Inspirational Thanksgiving Quotes
27 Wednesday Nov 2013
Posted Holidays and Special Events, Quotes
in27 Wednesday Nov 2013
Posted Holidays and Special Events, Quotes
in21 Thursday Nov 2013
Posted Our Spiritual Process
inTags
death, Eternal Destiny, heaven, Jesus, Lamb's Book of Life, Life, salvation, sin
This is my first creation in Tapestry. I hope and pray it ministers to you.
Blessings – From God’s Incubator,
Pastor
19 Tuesday Nov 2013
Posted Luke
inTags
appeasement, Bodie Thoene quote, Christ divides people, compromise, convenient, Herod, Jesus, Luke 23:12, Luke 23:6-7, making a decision, passing the buck, Pilate, procrastination, unholy alliance, Will Roger's quote
When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man (Jesus) were a Galilean. (7) As soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, He sent Him to Herod, who was in Jerusalem at the time. Luke 23:6-7
Passing off a problem is not handling the problem. Pilate desperately tried to hand Jesus to Herod. We can almost envision Pilate congratulating himself for getting rid of this thorny situation. Not only had he managed to pawn the problem off on someone else, it was to someone he didn’t particularly like anyway.
Some folks like to make decisions for themselves and others. They are confident in their choices. But as we have seen so many times in government… most elected and even appointed officials hate to make decisions. These folks are often spineless. They do not wish to be blamed for anything wrong. In other words, they fear unwinnable scenarios. Doing right offers no benefit personally, because choosing “right” requires conviction. Pilate initially took a pass on Jesus…
Will Rogers said,
“You can summarize American History into two great movements: the passing of the buffalo and the passing of the buck.”
Invariably, the decision we refuse to make will come back to haunt us and ultimately define us. It didn’t take Herod long to punt Jesus back into Pilate’s court. Herod wasn’t really interested in hearing the truth or being earnest concerning Jesus’ future. Most people are not sincere listeners… to Herod Jesus was a joke.
When I was a fifteen year old directionless teenager, I too was confronted with the claims of Jesus Christ. Like Pilate and Herod, I wanted to avoid Him as well. I told myself over and over again that I would make a decision concerning the Lordship of Jesus Christ…L A T E R. In my mind procrastination was the solution. Delaying a decision was not saying “no” to the Lord. I would say “yes” at some later date. As the days, weeks, and months passed I grew sick with that decision. In fact, I eventually went to a doctor because my stomach churned. Only later did I put the two together.
Like Pilate, my decision or lack of decision was defining me. None of us can side-step Jesus Christ. He simply cannot be avoided. We like to think we make some kind spiritual compromise… but those types of choices only serve to appease ourselves. Appeasement, compromise, and apathy are destiny destroyers. In fact, we can even seek comfort from others who make the wrong choice. Notice what happened to Pilate and Herod.
12 Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other. Luke 23:12
Just like doing right can create a bond between people… doing wrong or refusing to stand up for truth can create an unholy or ungodly alliance. These two leaders didn’t have any type of bond or agreement before this encounter with Jesus… yet look at them now. In fact, Pilate and Herod were enemies, in competition with each other.
I used to take comfort in the fact that some of my friends hadn’t made a decision concerning Christ either. One of my friends used to tell me that he wasn’t worried about hell because as he put it, “All my rowdy friends are going to be there.” I have heard that quote about a hundred times since. Back when I was fifteen this thought brought me no comfort.
It was only after surrendering to the Lord that I realized how much Christ divides people. It is taking a stand, becoming a spiritual rebel, standing with conviction and living in truth which makes you dangerous. The world doesn’t really care until you make a decision… it is making a spiritual decision that truly defines you.
Blessings – From God’s Incubator,
Pastor
18 Monday Nov 2013
Posted Luke
inTags
be yourself, blasphemy, Caesar, death sentence, freed from sin, He is what you say He is, Jesus, Jesus' trails, King, Luke 23:1-3, morally corrupt, perverting the nation, Ralph Waldo Emerson Quote, rebel, Sanhedrin, the Son of God, who is Jesus
It was dawn when the religious crowd finally got Jesus to admit He was the Son of God. The Sanhedrin was desperate to see Jesus crucified before Passover. Their religious obligations pressured them into action before sundown. They needed judgment passed and the process completed before anyone came to their senses. It is like rushing a bill through Congress before anyone finds out what is really in the law.
