Tag Archives: Jesus Christ

The Beautiful Command Of Christ

Listen to the Master’s Voice. Do as He says. Love one another. Jesus commanded us:

John 13:34-35 (KJV) A NEW COMMANDMENT I GIVE UNTO YOU, That YE LOVE ONE ANOTHER; AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, that ye also love one another. {35} By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

As children of the King, we are to love sacrificially as He loved. We do not love the world nor the things that are in the world (1 John 2:15). But we do love our neighbors, and want the best for them.

We LEARN of Christ by studying His Word. We LIVE Christ. We walk where the Master directs. We are yoked to Him. We do as Jesus did. We hear His Words, then we put His Words in action. We DO what His yoke directs us
to do. We do not walk and live blindly like the
heathen, following the whim of the flesh, but we walk in the Word of our Master. We put on His yoke, and walk differently than the heathen. We walk as God’s own children, for we are God’s own children, born again by faith in Christ Jesus. Continue reading

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The Mysteries Of The Kingdom Of God

(Matthew 25:13-19 KJV) Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. [14] For [the kingdom of heaven is] as a man traveling into a far country, [who] called his own servants, and delivered unto them His goods. [15] And unto one He gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to His several ability; and straightway took His journey. [16] Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made [them] other five talents. [17] And likewise he that [had received] two, he also gained other two. [18] But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his Lord’s money. [19] After a long time the Lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

Why Did Jesus Speak In Parables?

One of the marks of Jesus’ teaching was that He taught by parable. The disciples asked Jesus “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”. That’s a great question. Jesus gave His disciples a very clear answer. He said:

(Matthew 13:11-13 NKJV) Because IT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO YOU TO KNOW THE MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, but TO THEM IT HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN. [12] For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. [13] Therefore I SPEAK TO THEM IN PARABLES, because SEEING THEY DO NOT SEE, and HEARING THEY DO NOT HEAR, NOR DO THEY UNDERSTAND.

The difference between the Christ follower and the casual follower is that BOTH heard Jesus’ parables. But the lost person never hung around and asked Jesus what He meant. … Continue reading

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Being Little Children In Eternity

Matthew 18:1-6 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

How Can I Be “The Greatest”?

Opening: In America, people have gone “social media” crazy. Young people go about with smart phones, dancing and acting foolish, so that their video and fame might go “viral”. Everyone wants to be famous on earth. I heard a phrase the other day where they said Jack Nicklaus (the Golden Bear) was the GOAT in golf. The man is 86 years old. When I heard that, I thought “How disrespectful to call him an old GOAT”. Then I found out that GOAT stands for GREATEST OF ALL TIME. He is – in golf. Nicklaus won 18 Major Championships, 73 PGA Tours, and was a runner up in major championships 19 times. So in golf he is the GOAT.

But what about Heaven? Will Jack be famous in Heaven? And let me ask you, Have you thought about Heaven?

In our text today the disciples came to Jesus. That very day Jesus had been to the Mount of Transfiguration. They heard the Father say, “This is My Beloved Son – HEAR HIM!” (Matthew 17:5). When Jesus came off the mountain, He cast a demon from a child (Matthew 17:18). Jesus paid a Temple Tax by having the disciples catch a fish – and find a gold coin in its mouth (Matthew 17:27). … Continue reading

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Parables On Prayer

(Luke 18:1-6 KJV) And {Jesus} spake a parable unto them [to this end], that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; [2] Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: [3] And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. [4] And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; [5] Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. [6] And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

Jesus, Though God, Made Prayer A Priority

We studied this morning about our Lord Jesus. He is not just a Man, not just a Teacher. Jesus is God Incarnate, God in the Flesh. Jesus is the manifest Word of God:

(John 1:1-3, 14 KJV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and THE WORD WAS GOD. [2] The same was in the beginning with God. [3] ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM; and WITHOUT HIM WAS NOT ANYTHING MADE THAT WAS MADE. … [14] And THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

This is a mystery to us that God can become Man. Paul wrote, “God was MANIFEST IN THE FLESH” (1 Timothy 3:16), and “In Jesus dwells ALL THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD IN BODY FORM” (1 Colossians 2:9).

