Thu, Dec 11th - 3:34AM

DINNER WITH JESUS CHRIST

Brothers and sisters, we know we can do nothing without Jesus, absolutely nothing. We also know that the church can only be fed with the Word of God. God has ordained gifts, (1Co 12:28), to the people of God through whom He partners with to guard and guide the church to spiritual maturity in His Word. The spiritually healthy church with its many good works, never ceases to teach and preach the Word of God.Yet, some churches, have foolishly substituted various unbiblical doctrines or omitted/or added to the word of God. It is not a surprise that such churches, unless they repent, fade away into oblivion rapidly or slowly over the course of time. We see the skeletal remains of empty buildings in many cities, so called houses of worship, some small or great, that endured a long or short time that stand as a testimony that they had not fed the sheep, but instead poisoned and starved them with unbiblical doctrines. Their poisoned/starving sheep fled in the hopes of finding spiritual nourishment elsewhere. Jesus is not passive in His office as Head of the church. There can be no doubt, dearly beloveds, that before the failure of such churches was accomplished they chose to reject correction through some, or perhaps many sent by Him, who tried to correct and warn them. Some might feel threatened, or resent the idea of God’s discipline, for whatever reason. Mainly, I believe, dearly beloveds, is because they see it as punishment. God doesn’t punish His kids, but like every Father, He lovingly corrects them, (you, me, us). When we fail to or choose not to discipline ourselves, God ordains His loving help for us through various means to accomplish correction: From God directly, through conviction of the conscience by the Holy Ghost, through the God given authority of the guarding, guiding servant officers of the church, through His body by brothers and/or sisters, or the whole presbytery. The nature of church discipline is done in love, is not abusive, can be restorative/corrective, temporary or permanent removal from the body if warranted. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE DISCIPLINARY/CORRECTIVE HAND OF THE LORD AND HIS CHURCH: 1Ti 5:19-20. Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof  all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Heb 12:11-12. We return back to Simon the Pharisee’s house. Our attention focused on him with Jesus. Initially Jesus told Simon a simple parable of two debtors, but Simon didn’t grasp that it was really about him and the woman who was a great sinner. He really couldn’t connect as seeing himself as a sinner. Jesus looks on the heart, he wasn’t impressed that Simon ranked in one of the top sects, had a comfortable life, and some measure of status amongst the Levites. We see the kindness of Jesus, He would honor the woman and, in His mercy, love and patience with this difficult proud man seek to remove his spiritual blindness. Jesus would not leave him ignorant. Jesus would present the naked truth to Simon the Pharisee with the loving rod of correction, even if it hurt his feelings: Luk 7:44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. BLIND PHARISEE: Mat 23:1-39 Jesus demanded that Simon look at the woman. Perhaps Simon had averted his gaze, not wanting to even look at this woman whom he regarded as a sinner, while refusing to acknowledge his own sinfulness. Lord Jesus had looked into Simon’s heart to see the distain for the woman- counting her as of no value. Jesus demanded that Simon see her, look at her, acknowledge her presence. How did Simon the Pharisee feel in being unfavorably compared and contrasted with a sinful woman, whom Jesus regarded as righteous?  Luk 7:45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.Simon had without saying it verbally shown his utter disrespect and contempt for Jesus. He invited Jesus into his home not showing the customary respect for a valued friend with a kiss, and water to wash his feet. Simon had Jesus sit for dinner more in the manner of giving an unimportant servant an obligatory meal as part payment for work done. However, the woman had not ceased to kiss Jesus’ dusty feet with kisses and washing them with her tears out of the deepest love, devotion, and worship. Brothers and sisters, how do we greet Lord Jesus is He worthy to give our consistent times of devotion and love, or someone we find it a chore to remember to give a nod of worship to after we have done so called more important things, or do we find it a delight to take time to personally love, honor, fellowship and cherish consistently the One, who gave Himself for us so that all who believe in Him will have forgiveness of all sins, and eternal life with Him? Jesus notices how you, me, us who claim we love Him treats Him consistently.

Thu, Dec 4th - 1:07AM

Sun, Nov 23rd - 3:40AM

DINNER WITH JESUS CHRIST

Brothers and sisters, we know and keep refreshed in our minds and hearts with all humility and thankfulness that we can do nothing without Jesus. Furthermore, we know from the mouth of our Lord Jesus Himself that no one knows nor can they know the Father without Jesus-He alone reveals the Father and Himself to everyone who will believe in Him: Jhn 12:32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. Draw-to draw, drag off

