The same event that caused Jesus so much grief and sorrow, is the same event that produces joy for the Christian. 

When Christ was undeservingly beaten, tortured and nailed to a cross to die, much grief and sorrow was felt in those who loved Him. And yet in that same event, there is much JOY because of what it all produced: Salvation for mankind; eternal security with God for those who love  trust in Jesus Christ. 

When a mother is delivering her baby there is much grief and pain involved, but with birth comes JOY of what it all produced, a little baby to love. God gives us great illustrations to see that sometimes life hands us (or we bring it up on ourselves) events that are sorrowful and that deeply grieve us. But God also uses those same events to produce JOY in us as we see our events through spiritual eyes. 

Joy is not to be confused with happiness. Happiness is external; joy is within and untouched by external circumstances. Joy comes from God. No matter what difficult event I walk through, I still have the JOY of the Lord because I have the Lord who walks with me through those difficult events.

I will come through a little more mature in my faith, more wise, more sanctified, and closer to my Lord, not because of anything I did, but because of everything HE does in me - through the grief and sorrow of events. If the event that caused me so much grief caused me to fall before the beautiful feet of Jesus Christ - it was worth all the suffering, and therein lies my true eternal JOY.

I love the book of Isaiah (in the Bible). All that the LORD GOD tells of the future. You might think it's all for Israel, but it's more. It's for all the nations, and people....

"'Turn to ME and be saved ALL you ends of the earth; for I AM GOD, and there is NO OTHER....Before ME EVERY KNEE WILL BOW; BY ME EVERY TONGUE WILL SWEAR. They will say OF ME, 'In the LORD ALONE are deliverance and strength.' I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST; APART FROM ME THERE IS NO GOD. APART FROM ME THERE IS NO SAVIOR. I HAVE REVEALED, AND SAVED AND PROCLAIMED - I, and not some foreign god among you. You are MY WITNESSES that I AM GOD. YES, AND FROM ANCIENT DAYS - I AM HE. NO ONE CAN DELIVER OUT OF MY HAND. WHEN I ACT, WHO CAN REVERSE IT?' The LORD will march out like a CHAMPION, like a WARRIOR HE WILL stir up HIS ZEAL; with a shout HE WILL raise the battle cry and WILL TRIUMPH over HIS enemies!"(compare to Revelation 19:11-16) "In faithfulness HE WILL bring forth justice; HE WILL not falter or be discouraged till HE ESTABLISHES JUSTICE ON EARTH. In HIS TEACHING the continents (islands) will put their HOPE." "'See, the former things have taken place, and NEW THINGS I declare,' says the LORD; 'before they spring into being I announce them to you.'"

There's so much more to know about the past and future for Israel, and the future of all mankind, just from reading the book of Isaiah alone. Isaiah, God's annointed prophet who prophesied of the LORD JESUS coming the first time as the Lamb of God and of Christ's second coming as the Warrior of God's great zeal and power, bringing righteousness and justice to the earth. PEACE ON EARTH! What a DAY to behold!

The LORD describes in so many ways (in the book of Isaiah) those who deceivingly look to other gods (themselves/governments/demonic spirits/men of great wealth/human wisdom) and what is their end to be. And HE tells the TRUTH of the glorious future for those who repent before the Son of God, and worship Him alone - to the end of their life on earth. GLORY GLORY HALLELUJAH! HE REIGNS! And He's my Savior and KING!

Why Have You Forsaken Me?

As I was thanking the Lord for going the whole painful distance to the cross for us, I started to wonder if our Savior received any grace from His Father to endure the pain and suffering of all that they did to Him because of who claimed and proved to be. A very good movie that displays our Lord’s persecution and death on the cross is Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of Christ.” I watched it once but I can’t watch it again! It’s too hard to watch what my Jesus went through for us so we could be forgiven of our sins and have the way provided into Heaven through Him alone. It’s just too hard to watch.