God became Man – Perfect Man – to show us how God expects His creation to live. What did Jesus show us? The need to pray. Continue reading

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Why Did Jesus Come?

If you ask a follower of Islam, “What is the main reason Muhammad came?”, they will quote the Quran, saying: “to call people from idolatry to worship Allah alone” (Quran 112:1).

If you ask a follower of Hinduism, “What is the main objective of Hinduism?”, they will quote their sacred texts. “The Bhagavad Gita teaches that attaining God frees a person from repeated birth and death (8:15-16) by bringing you into union with the ultimate reality” (Brahman/god. See Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.10).

If you ask a follower of Buddhism, “What is the primary purpose of Buddhism?”, they will tell you “To attain nirvana, which liberates you from suffering, desire, ignorance, and the cycle of rebirth” (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, Dhammapada 203).

But if you ask a follower of Jesus Christ, “Why did Jesus come to this earth? What is the primary purpose of the Christian?”, many of the people you ask will answer from a standpoint of self-centeredness. When I ask, “Why are you a Christian?” many will say one of these two statements:

1. So I can go to Heaven and not hell. (Future blessing)
2. So that God can heal me and make my life better. (Temporary blessing)

It’s certain that the Christian will not go to hell. Jesus said:… Continue reading

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The Parable Of The Marriage Feast

I love the parables of Jesus! I remember when I was a little boy, my mama or my grandma telling me stories of the Bible. When I look at a parable, I’m taken back to that time in my life. Jesus used parables to explain Bible truths. He also used parables to explain the errors of His enemies. Jesus came to this earth on a mission, and His mission was to fulfill the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus came to explain that He is the Messiah, the King of Kings, and that where He is received and believed there is the Kingdom of God. Today we’ll be looking at Jesus’ Parable of the Marriage Feast. Read with me:

(Matthew 22:1-2 KJV) And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, [2] The KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son

The “Parable of the Wedding Feast” in Matthew (which we’ll study next week) was given by Jesus in Jerusalem during the final week of His life on this earth. We are told in:

Matthew 21:23 (KJV) And when {Jesus} WAS COME INTO THE TEMPLE, the CHIEF PRIESTS and the ELDERS {the Sanhedrin, Ruling Council of the Jews} of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, BY WHAT AUTHORITY DOEST THOU THESE THINGS? and who gave thee this authority?

Jesus had just cleansed the Temple (Matthew 21:12-13) casting out the money changers and the profiteers. Right after this Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and the leaders of Israel “The Parable of Two Sons” (Matthew 21:28-32) and “The Parable of the Landowner” (Matthew 21:33-44).

It’s important that you understand this, because our text tells us:… Continue reading

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The Most Important Thing In Life

(Luke 14:25-33 KJV) And there went great multitudes with Him: and He turned, and said unto them, [26] If any [man] come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. [27] And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple. [28] For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have [sufficient] to finish [it]? [29] Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish [it], all that behold [it] begin to mock him, [30] Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. [31] Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? [32] Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an {ambassador}, and desireth conditions of peace. [33] So likewise, whosoever he be of you that FORSAKETH NOT ALL THAT HE HATH, he cannot be My disciple.

What Is The Most Important Thing In Your Life?

If Jesus were a modern day preacher, He would have the greatest thing in His life. If Jesus were a Joel Osteen or a Creflo Dollar or Benny Hinn, or one of these charismatic preachers in a modern American Church, He would have all He wanted. Did you read that?

there went GREAT MULTITUDES with Him

Jesus had a huge following. He could be a MEGACHURCH Pastor. Cities are emptying out. People hear that Jesus is coming, and they pour out to be with Him. But Jesus didn’t care about the crowd. He cared about the people, cared about their souls. But for Jesus – He was more about saving souls and growing the Kingdom of God than He was about packing stadiums…. Continue reading

