The Work Goes On

Acts 5:12 “And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.”

To be of “one accord” is to be in complete subjection to Christ Jesus. The accord is with Him. We “agree” with what He wants for us.

This is what they all were here.

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost was given to the believers gathered in Jerusalem, as Jesus had told them to do. Many were saved under Peter’s message of:

Acts 2:38 “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

But as soon as there was a church, there was also opposition. (Our Adversary, the devil, seeks to wreak anything of God.)

Acts 5:17-18 “Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees) and were filled with indignation.

And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.”

Peter and John had been threatened before, and told by the religious rulers, not to preach in Jesus name.

(It is a Name at which every knee shall bow one day. Philippians 2:9-11)

But they continued to speak and preach in the Name of Jesus; for they told them “we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

So now they were put in prison.

Yet, The Lord sends His angel and delivers them.

Acts 5:19-20 “But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,

Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.”

A command was given them to go right back in the temple,…….right where these religious rulers would be able to find them,…..and preach “all the words of this life”.

What Jesus had taught, and how He had been crucified, and raised up the third day; to save all who would receive Him.

Acts 5:21-22, 25 “And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together,…and sent to the prison to have them brought.

But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison,…

Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.”

This was what the Lord wanted, both to encourage His disciples, and to awaken the religious rulers (if they would be awakened) to His Presence with His own, and the power of His Word.

When they were brought again from the temple to the council, the high priest asked them:

“Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name?”

Now, under the Old Testament Law, they should have obeyed the high priest; But…

Acts 5:29 “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”

Then Peter begins to preach to them:

(How many times have they heard? Yet Jesus Christ is presented again…how long-suffering He is, “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9)

Acts 5:30-32 “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

(But you have to acknowledge you are a sinner)

And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him.”

Hearing this, the council “was cut to the heart”—simply they knew absolutely within themselves, that Jesus was God’s Son, and they were being offered forgiveness and a way to come to Him….again.

But they refused this mercy: “When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.” (Acts 5:33)

Yet one man, Gamaliel, stood up. He knew the Law, and trusted in the God of that Law.

He spoke of how God brings to nothing those who say they are something, when they are not.

He gave some examples, and concluded:

“Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:

But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.” (Acts 5:35-39)

Very good advice….but not spiritual advice…

…perceptive, but not submissive to God.

Wait and see….is never a good idea when God comes knocking on your heart, saying…”This is Me, let Me in.”

Now I believe that each man knew they were fighting against God: had been and were.

So they agreed with Gamaliel, hoping to ease their guilty conscience.

What did they do? They could not kill them, or imprison them (if God wanted them out).

But they beat them, and threatened them again, not to speak in Jesus’s Name.

Acts 5:41-42 “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name.

And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”

These religious rulers could not stop the spread of the gospel….for the disciples had more than a knowledge of the truth of these things….they had fervent love for Jesus Christ.

Joy and rejoicing should be our heart’s reward for obedience. Courage and strength also come to those who obey Him.

Today the work goes on, as well.

Are we entering into our part?

The sin of sitting under an oak

1 Kings 13:1-3 “And, Behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Beth-el: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.

And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee….

And he gave a sign….saying, This is the sign….Behold the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.”

The kingdom has been torn in two after Solomon’s death. His son reigns in Judah….and Jeroboam reigns in Israel.

This split would cause many problems….deaths….and finally the downfall of both Judah and Israel…

…..though through God’s mercy (sending prophets to awaken them to return to Him)…..it would be several hundred years before it happened.

Israel was the worst of the two….for Jeroboam began setting up a rival religion immediately….afraid if Israel went to worship at Jerusalem, he would lose his power.

(Sadly,….for you would think that Israel would know better….he set up two golden calf’s, saying…..and doesn’t it sound familiar? Exodus 32:4….that these are the gods that brought them out of Egypt. 1 Kings 12:27-28, 30)

A man of God was sent to prophesy against the wicked altar that Jeroboam in Israel, had set up.

This man was not named…..nor his tribe….nor anything…..except that he was sent by the Word of the Lord.

The man of God did that,…..and as he spoke the king pointed to him and cried, “Lay hold on him” (1 Kings 13:4)

….suddenly the kings hand and arm, was dried up, so he could not move it!

The king, so eager to imprison him a moment ago…..begged for healing….

….and the man of God prayed…and the kings hand and arm were healed!

At the same time, the altar was rent in two, and the ashes of their sacrifices poured out!

Just as the Word of God had said,……which was spoken by the man of God.

Very amazing!…proving that what this man of God said, would truly come to pass,….later. And it did. (2 Kings 23:15-16)

Now, if this was all the story…..it would be grand and glorious….but it was not the end.