This morning I was remembering about the pain and suffering our Lord endured: the beatings with a cat of nine tails whip, multiple strikes to His face, twisting a crown of thorns into his skull, nailing his hands and feet to the cross and piercing His side to see if He was dead yet. So, I wondered if His Father helped Him endure it all. Then the Lord’s words came to me as He hung on the cross. “Father! Father! Why have YOU FORSAKEN ME!?!”

I tried to imagine how Jesus felt at that moment as all the sin of the world was placed on Him. Jesus the perfect man, having never committed any kind of sin or rebellious act towards His Father, took my place of the Father’s wrath on all my sin and rebellion. Not just mine but everyone’s!

I remembered what Jesus said in prayer one early morning before they came to falsely arrest Him: “Father, if it be possible, let this cup (of wrath) pass from Me.” Then He said, “Your will be done Father, not mine.” Jesus knew He had to finish the course for the JOY that was set before Him; that of spending eternity with all those He had forgiven and who love Him, all those who believed in Him to the end of their own life on earth.

Who is Jesus Christ? He is: Creator Son of God, Lamb of God, Bread of Life, Light of the world, Hope of the nations, Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, Rock of all ages, Lion of Judah, King of glory, Redeemer, Mighty God, Everlasting Father.

Jesus was left on His own to physically endure all that pain and suffering, and the worse was being temporarily FORSAKEN by His Father who could not look upon the WORLD’S GREAT sin and rebellion that Jesus temporarily embodied. Just think about that! And then consider: “For God has said, ‘I will never fail you, nor forsake you. I will never abandon you.’ So we can say with confidence, ‘The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

Says the Lord Jesus: “If you love Me, keep My commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter and Advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:16-18

Father God forsook His own Son on the cross until Jesus gave up His spirit and physically died. Then Jesus was received by His Father and stands at the right hand of the Father for us! No grace was given Jesus. But for us who love Jesus Christ for all He’s done for us – we have God’s grace to endure anything.

1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

2 Peter 2:9 “The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the wicked for punishment on the day of judgment.”

Our strength to endure all of life’s hardships, loss, and body sufferings, comes from God’s grace because God has poured His Holy Spirit in those who believe, the Spirit of His Grace and Gifts.

“Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to His Name.” Hebrews 13:15

A Tesimony called: A Song for the Lord – from the book JESUS FREAKS – The Voice of the Martyrs

John Denley – England 1555

One day, on the way to visit some friends, John Denley was stopped and searched by the authorities, who found his written confession of faith. Denley believed the Lord’s Church was built upon the apostles and prophets, with Christ as its head according to the Scriptures, and that the present state church, the Roman Catholic Church of England, was not part of this true Church. In his time, many of its teachings were not according to the Bible, the Word of God.

For this he was turned over to a local government official, who turned him over to the bishop for questioning. Denley would not back down from his statement of faith, so he was condemned to die and turned over to the sheriff.

Within six weeks, he was sent to the stake to be burned. When they lit the wood beneath him, Denley showed no fear. He cheerfully sang a psalm from the Bible as the flames rose around him. One of his tormentors picked up a piece of wood and threw it at him, hitting him in the face. He hoped to anger or silence Denley, but Denley only responded, “Truly, you have spoiled a good old song.” Then he spread his arms again and continued singing until he died.

“You never know much you really believe anything until its truth or false hood becomes a matter of life and death to you.” C.S.Lewis   

Listening to the old-favored hymn, TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS with lyrics: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

I began to ask the Holy Spirit these questions: How do I turn my ‘eyes’ upon Jesus? Jesus in body form is not here; He died and went back to heaven!

How do I look full in His wonderful face? I see the drawn and painted pictures by people of what they thought Jesus looked like when He walked the earth. But they are all different. So how do I SEE His face? I see His face in how His chosen earthly witnesses wrote about Him – after being with Him, working with Him, walking with Him. Yet one day we will fully see Him face to face, hopefully as our Redeemer of Grace who has saved us from God’s coming wrath and damning verdict of total separation from God and His glorious Kingdom.