In the end… the Sanhedrin lacked power to carry out the death sentence. They had to convince the Roman authorities to crucify Jesus. The Jewish leaders had arrested Jesus on theological grounds – “blasphemy”. Because this charge would be thrown out of a Roman court, they had to devise a political reason for executing Jesus. Their strategy was to present Jesus as a rebel who told the people not to pay their taxes….therefore a threat to Caesar. Sounded good, except Jesus wasn’t a rebel. In fact, He encouraged His followers to “render unto Caesar what was due Caesar.”
Here is Luke’s description of the event:
“Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. (2) And they began to accuse Him saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He himself is Christ, a king.” (3) Then Pilate asked Him, saying, Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him and said, “It is as you say.” Luke 23:1-3
“Are you really the king of the Jews?” This question is recorded in all four gospel accounts. The word “you” is emphatic. It is a big question. It should be important to you as well.
In fact, not much has changed in 2000 years. Jesus is still the biggest rebel to have ever lived. People love Him without hesitation or reservation… or they are repulsed by the very mention of His Name. His very existence divides people quicker than Moses parting the Red Sea. You can walk into virtually any room in America and ask, “Do you believe in God?” and expect to get an answer in the affirmative. But if you wish to push buttons and start a controversy go ahead ask, “And do believe that Jesus is the Son of God – the Only means of going to heaven?” Get ready to clear the room, because unless the room is full of believers, there is going to be immediate problems. The atmosphere will change just like it did in Jesus’ day. The barometer will drop so fast, your ears will pop. “Are you really saying Jesus is the King?”
The religious of Jesus’ day accused Him of “perverting the nation.” They basically called Him a rebel pervert. The word means to “distort” or be “morally corrupt.” They didn’t like what Jesus taught or how Jesus lived… so they labeled Him a pervert. In order to rid themselves of Jesus’ message, they killed the rebel. Their problem and our problem today is that Jesus is not a mere rebel… He is the very Son of God. He will not go away. If killing Him would have solved the Jewish leader’s problem, then we wouldn’t be discussing Jesus today.
The truth is exactly as Jesus said… He is what you say He is. If you say He is the Son of God and the King, then He is. If you are going to call Him a rebel, blasphemer and pervert, then this is what He will be to you. Only judgment will reveal the truth. Everyone born eventually places his faith and trust in something. The problem will be that one day the rebel pervert will be your Judge.
Today Jesus is who we say He is. None of us need another pious religious leader to heap upon us more rituals and regulations. We don’t need more ceremony and pageantry. We need a Rebel King! We need someone just like Jesus to set us free from sin. He is exactly what we have always needed.
Blessings – From God’s Incubator,
Pastor
14 Thursday Nov 2013
Posted Luke, Our Spiritual Process
inTags
a way of escape, denying the Lord, entering into temptation, exiting God's process, Garden of Gethsemane, I Corinthians 10:13, leaving our process, losing our words from God, Mark 14:31 & 50, Mark 16, martyr, Matthew 26, Matthew 26:31-35, Oswald Chambers quote, overcoming failure, prayer, spiritual abortions, spiritual suicide, temptation
Do you remember Jesus’ three-fold warning to His disciples as they entered the Garden of Gethsemane? “Pray that you enter not into temptation.” Jesus didn’t say temptation could be avoided. He said they should pray to not enter into the temptation which was coming. What temptation? Luke doesn’t record the disciple’s failure. Everybody knows what it is… it was prophesied in the O.T. and recorded in Matthew 26 and Mark 16.
The disciples all scattered and fled the Lord when He was arrested. It was sin to them because they each, to a man, pledged to go to death for Jesus. For the first time in over three years, they were no longer following Jesus, the Lord of their life. Each man exited his process with God and lost hope.
This story is not just about denying the Lord. Yes, denying the Lord is big, but the larger problem is what exiting our process does to our inner man.
It is like committing spiritual suicide. This is Satan’s ultimate goal when he tempts us. He desires to crush us and to snatch away our hope right before our words are birthed. Satan loves performing spiritual abortions.
I believe this is why all except one disciple died a martyr’s death. Look at Matthew 26:31-35 and Mark 14:31 & 50. All the disciples vowed the previous evening to die for the Lord. They all failed to fulfill that promise. Their boasting wasn’t just empty platitudes. They meant what they proudly stated. Later in life when the same temptation came to deny the Lord and run, they each fulfilled their promise. Early church history confirms it. Jesus had other plans for John. (John 21:18-23)
According to scripture the Lord always provides for us a way of escape and to bear temptation’s grasp.
