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Post by charlescameron on Jul 16, 2009 5:02:44 GMT -6
23:1-39 As you read Jesus’ stinging words, remember this: there is a ‘Pharisee’ in every one of us! Jesus disturbs the ‘peace’ of ‘those who sit at ease in Zion’(Amos 6:1). He invites us to see ourselves as God sees us: ‘before Him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do’(Hebrews 4:13). Why does Christ speak such disturbing words? - He loves us. He longs for us to return to Him and be forgiven. Many times He comes to us - ‘How often would I have gathered you’. Many times we refuse His appeal of love: ‘you would not’(37). You may have refused Him often, yet still He waits. Still, He perseveres in love. Still, He seeks to show you the emptiness of your life without Him - ‘forsaken and desolate’(38). Still, He waits for you to say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord’(39).
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Post by charlescameron on Jul 17, 2009 12:05:36 GMT -6
24:1-31 After the first two verses, concerned with the destruction of the temple, Jesus speaks of ‘the sign of His coming and of the end of the age’(3). There will be times of testing (9,21). We must take care not to be drawn away from Him (4,23-24). Beyond the time of testing, there will be the return of the Lord (29-30). The events of our day are not without significance. They are signs of His coming. We are to prepare ourselves for His return. We must live as servants of the Gospel (14). This will not be easy. There will always be opposition. Current affairs may be confusing, but we must look beyond all this to ‘the momentous event’: ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory’(30). Awaiting the Lord's return, we say, ‘If no-one joins me, still I will follow’(Mission Praise, 272).
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Post by charlescameron on Jul 18, 2009 6:51:43 GMT -6
24:32-25:13 ‘The times they are-a-changing’. There is, however, one thing that remains constant. Jesus says, ‘My words will not pass away’(35). In an age of unbelief, our faith is often under threat. We must stand upon this solid Rock: ‘The Word of the Lord stands forever’(1 Peter 1:25). The scoffers will say, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?’(2 Peter 3:3-4). We are to believe that ‘He is near’(33). Christ has risen. He will return (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). When He returns need not concern us: ‘the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect’(44). We are to be ready at all times (13) - doing the Lord's will (46). We are to be ‘faithful and wise’(45). As ‘the bride of Christ’(Revelation 19:7; 21:2), we await the Return of Christ our Bridegroom: ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet Him’(6).
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Post by charlescameron on Jul 19, 2009 7:23:42 GMT -6
25:14-46 We are to be faithful to God (21). There is a reward for faithfulness (29; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15). Our ‘reward’ is not to get more glory for ourselves: ‘what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord’(2 Corinthians 4:5). Bringing glory to God - this is to be our greatest joy. We are not to be thinking, ‘What am I going to get out of this?’. We are to be asking, ‘What can I give to others?’ The ‘righteous’ are not full of boasting about their ‘righteous’actions (37-38). The Lord’s true servants do not draw attention to themselves. Do you have ‘talents’? Yes - you do! Use them! ‘Serve the Lord with gladness’(Psalm 100:2). Let this be your ‘reward’: the joyful privilege of bringing blessing to others and glory to God. On earth, we begin to ‘enter the joy of our Lord’(21). In heaven, there will be ‘fullnessof joy’ and ‘pleasure for evermore’(Psalm 16:11).
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Post by charlescameron on Jul 20, 2009 4:28:06 GMT -6
26:1-13 Jesus was on His way to the Cross (2). His death was the direct result of the hatred of men (3-4). It was also the supreme demonstration of the love of God (Romans 5:8). In verses 6-13, we read of a woman who loved Jesus very much. Jesus was deeply moved by her great love for Him. He wanted everyone to know about her deep devotion to Him: ‘Truly, I say to you, wherever this Gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her’(13). We read in Acts of the advance of the Gospel (1: 8). Great crowds became believers (2:41; 4:4; 6:7). In all of this, Jesus says to us, ‘Don't forget the woman. Don't forget her love’. Love for Jesus - simple, sincere, childlike love - this is the most important thing of all: ‘O for grace to love Him more’(Church Hymnary, 676).