metaph., to draw by inward power, lead, impel. Some of the apostles were learned men who could read and write and some were not. Nevertheless, they all preached the gospel without error because Jesus opened up their understanding of the scriptures. T he Levitical high priest and his ilk noted:  Act 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. The intellectual likes to exalt “Doctor” Luke and imply that he is the elite superior apostle because he was an educated professional man of medicine. Some exalt Paul, because he wrote so much of the gospel, even referring to their churches as “Pauline” churches preaching the “Pauline doctrine”. They ignore that Paul taught against exalting any teacher:  1Co 3:4For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? (See the works of the flesh). A. Carnal: Unregenerate; having the nature of flesh, i.e. under the control of the animal appetites; governed by mere human nature not by the Spirit of God; B. having its seat in the animal nature or aroused by the animal nature; C. human: with the included idea of depravity.1Co 3:7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.1Co 3:8Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his OWN reward according to his OWN labour. All of the apostles except (for Judas Iscariot) strictly and faithfully followed the example and teachings of Christ. They labored in the gospel- not that the believers would remain perpetual students, but that they over time should all mature and be rooted in understanding and living the word of God, bearing much good fruit. Again, and again, holy brethren, we know Jesus is the Word of God, the Bread of life; the Sower:  Mar 4:14 The sower soweth the word. God commands every believer to take spiritual nourishment of the Word of God, through teachers/preachers, Bible study regularly and those mature in the body to grow thereby, for there is no other source of spiritual food whereby the spiritual body can grow. Come on holy brethren, let us with patience go on to Jesus to study and freely partake of Him in the presence of God our Father, and the Holy Ghost who will help us in our understanding of Christ. Luke 7: 40-43 is sometimes called a parable of two debtors, and rightly so. Yet it is also a parable of the All-seeing merciful Creditor to whom all men are indebted with a debt which no mere man can ever pay, and thus all are proclaimed guilty and subject to punishment. Yet it is the humble debtor who falls down recognizing his unpayable debt, that turns in faith to the Creditor pleading for mercy that receives the forgiveness of his debts, and afterwards loves the One who showed mercy and forgiveness. Heb 4:13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. We know that no one can fool God: Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Luk 7:40-43 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.The Pharisees saw themselves as “holier than thou” and others outside of their sect as sinners, in Simon’s eyes Jesus is reduced to a mere teacher, because He allowed a sinner to touch Him: Luk 15:2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.  Luk 7:41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. Brothers and sisters, we have two debtors, one owing much the other owing little. We know that from a human or worldly perspective it might appear that the one owing more is much more guilty than the one who owes less. We know, dearly beloveds, that while some might have more or worse sins than others, we know from God’s perspective, (the only perspective that counts), is that anyone unrepentant at death with even the smallest  of sins will not ever enter heaven, but is condemned to hell to await the final judgement at the great white throne of God to be condemned forever into the lake of fire with the devil and his evil angels. However, all who repent in faith regardless of how little or how much sin debt they have will receive forgiveness and enter into heaven at death or if alive, at the time of the Lord’s return at the appointment time. We are all commanded by God to preach the whole truth of the gospel, even if it offends some or makes others uncomfortable, still many will believe it and be saved. We must teach the gospel unmixed from politics, doctrines of men, organizations, institutions, denominations for God will never negotiate, bargain, cut a deal, nor compromise His Word with anyone ever. Love and truth forever, serola

Mon, Nov 17th - 1:32PM

DINNER WITH JESUS CHRIST 

Brothers and sisters, let us always with humility and grateful hearts keep in remembrance that we can do nothing without Jesus. Only by, though, and with Jesus can we produce much good eternally lasting fruit. God our Father has gifted the church with God His Son Jesus Christ: Jhn 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.Col 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you ALL trespasses. Jesus is appointed forever by God our Father as the Head, of the church, and the nourisher/sustainer and the life of the body of Christ, individually and as a whole. Col 3:4; Col 2:19 ……….the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. Jesus furnished the eleven apostles-including Luke with the complete understanding of the comprehensive message of scripture so that they could all go out and preach/teach the gospel without error:  Lk 24:45Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Mar 7:7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.  1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.  1Co 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. We know that the guiding/guarding ordained servant officers of the church are commanded by God to feed the church with the Word, and each member is to share it with one another and all of us share it in the world. Whether in groups or privately we are taught/study the Word in the presence of God, the Holy Ghost is also sitting right there with and in us with God our Father and Lord Jesus to teach and help us to remember all things that Jesus has said. The Holy Ghost never glorifies Himself: Jhn 14:26. However our Triune God is equally glorified in and of one another. Therefore, it is the work of every believer not to seek our own glory but that of our God for His glory, for He is worthy. Dearly beloveds, let us with patience return to the table of our Lord Jesus who ever bids us to come and eat and drink freely of Him, and find comfort, strength, and joy in His word.  Luk 7:39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. Earlier, dearly beloveds, we noted that Luke made no mention of the great cost of the woman’s ointment. Although he noted she is a great sinner he focuses us to understand what is really important here. Firstly, that none of those things regarding the woman being a repentant sinner should or even cannot nullify/detract from her act of love, dedication and honoring of Jesus Christ. You know, holy brethren, it is said that some people have just enough knowledge to be dangerous. I believe Simon is a case in point. Simon likely had some knowledge of the Law, that God commanded the prostitutes to be put to death, and that her ointment was likely earned via her work as a prostitute. God called such wages and anything obtained by it an abomination and forbade it to be offered in the temple: Lev 21:9; Deu 22:21; Deu 23:17-18; We know from the scriptures that much of the Law had been perverted by the Levitical priesthood and the sects. They preferred the punitive laws, and forsook any laws that granted mercy or clemency. The fact that she was a great sinner, that Jesus allowed to touch Him and put the ointment on Him, which again in the Law was an abomination as it was likely earned from her occupation, disgusted, repulsed and reduced Jesus to being seen as a mere man in the eyes of Simon.  In the judgment of Simon, a real prophet would have known and rejected such a woman out of hand, knowing that she should have been put to death for her great sins, instead of being so freely received by Jesus. The question that comes to mind is that since prostitution in Jewish society was done secretly how did Simon come by the knowledge of what she was? If her occupation was well known by the public, yet she was allowed to live, surely this meant that she had to be protected by someone very powerful-too powerful to challenge or condemn. We don’t know if the woman had a choice in her illicit occupation. There were no me-too movements back then, and it was not uncommon for the powerful to take advantage of women and others with impunity. But we know from scripture that the Levitical priesthood was corrupt and allowed prostitution to flourish in the Jewish community for single or unmarried women. Simon comes across as a cold calloused intellectual and self-righteous man without a drop of compassion, who exalted the doctrine of the Pharisees over the word of God. It is clear that he derived a sense of being right with God through belonging to the sect of the Pharisees. Love and truth forever, serola  