When we are given God’s Word to share….

….we are not only to speak God’s Word…..but we are to obey everything we have been told about it…..

….it is God’s Word, and there should be reverence about it.

(How many times the Lord has said to me, to preach His Word….

…..and I want to add an explanation….”it will make it more understandable, Lord”…..as though the Holy Spirit needed my help in explaining things! Crazy, I know. Praise God for His correction and help to me, always.)

….but the problem was….this man was to give his message….and leave.

Get back into Judah….about eleven miles away.

Don’t eat or even drink water in this place!

(God was manifesting the evil of that place….whether people believed His Word, or not.)

1 Kings 13:9 “For so was it charged me by the Word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return again by the same way that thou camest.”

This man left…..and got about half way there, when….

….. this man sat down under an oak…..not yet to Judah….not yet fully obedient.

1 Kings 13:14 “And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak:…”

What was he doing?

Thinking about what he had just seen….

……about the grand things the Lord had just done!

Thinking about the wonderful things God had done through him…..

(which is always amazing….that God can use us to speak to someone to show them God’s Word)

And in doing so, this man got tricked by someone who lied to him (“…an angel spake unto me…” 1 Kings 13:18)

An old prophet in Israel heard of what happened….and went after this man of God….whether for news of Judah, or companionship, or curiosity….it does not say.

Now the prophet would never have caught him if the man of God had kept going….back to Judah….which the Lord had told him….specifically.

But this prophet found him sitting under an oak….

….and lied to him.

“Come home with me….have some food and drink…..an angel told me to come after you,”

Sadly, the man of God….who was glad to have someone to talk to…

…..decided to be obedient to the prophet, rather than God’s guidance to himself.

When he became disobedient (“so he went back…and did eat…and drank water.” 1 Kings 13:19)….

….”Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee,….thy carcass shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.” I Kings 13:21-22.

The man of God left….but on his way back to Judah….

…….”a lion met him…and slew him…” 1 Kings 13:24

…..he was never to return to Judah!

And all these things are written for our learning:

How easy it is for us, to get caught up in our own thoughts of things:

Of how they “should” be.

Of what happened…

Of what they could have been….

Of our part in it all.

We can go over and over and over it…..but that will not change it…..or enlarge it….or diminish it, in reality.

Only in our perspective will it change.

What we can do, is strive to set everything we do aside to the Lord….

…..before…

…..during…

…..and after….it it in His hands.

For if it is in His hands,….it and we, are safe.

As Paul said,……and I am sure it was through much experience,….

Philippians 4:11-13 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

I know both how to be abased, and how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

And this is what each Christian is to do:

All the things we have to do in our life……through Christ Jesus’ strength.

God’s Recipe for Obedience.

Hebrews 4:2 “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.”

The Word….not mixed with faith….

My Grandma had a recipe for gingerbread….which had to be done in a certain order….exactly like she showed me….or….poof…all the ingredients and work was for nothing….it would fall….and be ginger-goo.

Obedience is more than just doing….

….if it was just that, God would have been happy with the many sacrifices Israel made….while they were cheating their neighbors…..(Jeremiah 7:21-23, Amos 8:4-7)

Obedience is willingly doing what you are told….and that is a matter of the heart, mind, and will….the whole of us, serving the Lord wholly.

John 14:15, 21 “If ye love Me, keep my commandments.

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.”

When the writer to the Hebrews says…”the word preached did not profit them,”……he meant it did not benefit them…it was not useful to them….for they did not “mix it with faith”.

Instead they “mixed” His Words with doubt and unbelief….

So it was in Nazareth, when Jesus came back for a visit….

Mark 6:1, 5-6 “And He (Jesus) went out from thence, and came into His own country (Nazareth); and His disciples follow Him.

And He could there do no mighty work, save that He laid His hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

And He marveled because of their unbelief. And He went round about the villages, teaching.”

This tells the same recipe……unbelief hindered the “mighty” works of Christ….the works of spiritual reality….though He could still heal some of the people.

Our unbelief limits the outflow of God’s grace….for faith is the open door to God.

When faith in God and His Word is “mixed” properly with circumstances….things happen according to God’s blessing….we begin to make the things which God has said would be,….our own….and enjoy them.

We all have particular weaknesses. And without faith to hold on to Christ….we will fall under them.

The particular weakness for Nazareth….

Mark 6:2-3 “And when the sabbath day was come, He began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing Him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? And what wisdom is this which is given unto Him, that even such mighty works are wrought by HIs hands?

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary,………And they were offended at Him.”

