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Keith Green - Oh Lord, You're Beautiful

Sunday, July 24, 2011

, “Your eyes will see the King in His beauty”

Isaiah 33:17, “Your eyes will see the King in His beauty”
John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.


Many people in today’s world recognize Jesus’ humanity; however,they will say he was a good man.....but, they fail to recognize and accept His deity. This reminded me of the story of the young woman who was engaged to Mozart before he rose to fame. Impressed by more handsome men, she became disenchanted with him because he was so short.
So she gave him up for someone tall and attractive. Then when the world began to praise Mozart for his outstanding musical accomplishments, she regretted her decision. She said, “I knew nothing of the greatness of his genius.” “I only saw him as a little man.”

Have you ever wondered why the Jews, who knew the Scriptures, failed to see Jesus’ true prominence?
Perhaps it was because they were looking for the beautiful King as described in Isaiah 33:17. They didn’t understand that before the Messiah came in all His glorious beauty, He must first come as the Man of sorrows described in Isaiah 53.

Thus, He was misunderstood during His life and ministry on earth, but it wasn’t His fault. The people who lived with Him and observed Him closely didn’t understand His mission. Some of Jesus’ contemporaries said He had “an unclean spirit” (Mark 3:30), while others tried to throw Him over a cliff (Luke 4:29). At first even His own brothers failed to recognize his true identity (John 7:5).

Most of Jesus’ peers only saw Him as a man (Mark 6:3) and refused to accept Him as God. For a long time, they didn’t see that He was the God-sent Messiah. Therefore everyone needs an inclusive examination of the person and work of Jesus Christ. In Mark 8:27, 29 Jesus asked His disciples two questions: “Who do men say that I am?” and “Who do you say that I am?” The first question is significant because it allows us to get a read on the minds of the people.The second question, however, is eternal because it’s only by acknowledging the Lord Jesus Christ and responding to His gift of forgiveness by faith that a person can have eternal life.
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Closing thoughts:

According to opinion polls the popular idea of today is that good people go to heaven. It was also noted that a majority of those polled see their own chances of going there to be very good. Most people base their expectations of heaven on their performance in this life, irrespective of their relationship to Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

I know of one cross that may cause people to ponder its meaning. It stands outside a church in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, and is made of raw, unpolished steel. When it rains, red, rusty drops roll off the cross like blood. On sunny days in winter, rusted holes dot the snow at its base. What goes through the minds of those who pass by that weathered symbol?

More importantly, what is their response to its message? Is the cross foolishness, nothing more than a fashion trend? Or does it bring to mind the blood Christ willingly shed for the redemption of our soul? The apostle Paul said that the “wisdom of this age” cannot grasp the mystery that is God’s plan of salvation. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can understand the “foolishness” of the cross. So, in light of the above I must ask the following questions:

(1) What does the cross mean to you?
(2) Who do you say Jesus Christ is?
(3) Do you see Him as a man or good teacher? Or …
(4) Do you see Him as God’s Son, our Redeemer and Saviour?
(5) The source for an inclusive examination of Jesus Christ is found only in God’s Word.

The cross reveals our sin at its worst and God’s love at its best. I will conclude with this verse found in John 11:25, “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
thank you Mikey.

bless you
Yaddy

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD.....

John 3:16, “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”


A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Viet Nam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier.

The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. A few months later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man was standing at the door with a very large package in his hands. He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when he was struck in the heart by a bullet and died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art." The young man held out his package. "I know this isn't much, and I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this." The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the portrait. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift to you."

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected. The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son.

The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this portrait of the son. Who will make a bid for this painting?" There was complete silence, until a voice in the back of the room shouted. "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one."

However, the auctioneer persisted. "Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding at $100, $200?" Another man shouted angrily, "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh’s, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!"

But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?" Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the long-time gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. "We have $10, who will bid $20?" "Give it to him for $10, we came see the masters." "$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"
The crowd was becoming very angry. They didn't want the painting of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"

A man sitting on the second row shouted. "Now let's get on with the collection!" The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I wasn’t allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. You see, only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!"

God gave His only begotten Son over 2,000 years ago to shed His blood and die on a cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message for us today is:

"The Son, the Son, who will take the Son?"
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Further thoughts:

I read some time ago about an instant cake mix that was a big flop. The instructions said all you have to do is add water and bake. The company couldn’t understand why it didn’t sell until their research discovered that the buying public felt uneasy about a mix that required only water. People thought it was too easy. So the company altered the formula and changed the directions to call for adding an egg to the mix in addition to the water. The idea worked, and sales jumped dramatically. That story reminded me of how some people react to the plan of salvation. To them it sounds too easy and simple to be true, even though the Bible says, “By grace you have been saved through faith, it is the gift of God, not of works” (Ephesians 2:8-9). They feel that there is something more they must do, something they must add to God’s “recipe” for salvation. They think they must perform good works to gain God’s favor and earn eternal life. However, the bible is very clear; we are saved “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy” (Titus 3:5). My friend, unlike the cake-mix manufacturer, God hasn’t changed His “formula” to make salvation more marketable. The gospel we proclaim must be free of works, even though it may sound too easy. My friend, whatever you decide about God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ; whose blood was shed on the cruel cross of Calvary will determine your destiny. Much like the auctioneer, His message for us today is:

"The Son, the Son, who will take the Son?"
Bless you....Mikey

Yaddy