Will The Real Jesus Stand Up?

Do you remember back in the 50's or 60's the old television show , "What's My Line?" There would be 3 contestants pretending to be the "unknown"person who had a particular job description or something very unique distinguishing thing about him. All four were trying to convince the panel of experts they were the real "person." At the end the emcee would say, "Would the real (?) please stand up." After different ones would start to stand finally the real person would stand. Sometimes they fooled the entire panel. Are we fooled by those trying to masquerade as the real Savior, "Jesus?" We can learn to know Him where we can't be fooled.

I have a plaque on my bedside table that I read part or all of it very often. I would like to share it with you. This is the real Jesus!

ONE SOLITARY LIFE

Here is a young man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a house. He never had a family. He never went to a college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself.

While He was still a young man, the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth, and that was His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Nineteen centuries wide have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race and the leader of the column of progress.

I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever sailed, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as has that
ONE SOLITARY LIFE (Anon.)

Many charlatans have tried to emulate the "One and Only, Jesus," and as all frauds, they have come and gone. Even today there are many self-proclaimed messiahs who are coming as "angels of light" to gather one and all who will become their disciples and followers. Many bow at their feet and blindly follow and commit their all to those who will only lead them, like "thinkless" sheep, to their destruction.

The only way to get to know anyone is to spend much time with them, interacting with them, testing their genuineness and integrity. The only way to know the true Messiah, Jesus, is to be intimately acquainted with Him, to sit at His feet and learn of Him as He opens His Word to us and talks with us, revealing all He is as He proves Himself faithful in all His promises and in every situation.

If I were asked to identify a genuine dollar bill from a counterfeit, the only way I could possibly do that would be to spend much time devoted to much concentrated study of every detail of the real bill, feeling of it, measuring it, using a magnifying glass to follow the ink lines and hidden images and deeply studying the pictures and words on the bill. Only after completely familiarizing myself with the dollar bill could I correctly and without hesitation distinguish the genuine from the counterfeit. It is in the same way we can discern the true from the false Jesus.

Jesus' disciples had many opportunities over the three years they were with Him to learn of Him as He taught them, as they watched His actions and reactions to all kinds of situations. In the story in Luke 8 when Jesus was asleep in the boat with His disciples, and the storm was raging, they woke Him in terror of perishing. In amazement they watched Him still the storm. "And He said to them, (Why are you so fearful? Where is your trust and confidence in Me - in my veracity, my integrity? And they were seized with reverent dread, and they marveled, saying to one another, (Who then is this, that He commands even wind and sea, and they obey Him?) (v.25, Amp.)" Even after all Jesus' teachings and miracles His own disciples were still asking, "Who is this man?"

Even after John the Baptist had proclaimed in John 1:29, "Look, there is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!" Then in Luke 7, when John was in prison he sent word to Jesus to ask,"Are you the One who is to come or should we look for another?" Even those who were closest to Jesus and walked and talked with Him had doubts, even until Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to dwell within them. The Holy Spirit's presence brought faith, courage, hope, joy, peace and all they needed to be overcomers over fear, doubt, discouragement and all we face in this world. It was only after being filled with the Spirit that they truly came to know Jesus. The Holy Spirit became their teacher, guide, comforter, all the time showing them who they were in Christ - joint heirs with Jesus, children of God, overcomers over sin and the devil and best of all, Life everlasting and a home in Heaven. He led them into all Truth.

We as Christians may be tempted at times to doubt God's love and forgiveness, His faithfulness to come through for us, that He is a gracious and merciful Father and etc. Remember the first temptation was when Satan tempted Eve to doubt God and His Word (Gen.3:1-7). Satan was just trying to do what he came to do, "steal, kill and destroy" (Jn.10:10) God's creation, mankind. But we have to learn of Jesus, when He said"I came to give you life and more abundant life." Who is this Jesus that when He comes to live within us and control us He takes away the old and makes all things new? His name is Jesus!

In the days to come I want to look at all the facets of this beautiful jewel, the Pearl of Great Price, Jesus. It is exciting to get to know Him and to realize He wants to reveal Himself to us in all of His WONDER!



Mary Jones

Watch and Wait

Christ is coming soon, maybe today! All the signs point to His imminent return. Like we say at Christmas time, “Christmas is in the air,” I say, “Jesus’ soon return is in the air.” The day has been set in the heavenlies with the Father God and now that Jesus is back at the Father’s right hand I am sure He is in on the exact day and time. After Christ comes back to catch- up those who are His there will be no more time only blissful eternity with Him. The Lord will not delay His promise, according to some people’s conception of slowness, but He is patient toward all because He doesn’t desire that any should perish but that all should turn from sin and embrace Him as Savior and the only way to the Father (II Pet.3:9). So in His perfect timing “the day of the Lord will come like a thief” (II Pet.3:10). Just as we do not expect a thief to rob us, we none-the-less prepare for the possibility of being plundered by locking our doors, putting our money in the bank and our valuables in a safe place. But we are still shocked and surprised when it happens.