The things of earth, what are they? All that is physical in nature/seen/experienced by our senses, human relationships, substance/matter, success, means of income, worldly activity/invention/threat/chaos.

Growing dim? How? By comparison; but to what? Comparing and judging all things by the LIGHT of God’s Word, with all His Promises for the future of those who love Him. Understanding His purpose for my life and the way He designed me.

“Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11

Why should the things of earth grow dim? Aren’t those things of earth important to have and be concerned about?  Didn’t God create things of the earth for us to enjoy and use and to sustain our physical life with? Yes! But have we come to worship created things over our Creator?

Grow Dim: Those things in life on earth, little by little, should no longer ‘get to me’ in a ‘ruining’ way of who I am in Christ Jesus when compared to who God says I am in Christ Jesus, and what I have with Him by faith in His Son.  “Now we see but a DIM reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”  1 Corinthians 13:12 

His Light: God’s written Word to us for the gospel’s rejuvenation; for hope, contentment, godliness and His peace that surpasses all my understanding of those things that pertain to the world and are of the earth.

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” John 3:19-21

His Glory: God IS love and truth! God is all knowing, all seeing, all powerful, all present; in full control of His plan to redeem us through faith in Christ, the Savior of the world, and for eternal life with our Father God. His glory includes His final judgment and restoration of all created things – so that the prayer and prophecy of His Son will be fulfilled: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done – on earth – as it is in Heaven….” Matthew 6:9-10  

His Grace: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

Grace has been defined as: God giving us what we do NOT deserve. As Adam’s children physically born into the world, we come with a strong sin nature because of Adam’s rebellion to God’s command to him in the Garden. God put this curse on all people born physically, but when we come to faith in Christ that ‘curse’ is lifted and we are no longer condemned to hell.

John 3:16-18 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”

This old hymn now has a new meaning to me: “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”

OH WHAT A SAVIOR I HAVE! WHAT GLORY DIVINE! I LONG TO SEE HIM FACE TO FACE AND TO KISS THE HAND THAT REACHED BACK TO ME!   

QUESTIONS about the Word of God:

How do I see the Word of God? Do I see the Word of God as a history book only? Do I believe the Holy Bible is the “Word of God?”

Do I believe the Word of God is not inspired by God but rather a book to be judged by me? Do I believe I can ‘judge’ the teachings in the Bible as to true or false, right or wrong; that I have the ‘right’ or ‘freedom’ to stand in judgment over it? Do I treat the Holy Bible as a book written by men on their own? Do I believe the Holy Bible is the perfectly ‘written’ Word of God to all people throughout all generations?

Do I divide the Word of God believing the Old Testament has no importance or weight for today, so that I don’t need to read it; that it’s only the New Testament that is relevant? Do I read the book of Revelation as prophecy I need to know? Do I ‘subtract’ (cancel) parts of the Bible that scare me or make me feel guilty?

Do I have the ‘indwelling’ One who is the Author of the written Word of God? Do I want to understand truth from within the Word of God? Do I want to apply God’s truth to my life? Do I ‘personally’ know the One whom the Word of God was written about? Do I understand that without the Old Testament I can’t know the whole character of God? Do I only want to know what God wants to do for me? Do I want to know what God requires of me?

Do I believe I come to ‘know’ the answers to my questions about life by reading and studying the Word of God? Do I believe there are questions about eternity that the Bible does not answer? Do you believe you can please God without surrender to His Son and the reason He was crucified? Do you believe the biblical account and record about Jesus Christ? Do I believe that the more I study the Word of God the more I understand the life that is truly life, and that I am to live it with the blessed help of the Holy Spirit in me?

Do I go to the Word of God with a question in mind and search for verses or passages that seem to answer my question? Do I go to the Word of God to simply read and wait on the Holy Spirit to speak to me in some way? Do I study the Word of God with a topic in mind and gather passages or verses that seem to relate? Do I gain hope and confidence by reading the Holy Bible?

