Does Jesus really mean what He is saying?
Does Jesus really mean what He is saying?
I know what Jesus is saying. I say “is” in the present tense. I hear Him.
The questions are these:
- Is He really serious?
- Does He really mean it?
- Is there good news?
There is good news here. I know it.
What Does Noel Mean?
What does Noel mean? Check out this great article
Noël is “Christmas” in French. Joyeux Noël is French for “Merry Christmas.” Noel can also mean good news, coming from the French phrase bonnes nouvelles (“good news”). Noel can even mean birthday. The French noël comes from the Latin natalis, meaning birthday.
Finally, noel can also refer to a Christmas carol. So, it makes sense then that noel is a word we use in English to celebrate or share the good news of the birth of Christ! It is no wonder that one of the most beloved Christmas carols of all time is “The First Noel.”
What kind of love will we choose?
Is there Good News? There is good news. The Word of God and Jesus offers an understanding of the source, character, requirement and value of love.
The love of Jesus is based on the nature and actions of God our Father. Jesus delights in His love of us. Jesus sums up God’s goal (command) for us as one of loving God and our neighbors. That is our mission and life! That is all God wants for us. There is no other purpose.
“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” | John 15:13
Jesus always calls a spade a spade. Jesus isn’t going to tiptoe around an issue.
Jesus has just finished talking about not judging and hypocrisy in the Jesus Manifesto. At first sight and hearing, this is startling language from the lips of Jesus. It is immediately after his appeal for constructive brotherly behaviour.
Jesus always calls a spade a spade. Jesus isn’t going to tiptoe around an issue. Jesus is going to be clear. We must listen carefully to what Jesus is telling us.
What does the Gospel mean? Is it good news?
I love it that God sent His Son Jesus to bring us good news. God is in a good mood and so it stands that His Son is all about good news.
I love it! It gives me great joy. Let’s shout it out!
We get confused though because we hear about the Gospel all the time. We say it ourselves over and over. I think we need to stop using that word. Seriously.
Will we have an attitude of gratitude?
Jesus is direct and straightforward.
Jesus expects that we have an attitude of gratitude. The easy path is negativity and complaining. Where did complaining get the Hebrews as they wandered around in the desert? It didn’t get them to the promised land.
Our choice today is obey Jesus or not.
Will we be grateful? Will we obey? Will we learn?
God is in a good mood. That is the truth. Anything else is a lie.
Jesus has good news for us.
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Check out our upcoming ministry programs for young adults and families. Please click here.
Our programs are like an immersion into a new language – the language of living in Jesus. The goal is fluency in the language of relationships. Programs share a sequential vision, building an understanding of relationships and family culture. The foundation is an encounter with Jesus. This encounter is the means for both insight and vision. Encountering Jesus leads a radical change in living and relationships.
Heroes Semester is a 10-week residential, “family style” living experience like no other! | — Sept 2 – Nov 9, 2019 | Participants ages 18-26 come with one purpose – to go deeper with the Lord. ow.ly/Nhag30oRYRK
Strengthening & Restoring Family Relationships — Train to Reign Program — Oct 20 – Nov 2 | Family is the most vital relationship and the one under the most pressure and attack. Come strengthen your family in a strong relationship with God. http://ow.ly/l5SU30oS5pQ
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Have we missed God? Is anything left in our memory of his Message? Do we take his Messenger seriously?
Hear Jesus Voice
God sent Jesus. Jesus is His plan. There is danger in missing all of this. We need to slow down and make sure we get it.
I don’t want to hear Jesus say to me that I missed it. I want to hear “Good and faithful servant”!
Jesus warns us. God’s goal for us is to hear His son’s voice. We need to be careful not to miss what God is saying to us. We need to take Jesus seriously. Jesus wants us to be saved.
The acts that Jesus completed are the message. Jesus lived the perfect life. Jesus died for all of us to pay the price for our having missed God’s goal (aka sin). Jesus rose from the dead into an incorruptible body. Jesus now sits at the the right hand of God and is charge of God’s Kingdom. Jesus is in total control.
We must listen for God. We must see His appearance. He sends Jesus.
“But my purpose is not to get your vote, and not to appeal to mere human testimony. I’m speaking to you this way so that you will be saved. John was a torch, blazing and bright, and you were glad enough to dance for an hour or so in his bright light. But the witness that really confirms me far exceeds John’s witness. It’s the work the Father gave me to complete. These very tasks, as I go about completing them, confirm that the Father, in fact, sent me. The Father who sent me, confirmed me. And you missed it. You never heard his voice, you never saw his appearance. There is nothing left in your memory of his Message because you do not take his Messenger seriously.” ~Jesus
John 5:34-38
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Check out our upcoming ministry programs for young adults and families. Please click here.
Our programs are like an immersion into a new language – the language of living in Jesus. The goal is fluency in the language of relationships. Programs share a sequential vision, building an understanding of relationships and family culture. The foundation is an encounter with Jesus. This encounter is the means for both insight and vision. Encountering Jesus leads a radical change in living and relationships.
Heroes Semester is a 10-week residential, “family style” living experience like no other! | — Sept 2 – Nov 9, 2019 | Participants ages 18-26 come with one purpose – to go deeper with the Lord. ow.ly/Nhag30oRYRK
Strengthening & Restoring Family Relationships — Train to Reign Program — Oct 20 – Nov 2 | Family is the most vital relationship and the one under the most pressure and attack. Come strengthen your family in a strong relationship with God. http://ow.ly/l5SU30oS5pQ
If you would like to donate to the Christian Training Center, please click here.
Do You Truly Understand the Power of the good news of Jesus?
Here is some great insight from Tim Brister. Tim is a pastor and elder at Grace Baptist Church. Find out more on his blog: Provocations and Pantings.