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. I Corinthians 10:13
Jesus made it out of the garden of Gethsemane with His process intact. From a fleshly perspective, it appeared as though Jesus was trapped and the disciples escaped. In reality, the disciples were ensnared and Jesus alone escaped temptation. Outward circumstances are not a reliable indicator of spiritual realities. Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane was not a prayer of hopelessness and defeat. It was a prayer of surrender to His Father’s will. In surrender, Jesus found the strength to continue in His process and overcome.
The truth is the Lord always wants His children to walk in victory. Three times the Lord warned His disciples about being in caught in temptation’s snare. This warning went unheeded. Most of us operate just like the disciples… we believe we can handle it…only to find we can’t. The good news is the Lord provides a way of escape. This doesn’t mean the road automatically turns into Easy Street. It does mean we will be able to bear what is about to transpire…with God’s help. The key is being able to discern God’s path. This is why Jesus exhorted His disciple’s to pray.
God is not trying to keep His will from you today. He is trying to get you to understand and walk in truth. Take the time to get to know His best for you this week. Temptations are coming… wouldn’t it be great if you avoided those old pitfalls instead of falling head forward into Satan’s snares?
Blessings – From God’s Incubator,
Pastor
07 Thursday Nov 2013
Tags
Billy Graham quote, E.M. Bounds quote, failure to pray, Garden of Gethsemane, Gethsemane means oil press, honest sincere prayer, Luke 22:41, moving God to our will, moving God to us, New York Harbor, prayer, prayer pull us to God's will, storms within, when circumstance do not change, withdrawn
Sometimes we pray because the internal storm is far larger than the storm raging on the outside. Prayer during these intense moments takes on a different purpose. God calls us to stand strong in the face of circumstances which will not change. Have you ever heard this? “Sometimes God stills the storms of the sea – At other times, He stills the storms within me.” The night before Jesus was crucified He had need for the storm inside to be quieted.
Luke 22:41 said Jesus “withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed.” The word for “withdrew” literally translates that Jesus “was Himself withdrawn”. It was as if Jesus were drawn… physically pulled down on His knees to pray. He HAD to talk to His Father. He HAD to share or release the anxiety of what was being laid upon Him. Jesus would later be just as calm and at ease when He stood before Pilate, Herod, the Sanhedrin, and the people. How could Jesus stand and be rejected, humiliated, and crucified with such resolve? On the night previous, Jesus prayed it through in the garden. Someone said, “The battle of the cross was won in the prayer Garden of Gethsemane.”
Jesus’ type of praying is the kind we need to learn. It’s a type of prayer which can give us the ability to face the hard tests of life… because sometimes things are not going to change. When Jesus prayed in the Garden He was brutally honest. There were no religious platitudes, no sugar coating. He knew what was about to occur.
Can we ever be too honest with God? There are people who believe that somehow they’ll offend God by being too honest. From Jesus we learn that sincerity is essential. It brings quick resolution because the Father answers.
Gethsemane means “olive or oil press.” It was a place where olives were crushed and pressed into oil. Jesus’ prayer was a prayer which “pressed into” the Father. The prayer had power to give Him strength because it hinged on accepting the Father’s Will. This is the type of prayer that can transform our times of weakness into times of strength. Why? Because these prayers are the ones which are less concerned with moving God to our will…as they are in moving us toward God.
Billy Graham once wrote: “I watched the deck hands on the great liner United States as they docked that ship in New York Harbor. First they threw out a rope to the men on the dock. Inside the boat the great motors went to work and pulled on the great cable. But, oddly enough, the pier wasn’t pulled out to the ship; the ship was pulled snugly up to the pier. Prayer is the rope that pulls God and us together. But it doesn’t pull God down to us; it pulls us to God. We must learn to say with Christ, the master of the art of praying: ‘Not my will; but Thine be done.’”
The next time you pray make it the type of prayer Jesus prayed. Allow yourself to enter into the press. Instead of dreaming and fantasizing about all the different ways God could answer your prayer, allow the Lord to give you His plans. Your circumstances might not change, but I guarantee you will.
Blessings – From God’s Incubator,
Pastor