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Post by charlescameron on Jul 21, 2009 4:17:08 GMT -6
26:14-35 Peter and Judas Iscariot had something in common. They both failed their Lord (14-16, 34). Things turned out very differently for them (27:3-5; Acts 2:38-42). When we fail the Lord , we find ourselves at a cross-roads. We can turn to Him. We can turn away from Him. In view of His great love for us - His ‘blood’ has been ‘poured out for the forgiveness of sins’(28) - how can we turn our backs on Him? How can you and I say ‘No’ to such love? There is no reason why we should say ‘No’ to Him - yet we do! Do we doubt that He is there for us? Do we wonder if He really loves us? What about you? Do you think that He cannot or will not forgive your sins? He can and He will. That’s why He died - ‘for the forgiveness of sins’(28).
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Post by charlescameron on Jul 22, 2009 5:08:50 GMT -6
26:36-56 Jesus’ suffering is increasing. What pain His disciples caused Him. Three times, He ‘found them sleeping’(40-45), ‘My betrayer is at hand’(46), ‘all the disciples forsook Him and fled’(56)! Was this the end of the road for His disciples? No! With one exception - Judas Iscariot, whom Jesus still called ‘friend’(50), the others became men of prayer (Acts 1:13-14). They stood with Peter as he preached the Gospel, as he led many sinners to the Saviour (Acts 2:14,37-38). Jesus loved His disciples. He died for them. Then - after Jesus was ‘glorified’- the Spirit was ‘given’ to them (John 7:39). The fleeing disciples became men ‘on fire’(Acts 2:3). No more ‘fleeing’. Now it was ‘flowing’- ‘rivers of living water’(John 7:38). ‘Blaze, Spirit blaze. Set our hearts on fire. Flow, river, flow. Flood the nations with grace and mercy’(Mission Praise, 445).
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Post by charlescameron on Jul 23, 2009 6:25:18 GMT -6
26:57-75 ‘Peter followed Him at a distance’(58). He didn't want to get too close! Keeping your distance from Jesus leads to trouble! Trouble was not the end of Peter's story. Three times Peter denied the Lord (69-75). Three times Jesus asked him, ‘Do you love Me?’, three times Peter answered Jesus, ‘I love You’(John 21:15-17) - For each denial, an opportunity to re-affirm his love for Jesus. Three thousand souls won for Christ (Acts 2:41) - For each denial, one ‘thousand souls’ brought to Christ. The contrast between the ‘Peter’ of the Gospels and the ‘Peter’ of Acts is striking. When Jesus first met Peter, He said, ‘You are Simon... You shall be called Peter’(John 1:42). ‘Peter’ means ‘rock’. Peter’s confession of faith - ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’(16:16) - is the Rock on which our faith is built. With Peter, let us confess Christ.
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Post by charlescameron on Jul 24, 2009 9:55:38 GMT -6
27:1-26 Jesus went to the Cross for us. Refusing to protest His own innocence, He took our guilt upon Himself. Observing this, ‘the governor wondered greatly’(14). We also should wonder greatly at this - Christ took our place, receiving the punishment that should have been ours. Barabbas was released, Christ was crucified (26). This is the great exchange - the sinless Saviour takes the place of the guilty sinner (2 Corinthians 5:21). As well as its divine aspect - ‘God so loved...’(John 3:16) - the Cross has a human dimension - the people, Jews and Gentiles (the whole sinful world), sent Jesus to the Cross. For Jews and Gentiles (‘the whole world’), Christ has provided salvation (Romans 1:16; 1 John 2:2). In the release of Barabbas and the crucifixion of Christ, we are invited to ask ourselves, ‘What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’(22).
