know, all of those things the people were asking for came true.
He came off the cross. His Father delivered Him. He is the King.
Now He is waiting to come back to gather His Church.
Will the Son of Man find faith upon the earth when He does?
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
www.reallifect.com
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Just Passing By
Matt. 27:39 - "And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads..."
Matt. 27:40 - "...and saying, 'You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.' "
Here we see the casual dismissal of Christ.
"Those who passed by." The basically uninformed. Those with just enough knowledge of a situation to hurt themselves but not ever do any good.
They paused to mock Jesus and deride Him based upon a misunderstanding of His words.
He never said He would destroy the temple of Jerusalem and rebuild it in three days.
He was referring to Himself as being the Temple of God and that He would be destroyed upon a cross but be resurrected in three days (all of which came to pass). (John 2:19)
He also compared Himself to Jonah and the whale..
He said, "For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matt. 12:40)
Even the religious Jewish leaders, the Pharisees and Sadducees, should have known exactly what Jesus was saying when He claimed to be the Chosen One, the prophecied Messiah.
What's changed in 2,000 years?
Not much. Even with the knowledge we have gained, and the presence of the Church in essentially every part of the world, people still take issue with Jesus and accuse and reject Him without knowing the facts about Him.
We cannot, nor should we, judge Jesus Christ based upon the testimony of others good or bad.
We should make our own assessment based upon seeking Him personally. Anything else is pure ignorance and speculation.
Want to know if Jesus is who He says He is?
Then do the right thing and ask Him to reveal Himself to you.
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
www.reallifect.com
Matt. 27:40 - "...and saying, 'You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.' "
Here we see the casual dismissal of Christ.
"Those who passed by." The basically uninformed. Those with just enough knowledge of a situation to hurt themselves but not ever do any good.
They paused to mock Jesus and deride Him based upon a misunderstanding of His words.
He never said He would destroy the temple of Jerusalem and rebuild it in three days.
He was referring to Himself as being the Temple of God and that He would be destroyed upon a cross but be resurrected in three days (all of which came to pass). (John 2:19)
He also compared Himself to Jonah and the whale..
He said, "For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matt. 12:40)
Even the religious Jewish leaders, the Pharisees and Sadducees, should have known exactly what Jesus was saying when He claimed to be the Chosen One, the prophecied Messiah.
What's changed in 2,000 years?
Not much. Even with the knowledge we have gained, and the presence of the Church in essentially every part of the world, people still take issue with Jesus and accuse and reject Him without knowing the facts about Him.
We cannot, nor should we, judge Jesus Christ based upon the testimony of others good or bad.
We should make our own assessment based upon seeking Him personally. Anything else is pure ignorance and speculation.
Want to know if Jesus is who He says He is?
Then do the right thing and ask Him to reveal Himself to you.
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
www.reallifect.com
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Stepping Out Of The Grave
In the eleventh chapter of the Gospel of John, there is an account of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead. He had already been entombed four days, and in the face of much wonder and disbelief Jesus miraculously gave him back his life and he walked out of that tomb still wearing the grave clothes he was wrapped with a few days earlier.
There are many factors and facets we can gain from this event. It shows us the power that Christ has over death itself. It shows us the compassion Jesus has toward people. It shows us an example of the resurrection of the body that is available for believers when Jesus comes to gather His Church.
However, for today's intentions, and as an example and encouragement for believers right now, we can look at the story as metaphorical.
Prior to knowing Jesus we were spiritually dead. We were as good as in our graves.
Upon giving our hearts to Christ we were spiritually joined with Him in His death and resurrection.
In essence we died to sin and were made alive to God.
We literally walked out of the tomb of our own sin and degradation, complete with the rags of our shattered and frayed lives falling off of us as we "resurrected" from our former deadness!
This is why when we enter into this "Resurrection Season" we can really get excited about it!
This is not just some dry, worn out, dead religious exercise.
This is taking advantage of shouting to the world around us, "Hey, this is what Jesus did for me!. It's what He can do for you too!"
Look at the Scripture for today:
John 5:28-29 (Amplified Bible) - "Do not be surprised and wonder at this, for the time is coming when all those who are in the tombs shall hear His voice,(29) And they shall come out--those who have practiced doing good [will come out] to the resurrection of [new] life, and those who have done evil will be raised for judgment [raised to meet their sentence]."
