Luke Chapter 13 explains to us
why the message of repentance is the most perfect form of God’s love. Think about it. Why would Jesus share the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree, or The Narrow Door, if He didn’t want us to know how serious He is about turning back back to Him. If you think Heaven is open to everyone, then you clearly do not know what the Word of God says. It's so important that we don't miss this, it is really a matter of eternal life or death. Do you remember what Jesus said when his disciple asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He said, “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom!” Many will try to enter but will fail.” “When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside, knocking and pleading, “Lord, open the door for us!” But he will reply, “I don’t know you or where you come from.” Then you will say, “But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.” And he will reply, “I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil - There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!” Luke 13:24-28 I don’t know about you, but his answer is a LOT scary to me, many who walking confidently are actually deceived. We have to get this right! Many have not taken the time to dive into God's Word - to get to know Him personally. They walk around proudly, serving their fellow man, truly believing they are going to Heaven because they are morally good. But this is NOT what God's Word says. Where in the world, does this falsehood come from? I can’t find anywhere in the Bible that this is what God says. In fact it says just the opposite, if we don't know him, we will be eternally dead. He does say that His greatest command is to love Him, and to love our neighbors as ourselves, but this can only be done when we truly understand how He saved us from eternal death. According to the Word, it’s only the blood of Jesus that brings us back into relationship with Him, and it’s through a personal relationship that we can truly know who God is. And when we know Him, we come to understand how much forgiveness is foundational to spreading the love of God. When we truly understand the cost of our sin, we will have no problem forgiving our fellow men, because it's only then that we understand how much He forgave us. God became a human so that He come in flesh, die on the cross, and spill His Holy blood as our final sacrifice - Why? Because He knew there was no way in hell that we could obey the Law. This is the difference between Christians and the religious, or even universalists. It’s all about Jesus! Only Jesus leads the way. As scripture says, “There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” the world. 1 Timothy 2:5-7 Unforsaken only comes through repentance - The blood of Christ is poured into human repentant hearts. Jesus says it like this, “A man planted a fig tree in his garden, and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed.” “Finally, he said to his gardener, “I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.” The gardener answered, “Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down” Luke 13:6-9 Do you not see, how tolerant our God is? He is the gardener asking for more time, patiently waiting for the fig tree to bear fruit. Time. He is giving us time - Time to change our minds. Time to repent. Time to stop our adulterous ways. Time to remember how good He is. Time to stop. Time to apologize, get on our knees and bow our heads to Him. Why do you think He describes the children of Israel as an adulterous wife, who have strayed, and walked away from Him? It’s because He is a relational God. Even His own seed is Three in One. His whole being is pure love! He is so desperate for us, that He sent His only son to be a living sacrifice to cover our sin with His blood. This purification comes through a choice. God asks human beings to become his virgin wife; He washes away our sin, and makes us fully clean. This is what repentance means! The church has been set apart for Him. We are to keep our lamps burning, and prepare for the wedding feast. This is the promise to the human heart that invites His Holy Spirit in. Wow! Holy Spirit is so good! This is the perfect place to talk about the mustard seed and yeast. Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like? How can I illustrate it?” “It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches.” Luke 13:18-19 This made me think, when God created Adam and placed him in His garden, was He expected to be like the mustard seed and multiply in love? Jesus also said, “The Kingdom of God is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.” So once again we see the concept of pregnant, where a little seed of something grows into something more. It does not matter whether it’s bad or it’s good, whether it’s a mustard seed of faith or a little yeast of sin. It's still represents the concept of birth and growth, whether attached to the blessing or the curse. This is why Paul says, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” Romans 12:3 Scripture says, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17 Therefore we can discern, that Faith is a partnership between you and God. When you seek Him in his Word, He impregnates you, and puts a measure of faith in you. As the seed of His Spirit grows inside of a man, that man will automatically grow more like Him. But if he does not, we can assume something is wrong, It means there is a misalignment of His soul, and this is known as blasphemy to God. So we must pay attention, when God starts tugging on us. He is such a good father, that He wants to correct us. It doesn’t surprise me that we see Jesus healing a woman’s bent back and making it straight; This is included in Luke Chapter 13. Scripture