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His Mercy Endures Forever

The last time I was in this Psalm, it was in 2016 – and on a Wednesday night – about 10 years ago. I think it’s time we looked at this Psalm again. I was reading it the other day with a friend, and it struck me how great this Psalm is. In fact, the Jews called this “The Great Hallel Psalm”. It is written like a responsive reading. Every single one of the 26 verses ends with:

His MERCY endureth forever

Word Study: The word translated MERCY is the Hebrew ḥeseḏ (pronounced kheh’-sed). It is translated 149 times as “mercy”, but 30 times as “lovingkindness” and 40 times as “kindness”. The New American Standard translates the word as “faithfulness”, and the Legacy Standard as “lovingkindness”. One source notes that ḥeseḏ refers to faithful, enduring love rooted in commitment, not emotion. A loyal devotion expressed through proper action.

The Christian – like ancient Israel – is in a Covenant Relationship with God. God takes His covenant relationship seriously – and expects us to do the same. As we break this Psalm down, I’m going to ask you to do as Israel would have done. In Israel, the Cantor… Continue reading

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The Journey Of Faith

Turn with me in your Bibles to Luke 15:11-32. Last Wednesday we started studying Jesus’ Parable of Two Sons:

(Luke 15:11 KJV) And JESUS said, A CERTAIN MAN HAD TWO SONS

The younger son goes to his father and demands his inheritance. This son then begins to wander, gets in a bad situation because he has departed from his father, and begins to suffer and starve. I believe the younger son is a picture of a young Christian. And if I were to summarize this whole parable, I believe …

The Parable shows the faithfulness of God as well as the journey of faith that each believer must go through.

Salvation is not a “one and done”. I often hear of places in America where there are “great revivals”. In California’s 7,750 people were baptized in one day at Huntington Beach May 3, 2025. Called “The Largest Water Baptism In U.S. History”, the reporter wrote:

“The first person baptized Saturday was a 71-year-old woman, Joanne, who told organizers she had considered baptism for 40 years but kept procrastinating. “We now baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” Francey said as the woman entered the ocean. “We pray that you would rise up out of these waters with a new nature and a new life.”

In another place in California called Pirates Cove some 2100 were baptized in one day at the “Third Annual Jesus Revolution Baptism” on August 17, 2025. The article said:

“Harvest Christian Fellowship’s Senior Pastor Greg Laurie reports, “We had an incredible day yesterday at the 3rd Annual Jesus Revolution Baptism. We baptized 2,100 people in a single day! Can you believe that? Add that number to the last two years, and in just three years we’ve baptized 8,600 people!” Continue reading

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A Question Of Power

Mark 11:27-33 (KJV) And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, THERE COME TO HIM THE CHIEF PRIESTS, and THE SCRIBES, and THE ELDERS, 28 And say unto {Jesus}, BY WHAT AUTHORITY DOEST THOU THESE THINGS? And WHO GAVE THEE THIS AUTHORITY TO DO THESE THINGS? 29 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 The BAPTISM OF JOHN, was [it] from heaven, or of men? Answer me. 31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? 32 But if we shall say, Of men; THEY FEARED THE PEOPLE: for all [men] counted John, that he was a prophet indeed. 33 And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

A Rebuking Parable To A Foolish Question

When Jesus spoke a parable (Greek parabole), it was always in reaction to something someone said to Him. Parabole means to lay alongside. It taught a spiritual truth by comparing it to a physical story. In His parables, Jesus taught, but at other times rebuked or corrected. We’re going to look at a rebuking parable today.

You need to understand the background. Jesus has ridden into Jerusalem on a donkey. The people celebrate His coming in an event we call Palm Sunday. In a few days Jesus will be crucified on a cross between two thieves. Before His crucifixion Jesus will cast the moneychangers out of the Temple, something that made the scribes and chief priests angry (Mark 11:15-19). Why? Because they were making money off of selling sacrifices to pilgrims during the Feast of the Passover. The next day we see:… Continue reading

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