Gethsemane

Mark  14:32-42 — Mt 26:36-46; Lk 22:40-46

  They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”   He took Peter, James and John  along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.   “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,”  he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”

    Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour  might pass from him.   “Abba, Father,”  he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup  from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 

    Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour?   Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 

    Once more he went away and prayed the same thing.   When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.

    Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour  has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.   Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Questions in Genesis 

29:15

Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?”

29:25

So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?”

30:2

And Jacob's anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”

Thoughts 

When the dream of our heart is one that God has planted there, a strange happiness flows into us.  At that moment, all of the spiritual resources of the universe are released to help us.  Our praying is then at one with the will of God and becomes a channel for the Creator’s purposes for us and our world. - Catherine Marshall

[Message No: 7757]

Facts about Holiness

. Enables to worship God

Psalm 29:2

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

 worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

. It is a highway

Isaiah 35:8

And a highway will be there;

it will be called the Way of Holiness; 

it will be for those who walk on that Way.

The unclean will not journey on it;

wicked fools will not go about on it.

. It is God’s will

1 Thessalonians 4:3

It is God’s will  that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;

. God has called for it

James 4:8

It is God’s will  that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;

. We ought to offer our bodies

Romans 12:1

Therefore, I urge you,  brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,  holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

. We are chosen to be holy

Ephesians 1:4

For he chose us  in him before the creation of the world  to be holy and blameless  in his sight. In love

. We are  of the holy temple

Ephesians 2:21

In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple  in the Lord

. We are to be holy in all

1 Peter 1:15

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;

[Message No: 7756]

Do Everything Without Grumbling

Philippians 2:12-18

  Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,    for it is God who works in you  to will and to act in order to fulfil his good purpose. 

    Do everything without grumbling  or arguing,   so that you may become blameless  and pure, “children of God  without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”  Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky   as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ  that I did not run  or labor in vain.    But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering  on the sacrifice  and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.    So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Bible Tells Us - 

. Restlessness

Ecclesiastes 3:11

He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom  what God has done from beginning to end.

. Healing words from a dialogue with God

Luke 1:78-79

because of the tender mercy of our God,

 by which the rising sun  will come to us from heaven

    to shine on those living in darkness

 and in the shadow of death, 

 to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

. Dealing Wiseley with  temptation

James 1:13-15

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;   but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own  evil desire and enticed.   Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;  and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Thought

. True, whole prayer is nothing but love. - Augustine

. Meditation is the tongue of the soul and the language of our spirit. - Jeremy Taylor

[Message No: 7755]

Cheap Grace?

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. — 2 Corinthians 7:1

In a world so full of distractions and temptations, purity is difficult. Even more than difficult, the call to purity often goes forgotten and ignored. "Cheap grace" (Jude 4) is substituted for a call to passionate living. While we never want to give in to a works righteousness, we also must remember that impurity through laziness or lack of commitment or simple rebellion are contaminating to those claiming to be Christians and ruin our influence before the watching world.

Love in Action

Romans 12:9-21

  Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.    Be devoted to one another in love.  Honor one another above yourselves.    Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor,  serving the Lord.   Be joyful in hope,  patient in affliction,  faithful in prayer.    Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.  Practice hospitality. 

    Bless those who persecute you;  bless and do not curse.   Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.    Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 

    Do not repay anyone evil for evil.  Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.    If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.    Do not take revenge,  my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”  says the Lord.   On the contrary:

  “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

 if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

 In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 

     Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Thought 

You are either becoming more like Christ every day or you’re becoming less like Him.  There is no neutral position in the Lord. - Stormie Omartian

[Message No: 7754]

Believers Who Have Died

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

  Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed  about those who sleep in death,  so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.    For we believe that Jesus died and rose again,  and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.    According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,  will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.    

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,  with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel  and with the trumpet call of God,  and the dead in Christ will rise first.    After that, we who are still alive and are left  will be caught up together with them in the clouds  to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord  forever.   Therefore encourage one another  with these words.

Bible Tells Us - 

. The way out of trouble

Ezekiel 14:3

Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts  and put wicked stumbling blocks  before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?

. The one who sees it all

Jeremiah 23:24

Who can hide  in secret places

 so that I cannot see them?”

 declares the Lord.

 “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” 

 declares the Lord.