Do I use the Word of God to lay guilt on people? Do I use a passage of Scripture to judge someone’s way of life? Do I use the Word of God to judge myself? Do I depend on ‘other’ spiritual books to enlighten me, or tell me how to interpret Scripture? Do I expect the Word of God to convict and encourage me?

Do I use the Word of God to support my own agenda? Do I see God’s agenda as I read His Word?

Would I die at the hands of ‘God and Bible haters’ for refusing to deny the Word of God? Will I keep silent out of fear of being persecuted for sharing the hope of Christ within me?

God’s command to me: Stick to what you DO understand by the revelation of God’s Holy Spirit in you as you read My Word and you live it out. This is all I will judge you on.

What the Spirit teaches me, no one can take from me. The testimony I have of Jesus Christ ‘personally,’ no one can debate or argue.

Apostle Paul told Timothy: “Command certain people not to teach false doctrines, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work – which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers [of the law], but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.” 1 Timothy 1:3-7

What is a myth?

A traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events; a synonym for a despised religious dogma, or a religion in which anyone no longer believes.

“Have nothing to do with godless myths…rather, train yourself to be godly…godliness has value for ALL things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come….Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in the them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 1 Timothy 4:8,16

What is a genealogy?

The study of family history, tracing of lines of descent or development; discovering of ancestors.

Why does Paul use the adjective “endless” with genealogies? Have you ever gone in search of your ancestry? How far back did you go? Noah? Adam and Eve? What did you learn about your ancestors? Learning about them will take so much of your time and strength and money. Then what has it really been good for? That’s why Paul called it ENDLESS.   

Although interesting to know, both myth and genealogy have nothing to do with the life we should come to live ‘in Christ’ by the Spirit and the Word. The forgiveness and healing of Jesus Christ sets us free from the past. He is our present and future glory.

I know people who would rather live in the past with their memories. I believe it has to do with them not knowing Jesus Christ personally. They have not known what He promises those who believe in Him. Therefore, all they have is the past to bask in and the present to grieve over and resent, or maybe work at trying to be happy with. No wonder God has chosen and called believers to Christ’s ministry that frees us from guilt, grief over the past, resentment and bitterness, and fear about tomorrow and the future, and over the thought of dying and God’s judgment.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the NEW CREATION has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

“Christ has anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” 2 Corinthians 1:21

There are many kinds of teachers, but to be a teacher of the things that truly matter in life and for godliness and contentment in any circumstance of life, is of God and not of trained men who believe they have the truth in themselves.   

Teachers who try to explain things that are far too wonderful for us to truly understand about God, are false teachers, no matter how much we study the Bible and other books from men who study the Bible. They are “false” because their teaching comes from men, fallen angels, or from the Old Covenant of God’s Law that Jesus in Himself fulfilled. True teachers (on life and God) teach from the revelation of the Holy Spirit of God’s Word.

Jesus taught His disciples about the Holy Spirit/Advocate: “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – he will testify about Me after I’m gone from you.” (John 15:26-27) And He said:

“The Holy Spirit will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in Me; about righteousness, because I AM going to the Father…and about judgment, because the prince of this world (Satan) now stands condemned. I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is to come. He will glorify Me because it is from Me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine.” John 16:8-15

Teachers of religion are false teachers because Jesus did not come to give us many religions (churches of many denominations) as we see today, where each have their own separate belief about God and how we are to live and serve. But rather Jesus came to forgive and heal, and to have a fulfilling personal relationship with each of us who believe in His way of salvation.

When I finally came to the end of my own will of how to serve Him, I cried out to the Lord: “What would YOU have me to do Lord?!” He quickly replied audibly to me: “Carol, I love you. Just WALK WITH ME.” (October of 2001) He set me free from all the things in life that DO NOT matter. Now I live the simple life in Christ Jesus my Lord, my first-love whom I long to see face to face on that glorious day, whether in death or rapture. GLORY to the LAMB and KING ETERNAL!