Saturday, August 22, 2009

THE TREES

CONSUMING DEATH
Genesis 2:8-3:24 God gave Adam one restriction, not to eat from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, when God gave Eve to him Adam instructed her as well, but they were tempted, the fruit looked so good, better than any of the other fruit in the garden, and they would know things they had never known before, they would know what God knew, they would be like God. Eve ate and then Adam, but there was death in the fruit, their spiritual and physical death, and ultimately the death of the Son of God. They had digested sin, now to save man sin would have to die.
CONSUMING LIFE
John 6:22-69 A crowd had followed Jesus because he had previously fed them by miraculously multiplying the fish and bread, He was their meal ticket. He tells them they should be more concerned about eating and drinking that which leads to eternal life. 53Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. This was offensive to many of them and they stopped following him.
THE CURSE
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5) Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (Galatians 3) Jesus, the Son of God, God in human flesh, became our sin, He took our curse, our punishment, our death, He went through Hell for us. Sin was placed back on the tree and died. But that's not the end of the story. The Father brought Him out of the tomb, He broke the power of sin and death forever. (Acts 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. Acts 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Acts 2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.) He has the keys of death, hell, and the grave. He gives life to all who come to Him. He released the Holy Spirit upon the earth.
THE WORD
John 1:1-14 God created by Words, "and God said... and it was so", in the first chapter of John it is revealed that Jesus is the "Logos" or Word of God, He was always with God and was God and all things were made by Him. The Word became flesh. He lived among us, loved us, and taught us. The whole bible is His revelation, the old testament reveals our need for Him and preparation for His coming, in the new testament He came and fulfilled his purpose. When we acknowledge the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and accept Him as our Saviour and the Lord of our lives we partake of His Body and His Blood, He has become one with us, we are New Creations. We symbolically eat and drink of the body and blood of Christ when we partake of communion. When the Word of God becomes our meat and drink, when we read it, and consume it, are nourished and strengthened by it and live by it's Words, we are partaking of the life giving flesh and blood of the Logos of God. Just a thought, isn't it interesting that the pages of the bibles we have today come from trees!

http://www.word-truth.com/


Wednesday, August 19, 2009

PLEASE LORD, WASH MY FEET

John 13:1-17

Jesus disciples couldn't really comprehend the fact that Jesus was going to die soon, they thought He was going to be a great military leader who would soon show His might against their Roman conquerors. They wondered who among them would be His highest officers. Jesus let them know His kingdom was different than that of this world, He taught them to be great in His kingdom they must be willing to be a servant of all, they must be willing to be as humble as a little child.

Jesus, because He loved His disciples, and knowing He would soon be put to death, now would teach them a lesson with practical as well as eternal implications. He took off His garments and put them aside and wrapped a towel around Himself. He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples feet. They were horrified. This was the Master, their teacher, their Lord, and He was doing only what the lowest of servants would be ordered to do. They had walked the unsanitary, vermin infested roads, covered with animal feces, and dead carcases. Their feet were filthy and the Master was going to wash them. NO, Peter objected, I will never allow You, my Lord and Master, to wash my feet.

Jesus loved the brash, outspoken Peter, but He let him know authoritatively that if Peter would not allow Him to wash his feet, Peter would have no part with Him. This was a startling revelation to Peter, then wash my hands and head also he pleaded. They had already bathed in preparation for the meal, they were clean except for their feet which had gotten dirty on their way there. Jesus told Peter there was no reason to wash what was already clean, only that which had gotten dirty. He then taught them a lesson about greatness and humility, if He as their Lord and Master would take on the responsibilities of a servant, if they wanted to be great it began by being willing to serve.

As Christians we're clean, but we live in a world that is not clean, some of the ideas and immoral attitudes of our secular world try to rub off on us. If we succumb we need only to come to the Father and confess our sins. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

www.word-truth.com