Love Fulfilled Ministry

" because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors " (Isaiah 53:12). He was numbered among the transgressors and makes intercession for them. His enemies gave him the title "friend of sinners", Jesus himself was called a drunkard and a glutton (Matthew 11:16-19). It was meant as an insult, but Jesus is a friend of sinners. He was afflicted for our transgressions. “He had no form or majesty that we should look at him and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces“ (Isaiah 53:2-3). Isaiah spoke of Jesus, a man whom men would hide their faces, much like a homeless man holding a sign, not many look him in the eye. We have a high priest interceding for us who understands because he was afflicted and rejected. While Jesus was eating at one of the Phar...

    Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”      She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.      When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you .” (John 11:25-28) This is an emotional moment,  Lazarus is  dead, why didn't Jesus come sooner. Jesus is wanting Martha to look past the feelings, the situation, he wants her to believe, to have faith, that he is the resurrection and life. He asks Martha do you believe this? Martha replies Yes, you are the Christ, son of God. This is the gospel simple. Paul states in Romans 10:8-10, that if we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in our hearts that he was raised from the dead, we shall ...

“ For my thoughts are not your thoughts,  neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  As the heavens are higher than the earth,  so are my ways higher than your ways  and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9). How different are the teachings of Jesus. Over and over again my Jesus reaches out to sinners. People who we judge and condemn for their transgressions, Jesus is reaching out to, drawing them to him. We must have forgotten that " he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy " (Titus 3:5).  Sometimes our ways seem right, " there is a way that seems right to a man ..." There is a saying that is much better put as a question; is the church a hotel for saints or a hospital for sinners? Jesus said, " those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners ” (Mark 2:12). Not once did Jesus condemn a sinner, but he...

" Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them... when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others...  when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others...  when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others... when you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins...  And your Father who sees in secret will reward you " (Matthew 6:1-18). Pious is defined as being devoted to a particular religion , but it is also marked as conspicuous religiosity , such as a hypocrite having pious words and uncharitable deeds.[ 1 ] Jes...

I pray that God  " may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,   having the eyes of your hearts enlightened , that you may know what is  the hope to which he has called you,  what are  the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,   and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe,  according to the working of  his great might   that he worked  in Christ  when he raised him from the dead  and  seated him at his right hand  in the heavenly places,   far above  all rule and authority  and power and dominion,  and above  every name that is named, not only in  this age but also in the one to come.       And  he put all things under his feet  and gave him as  head over all things to the church,   which is his body,  the fullness of him  who fills  all in all " (Ephesians 1:...

“ The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, he will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy " (Zephaniah 3:17) All Scripture is inspired by God. Solomon wrote " for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:...a time to mourn, and a time to dance... " (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). There are a variety of ways one can praise God " and David danced before the Lord with all his might " (2 Samuel 6:14). David wrote new songs to praise God, and some sing of dancing;  " Praise Him with the timbrel and dance " (Psalm 150:4),  " l et them praise his name with dancing " (Psalm 149).  When King David brought the Ark of the covenant, in which dwelt the presence of God, to the city, he danced, celebrated, and appointed ministers to invoke, thank, and praise God. ( 1 Chronicles 15:29; 16:1-4 ). This is a song David appointed to praise...

"And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him" --  Jesus Begins His Ministry Prov. 14:31. He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, but he who is gracious to the needy honors Him. Prov. 19:17. He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed. Prov. 22:9 He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor. Prov. 29:7. The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor; the wicked does not understand such conc...