They thought the “mighty works”, were the healing by His hands….

……but God thinks “mighty works” are believing in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior.

In Luke it says, that He shows to them that He is the Messiah:

Luke 4:17-19, 21 “And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written,

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

And He began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”

But they hindered faith…..refused His grace….and were not obedient to His Word.

They had known Him before, as the carpenter……and they refused to believe what they heard….though they said, “what wisdom is this!”

And they refused to believe what they were seeing……”He laid His hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.”

So, by unbelief “the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it”.

How often our unbelief limits the grace God wants to give….and grace is the unmerited favor of power….or the ability to do what He requires.

If our faith is weak, or lacking….our obedience is limited….for the power of God is lacking through it.

We may be “going through with it”….but unbelief stifles the Spirit, and hinders the blessing.

A limited obedience prevents us from enjoying what God has for us….and when we are not enjoying the things God has for us, then we experience discouragement, and discontent.

(We are discouraged….without courage. Faith gives us courage to stand with and for God….but without it we are not standing for anything.

Discontentment leads us to look somewhere else for satisfaction, than in the Lord’s Word to us.)

So what is the recipe for Obedience?

We need to “mix” faith with His Word to us…

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Faith is substance….it is real. It is not “I wish, I wish, I wish”…..

….faith grabs our heart, mind and will….and fills them with the knowledge of God, and His mercy and might.

But we have to yield to it…

Faith gives evidence in our lives that we belong to Christ….by leading us into believing obedience.

God’s recipe for obedience is to use the faith He has given us, by His Holy Spirit……and hang on to His Word.

Lean heavily, if necessary, on Him….He can carry every weight….but keep believing in Him…

Hebrews 10:35 “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.”

(If you will read Hebrews 11, the faith chapter,….person after person continued in faith….and received the blessing of God.)

We all have weaknesses….but faith is given us, to lead us out of them….into the joy….of God’s Will done, in me.

They mocked Him, beat Him, and Spit upon His Face

Three times Jesus had to endure the humiliation of the mockery, and the cruelty of the various beatings:

The chief priests and elders:

Mark 14:63-65. “Then the high priest rent his clothes, and saith, What need we of any further witnesses?

Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned Him to be guilty of death.

And some began to spit on Him, and to cover His face, and to buffet Him, and say unto Him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike Him with the palms of their hands.”

They first spit on Him, covering His face with their spit.

They struck Him and said, “Tell us who hit you?” “Tell us which hand hit you, left or right?”

But notice it is the servants of these priests and elders which do the striking. The chief priests and elders would not get their hands bloody, so they could say they were “clean” when it came to His blood.

(How they fooled themselves!)

Then they led Him away, so they could get Rome to kill Him.

Herod and His soldiers:

Luke 23:11 “And Herod with his men of war set Him at nought, and mocked Him, and arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him again to Pilate.”

Herod did the least, but mocked Him in his court.

He made Him contemptible in front of his soldiers, by putting a robe on Him. Then they bowed, and called Him king. Laughing at the sight of Jesus with such a beautiful robe.

But Jesus was a king.

The King of kings: as He said later, “My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence…..To this cause I was born….that I should bear witness of the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice.” (John 18:36-37)

Pilate and His soldiers:

John 19:1 “And Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged Him.”

The scourge was made of the sinews of oxen. Sharp bones were intertwined in places, so that every time the lash came down, these small bones would tear into the flesh of the prisoner.

Though Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent, yet he commanded Him to be scourged.

The cruelty of this is seen in Pilate washing his hands; saying he is innocent of Jesus’s blood.

Matthew 27:27-31. “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto Him the whole band of soldiers.

They stripped Him, put on Him a scarlet robe.

And when they had pleated a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in His right hand: and they bowed the knee before Him, and mocked Him, saying, Hail, king of the Jews!

And they spit upon Him, and took the reed, and smote Him on the head.

And after that they had mocked Him, they took the robe off from Him, and put His own raiment on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.”

First they beat Him with out mercy with the scourge. Tearing into His flesh, and making the blood run.

But that was not enough sport: They stripped Him naked, giving only a scarlet robe and a crown of thorns to wear. They gave Him a reed as a scepter, but there was a cruel reason.

Bowing and mocking, first. Then taking the reed the whole band of soldiers beat Him on the head with it.

Isaiah 52:14 “As many were astonished at Thee; His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men:”

(This was the prophesy concerning the beatings. His face was so beaten, they could not tell it was the face of a man.)

Jesus was beaten in cruel mockings. But He endured all of this for us.

Isaiah 53:5 “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.”