says, “One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God! But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. "There are six days of the week for working,” he said to the crowd. “Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.” But the Lord replied, “You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water? This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?” Luke 13:10-16 So this brings me to the barren fig tree - the human race is under the curse; Born into sin. Not bearing God's seed. Why do you think Sarah was physically barren? God needed to show us how He can create something from nothing! Isn't our God good? Despite her doubt, He fulfilled His Word, He gave her a son - who filled the sands with many men, and many nations; Nations who would return their hearts to Him so that He could impregnate them with His Word. And through Issac, Jacob came, and through the line of Judah, David was born. A shepherd boy, who became a King, setting the stage for Jesus; Jesus came as a lamb, to be slaughtered as a human so that He could resurrect as our King. Today, Jesus sits at the right hand of God, making intervention for us; while He waits patiently for man to accept Holy Spirit baptism through the act of repentance. But if a man refuses to repent and come back to Him, then God allows his heart to stay hard, Which is not good! It will stay in its natural form, full of self and void of God. Spiritually barren and all alone, this is the story of people like Pharaoh, yet God will use them to let His people go so that they can make their way back home. The understanding of spiritual fruit, Helps us not only discern human behavior, and human hearts, But it also gives us wisdom about spiritual truths. Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." "You will know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:15-16. Then He said, “Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?” Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them." Matthew 7:17-20 I cannot tell you, how great this advice is! If you want to know how to discern spirits, you must first repent and give your heart back to Him. Then, as you pursue Him, He will give you understanding to what His parables mean, and He will whisper spiritual truths into your ear. He will open your eyes to what you need to see, so that you can walk forward boldly and courageously. His desire is that you will join the Lord's army, and become a vessel for Him, through the ministry of the reconciliation of men. The true testimony of Jesus must be told, He is the Messiah, the resurrected Son of God. It’s only his blood that covers our sin, and it’s only His Spirit who can discern the intent behind the hearts of men. This is why we are told not to judge; and this is why we are commanded to love. We must know, that water baptism is ONLY the outward expression of our inner declaration; and it does not replace the inner desire of a man’s heart, to be transformed in Spirit and walk in fellowship with Him. Spiritual Alignment comes when we repent; when we die to self and give God back our hearts. A person must decide where their heart resides, does it beat for Him, or for them? Jesus set His face like flint, and walked boldly into Jerusalem. There was nothing that would stop Him from fulfilling the purpose of why He had come. Jesus said, “Go tell that fox (speaking of the Herod Antipas), that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow; and on the third day I will accomplish my purpose. Yes, today, tomorrow, and the next day I must proceed on my way. For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem! “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned. And you will never see me again until you say, “Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!” Luke 13:31-35 As I come to the end of Luke 13, Let me just remind you again, “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out. And people will come from all over the world - from east and west, north and south - to take their places in the Kingdom of God. And note this: Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then. ” Luke 13:28-30 And lastly, remember what Jesus said, when people came to Him about Pilate murdering people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple of God. He asked, “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” “Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.” Luke 13:1-3 What did you hear in all of that? I’ll tell you what I heard. I heard that none of us are good! We all sin, and we all must repent! We all sin, and we all must forgive! Without forgiveness, we are bound to the root of bitterness, which produces pure hate instead of pure love. So I ask you this, what kind of fruit do you bear? Do you live, breath and speak from the curse or the blessing? We must keep our eyes focused on Christ, and we must beware because it is easy to fall into the pit of despair, Satan is the prince of the air, and his only goal is to deceive men. So hold onto hope and proclaim Jesus as Lord; He understands what you have to endure, and He is preparing a room for you in His Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus is the true prophet, and He is our King. He is our Holy priest, and He is the only Judge who can condemn or acquit. Here is your alter call. Will you bring it all to the foot of the cross? Will you put your trust in Him? Will you open His Word and search for yourself, that the only way to be blessed is through the blood of Christ? Will you give him your heart? Will you give him your life? Will you be a living sacrifice so that others can come to know Him? Will you choose to love and forgive, even when it is hard? Will you die to self and accept this new life?
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
April 2022
|