Jesus wore a crown of thorns? Do you understand the point, the symbolism? ?

Good morning all. Sorry for being so inconsistent in doing my studies. God willing I will do better.  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!

   Pray for all the people who are having to endure the in-climate weather.  Ice and snow is foreign to most people in central to south Texas.

  Jesus, King of the curse.  Hmm!  Why would I say this?  Let's look into this further.

Why did Jesus wear a crown of thorns?  The most common answer would be that the soldiers were mocking him as king.  A crown is a symbol of royalty, power, wealth and glory.  But Jesus' crown was made of thorns.  Why?

   When man fell, Adam and Eve, the consequence of that fall was the curse: cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you…” (Genesis 3:17-18,)

  The thorns were the sign of the curse, of a fallen world.  The Roman soldiers (Matthew 27:29) unknowingly took an object of the curse and fashioned it into a crown for the one who would deliver us from that curse.

          “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’” (Galatians 3:13). Christ, in His perfect atoning sacrifice, has delivered us from the curse of sin, of which a thorn is a symbol.  All of this was intended to be a mockery, the crown of thorns was an excellent symbol of who Jesus is and what He came to accomplish.   What the Roman soldiers meant as a mockery, was in fact a picture of Christ’s two roles, first of suffering servant (Isaiah 53), and second of a conquering Messiah- a King.

   The crown of thorns are linked to the curse, and the curse is linked to death.  So, the crown of thorns ordains that Jesus, the Messiah, will die, yet rising in 3 days.  He will bear the weight of the curse upon His head, thus becoming the King of Thorns or the King of the Curse.  Since a crown represents authority of one who reigns, then by Jesus wearing this crown He is bearing the weight of the curse and becomes king over it. Since Jesus is King of the Curse he is the king of us all who are:  broken, pierced and wounded, rejected, overcome with tears, the fallen.  Therefore, all of us who are fallen and call on Jesus as our Saviour do find redemption. He who wears the crown, Jesus, has authority over all things.  Jesus will turn our grief into joy, death into life, and our thorns will become blossoms. 

   Please read these verses:  Isaiah 53:1-3; 61;1-3, Today, bring all your thorns - the misery, the anguish, hatred, sorrows, wounds, sins of your life and give them to the King of Thorns, putting all you have under His authority and then rejoice in the LORD, rejoice I say.  Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Heartbeat away from Heaven!!!

Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!

    Have you thought about a rock.  There used to be PET ROCKS back in the early 70's.  People liked them because they were:

   good solid friends (pets)      never caused a commotion

   always stay where you put them        don't eat or have to go outside

   And, if left outside they could tell the weather:  If hot - it was sunny; if wet - it was raining;  If white - it snowed.

   Well, a rock usually remains the same, yet it has no heartbeat.  You and I have a heartbeat.   God created us with a heart beat which works whether we are awake, sleeping, wasting time, working, gossiping, in moments of despair, in moments of joy - no matter what our heart keeps beating.

   Now a rock will remain the same with no heartbeat. A rock changes from an outside source.  We are run by a heartbeat - when our heartbeat stops we change.  Our life is a miracle and it strives to exist.  We are created through the miracles of God and we should live each day as a miracle of our existence.   We have 1,440 minutes per day to make our time worthy of God.  This equates to 10,080 minutes a week, to 524,160 minutes a year we can take the miracle, Me, YOU, that God created and do something worthy of praise for God.

   When our heartbeat stops, we leave the footstool of God and move to the heavenly realm with God.  We are only a heartbeat away from heaven.

Psalm 139:

¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
    How vast is the sum of them!

Thank you for reading. Have a great and safe weekend. Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Do we do as Solomon? Focus on God, then drift away?

Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!

   We live a life of ups and downs; positive and negative; good and bad.  The hardest obstacle to tackle is staying focused on what is important and maintaining that path to avoid the potholes, sinkholes, and destruction.

   Think of King Solomon.  In 1 Kings 3:5-15 you will find Solomon's prayer for wisdom.   The LORD came to Solomon in a dream, Solomon asked not for riches, wealth and power, but for           w i s d o m to rule over the people.  God granted this and because he asked not for himself selfishly God did bless him with riches and peace.