[Sometimes we are “beaten up” in our social life, cruel things happen.

Sometimes we are in troubles from finances, or “pressed down” under circumstances which seem without a solution.

Sometimes we are depressed, in darkness, because of the past, present, or what we see as a hopeless future.

Life is very hard at times…..impossible for us….alone.

Let me remind you, here, that the Lord never belittles our pain, or our anxieties.

On the contrary, the Bible says:

Hebrews 4:14-15 “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

For we have not a high priest which can not be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

He knows how we feel. He knows pain and darkness…and trusted in the only One who could bring Him through it, to do so.

And God, the Father, did. He is our God, and Father, too.

And that is not all. Because Jesus went through this, we now can go through these things, too. He has gone before us, and had the victory over them already….so we can.

But He also goes with us….

God, the Father, is our Father….

Jesus is our Mediator, and Counselor….

The Holy Spirit is our inner light……Hold on to Him, and He will not fail you.

He knows, and since He knows, He is already working in us, and for us, to bring us through.

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Mercy is God’s kindness (spiritual and temporal) to sinners; And grace is His unmerited favor of power (ability to do).]

Imagine, He did all of this for us, for me.

Hallelujah, What a Savior!

Psalm 22

In the Old Testament there are many prophesies of Christ. Some telling of His exaltation, some of His humiliation.

In the very first prophesy concerning Christ’s coming to save mankind from our sin, death and the devil’s influence of evil….Christ is seen as the Victor.

Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed (the devil’s) and her seed (Christ): It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.”

The seed of the woman: Christ would bruise Satan’s head…destroying the power of sin.

Satan would bruise His heel, in the crucifixion.

No one could have imagined the way Christ was going to come and destroy sin, and save His people. It is an amazing and costly plan.

But the Lord knew what would have to be done; and yielded Himself up to do it, …….that we might be saved from sin and it’s curse.

Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

Make you perfect (complete) in every good work to do His Will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Some of what would happen to Christ, was foretold….so the people would know when it did happen.

This Psalm 22 is an amazing prophesy concerning Christ, when He was on the cross.

Psalm 22:1 “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? Why art Thou so far from helping Me, and from the words of My raging (crying out in pain)?”

When Christ shouted this from the cross (Matthew 27:45-46), darkness had come in the day time because God would not look upon sin….the mass of sin (mine and yours) which was laid upon Christ, to save His people.

Psalm 22:6 “But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.”

The Son of God became the Son of man, and as our substitute became less than man…a worm, unnoticed and unheeded, even as He was crushed beneath the foot of our sins… and the mockery of the people.

Psalm 22:7-8 “All they that see Me laugh Me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

He trusted on the Lord that He would deliver Him: let Him deliver Him, seeing He delighted in Him.”

As He suffered on the cross, some walked by shaking their heads in disbelief, but many scorned Him, even in His death misery’s.

Matthew 27:39,41-43 …”He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him…

Psalm 22:10 “I was cast upon Thee from the womb: Thou art My God from My mother’s belly.”

Jesus was God’s Son, and from the first to the last, He was hunted and rejected….King Herod when He was born a king…the chief priests and scribes…and finally the crowd crying “Crucify Him.”

Psalm 22:11, 19 “Be not far from Me, for trouble is near, for there is none to help.

But be not far from Me , O Lord: O My Strength, haste Thee to help Me.”

Twice here, the cry is, “But be not Thou far from Me,”. This was Jesus’ greatest anxiety and pain….His Father’s removal from Him….being separated from Him by the sin He carried on Himself……for us.

Psalm 22:14 “I am poured out like water, all My bones are out of joint: My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of My bowels.”

He was not only nailed to the cross after the beatings He took;….but then they jolted the cross down into the hole they had made;….tearing and jerking His muscles and ligaments with the weight of His body.

“I am poured out like water….my bones are out of joint…my heart is like wax…melted.”

Yet He took every pain, every bit of anguish…lest He come short of His goal, of salvation for us.

Psalm 22:15 “My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and My tongue cleaveth to My jaws; and Thou hast brought Me into the dust of death.”

His mouth became dry after being filled with blood with the beatings. And hanging on the cross He thirsted:

But at first He would not drink of the stupefying gall (Matthew 27:34),….for He would pay every bit of the penalty of our sin.

But at the end when they gave Him just vinegar to drink, He drank from a sponge (John 19:29-30).

Psalm 22:16-17 “For dogs have compassed Me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed Me: they pierce My hands and My feet.

I may tell all My bones: they look and stare upon Me.”

They waited like a pack of hungry wolves, for Him to die. When will He be gone, and out of our hair?