In like manner, most will not be expecting Jesus or watching for Him to soon return (II Pet.3:10). We must prepare ourselves for the second coming of Jesus Christ by “repenting.” To repent means “to change your mind.” Each of us must see that we are a sinful person and cannot live or even fellowship with this holy, one and only, eternal God. We must see ourselves as sinners (and not just a good person) in need of a Savior and “turn” from our sinful life to Christ and let Him cleanse us from sin to make us acceptable to the Father. We cannot become a child of God by working on our bad habits, doing good works, joining a church or doing anything of ourselves. It is only by trusting in Jesus as the one and only Savior to forgive us of all our sins, past, present and future and make a determined decision to follow Him (Eph.2:8,9). By that simple decision we become a “child of God” and He will do all the changing, remaking and restoring that is needed in our hearts and lives. This is what Jesus called being “born again and becoming a new creation” (Jn.3:3). Old things pass away and all things become new (II Cor.5:17), all of this because God loved us enough to send Jesus, His Son, to die for our sins so we could live with a Holy Father eternally. This is our hope for being among those caught-up by Him.

Only the Father knows when all who will come to Him has come and that is the day the Lord will return for His own. Are you ready? Have you trusted in Him as your Savior? Are you watching and waiting for Him? We should wake every day with the anticipation that this may be the day and live each day as if it might be “The Day of the Coming of the Lord!” Please read, II Pet.3:1-15.

I hope to see you in the air, if we are still alive at His coming, or in heaven if He chooses to take us home before.

Mary Jones

SOFT HEART = CALLOUSED HANDS

Of all the characters in the Bible, to me, Joseph is the one who most portrays the attributes of Jesus in all his persecution, being wrongly accused, betrayed and deserted by his family and overcoming great temptation yet being an overcomer in everything. God rewarded Joseph’s great integrity, loyalty and faithfulness to His God Who was and did exceedingly beyond all Joseph could ask or imagine (Eph.3:20). He was exalted from the prison to the palace, from the sheep fold to being “vice-president” in a foreign land and from a nobody to a hero in Egypt, to surrounding nations and, in fulfillment of a dream, to his own family. Please read Genesis 37-50. It will blow your mind! It is full of dreams come true, cruelty, betrayal, great persecution, temptation, adventure, intrigue and everything an exciting story could be. See for yourself how God used a young boy (probably about 17) who was willing to serve others, even his enemies. Therefore, God exalted him to be a ruler in a foreign land. We are told in I Pet.5:6 that “if we humble ourselves before God, He will exalt us.”

Our aspirations should be to have a servant’s heart like Jesus’ not aspiring to be a leader and be served. He told us in Matt.20:26&27 that He came to serve, not be served and we should follow His example. If we wish to be great we must first have a servant’s heart and serve others. God doesn’t call us to be leaders but to be servants. If we don’t have the attitude of a servant God will never exalt us to greatness in His kingdom. If we exalt ourselves to greatness He will bring us down – this is called “pride” (Prov.16:18-19). On the other hand, if we have a humble attitude God will exalt us in His time (Matt.23:12).

Back to Joseph – To have such a servant’s heart from his youth Joseph must have been taught from an early age that a real man is a servant to others. And he also must have realized that Jehovah God was sovereign and in control of everything in his life and in the world. He had an awesome reverence for God and knew his own insignificance comparatively. He must have known in his heart that God had a plan for and would reveal it in His time (Jer.29:11).

We are never too young or old to learn these principals. If we love the Lord, our God, with all our heart (innermost being), soul (mind, will & emotions) and mind (intellect) (Deut.6:5) and our neighbor (all others) as much as ourselves (Matt.22:37&38) we will, by virtue of God’s work in our hearts, have a humble servant’s heart.

Not everyone has a “gift” of service but everyone should have a servant’s heart. When you are serving in love, especially the downtrodden, you are serving Jesus (Matt.25:40). The greatest pitfall in serving is a wrong attitude, even in our giving of any kind of service – money, time, energy, love, etc.:
1) not to be seen of men (Matt.6:2,5,16),
2) not to receive back (Luke 6:30-31,
3)out of plenty, not sacrificially (Mk.12:41-44),
4) grudgingly (IICor.9:6&7).

“Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart” (ISam.16:7). Remember God sees and judges our motives (Heb.4:12). So whatever we do in thought, word or deed, do all to the glory of God with a pure heart (IPet.1:22), (ICor.10:31). Giving of ourself is serving. Do we have a servant’s heart?


Give Of Your Best To The Master
Charlotte Barnard

Give of your best to the Master; Give of the strength of your youth
Throw your soul’s fresh, glowing ardor into the battle for truth.
Jesus has set the example; Dauntless was He, young and brave;
Give Him your loyal devotion, Give Him the best that you have

Give of your best to the Master; Give Him first place in your heart;
Give Him first place in your service, Consecrate every part.
Give, and to you shall be given; God His beloved Son gave;
Gratefully seeking to serve Him, Give Him the best that you have.