Wow! Yes indeed! This passage points to the day when the literal graves of those who have died in Christ physically will be opened and be raised in new glorified bodies to join Jesus in the air at the rapture of His Church.
But it also may be used to show what has happened to us first in our spirit.
For in order to take part in the grand resurrection of the body, we first have to have this happen to us in our spirit!
This is why it is important that we give our heart to Christ, and that we makes sure others have the opportunity as well.
This indeed a time for rejoicing in what Christ has done for us, and what He is still willing to do even today for those who are dead in their spiritual lives.
Tell someone today what Jesus has done for you!
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
www.reallifect.com
There are many factors and facets we can gain from this event. It shows us the power that Christ has over death itself. It shows us the compassion Jesus has toward people. It shows us an example of the resurrection of the body that is available for believers when Jesus comes to gather His Church.
However, for today's intentions, and as an example and encouragement for believers right now, we can look at the story as metaphorical.
Prior to knowing Jesus we were spiritually dead. We were as good as in our graves.
Upon giving our hearts to Christ we were spiritually joined with Him in His death and resurrection.
In essence we died to sin and were made alive to God.
We literally walked out of the tomb of our own sin and degradation, complete with the rags of our shattered and frayed lives falling off of us as we "resurrected" from our former deadness!
This is why when we enter into this "Resurrection Season" we can really get excited about it!
This is not just some dry, worn out, dead religious exercise.
This is taking advantage of shouting to the world around us, "Hey, this is what Jesus did for me!. It's what He can do for you too!"
Look at the Scripture for today:
John 5:28-29 (Amplified Bible) - "Do not be surprised and wonder at this, for the time is coming when all those who are in the tombs shall hear His voice,(29) And they shall come out--those who have practiced doing good [will come out] to the resurrection of [new] life, and those who have done evil will be raised for judgment [raised to meet their sentence]."
Wow! Yes indeed! This passage points to the day when the literal graves of those who have died in Christ physically will be opened and be raised in new glorified bodies to join Jesus in the air at the rapture of His Church.
But it also may be used to show what has happened to us first in our spirit.
For in order to take part in the grand resurrection of the body, we first have to have this happen to us in our spirit!
This is why it is important that we give our heart to Christ, and that we makes sure others have the opportunity as well.
This indeed a time for rejoicing in what Christ has done for us, and what He is still willing to do even today for those who are dead in their spiritual lives.
Tell someone today what Jesus has done for you!
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
www.reallifect.com
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
"He Sure Doesn't Look Like A King"
Luke 19:38 - "...saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!""
The King?
He's not adorned like a king.
He's not riding the finest horse.
He really doesn't look like much of a king.
Yet, multitudes are treating Him as if He is one.
He was identifying.
Into the City of David He comes. Lowly in appearance and riding on the back of a donkey.
That's my King alright. He just confounds everything and everybody.
He shows us the true Kingship of the universe.
He reviles the haughty and proud. He lifts up and encourages the low in spirit and stature.
He has toppled more than one evil regime, and He stands between good and evil in our lives today.
He is Jesus Christ. Lord of Lords. King of kings. The soon coming again Savior of all.
He wants to be your friend today. He wants to ease your suffering today. He wants to heal your diseases today. He wants to cancel sin in your life today.
He wants to be sure that when He comes soon to gather His Church you will be among them.
If there is any chance, any chance at all, of that not happening, today is a good day to get it straightened out.
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
www.reallifect.com
The King?
He's not adorned like a king.
He's not riding the finest horse.
He really doesn't look like much of a king.
Yet, multitudes are treating Him as if He is one.
He was identifying.
Into the City of David He comes. Lowly in appearance and riding on the back of a donkey.
That's my King alright. He just confounds everything and everybody.
He shows us the true Kingship of the universe.
He reviles the haughty and proud. He lifts up and encourages the low in spirit and stature.
He has toppled more than one evil regime, and He stands between good and evil in our lives today.
He is Jesus Christ. Lord of Lords. King of kings. The soon coming again Savior of all.
He wants to be your friend today. He wants to ease your suffering today. He wants to heal your diseases today. He wants to cancel sin in your life today.