   Now, at this time Solomon was focused on God.  However, he did have a weak spot and that was for beautiful women.  His first wife was the daughter of Pharaoh of Egypt.  However, as time progressed he tended to take 400 wives of royal decent from neighboring countries.  No problem - right?  Not while Solomon was focused on God.  The problem came in the fact that Solomon let these wives bring their "gods" into God's kingdom; BUT, even worse they built shrines to these gods and were allowed to worship them. Slowly Solomon's fervor for God dwindled. Then after his rule his son only succeeded him as king of Judah, 1 tribe only.

   Now, let us take that and see how it relates to us in our lives. When we first become (king or queen) accept Christ, we are "HOT" for God.  Ready to jump in, do what we can for God's glory.  The problem arises when satan sees our fervor AND our weaknesses.  Satan moves to strike us hard in our weaknesses to divert our attention away from bringing GLORY TO GOD!  Upon accepting Jesus as LORD and saviour; we now have an enemy in satan. We are at war!!!

   So, what is your "wife of a foreign country" that becomes your god to which you focus on more than the one true living GOD?  Now, remember Solomon did a lot of good.  He rebuilt the temple of God and it was richly decorated and ornate from the riches his father, David, had laid in store.  God came to Solomon in 1 Kings 9:1-9 Jehovah appeared to Solomon and told him as long as does all that God commands, keeping His statutes and His judgments then God( 1 Kings9: 5) will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.

   God went on to say what would happen if he failed and the destruction of his kingdom.   Now, I ask you: Are you building a kingdom for God--- OR --- for the world and personal pleasure?

   Continue reading 1 Kings 9 to see what will happen if Solomon fails in God's command.  How does this affect you?  Where do you stand? World? Fence? or in God's world?  Hmmmm!   Love you all.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

A L I Y A H - an ascent

Good morning my dear fellow Christians.  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!

  God is always on the move and ten years ago today God gave me a lady whom I believe is beautiful inside and out - my wife Jo Anne.  I was single/divorced and had said I would not marry again. I did not consult God and he, I am sure, was laughing and said, "oh yeah, watch this".  It has been a blessing.

  Okay, to the morning study.  A L I Y A H = Hebrew that means exalted, to ascend, to go up.  Why would I bring this word up?  Remember we have been reading in Romans 12 where we are told by Paul of how we should serve, how to act as a Christian and to not seek revenge as it is the LORD's.

  In the scriptures when Yeshua, the Messiah, Jesus went to Jerusalem they had to "aliyah" as Jerusalem is a city set on the mountains.

So, to get there you have to go on a journey and the journey to Jerusalem is called ALIYAH.....the ascending.  This is not just because of the journey, but also because Jerusalem is the Holy City.  Today, in the modern age, when the Jewish people return to Israel, the Promised Land, their return is called Aliyah, the upward journey.

    You and I are children of Yeshua, the Messiah, of God and we must make our spiritual journey - our Aliyah.  So what is my Aliyah; what is your Aliyah -- it is our life's journey.

Our life should be an upward journey....a higher ascending....Aliyah to reach God.  And just how do we do this?  By each and every choice we make in life.  Just like climbing a mountain or a set of stairs - one step at a time.  We can choose the higher path---- OR ---- the lower path.  When we climb a mountain, we go one step at a time, then when we pause and look back we can see where we have come from.  The higher path may be harder and take more effort but once you have arrived at the peak you can look back and see from where you came.  Each step is higher than the last and takes us in the direction we are aimed.  Are you taking the right steps?  How is your ALIYAH going?  May you take the higher step in every decision; let your life be an Aliyah, an ascending for God.  Love you all.

Psalm 121-A song of ascents.

¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot slip he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord watches over you the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord will keep you from all harm he will watch over your life;
⁸ the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny

Live peaceful, seeking no revenge with your fellow man! Romans 12:17-21

Good morning everyone!  God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!  Brrr!  It is cold outside so I hope each of you are staying warm and safe.  Let us continue on with Romans 12: 17-21
 
   

¹⁷ Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
  We are not to do a "pay back" when someone does something to you.  We, Christians, are to do all that is honest in view of everyone. Be upright in thought and deeds.
¹⁸ If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
   We should live with others and be as agreeable and peaceable as possible.  However, we are not to lie down and take a beating. Being humble and peaceful does not mean to be a door mat.  We must choose which battle to take up or in other words, which hill you want to die on.
¹⁹ Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
    Paul tells us don't get even, no revenge. We should,  “Never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God,” (Deuteronomy 32:35)
²⁰ Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
   Have you ever heard keep you friends close and your enemies even closer?  Verse 20 tells us that if we feed our enemy, give him drink, then what???  Coals of fire will be heaped on his head.  When we are kind to someone who dislikes or hates us, it really galls them and they don't understand why.  Just remember Deuteronomy 32:35.
²¹ Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
  Remember the part in the LORD's prayer: deliver us from evil.  Dark is broken up by light, let the light of Jesus shine wherever you tread.  May you gather something from todays study. Love you all.
In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny

Is your love heartfelt? Romans 12:9-16

Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  YES, TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!!!

  In Romans, chapter 12 we are given some guidelines of how we should be with those within and those without.  Let us look at verses 9 through 16. God is Love, and Love is the overall theme of these passages.
  
⁹ Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Our love is to be genuine, not biased in any way, but true. True love will hate evil, yet cling to what is good.
¹⁰ Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
¹¹ Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
¹² Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
¹³ Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

Let your love be heartfelt; be eager to show each other honor; be set on fire by the Spirit; be devoted to prayer; contribute to -or- “participate in” -- the needs of the others, and pursue hospitality. To “participate in” others’ needs is to give of yourself and your own resources for their material needs, like food, clothing, and shelter. True love is strong, continual, and logical.
¹⁴ Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
¹⁵ Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
¹⁶ Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
Paul tells us to bless them who persecute us, don't seek revenge, but pray for them. We should have joy and cheering for those who rejoice, yet be able to weep with those who weep.  We should have the same mind toward each other.  We definitely should not think more highly of ourselves than others.  We should be able to work with the high or low in social standings without thinking or feeling we are better than they.  In short, do not be conceited - do not tell others of the "great" deeds you did for someone.  Be humble.  Sometimes eating humble pie brings us back to reality.  May God bless the reading of HIS word today.
 Love you all.
In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny

A New YEAR, a New ATTITUDE, a New DEVOTION!!

Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!

  Jan 2, 2018 --- A NEW YEAR!  A time when many make "new Year Resolutions" that last for a few days, weeks, or possibly a few months.  You know the routine, "I am going to exercise more," " I will eat right," "I will be frugal with my money," ohhh, and the biggest "I am going to diet and lose weight".  And yes, we could go on and on, however in reality maybe, just maybe 1 in 20 will follow through.

   However if we stop and meditate on what is really important and true in our life we will be able to list many things.  Number 1, the Big UNO on our list should be GOD!

Then number 2 our FAMILY, # 3 our JOB, then # 4 on we set our own priorities.          
     Romans 12: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. ² And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
 Being a new year, 2018 is just a babe, less than 2 days old.  Now, yes, NOW would be a great time to do number 1 - GOD.  But you don't know all that I have to do.  WAIT!!  Is not salvation the greatest gift you have?
   Start today with Proverbs 1-2. Then on each day following do the next chapter, the 3rd Proverbs 3; the 4th Proverbs 4, and continue on for each day of the month.  Don't just read the words on a page, but read it with concentration, dedication and absorb what it says.Romans 12: 3-8 tells us about service.
  Beging this TODAY - NEW YEAR - NEW DEDICATION -
                            NEW GOD PERSPECTIVE!!
   A guideline for you from Romans 12:
⁹ Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
¹⁰ Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
¹¹ Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
¹² Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
¹³ Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
¹⁴ Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
¹⁵ Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
¹⁶ Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
¹⁷ Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

¹⁸ If it be possible, as much as lieth in you,
          live peaceably with all men.
Get up! Pray, Read, then begin a glorious day in the LORD!!
May God bless your 2018 and as said in Jeremiah 29:¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
   May this all be true for you. Love you all.
In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny