Just loved the movie The Case for Christ and have been watching your Sermons on RU-vid since. I live in South Africa and right now we need Gods real JOY! after all the unrest in our beloved country! Prsy for us !
This was beautiful! Also, I invite anyone to investigate Walter Wink's interpretation of the sermon on the Mount. It turns out, once you pay very careful attention to the cultural context and the text, Jesus actually was hilarious at times.
Jesus Was Born Incarnate Jesus was born incarnate to a young Jewish virgin, lived a sin free life, was illegally persecuted and then crucified on a cross on Calvary. He arose three days later defeating death and ascended into Heaven where He sits at the right hand of God. Jesus met with 515 people after His resurrection in a dozen different occasions over a period of about 40 days before He ascended into Heaven. Jesus knew He was entering the world to be the final and ultimate sacrifice for the sin of mankind. His body had been divinely prepared by God specifically for that purpose. Jesus was going to die for the sins of the world, and He knew it. Moreover, He was doing it willingly and joyfully. Jesus came to earth to reveal God to mankind and teach truth. He came to fulfill the Law and offer His kingdom to mankind. He came to show us how to live. He came to reveal God’s love. He came to bring peace. He came to heal the sick. He came to minister to the needy. He was raised in a family who didn't believe in His divinity. He had six half-brothers and two or three half-sisters who didn't believe in His divinity until after His resurrection. What gets me is demons knew His divinity but many men and women of His time didn't. I presume Mary and Joseph knew His divinity. But in Luke 2:49-50 [NKJV] “He said to them, [His earthly parents] “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” This makes me wonder, did they not understand Jesus' divinity? "But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33 NKJV) Luke 3:23 states that Jesus was "about 30 years of age" at the start of his ministry. Jesus preformed 14-15 miracles (they were called signs) in the three years or so of His ministry on earth. Many miracles were preformed by Jesus Christ but not specifically identified and recorded in God's word. Jesus' miracles were followed by Jesus forgiving the individuals of their sins and commanding they sin no more. Many of Jesus' miracles were not identified. No other religious leader forgave mankind of their sins. Our sins separate us from God, and there’s nothing we can do to make things right. So, we need someone to save us from our sins and make us acceptable to God. That someone is Jesus Christ. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for among men there is given no other Name under heaven, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 GNV) That’s why God sent Jesus to earth. Jesus’ death on the cross paid for every wrong we’ve ever committed or will commit in the future. Jesus made it possible for us to have a relationship with God the Father. We are sinner from birth and need help, Jesus Christ is that help, our only hope. Therefore by the deeds of the law (Ten Commandments) no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law our sins are recognized not saved. We must confess (repent) of our sins and iniquities before Jesus Christ, at the foot of the cross daily. Jesus said in Matthew 28:19, to His disciples that: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” I will not stand before The Great White Throne of God, my sins have been cleansed by Jesus Christ's crucifixion on the cross. And I am clothed in the righteousness of Christ of all my sins and iniquities before-today, today and forever. I Love Jesus Christ and despite of the fact that I'm human and I fail Him daily, I pick up my cross daily and follow Him. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He was crucified on the cross where He died for my sins and inequities and that He rose again on the 3rd day to give me a way through salvation and sanctification, known and unknown. He loves me dearly and has forgiven me of my sins and inequities. His Word says that if I deny Him before men, He will deny me before His Father. Following, I believe are the greatest verses in God's Word. "But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33 NKJV) “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV) I am a Christ-follower and live in the Kingdom of God on earth in Jesus Christ, my Lord, Savior and Leader. I have faith and trust in the grace and mercy of God for eternal life for my soul in Heaven when I pass from this life into paradise. I proclaim this openly to the world, that I am sinner, that I am sorry for my sins and iniquities and repent of my sins and iniquities and receive Jesus Christ by faith into my heart, mind and soul as my Lord, Savior and Leader. I openly confess Him as Lord from this moment on, I want to follow Him, I pledge to obey Him daily, and read His word. I will include those in my prayers who are lost and have chosen to deny God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ declared: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6 NKJV) I am in the “Lamb's Book of Life” and will not face “The Great White Throne of God” which leads to Hell. Jesus said: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29 KJV) The grace and glory be to God. God bless