. Crushed Spirit

Psalm 34:18

The Lord is close  to the broken-hearted 

 and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Thought 

. The wealth of a soul is measured by how much it can feel; its poverty by how little. - William R. Alger

[Message No: 7753]

Adultery

Matthew 5:27-30

  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’    But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.    If your right eye causes you to stumble,  gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.   And if your right hand causes you to stumble,  cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Bible Tells Us - 

. God First

Ezekiel 24:16-18

Son of man, with one blow  I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes.  Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears.    Groan quietly;  do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban  fastened and your sandals  on your feet; do not cover your mustache and beard  or eat the customary food of mourners. ”

  So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.

. Why Parables?

Mark 4:11

He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God  has been given to you. But to those on the outside  everything is said in parables

. Silent fellowship with the Father

Matthew 11:25

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father,  Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Divorce

Matthew 5:31-32

  “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’    But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 

[Message No: 7752]

Our Faith and Obedience in our God

Then I said to you, "Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes." — Deuteronomy 1:29-30

Moses began his farewell message to Israel with a reminder of their parents' refusal to obey God's word to enter the Promised Land. With his death, these Israelites will have to follow a leader other than Moses for the first time in their lives. Moses wants them to know that their real Leader hasn't changed. God had done mighty things for them in Moses' day. 

Now God will do mighty things in their day through Joshua. They will have more than second hand deliverance stories to tell their grandchildren. They will be eyewitnesses of God's power and faithfulness. But they would have to obey this same command their parents ignored and own a faith that their ancestors did not have!

Mysteries of God’s Word

. Babylon the Great – Revelation 17:5

The name written on her forehead was a mystery: 

  Babylon the great 

 the mother of prostitutes 

 and of the abominations of the earth.

. The woman and the Beast – Revelation 17:7

Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery  of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.

Questions in Genesis 

29:4

And Jacob said to them, “My brethren, where are you from?”

  And they said, “We are from Haran.”

29:5

Then he said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?”

  And they said, “We know him.”

29:6

So he said to them, “Is he well?”

  And they said, “He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep.”

[Message No: 7751]

Nearness to God

When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul. — Psalm 94:18-19

We are amazed at the vastness of God's reach, the awesome breadth of his power, and the glorious sweep of his majesty. An additional truth, incredible as it may seem, is God's personal nearness to us. He chooses to know us and be actively involved in the trials and triumphs we face each day. 

How will today, or tomorrow, be different because you are aware of his presence and companionship? What difference does it make to know he supports you when your foot slips or that his consolation is nearby when anxiety rises?

Thoughts

. We demand God’s gifts to satisfy our cravings.  Yet, only His presence can do the trick. - Leslie Williams

. Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own. – Unknown

Blamelessness

.  Blamelessness in Testimony 

Philippians 2:15

so that you may become blameless  and pure, “children of God  without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”  Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky

. Blamelessness in Service

Luke 1:6

Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.

. Blamelessness in the whole being

1 Thessalonians 5:23

May God himself, the God of peace,  sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul  and body be kept blameless  at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[Message No: 67750]

Meeting our Loved Ones

 Meeting our Loved Ones

We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. — 1 Thessalonians 4:14

As horrible as the Cross was, it wasn't the final chapter of the Jesus story. Jesus died and then rose again. We can believe two things because of Jesus' resurrection: 1) that Jesus will return in glorious victory for those who have believed in him, and 2) that we will be with those we love who have fallen asleep in Christ when Jesus comes again.

Jehovah – Jireh

. Justified by His Grace – Romans 3:24

and all are justified  freely by his grace  through the redemption  that came by Christ Jesus.

. Equipped by His Armour – Ephesians 6:13

Therefore put on the full armor of God,  so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

. Harboured by His Presence -Proverbs 18:10

The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; 

 the righteous run to it and are safe.

. Observed by His Eyes – Psalm 34:15

The eyes of the Lord  are on the righteous, 

 and his ears are attentive  to their cry;

. Vitalized by His Life – Ephesians 2:5

made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions —it is by grace you have been saved.

Thoughts 

. Frustration is not the will of God.  There is time to do anything and everything that God wants us to do. - Elisabeth Elliot

. There’s nothing that can help you understand your beliefs more than trying to explain them to an inquisitive child. - Frank A. Clark

. If you think someone is guilty of wronging you, forgive him.  If you have never forgiven the guilty before, you will experience a new joy: the joy of forgiving. - Leo Tolstoy

[Message No: 7749]