The Bible is living and active (Heb. 4:12), inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16), and given for the purposes of teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. The Bible is all about God’s story of redemption centered on the person and work of Jesus the Messiah. In the church where I serve, we say the good news is all about (1) who Jesus is, (2) what Jesus has done, and (3) why that matters.
The good news is the power of God (Rom. 1:16), and that power is demonstrated not only in our past rescue, reconciliation, and redemption, but also in our present faith, hope, and love. Christians who truly get the gospel discover its power again and again on a daily basis. They get it in all three areas of text, context, and subtext because the gospel changes everything. The “living and active” nature of the Word is doing its effectual work as the Spirit convicts, renews, and reforms our lives in ways that demonstrate the transforming power of Jesus.
Read More Here:
Do You Truly Understand the Power of the Gospel? – Tim Brister
If you would like to donate to the Christian Training Center, please click here.
Check out our upcoming ministry programs for young adults and families. Please click here.
Heroes Semester is a 10-week residential, “family style” living experience like no other! | — Sept 2 – Nov 9, 2019 | Participants ages 18-26 come with one purpose – to go deeper with the Lord. ow.ly/Nhag30oRYRK
Strengthening & Restoring Family Relationships — Train to Reign Program — Oct 20 – Nov 2 | Family is the most vital relationship and the one under the most pressure and attack. Come strengthen your family in a strong relationship with God. http://ow.ly/l5SU30oS5pQ
Christians are being silenced: Pastor arrested after preaching love in a Toronto neighborhood
Pastor David Lynn of Christ Forgiveness Ministries was arrested on June 4, 2019 for preaching the Gospel publicly in Toronto, Canada.
The neighborhood he was preaching in was Church-Wellesley Village. This neighborhood is known to be a place where many of the LGBTQ community in Toronto reside. His ministry is currently on an outdoor preaching tour throughout the 22 districts of Toronto. June 4, happened to be the day they scheduled for that district.
It is not uncommon for someone to think “open-air preaching” and “LGBTQ neighborhood” and immediately jump to thoughts of preachers condemning homosexuals to hell. However, Pastor Lynn’s preaching was some of the most loving and gracious preaching I have ever seen and heard. Which is why it is outrageous that he was arrested.
The entire time of preaching was live streamed via Facebook and can be found on YouTube. Throughout the video, it is surprising to see the reaction of those who were listening to Lynn’s preaching. The more love he poured out, the more hate and resistance he received. As anyone can see if they view the video, Pastor Lynn was respectful and kind throughout all of his time preaching. As he shared the Gospel, he also made statements like “We are here to tell you that we hate nobody.” He emphasized God’s love again and again.
He proceeded to ask those protesting him if they would be willing to tolerate him as a Christian. But those listening were unwilling to dialogue, and many asked him to leave the street corner.
Throughout the encounter he was very calm and collected, not entering into any disrespectful or condemnatory dialogue.
Read More Here:
If you would like to donate to the Christian Training Center, please click here.
Check out our upcoming ministry programs for young adults and families. Please click here.
Heroes Semester is a 10-week residential, “family style” living experience like no other! | — Sept 2 – Nov 9, 2019 | Participants ages 18-26 come with one purpose – to go deeper with the Lord. ow.ly/Nhag30oRYRK
Strengthening & Restoring Family Relationships — Train to Reign Program — Oct 20 – Nov 2 | Family is the most vital relationship and the one under the most pressure and attack. Come strengthen your family in a strong relationship with God. http://ow.ly/l5SU30oS5pQ
The Bad News, The Good News, and The Not Exactly Good News
This is a very important overview for our Good News message about Jesus. The harvest is indeed plentiful.
How Ancient Eyewitness Testimony Became the New Testament Record
Here is some great insight from J. Warner Wallace. He is a Dateline featured Cold-Case Detective, Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, Adj. Professor of Christian Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, author of Cold-Case Christianity, God’s Crime Scene, and Forensic Faith, and creator of the Case Makers Academy for kids.
I often wonder precisely when the disciples of Jesus realized their important role in Christian History. As these men sat at the feat of Jesus and listened to everything He had to say, did they realize they would someday testify to everything He said and did? Most eyewitnesses I’ve interviewed in my casework had no idea they would later be called into a jury trial to testify about what they heard or observed. As a result, they sometimes regret not paying better attention when they had the opportunity. But the disciples of Jesus had a distinct advantage over modern eyewitnesses in this regard. They were students of Jesus. Unlike spontaneous, unprepared witnesses of a crime, the disciples were desperately attentive to the words and actions of Jesus, and I imagine their attention to detail became even more focused with each miraculous event. For this reason, the authors of the gospels became excellent eyewitnesses and recognized the importance of their testimony very early.
God is strong and never grows tired. God is better than the Energizer Bunny.
There is always good news with God. He is always happy to have us back when we miss His goal (aka sin) for us.
God is strong and never grows tired. God is better than the Energizer Bunny. God is energy so God is always energetic. That is just how He rolls.
God’s love brings us peace and calms us. God’s love drives out all fear in our life. Jesus teaches us to be worry free. Why worry? No need. God’s got our back. It is all a part of His plan, even the suffering and pain.
He is tickled pink to delight us. He is in a good mood and not upset with us. Like a loving Father, God disciplines us so we can’t just skate by doing everything we want. Our goal, God’s goal for us, is holiness and sanctification.
Yes, there is always good news with God.
Jerusalem will be told: “Don’t be afraid. Dear Zion, don’t despair. Your God is present among you, a strong warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, he’ll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs.” | Zephaniah 3:16-17
May I be open to the good news and see that God is with me, powerful and delighted with me.