Mon, Nov 10th - 2:46AM

DINNER WITH JESUS CHRIST

Brothers and sisters, we know that the apostles who wrote about this woman’s interaction with Jesus were eyewitnesses, not writing based on second- hand knowledge.

Again, let us keep in mind that although Luke was a physician Lord Jesus did not call him to ministry based on his occupation. Paul acknowledged Luke as the beloved physician and received his care, but neither he nor his fellow apostles elevated Luke due to his profession.

It is also important to understand that Luke never addressed himself as Doctor Luke, and did not exalt his occupation as making him superior to his fellow apostles. All the apostles were equal based on their calling by Lord Jesus regardless of their occupations.

Some men in error seek to exalt Luke as a Doctor to validate themselves as belonging to a superior class of scholars. Again, dearly beloveds, we know that Luke never sought to exalt himself in any way or manner because of his intelligence, education or profession as a physician. Luke was a physician, working as a doctor as he was able. However, he was an apostle foremost, always dedicated to living and spreading the gospel not setting up a society of scholars.

We can do nothing without Jesus. The Bible clearly teaches that No one can know Him on the basis of human effort, intellect, or obtaining a degree. When the gospel is preached and over time one is taught- it is Jesus who opens up the scriptures-God giving all men a measure of faith in believing; the goodness of God leading men to repentance, albeit not all are willing to receive the truth: Rom 2:4; Rom 12:3; Eph 1:18;

 Mat 11:27

All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth

any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever

 the Son will reveal him. Luk 24:45; Eph 1:18.

Heb 8:11

And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

Dearly beloveds, Luke draws us into the story. In our minds-eye the room is silent but for the woman’s weeping. She is a great sinner, but she knows she can touch Jesus and He will not refuse her:

Luk 7:38

And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

If we want to know, grasp, understand what true repentance is, Luke points to her as most certainly a fine example of it. She not only understood Christ’s message, mission, and meaning of His approaching death, but she by faith also well understood Him-who He is, His heart, His mind, His love, His faithfulness,  His absolute truth as a man who never ceased to be God the Son of God who had come to save sinners- all who believe in Him:  Luk 5:32

 Mar 2:17

When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

1Ti 1:15

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world

 to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Jesus had told His disciples and many others of His coming death and the purpose it would serve, however, none of His disciples among others did anything for Jesus to show Him gratitude and honor at His approaching death. In fact, they didn’t even understand the world changing magnitude of His approaching death.

One wonders what the men sitting at that table thought of this woman’s actions. Did they think she was somehow unhinged? Were they annoyed she was disturbing their meal? Did the men keep eating all the while the woman was weeping and worshipping Jesus?

We know, dearly beloveds, anytime someone touched Jesus, He stopped whatever He was doing to personally acknowledge them and show how pleased He was for their love and faith in Him. By this woman’s example, we all can have absolute full assurance, comfort, and confidence in knowing that we have a loving Saviour who is not cold and distant. In His undying love He is ever near, even in us.  We can touch our great Shepherd whose heart is touched, moved, deeply, personally by the sincere offerings of His people out of hearts filled with love and gratitude in worship of Him.

Ro 5: 20Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Love and truth forever, serola