He is no match for the Roaring Lion of the Tribe of Judah!

April 20, 2020 by Leave a Comment

I was so encouraged by the words of the song “My Living Hope” 

“Then came the morning that sealed the promise

Your buried body began to breathe

Out of the silence, the Roaring Lion

Declared the grave has no claim on me”

It was like the Lord gave me an intravenous shot of faith

I recalled the warning in 1Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 

Then I remembered while reading one the most famous allegorical novels “Pilgrims Progress” that when Pilgrim finally faced the lion whom he had feared he saw the lion had no teeth. Alleluia! His teeth were extracted at Calvary!

Be encouraged that although he might try to devour you that the devil is no match or challenge for the Roaring Lion of the tribe of Judah who has given us the victory for the devil was defeated and put to shame at the cross. 

Revelation 5:5 Weep not; behold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath overcome to open the book and the seven seals thereof.

CHALLENGE: Overcome him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of your testimony. Revelation 12:11

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Why Was His Crown Made Of Thorns?

April 10, 2020 by 1 Comment

This is one of the most familiar images of the crucifixion but have we ever considered the symbolism of those thorns? Think about it, a crown  which is a symbol of royalty, power, kingship and wealth, yet not made with gold or jewels, but thorns. Why?

The first thing that probably comes to mind is that it was a way of mocking His claim as a King but when viewed through the lens of the whole of Scripture, the crown of thorns has another deeper symbolic meaning, It was a crown of curse to be worn by the One who took our curse.

This immediately takes us back to Genesis, reminding us of why Jesus went to the cross, to take the penalty for sin on our behalf. The thorns of His crown were a sign of the curse, the sign of the fallen world since the disobedience of Adam and Eve in Genesis.

He became Our King of thorns. Thorns speak of pain and tears. So this crown means He bore the pain and tears of fallen man.They speak of piercing, so He was pierced. They are linked to the curse which is linked to death. He bore the weight of that curse upon His head as He gave up His life.

This crown was not just a twisted garland of prickly barbs, like that of a blackberry bush. Rather, it was a brutal instrument that caused much anguish. The crown is said to have been made from the branches of a Jujube tree, a deciduous tree found near Jerusalem, with thorns measuring an inch long or more.

He had the burden of the sins of the whole world on His mind as they jammed that makeshift crown of one inch twisting thorns on His head, each thorn pressing into His temple as the blood flowed from His brow.

Willie Nelson has written a song “You were always on my mind” but you were always on Jesus’ mind even from the book of Genesis. A gospel song penned the same sentiment “When He was on the cross you were on His mind”

He became the King of the pierced and wounded, the King of the rejected and King of tears. But The One who bore this crown has authority over these things…. to turn sorry into joy, death into life and thorns into blossoms.

Isa 53:4-6 Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows:yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 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. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Isn’t it significant that while bearing the sins of the whole world, Jesus wore on His head this crown of piercing thorns, a symbol of the curse brought about because of man’s sin in Genesis 3?

The soldiers did it to amuse themselves, but the Gospels include this as a significant part of Jesus’ trial. While intended to be a mockery, the crown of thorns was, in fact, an excellent symbol of who Jesus is and what He came to accomplish. I suspect that all the gospels include it because it has an ironic truth — Jesus is the King, and yet His rule would be preceded by rejection, ridicule and suffering. He has a crown of thorns because He is the ruler of a world filled with pain, and as the King of this corrupt world, He established His right to rule by experiencing pain himself. He was crowned with thorns that He might have authority over pain and death.

The crown of thorns has meaning for our lives, too — it is not just part of a movie scene in which we are overwhelmed with the suffering that Jesus went through to be our Savior. Jesus said that if we want to follow Him, we must take up our cross each day — and He could just as easily have said that we must bear our thorns. For example look at the life of Paul’s thorn in the flesh 2 Corinthians12:7 We are joined to Jesus in the crucible of suffering. Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Those wanting to be a part of his Kingdom must be joined with the crucified Christ, even in His suffering.

We all experience our crowns of thorns. We all have our crosses to bear. We all live in this fallen world and take part in its pain and sorrow.