The other’s crucified, had their legs broken, but not He. (John 20:32-33)

Psalm 22:18 “They part My garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture.”

While He suffered, the soldiers gambled for His garments. (Mark 15:24)

But this Psalm goes beyond the cross to the resurrection, and the forty days of instruction before the Lord’s ascension back to heaven.

Psalm 22:22 “I will declare Thy name unto My brethren: In the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee.”

After His resurrection, He was seen by His disciples (both men and women): He appeared to Mary Magdalene and told her, “My Father and your Father” (John 20:16-18),

He appeared on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32),

and He appeared in the midst of His disciples several times (Luke 24:36-40),

He told Thomas to put his fingers into His hands, and side….and be not unbelieving. (John 20:24-29).

Psalm 22:27-28, 31 “All of the ends of the world shall remember and trust unto the Lord: all the kindreds of the nations shall worship Thee.

For the Kingdom is the Lord’s: and He is the governor among the nations.

They shall come, and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born (born again), that He hath done this.”

Jesus told of His authority, and gave last instructions to His disciples.

(Matthew 28:18-20 “All power is given unto Me in heaven and earth. Go ye,…and teach all nations…”)

And sent His disciples out to spread the good news of His Salvation to all.

(Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”)

This Psalm begins in horrible sorrow, and ends in triumph, and power;……as was His horrible death….and triumphant resurrection.

And it is all through the Will of the Father, the Sacrifice of the Son, and the giving of the Holy Spirit……to us, and for us.

Hallelujah, What a God and Savior, we have!

Proverbs 27:6 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”

We all need to be corrected…..and we are very fortunate, if a friend comes to us and tells us what we need to hear…..because they love us.

As Hebrews says, correction is grievous…..but afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness. (Hebrews 12:11)…to them that are exercised by it.

But…..the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

An enemy does not care about us….they will flatter….not because they care….but to gain from us….or mock us….when we fall.

And such an enemy, we all will experience, sometime…….and it is a warning to us all….not to be tricked by flattery….or show;….

….but to value true friends….who tell you the truth….in love. (Ephesians 4:14-15)

Jesus was betrayed by a kiss:

Luke 22:47-48 “And while He yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss Him.

But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?”

In the Hebrew tradition, a kiss was the sign of friendship and affection, and a deliberate yielding of my will, as a matter of principle and duty, to another.

A kiss was given to one that was a friend or relative…..for it was a sign, not only of affection , but of loyalty.

There is the kiss of the Father toward the Prodigal Son….”and he fell on his neck and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20)

That kiss said everything to the boy who ran away from duty and His Father’s house. That kiss said, “I forgive and love you,….welcome home, son.”

There is the kiss of the woman on Jesus feet…..for the love of One who could save her from her sins.

……Luke 7:44-46) “….she hath washed my feet with tears….this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet….this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.”

There is the holy kiss of brotherhood and submission to one another……Romans 16:16 “Salute one another with a holy kiss….”.

And again this shows friendship and loyalty.

So how terrible was the kiss of betrayal?

When Judas went to betray Jesus…..he went to the chief priests for money….”What will ye give me, and I will deliver Him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.” (Matthew 26:15)…

…the sign he gave them was a kiss.

What kind of monster was he…….that he would use the very sign of friendship and submission…..to bring death to One who had admitted him into His discipleship ?

In the Old Testament, there are prophesies concerning Christ’s coming….in humiliation….

….and the betrayal of “mine familiar friend”…

Psalm 41:9 “Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”

…and the thirty pieces of silver was prophesied of, as well.

Zechariah 11:12 “And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver.”

But the means of betrayal….the kiss….was Judas way of pouring contempt upon the Lord!

It was not just hypocrisy….it was vicious malice. It was Judas’ desire to to pour upon Jesus’s heart…..true pain.

Matthew 26:48-49 “Now he that betrayed Him gave them a sign, saying. Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is He: hold Him fast.

And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed Him.”

Judas could have come with the multitude to take Jesus, by pointing Him out.

But no,…..Judas wanted it to hurt….to humiliate….to despitefully use Him…

….and so he chose a kiss to betray Christ.

Even then, Jesus speaks to Judas….not to the multitude, yet….but to one who could still turn and seek forgiveness, then….

Matthew 26:49-50 “And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed Him.

And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come?…..”

Luke 22:48 “But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?”

“Here Judas, is an opportunity to repent and get My forgiveness….if you will just confess to Me…nothing will change,….but you can be saved.”