He wants to be sure that when He comes soon to gather His Church you will be among them.
If there is any chance, any chance at all, of that not happening, today is a good day to get it straightened out.
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
www.reallifect.com
Monday, March 26, 2012
Twice And Thrice
Mark 14:72 - "And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, 'Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice'. And when he thought thereon, he wept."
How could Peter do it?
Headstrong? Impetuous? Yes, those and more. But to deny Jesus?
Not once. Not twice. Three times.
Cocka-Doodle-Doooooo......You just can't mistake that irritating sound.
Jesus had him pegged.
Jesus had said all would desert Him.
John showed up at the Cross. The only one.
He must have had doubt in his heart or else ALL doesn't mean ALL.
Strike the Shepherd and the sheep will scatter.
How easy it is to step away from Jesus and pretend we don't know Him.
How easy to harbor doubt and denial in our heart even while sitting in church listening to the preacher.
Actions, even subtle acts of non-committal often tell all that needs to be told.
Be careful with that.
There is no middle ground.
Matthew 10:33 - "...but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven."
Lukewarmness doesn't sit well with Jesus.
Rev. 3:16 - "So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth."
Straddling a fence is very uncomfortable and it doesn't work with Jesus.
Yes or no. In or out.
Period.
This is a good season to become refreshed in committal. To be renewed in spirit.
This is a good season to show up at the Cross.
A wishy-washy Christian is on no better ground than the rank sinner.
The only solid ground is around the Cross.
Heavenly choir or barnyard crowing?
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
www.reallifect.com
How could Peter do it?
Headstrong? Impetuous? Yes, those and more. But to deny Jesus?
Not once. Not twice. Three times.
Cocka-Doodle-Doooooo......You just can't mistake that irritating sound.
Jesus had him pegged.
Jesus had said all would desert Him.
John showed up at the Cross. The only one.
He must have had doubt in his heart or else ALL doesn't mean ALL.
Strike the Shepherd and the sheep will scatter.
How easy it is to step away from Jesus and pretend we don't know Him.
How easy to harbor doubt and denial in our heart even while sitting in church listening to the preacher.
Actions, even subtle acts of non-committal often tell all that needs to be told.
Be careful with that.
There is no middle ground.
Matthew 10:33 - "...but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven."
Lukewarmness doesn't sit well with Jesus.
Rev. 3:16 - "So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth."
Straddling a fence is very uncomfortable and it doesn't work with Jesus.
Yes or no. In or out.
Period.
This is a good season to become refreshed in committal. To be renewed in spirit.
This is a good season to show up at the Cross.
A wishy-washy Christian is on no better ground than the rank sinner.
The only solid ground is around the Cross.
Heavenly choir or barnyard crowing?
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
www.reallifect.com
Friday, March 23, 2012
How Much Faith Is Enough Faith?
On my property I have various types of tress and plants. Some were there when we bought the property, some we added later. I am even reminded of the bible by our Rose of Sharon's and Burning Bushes.
One tree however was a pleasant surprise. We actually have several Sycamine trees. Of course they are not called Sycamine anymore, which is why I never made the connection to the bible.
The Sycamine is what is more commonly referred to as the Black Mulberry Tree.
I suppose that is somewhat exciting.
Luke 17:6 - "And the Lord answered, If you had faith (trust and confidence in God) even [so small] like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you.
Then it dawned on me.
We recently had to have several trees removed because they threatened our home and the power, phone, and cable lines. It is an expensive problem to have. Unless one has faith that God has an answer.
In our case God did. We believed for a solution and He provided. The power company removed the trees for free. In essence those trees "obeyed" us according to our faith that God would provide.
They were a conflict. A detriment. A problem that needed to be uprooted. We saw no way out of it in the natural. God provided a way.
Just like what happens in our personal lives. I mean, what was Jesus really railing against when He said even the smallest of faith would uproot the mulberry tree and replant it in the sea?
An actual mulberry tree?
No. It would make no sense to do that. In fact, He wasn't trying to suggest that it could.
Why? Because it would go against the natural order of things. Trees are meant to be grown on dry land, not under the sea.
However, He was meaning that when it comes to the difficulties of life, some so difficult that they actually seem to be as impossible to solve as "transplanting a tree from its natural habitat to one foreign to itself", that even the smallest belief and understanding that God could accomplish it simply because He is God would be sufficient.