It is no surprise that humanity, still alienated from God, rejected Him and expressed it with thorns and death at the time of His crucification

Jesus embraced that rejection — accepted the crown of thorns — as part of His bitter cup of enduring what humans endure, so that He could open the door for us to escape with Him from this world of tears.

But the crown of thorns and the cross of death have met their match in Jesus. Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

The Roman soldiers unknowingly took an object of the curse and fashioned it into a crown for the One who would deliver us from that curse. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’”Galatians 3:13. Christ, in His perfect atoning sacrifice, has delivered us from the curse of sin, of which a thorn is a symbol.

And yet, though Jesus suffered for a time beneath that curse, His death and resurrection paved the way for those that believe on Him to be set free from the power of sin. At His ascension, Jesus took His rightful place, seated at the right hand of God. The Roman soldiers may have inaugurated him in mockery, but Jesus truly is the King of Kings.

He will one day return as King of Kings and Lord of lords. But he will not be wearing a crown of thorns. Rather, Jesus will be crowned with glory and honor, gathering to Himself those who suffered with Him, and offering each a crown of life.

CHALLENGE: So did you ever wonder why Jesus wore a crown made of thorns?

See also “The Beauty of the thorns”http://margaretmearnsbass.com/2013/04/23/beauty-of-the-thorns/

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God Is Not Mocked!

March 31, 2020 by 2 Comments

Many have believed this would be a year of awakening!

Has God sent this shaking throughout the world to wake us up?

I am not sharing this message to be popular with political correctness but rather to be Biblically correct.

The purpose of a shaking is to wake us up! It is a warning that we have overslept in our comfortable spiritual beds while not heeding the alarm clock ringing in our ears that the time is late as our current society slides towards hell in a hand basket.

Worldly society is morally spinning out of control!

How far have we come!

As His church are we trying to just sleep close enough to the edge of our spiritual beds without falling out?

We have even moved further than the Church of Ephesus who lost their first love?

We have fallen as far as the Church of Laodicea, the church of the last days, who had no need of Him. Have we shut Him out of our lives as we have shut Him out of our schools, universities, our families and even some of our churches? He stands at the door and Knocks!!! Do we hear Him? Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.This was written to the church, not the world!

Are we listening as panic strikes the world? Has HE woke us up yet?

Have we even considered we are living in the time of apostasy prophesied in the last days before His Return where there is…

*No respect or fear of God.

*No respect for any authority of teachers, parents, police, even the law.

*Love of many waxing cold as 50% of marriages end in divorce due mostly to adultery. It’s estimated that 60% of all second marriages end in divorce, while 73% of third marriages will end in divorce. While many are even living without the sanctity of marriage.

*God’s plan for family living being ignored.

*Lovers of self-made man with no need of God

*Homosexuality ignoring God’s creation of male and female

*Abortion

When the bill passed in Albany NY recently to legalize abortion even up to the birth date of the baby, with not even medical care for those babies who survive abortion, a video shows the Assembly Chamber erupting into cheers, with politicians and audience members applauding the bill as if it were a victorious symbol of strength or winning the Super Ball. 

What will our nation reap for sowing this abomination!

*Cursing His name

*Lack of thankfulness

*Spiritual malnutrition

*Many shepherds not feeding their flocks truth.

God is not mocked for whatever a society sows is what a society is going to reap. 

As a nation we need to seek God for mercy on our land.

We need a shaking to bring us to the altar of repentance to awake us to the need of personal revival.

Revival does not start not with the government, or with Wall Street, or with this fallen world. It starts in the individual hearts of God’s people.

Shall we run to the Government to save us?

Shall we run to Wall Street to save us?

Shall we run for answers from this fallen world to save us?

Or will we return to the Only One who can truly save us even from ourselves? 

Has God ordained this time of isolation to give us opportunity for that personal revival as we seek Him with all our hearts and return to our first love by spending intimate time alone with Him where we confess our dependance on Him alone?

