Jesus, Loving Friend of Sinners

Jesus was called by the Pharisees “A friend of sinners.”

The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ (Lk 7:34)

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ (Mt 11:19)

They were criticizing Jesus for spending time with undesirables such as tax collectors and sinners! But Jesus spent time with the very people who needed to hear His teachings and His gospel. His mission on earth was to bring salvation to sinners!

The Scriptures below demonstrate that Jesus fulfilled the mission His Father gave to Him, and because He DID, He is truly a Friend of Sinners! Hallelujah!

Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” ⁶This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. ⁷So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” ⁸And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. ⁹Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. ¹⁰When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” ¹¹She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” (Joh 8:5-11)

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (Joh 3:17)

Let us celebrate and lift up the Name of Jesus! Bless the Lord!

Our Reserved Inheritance

Are you aware that when you accepted Christ as your Savior, that you immediately qualified for an inheritance that is reserved for you? Let’s study what the Scriptures say.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, ⁵who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials . . . (1 Pet 1:3-6, emphasis added)

So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Ac 20:32)

. . . to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ (Ac 26:18)

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will . . . (Eph 1:11)

And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. (Heb 9:15)

“Jesus inherited all of the blessings and the promises of God. Then He (our benefactor) died. A new covenant was formed at His death and we inherited the new covenant which contained all of the promises of Jesus’ estate, and He passed them on to us, His Church. We are born to our inheritance in Jesus.

“His death was our death. His resurrection was our resurrection, and we came forth with His estate (that He passed on to us). He didn’t take advantage of all of the blessings that He owned. Now, Jesus is the Mediator of the new covenant.” ~ Excerpt from You’re Qualified to Inherit by Carolyn M. Flanagan

According to the Bible passages at the top of this article, our inheritance is multi-faceted and rich! Hallelujah! Our inheritance is:

Incorruptible and undefiled,
Reserved in heaven for us,
We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit, and the same Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance. (Ep 1:13-14)
The Word is able to build us up in faith so that we may unlock the riches and blessings of this legacy. In 1 Chronicles 28:8, we’re reminded to seek out all of the words of the Lord so that we may possess our inheritance and that we may pass it on to our children.
Our inheritance is ready to be revealed to us.

Psalm 16:5 says that God (Himself) is the portion [serving, share, or measure] of our inheritance; and verse 6 of the same chapter reminds us that it is a good inheritance. This is quite impressive and beyond the scope of our human imagination. The omnipotent, eternal God who created everything that exists . . . He is the measure or portion of our inheritance! (Ps 73:26) Glory to God most High!

The Words of Eternal Life

Who has the Words of Eternal Life? The Word tells us,

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. ⁶⁷Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” ⁶⁸But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Joh 6:66-69, underscoring added)

What did Peter mean when he said that Jesus had the “words of eternal life”? He meant that everything that Jesus taught and lived by His example would lead us into eternal life.

Jesus came to die in order to purchase our salvation. John 3:16 reminds us that all who believe in Jesus Christ receive eternal life. And the Lord Jesus Himself said,

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (Joh 6:63) Jesus’ very Words carry life!

These are deep spiritual concepts that are worth meditating upon and asking the Holy Spirit for insight into. Here is another point of view:

“He is the way, the truth, and the life (Joh 14:6). And the aim of giving Himself as the truth to the world is freedom. You will know the truth and the truth will make you free. Free from the guilt and power of sin. Free from deadness and blindness and judgment.” – Excerpt from John Piper teaching.

Jesus gives us freedom from “deadness,” as John Piper says above. That’s a spiritually intense idea worth time in meditation and prayer.

Study the life and words of Jesus Christ and you will be studying the Words of Eternal Life. God bless you.

Watch for the Master!

This is a message for EVERYONE! We are taught by the Scriptures to keep a watch for the coming of the Master. Jesus is the “Master of the house” of each person who has accepted Him as their Savior and Lord.

Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— ³⁶lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. ³⁷And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:35-37, emphasis added)

Your watchmen shall lift up their voices, with their voices they shall sing together; for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord brings back Zion. (Isa 52:8)

I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent . . . (Isa 62:6)

In the Christian community, our watchmen are the prophets and pastors who teach us and lead us in our daily walk. The prophets give us timely insights from the Lord and we should pay attention to them. The pastors are under-shepherds who are supposed to follow the example of Jesus, the Shepherd of all believers, by living exemplary lives of faith and love. Pastors also lead their flocks in right paths and teach us about God’s nature and the Bible to enable us to live righteous, upright lives.

We are also told to “watch and pray” lest we enter into temptation. (Mt 26:41) This is a spiritual watching coupled with prayer that gives each one of us the strength to survive temptations and the difficult situations of life.