But he is silent…..backing away from the only One who could forgive him….and is lost….later throwing away the money he had gained….and his life. (Matthew 27:3-5)

Then Jesus, though betrayed,….speaks in power to this mob, who had come with “lanterns and torches and weapons.” (John 18:3)

John 18:4-6 “Jesus….went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?

They answered Him, Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus saith unto them, I am He….

As soon then as He had said unto them, I am He, they went backward, and fell to the ground.”

They could not stand before the Son of God! He spoke and they fell backward….totally unable to stand before Him, or touch Him….if He would but speak the Word!

(They fell backward….not forward in submission to Him….but backward showing that they must bow….if He would but speak.)

He waited for them to rise…..for all things had been brought about…..for the Purpose of God for our salvation.

He was taken…..”led as a lamb to the slaughter….and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.

He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation?

For He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was He stricken.

And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death;

because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;

He hath put Him to grief:

when Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed,

He shall prolong His days,

and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.”

(Isaiah 53:7-10)

Because He died, and was risen again…..we are in His hand forever.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend,….let us submit ourselves unto our Friend Jesus….and His corrections…….and stay away from flattering and deceitful kisses.

The truth is always harder to hear…..but lies are much harder to live with.

Come to Christ for Victory

Hebrews 12:1 “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,”

What is weighing you down? What care? (2 Peter 5:7) What resentment? What grief?

“Lay aside” here means to roll it on to Jesus.

To really give it to Christ, means that you are not carrying it any more. It is gone….

And what is our besetting sin?

Our besetting sin is one which is so ingrained in our character….so intertwined in our personality….

….that it is like cutting off right hands and plucking out eyes….to deal with it.

Matthew 5:29-30 “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.”

(Matthew 18:8-9, Mark 9:43-48. This is worth noting, for three times Jesus says this)

Sin is rebellion against God.

It is the desire to rule ourselves.

It manifests itself in lots of ways…..

….but our besetting sin is our “pet”…..it is first in our thoughts….often. It so “easily besets us”….because it has power over us.

God gives us victory through our faith in Him…..but it is a battle we must fight….or we will lose out on the best God has for us.

(And there are many who settle for something other than God’s best….because of their besetting sin.

Think of Demas, who after years of helping Paul….left the work, for love of this present world. 2 Timothy 4:9-10)

This “sin which so easily beset us” is a picture of being surrounded….

…..every way you turn….it is there.

You have to work harder to accomplish anything…….for it is always harassing you.

Galatians 5:17 “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”

This sin fights hard for preeminence in our lives…..but the Holy Spirit within us fights back….

Romans 8:13-14 “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

So there is hope against this formidable enemy……for we have the Almighty God in the person of the Holy Spirit within us, if we are born again…..

….which will give us the victory in Christ….

…and that victory is faith.

1 John 5:4 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

I have said this often,….Faith is a gift to us from God when we are born again….

….but God gives it to us,……intending for us to use it, to live in this wicked world….unspotted by it.

It is real, making God and His Word real to us, as His Word tells us [Hebrews 11:1].

Real means…..all things are what He says….whether I see it or not.

He will do what He says….whether anyone else believes it or not.

Faith weans us from our sin….pointing us to Christ….

….wooing us to leave all and follow Him….and enabling us to believe.

I knew a woman, who after years of defeat, told about her besetting sin:

She was a little girl, when she heard her parents talking….they did not want her….

…..a feeling of desertion and fierce anger came over her…..and she became determined to never feel alone again.

This led her down a path of self-exaltation….to make her “worthy” of being loved….she would not be “alone” again.

All her relationships suffered because of this….which led to back-and-forth emotions of self-pity and anger.

She was born again, and though she would try and deal with this besetting sin…..trying to commit it to the Lord; yet it always came back….bringing her into failure, again.

Finally,….the Lord dealt with her about the beginning sin of hurt and anger….lead her to reject the self-pity….and brought her….to take her place at His feet….alone! So that He could be her life.

Since then, she has had stronger relationships….she being in her place before the Lord in each of them.

Our besetting sin attacks each of us differently…..though it could be the same sin.

We are to “lay it aside”…..which means that the warfare with it, is personal……God does not do it alone…..nor can we do it alone….

….it is a combined effort of God and us.

Truly, faith….which always sees God….is the Victory…..God is real, He is Able and willing for me.

His Word is Truth. All the promises and threatenings in His Word is true.

That also brings the Victory, for we hang on to the Truth, when we believe and trust His Word….and deal with the root of the matter….which clears our way….back to Him.

We each have a besetting sin…..but there is victory in Christ.

Will we come and have it of Him?

To Walk Before God

Psalm 56:13 “For Thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?”

To “walk”, we need to have the ability to walk,…..and we need to have a way or path to walk in.