*God is still calling “Child where are you” as He did back in Eden

*Time to rethink our priorities

*Time to spend with our families

*Time for that old fashioned forgotten family altar

*Time for even family meals

*Time to be a light in a world of darkness

*Time to think of others who are less fortunate and be His Hand extended

*Time to appreciate our blessing of health, food and covering 

For personal revival let us all pray lest be found as the unwise virgins of Matt.25

Psa.139:23-24 3 Search me, O God, and know my heart:

try me, and know my thoughts:And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

When we see the economy of this world fall apart let us remember

Matt:16:26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 

As a nation we all need to pray the following for this was God’s answer to His warning in verse 13 and answer to Solomon’s prayer in 2 Chron. 6.

2 Chron.7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Whatever happened to REPENTANCE with weeping?

                                      SANCTIFICATION only through His blood

                                      DISCIPLINE with the cost of obedience

                                      MATURITY through suffering

                                      HOLINESS through the fear of God

Church it is time to wake up! God is not mocked!

The church needs to cease justifying the changing standards of society in  order to be relevant. The world needs to hear the unadulterated Word of God.

Trying to change God’s standards to fuse with society’s changing standards will not bring life but death. His Word will never pass away. Matthew 5:8 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

The world is in panic and, church, we have the answer!

We are to be the light of the world to point society to the Light.

Let us mold society instead of letting society mold us. “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” Rom.12:2

We often lack boldness to preach the cross, repentance or  holiness in case we offend someone but you what the Word tells us  “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of
stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” Romans  9:33

When He returns will He find faith in the world?

Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? Luke 18:8

Does He have our attention yet?  Yes, He is a God of  love and A Lord that is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.BUT Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Galations  6:7 

Still not convinced that God is not mocked read Deuteromony 8:5-20 and Malachi 2:2

God will lift His protection from any nation which does not serve Him. Even though this nation was founded on God’s Word we have fallen so far from His ways. This will all work for good if prayerfully this crisis will awaken us to return to Him and our foundation for the sake of the nation who was called of God to be a light to the world.

The enemy may have meant it for evil but God means it for good as in the life of Joseph.

I don’t believe God is trying to harm us by allowing this crisis but rather He is wanting to wake us up out of slumber of our comfort and cleanse us of the infection of the decay of sin.

Yes it is causing pain but you know what a visit to the dentist will cause pain but the dentist is not trying to harm us. Likewise God only wants to heal us and remove the infection of decay.

I believe this shaking has hit the globe to purify His Church and to offer salvation to others 

who are lost and seeking answers for as nobody is immune to this virus neither is anybody immune to sin and we all need a Savior.

I also believe this shaking should make us all realize the fragility of life with no respect for persons and that every moment and breathe is a gift from Him.

CHALLENGE: Search our own hearts, pray for revival throughout our land and the world. Hold onto hope while still being realistic for as He has said “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

©MJB 2020

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A Word For Today From Screwtape Letters

March 28, 2020 by 8 Comments

A WORD FOR TODAY FROM “ SCREWTAPE LETTERS”

Surely God inspired C.S.Lewis in 1942 to write this following word of prophecy in his  book “Screwtape Letters”.

 (Satan) “I will cause anxiety, fear and panic. I will shut down business, schools, places of worship, and sports events. I will cause economic turmoil.”

 (Jesus) “I will bring together neighbors, restore the family unit, I will bring dinner back to the kitchen table. I will help people slow down their lives and appreciate what really matters. I will teach my children to rely on me and not the world. I will teach my children to trust me and not their money and material resources.”

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Panic Strikes The World

March 18, 2020 by 1 Comment

During these prophetic last days as the pagan god of Pan plays his panpipe of panic causing a Pandemic across a world of pandemonium we will trust in the one true God of Israel, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Yeshua the Savior of the world.

Please note that all the above words prefixed with pan are derived from the pagan god of Pan.

On a recent trip to Israel I stood at what is known as the Gates of Hell where worshipers would sacrifice their children to the Greek god of Pan. It was at this location in Caesarea Philippi that Jesus declared “ I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

This was after He challenged Peter by asking him “Who do you say that I am?” to which Peter replied “You are the Christ the Son of the Living God”. He is challenging  you today with the same question

WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?

CHALLENGE: Choose this day whom you will serve. Will it be Pan, the god of panic or will it be the Lord the God of mercy and peace even during tribulation?

 Deuteronomy 4:29- 31 “But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; For the Lord thy God is a merciful God; he will not forsake thee.”

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