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Post by charlescameron on Jul 25, 2009 4:38:15 GMT -6
27:1-26 Jesus went to the Cross for us. Refusing to protest His own innocence, He took our guilt upon Himself. Observing this, ‘the governor wondered greatly’(14). We also should wonder greatly at this - Christ took our place, receiving the punishment that should have been ours. Barabbas was released, Christ was crucified (26). This is the great exchange - the sinless Saviour takes the place of the guilty sinner (2 Corinthians 5:21). As well as its divine aspect - ‘God so loved...’(John 3:16) - the Cross has a human dimension - the people, Jews and Gentiles (the whole sinful world), sent Jesus to the Cross. For Jews and Gentiles (‘the whole world’), Christ has provided salvation (Romans 1:16; 1 John 2:2). In the release of Barabbas and the crucifixion of Christ, we are invited to ask ourselves, ‘What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’(22).
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Post by charlescameron on Jul 26, 2009 10:35:58 GMT -6
27:27-54 The ‘King of the Jews’ wore ‘a crown of thorns’(29). In the Cross, we see the King. The way of crucifixion - this is the way of the Kingdom. The prayer, ‘Thy Kingdom come’(6:10), could only be answered by way of the Cross. From the Cross, we hear the call for decision. It is the call of love. The love of Christ calls for our answer: ‘What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’(22). Here, we see different responses to Christ - derision, mocking, reviling (39-44); misunderstanding (47-49); believing worship (54). How are we brought out of unbelief and into faith, out of derision and into rejoicing? By the mighty working of God in our hearts, we are brought out of darkness and into light (2 Corinthians 4:6). Salvation comes from above, from God - ‘The curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom’(51).
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Post by charlescameron on Jul 27, 2009 5:47:31 GMT -6
27:55-66 ‘Mary the mother of James and Joseph’ was also the mother of Jesus (56; 13:55). She began by receiving Jesus, not only as her son but also as her Saviour (Luke 1:38). She was still following Jesus - ‘kept by the power of God’(1 Peter 1:5). None of us - not even the mother of Jesus - can walk with the Lord without His grace keeping us in the way of faith. The unbelieving world still denies Christ - ‘that imposter’(63) - and His resurrection - ‘fraud’(64). As believers, we must maintain our testimony: ‘He has risen from the dead’(64). The unbelievers expected a ‘fraud’. They did not expect a resurrection! For them, a resurrection was out of the question. God had a surprise in store for them! Unbelief says, ‘Resurrection? - Impossible!’. Faith says, ‘it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him’(Acts 2:24). He has risen (28:6) - Hallelujah!
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Post by charlescameron on Jul 28, 2009 5:03:02 GMT -6
28:1-10 The resurrection declares Christ’s victory over evil. It's the triumph of His love. There is no need for fear: ‘He has risen’ - His ‘perfect love casts out fear’(5-6; 1 John 4:18). There has to be a new beginning in faith. First, there was a new beginning ‘in fact- Christ has been raised from the dead’(1 Corinthians 15:20). Christ has won the victory over the grave. Christ has taken the sting out of death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). Between the new beginning in faith - making disciples (19) - and the new beginning in fact - Christ’s resurrection - , there is worship (9). The fact is not dependent on our feelings. ‘He has risen’(6-7) - the fact stands, even when many doubt and few worship (17). As we worship, we are strengthened in faith, strengthened for our task. We are to invite people to come to the place where ‘they will see’Jesus (10). We are to ‘make disciples’(19). Run and tell - with great joy (8)!
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Post by charlescameron on Jul 29, 2009 5:55:23 GMT -6
28:11-20 Why is it so important that we ‘make disciples’(19)? There is a devil, and he is doing his utmost to hinder the progress of God’s truth. He spreads lies about Christ - ‘to this day’ he is still sowing seeds of unbelief (11-15). We must combat the enemy of Christ - with words of truth, with the believing declaration, ‘He has risen’(6-7). Satan failed to halt the progress of the Gospel. Christ’s disciples rose to the challenge, and so must we: ‘Rise up, you champions of God... We’ll reach this generation... Go forth! Jesus loves them. Go forth! Take the Gospel. Go forth! The time is now. The harvest is ripening; Go forth! Feel now the burden of the Lord. Feel how He longs to save them. Feel now for those who never heard... Now is the time’(Songs of Fellowship,486). ‘All authority... has been given to Me... I am with you always' (18-20).
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