Following me here?
It's not about the tree. It's about you.
Jesus is trying to establish the fact that there is no trouble, problem, irritation, or catastrophe that is too difficult for Him to handle.
Jesus is also pulling us into the reality that it's also not about us having faith in our faith.
Listen to me carefully here. It's not about what YOU can do by believing you have enough faith.
One thing He will do, and that is respond to your even infinitesimal faith IN HIM!
Still with me?
It's also about the amount of faith we have. In my opinion we shouldn't get caught up in "levels" of faith. Either we have it or not. In comparison to the faith of God it's all small faith. But it's enough.
That's where I think we are. Jesus is saying we have enough faith.
You have enough faith! That's great news! You have enough faith! Not small faith, but enough faith to direct it toward your problems IN THE NAME OF JESUS for whatever need you have today!
It's a comfort that our God doesn't sit on His throne and determine who gets what by assessing who has the most faith or not.
He says essentially that if we are followers of Jesus Christ we have enough.
He gives us the right to use the Name of Jesus to move what needs to be moved. Just remember...it's always Him, not you, that is making it happen.
So...got a "mountain to move? A "tree" to be uprooted? Right now, if you are a believer, you can "speak" to the issue in the name of Jesus to solve it and know that it will happen.
Luke 10:17 - "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name!"
Now that my friends, is...
Keepin' it Real.
Pastor Kevin <><
www.reallifect.com
One tree however was a pleasant surprise. We actually have several Sycamine trees. Of course they are not called Sycamine anymore, which is why I never made the connection to the bible.
The Sycamine is what is more commonly referred to as the Black Mulberry Tree.
I suppose that is somewhat exciting.
Luke 17:6 - "And the Lord answered, If you had faith (trust and confidence in God) even [so small] like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you.
Then it dawned on me.
We recently had to have several trees removed because they threatened our home and the power, phone, and cable lines. It is an expensive problem to have. Unless one has faith that God has an answer.
In our case God did. We believed for a solution and He provided. The power company removed the trees for free. In essence those trees "obeyed" us according to our faith that God would provide.
They were a conflict. A detriment. A problem that needed to be uprooted. We saw no way out of it in the natural. God provided a way.
Just like what happens in our personal lives. I mean, what was Jesus really railing against when He said even the smallest of faith would uproot the mulberry tree and replant it in the sea?
An actual mulberry tree?
No. It would make no sense to do that. In fact, He wasn't trying to suggest that it could.
Why? Because it would go against the natural order of things. Trees are meant to be grown on dry land, not under the sea.
However, He was meaning that when it comes to the difficulties of life, some so difficult that they actually seem to be as impossible to solve as "transplanting a tree from its natural habitat to one foreign to itself", that even the smallest belief and understanding that God could accomplish it simply because He is God would be sufficient.
Following me here?
It's not about the tree. It's about you.
Jesus is trying to establish the fact that there is no trouble, problem, irritation, or catastrophe that is too difficult for Him to handle.
Jesus is also pulling us into the reality that it's also not about us having faith in our faith.
Listen to me carefully here. It's not about what YOU can do by believing you have enough faith.
One thing He will do, and that is respond to your even infinitesimal faith IN HIM!
Still with me?
It's also about the amount of faith we have. In my opinion we shouldn't get caught up in "levels" of faith. Either we have it or not. In comparison to the faith of God it's all small faith. But it's enough.
That's where I think we are. Jesus is saying we have enough faith.
You have enough faith! That's great news! You have enough faith! Not small faith, but enough faith to direct it toward your problems IN THE NAME OF JESUS for whatever need you have today!
It's a comfort that our God doesn't sit on His throne and determine who gets what by assessing who has the most faith or not.
He says essentially that if we are followers of Jesus Christ we have enough.
He gives us the right to use the Name of Jesus to move what needs to be moved. Just remember...it's always Him, not you, that is making it happen.
So...got a "mountain to move? A "tree" to be uprooted? Right now, if you are a believer, you can "speak" to the issue in the name of Jesus to solve it and know that it will happen.
Luke 10:17 - "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name!"
Now that my friends, is...
Keepin' it Real.
Pastor Kevin <><
www.reallifect.com
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