All this is stated here:

“For Thou hast delivered my soul from death…”

This is what Jesus Christ did on His Cross, for us, who receive Him as Lord and Savior.

John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:”

And since He has saved us, He has surely given us the “way” to walk with Him, and the ability (grace) to walk with Him.

“Wilt not Thou deliver my feet from falling”

This is what the Holy Spirit does in us, practically, as we deny ourselves, and seek His Will.

We are delivered in the circumstances of our lives from sin , self, the world, and the devil.

Jude 24 “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.”

3 John 4 “I have no greater joy then to hear that my children walk in truth.”

1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Ephesians 5:2 “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.”

All of this is: “That I may walk before God in the light of the living”.

This is not heaven, but here on earth.

To go about our everyday life, walking with the sensible knowledge that:

Our Heavenly Father is working out His Will…..in us and for us.

Our Lord Jesus is interceding for us,…..that we may obtain all He has for us.

And the Holy Spirit is enabling us,….now; moment by moment.

We truly live, as we use the grace given, and walk with Him.

We each have a besetting sin….

Hebrews 12:1 “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,”

What is weighing you down? What care? (2 Peter 5:7) What resentment? What grief?

“Lay aside” here means to roll it on to Jesus.

To really give it to Christ, means that you are not carrying it any more. It is gone….

And what is our besetting sin?

Our besetting sin is one which is so ingrained in our character….so intertwined in our personality….

….that it is like cutting off right hands and plucking out eyes….to deal with it.

Matthew 5:29-30 “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.”

(Matthew 18:8-9, Mark 9:43-48. This is worth noting, for three times Jesus says this)

Sin is rebellion against God.

It is the desire to rule ourselves.

It manifests itself in lots of ways…..

….but our besetting sin is our “pet”…..it is first in our thoughts….often. It so “easily besets us”….because it has power over us.

God gives us victory through our faith in Him…..but it is a battle we must fight….or we will lose out on the best God has for us.

(And there are many who settle for something other than God’s best….because of their besetting sin.

Think of Demas, who after years of helping Paul….left the work, for love of this present world. 2 Timothy 4:9-10)

This “sin which so easily beset us” is a picture of being surrounded….

…..every way you turn….it is there.

You have to work harder to accomplish anything…….for it is always harassing you.

Galatians 5:17 “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”

This sin fights hard for preeminence in our lives…..but the Holy Spirit within us fights back….

Romans 8:13-14 “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

So there is hope against this formidable enemy……for we have the Almighty God in the person of the Holy Spirit within us, if we are born again…..

….which will give us the victory in Christ….

…and that victory is faith.

1 John 5:4 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

I have said this often,….Faith is a gift to us from God when we are born again….

….but God gives it to us,……intending for us to use it, to live in this wicked world….unspotted by it.

It is real, making God and His Word real to us, as His Word tells us [Hebrews 11:1].

Real means…..all things are what He says….whether I see it or not.

He will do what He says….whether anyone else believes it or not.

Faith weans us from our sin….pointing us to Christ….

….wooing us to leave all and follow Him….and enabling us to believe.

I knew a woman, who after years of defeat, told about her besetting sin:

She was a little girl, when she heard her parents talking….they did not want her….

…..a feeling of desertion and fierce anger came over her…..and she became determined to never feel alone again.

This led her down a path of self-exaltation….to make her “worthy” of being loved….she would not be “alone” again.

All her relationships suffered because of this….which led to back-and-forth emotions of self-pity and anger.

She was born again, and though she would try and deal with this besetting sin…..trying to commit it to the Lord; yet it always came back….bringing her into failure, again.

Finally,….the Lord dealt with her about the beginning sin of hurt and anger….lead her to reject the self-pity….and brought her….to take her place at His feet….alone! So that He could be her life.

Since then, she has had stronger relationships….she being in her place before the Lord in each of them.

Our besetting sin attacks each of us differently…..though it could be the same sin.

We are to “lay it aside”…..which means that the warfare with it, is personal……God does not do it alone…..nor can we do it alone….

….it is a combined effort of God and us.

Truly, faith….which always sees God….is the Victory…..God is real, He is Able and willing for me.

His Word is Truth. All the promises and threatenings in His Word is true.

That also brings the Victory, for we hang on to the Truth, when we believe and trust His Word….and deal with the root of the matter….which clears our way….back to Him.

We each have a besetting sin…..but there is victory in Christ.

Will we come and have it of Him?

Gethsemane

Matthew 26:36 “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto His disciples, Sit ye here while I go and pray yonder.”

Three times it is written of the battles, when our Lord Jesus faced the Adversary alone.