When the New Testament instructs us to “watch,” it means to stay alert, awake, and attentive. This is a spiritual instruction to be spiritually perceptive, on guard, and to examine every teaching closely so that we do not allow ourselves to be lead into error or false doctrine.

As we study our Bibles daily and meditate upon them faithfully, the Holy Spirit will bring to our minds the Scriptures that we have learned. (Joh 14:25-26) He will lead each of His children wherever He wants each person to go. Praise the Lord!

Righteousness & Praise Spring Forth

The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ purchased (paid for) our salvation—thus our righteousness. And how can we, who have received such a precious gift, prevent ourselves from crying out in praise and thanksgiving to our God and King?

The Scriptures remind us that God will cause both righteousness and praise to SPRING FORTH before all nations! Since Jesus’ death and resurrection, our earth has seen the continuous unfolding and fulfilling of this promise of God. Glory to God most High!

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. ¹¹For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. (Isa 61:10-11, underscoring added)

What does “spring forth” mean? It means: to leap out; to rush out; to arise suddenly; to come about hastily with speed and powerful force. This passage of Scripture tells us that one day righteousness and praise will rise up, suddenly, in all nations and all peoples in such a way that it will be a witness to all the world.

And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness and of Your praise all the day long. (Ps 35:28)

Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the Lord. (Ps 118:19)

. . . being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Phil 1:11)

I trust God that this article will remind us and inspire us to lift our voices to the Lord in praise and thanksgiving today—and every day of our lives!

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works . . . (Heb 10:24)

Those of us who have believed in Jesus as our Savior and Lord are designed to continue in faith in good works! This is a good work–to praise and worship the Lord. Let us worship and magnify the Lord!

An Eternal House

The Bible tells us that our spirit groans within us, yearning to be clothed with our “habitation from heaven.” Our spirit longs for the eternal body (habitation) that we each shall receive when we move out of our earthly body and into eternal life.

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ²For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven . . . (2 Cor 5:1-2)

The Bible gives us dependable and precious promises verifying that our glorious inheritance does indeed include eternal life, spent in the presence of our Lord and Savior.

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. (Mt 19:29)

. . . who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. (Mk 10:30)

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. (1 Joh 5:13)

We have no way of knowing what the appearance of our eternal home will be. Will we live in separate, unique homes; in a mighty, luxurious castle; or an untold number of beautifully appointed “heavenly condominiums”? In this, we must simply trust God.

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. (Rev 21:3)

Yes, the Lord has prepared each one of us a heavenly body in which to spend eternity praising and serving the Lord. Such a hope should fill each one of us with joy and peace.

This is a promise given to us by our loving, Heavenly Father, who cannot lie and who never fails His people. (Tit 1:2; Zeph 3:5; 1 Cor 13:8) Hallelujah!

Beautiful Feet

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!” (Rom 10:14-15)

Another version of the final line in the above Bible verse is: “Beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News!”

We’re not talking about just any old type of good news, but specifically about the Good News of Jesus Christ. This is the good news that tells how Jesus purchased salvation for all who accept Him as their Savior and Lord! Hallelujah!

This is the “almost too good to be true” kind of news that no one readily believes in this cynical, unbelieving world.

This very genuine good news MUST be passed on and accepted before its power can take effect. When we each accepted Jesus as our own Lord and Savior, one of the main assignments we were given was to share our testimony of God’s love and forgiveness. Consider this passage:

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (2 Cor 5:18-19, emphasis added)

Jesus fulfilled His mission of reconciling mankind to His Father, and has committed the same ministry to us. We are called to the Ministry of Reconciliation through Jesus Christ. However, we don’t need to die as Jesus did but to simply tell our own testimony to everyone who will listen to our story. As the Scriptures say, “Freely you have received, freely give.” (Mt 10:8)

While we are still able, while a measure of freedom of speech remains, we must endeavor to fulfill this honored calling and mission entrusted to every believer by Jesus..

Lay Aside Every Hindrance

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12:1-2)

A hindrance is something that holds us up or slows us down. In this verse, we’re told to lay aside every “weight.” This passage reminds us to put aside every hindrance, weakness or barrier that would attempt to slow us down in our race to eternal salvation.

We must run our race with patience. How do we run with patience? We run resolutely, persistently, and uncomplainingly.

The Lord Jesus gives us stamina, purpose and fortitude as we trust Him to strengthen us, and to pour out His grace upon our lives. Jesus is called the “author and finisher” of our faith. We must cling to Him and to our faith in His finished work.

Jesus is our example, and He didn’t weaken, yield or hesitate in His destined path to the cross on Calvary. Jesus knew Who He placed His trust and hope in; Jesus placed it in His loving, heavenly Father who would never fail. We need the same life mindset that is expressed in the following Bible verse:

For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. (2 Tim 1:12)

Commit your faith, your life, and your path to the Lord Jesus, the faithful One.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb 13:8)

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Month: February 2020