The first was in the temptation in the wilderness for forty days. (Matthew 4)

The second was in Gethsemane.

The third was on the cross.

Here, we will speak of Gethsemane, and the terrible mental and physical battle which was brought against Jesus, by the forces of darkness.

Jesus knew He would have to face the cross alone.

John 16:32 “Behold, the hour cometh, Yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave Me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.”

But at Gethsemane, He wanted His closest disciples to be near to Him as He wrestled against the devil’s suggestions.

(I believe the devil’s suggestions were: “He would be forsaken in death, and lose everything. Everything He has done was for nothing.”)

But they slept for sorrow.

He had told them He would be leaving them, and that one of them would betray Him, so they were sad, and sleepy. (John 16:5-6, 17, 28)

How many times have we failed to stay awake? We grow sleepy….when He says, “Watch ye”.

At Gethsemane, a garden which Jesus often visited for times of prayer,…..Jesus left eight of His disciples at a small distance,….and took the three closest disciples: Peter, James, and John further.

Then He went a little farther on to pray.

He asked them to wait with Him in prayer. He wanted them to pray for the trials that would be coming up.

For their own faith to be strengthened, and for their courage in the face of His leaving them.

Matthew 26:38 “Then saith He unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with Me.”

They had been told many times that He was going to Jerusalem, and that the chief priests and elders would kill him….and He would be raised the third day.

But they had not really heard what He said.

Luke 9:22 “Saying, the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.”

They were not prepared, as they could have been. And their sorrow at His leaving, was weighing down their hearts, and affecting their hearing.

(If you read John 15-17 , where He plainly tells them of things to come; you will understand that their “hearing” was not working right)

Jesus left them, and went and fell down to pray; His greatest comfort was the Father and Holy Spirit with Him.

But now the time for the Lamb of God to be slain for the sins of the world was very near.

Everything from the Last Supper, where Judas went out to betray Him, till He died on the cross,….was one continuous piling on of sufferings.

The horror of the coming attacks,…..from Judas’ betrayal……the chief priests and ruling religious body, the Roman soldiers beatings,…..

…..the rejection of the very people who had hailed Him: “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna to the highest.” (Matthew 21:9) a few days earlier.

And the cross.

The agony of the nails, the thirst, the mocking crowds,….

…….and mostly: our sin being put upon His holy person, and the separation of the Father from Him for a time, because of this.

Sufferings He went through alone.

But here in Gethsemane the devil’s attacks mentally and emotionally were so severe: “even unto death”, Jesus said.

We are not permitted to hear what the devil says to Jesus, but the thoughts of being deserted forever:

“ God will not bring You out of the death of sin. Sin brings death, and if you go to the cross and become the sin bearer, You will forfeit God’s promise of life. It will weigh You down and You will never come out of death.”

Also…..the thought that with all these sufferings He would have to go through as man.

The devil berated Him with the thought that:

…. He would not be able to go through these sufferings without breaking down.

Then He would fail and He would not bring salvation to the world.

The devil’s attacks were so great against the Lord, that “being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” (Luke 22:44)

The first prayer:

Matthew 26:39 “And He went a little further, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt.”

Mark 14:36 “ And He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from Me: nevertheless, not what I will, but what Thou wilt.”

Jesus came on the basis of relationship: “O my Father” and asked that if it were possible, according to His Will, that “this cup”, or……salvation through the cross,….might be changed to another way.

Jesus asked because “all things are possible unto Thee”. God could come up with another way of Salvation.

But Jesus would not have God’s Will changed.

He knew the Value of The Father’s Will, and yielded to it….and He has left us an example in everything in our walk to fulfill God’s Will for us.

His Father sent an angel unto him, “strengthening him.”(Luke 22:43)

The second and third prayers:

Matthew 26:42 “And went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.”

“Thy will be done.” “Not my will, But Thine be done”

Three times Jesus prayed. Once, for conformation of God’s Promises :to find out if it were possible to change the way of salvation—the cross.

When He received His answer, God’s Will was yielded to.

The other two were prayers that the Father’s Will might be honored in His sacrifice, and resurrection.

You see, by the end of the battle at Gethsemane, Jesus was confident in His Father’s love,

in His Father’s strength to help Him go through everything,

and in His Father’s Promises, to raise Him up and save His people from their sins by this.

Even though He would be alone; He trusted in God, and His trust was honored.

He went through everything,….

……He died on the cross for us, and was raised again the third day, in Victory over every enemy! Hallelujah, what a Savior!

His Salvation is a complete Salvation.

Do you have Jesus as your Lord and Savior?