Give of your best to the Master; Naught else is worthy His love;
He gave Himself for your ransom, Gave up His glory above;
Laid down His life without murmur, You from sin’s ruin to save;
Give Him your heart’s adoration, Give Him the best that you have.


Mary Jones

How Can I Say Thanks Enough?

It is only August but I think to remind ourselves to be thankful is always “in season.” We tend to get so caught up in and focused on all the life situations the enemy throws at us that we forget to be thankful to the LORD for all He has done in the past, for all He is doing today to work out good in our problems, and for the hope to know that He will never forsake us in the circumstances of the future (Heb.13:5b). We can thank Him for His precious promises and praise Him that He is the faithful, covenant keeping God, (Elohim); and that He is the sovereign God, “the strongest strong One,” “ The God Most High” (El Elyon), Who has everything under control.
I remember as a child we would gather around the big console radio to listen to Superman and then into teenage years we would watch him on television. The announcer would come on with those thrilling words, “More powerful than a locomotive; Faster than a speeding bullet; Could leap tall buildings with a single bound!” To a child’s mind Superman was the greatest! As I heard and saw the wondrous feats this man from another planet could do I loved the thrill it brought just to hear and see him rescue the downtrodden and catch the crooks singlehanded. Yet, all the while I knew he was just a fictitious character who was good for an imaginary hero but when the radio or television was turned off he was gone until the next time.

But unlike Superman we have a real, living, Almighty hero Who doesn’t come and go with a storyline but He is always there (Jehovah-Shammah)! Nor Whose power vascilates
but He is ALL-MIGHTY (El Shaddai)! Nor is He unloving but He is Love and wants a personal relationship with us.

He is Jehovah, the self-existent One Who reveals Himself to us. He is Jehovah-Rohi, our “Shepherd” (Ps.23) – When we are going through troubled waters that would seem to overflow us, “He leads us beside the still waters.” “And He makes us to lie down in green pastures” where He reveals Himself as Jehovah-Shalom – the GOD of PEACE! In this peaceful place “He restores our soul (mind, will and emotion). Our Shepherd “leads us into the right paths,” not because we earned or deserved it but “for His Name’s sake.” You see, His name is Jehovah-Tsidkenu – “He is all righteous.” And because His name is “Righteous” He cannot deny Himself. Neither could or would He ever lead us into anything but “right” paths. Then when we walk through the dark, sunless valley of the shadow of death we don’t have to fear evil from the evil one for our Shepherd, Jehovah- Rohi, is with us using His “rod” to protect us and His “staff “ to guide us when we may get off the path in the darkness, He will pull us back in onto the “right” path. We will never experience real spiritual death if Jesus is our Shepherd. Our Shepherd prepares a table of good things for us while surrounded by our enemies. The table is heaped and our cups are filled with abundance - goodness, mercy and unfailing love from the Shepherd. These good things will go with us all the days of our life. Then at the end we will live with our Shepherd in His house!

THANK YOU, KIND SHEPHERD Who is our Provider (Jehovah-Jireh) (Phil.4:19), Who is our: “Friend Who sticks closer than a brother” (Prov.18:24), Guide Who will lead us into all Truth (Jn.16:13), Deliverer Who will rescue us from the traps of the enemy (Ps.91:3), Who loves us with an everlasting love (Jer.31:3), Who gives us unspeakable joy (I Pet.1:8), Who gives us incomprehensible peace that passes understanding in the midst of the storms of life(Phil.4:7).
We could go from now to eternity thanking our Father God for all the gifts He has given us and praising Him for all He is so how could we ever grumble about any infirmity, calamity or hardship. Those all will come in life, some time or another, but we must remember God is the sovereign God Who is in control of every happening, great or small, good or bad. He takes the least and makes it the most, “Little is Much When God Is In It.” (Matt.23:12). He can take what may seem calamitous to us and make it into good for us if we will fit into His purposes (Rom.8:28).

THANK YOU! THANKYOU! THANKYOU! FOR BEING OUR SAVIOR AND GOD!

Mary Jones

I Love Light

I Love Light

I remember as a very small child being put in a dark room by myself to go to sleep. I still remember the feelings of fear of the darkness. I have had a few phobias in my life but none as paralyzing as the fear of darkness. It was only when as an adult, married women I surrendered all my fears to the Lord that He gave me such a knowing “that He is my keeper and refuge.” He has made me know that He is my Sovereign Father Who will not let anything touch me without His permission. No power of darkness can overtake me as long as I keep my hand in His.

A few years ago while on vacation we went to Blanchard Springs Cave in Arkansas. We had to take an elevator down into the depths of the cave. It was very well lit and the stalactites, stalagmites and rock formations were quite beautiful. At one point in the tour they told us they wanted us to experience complete darkness, so we all held our family member’s hands. We were also told not to move around because we could become disoriented very easily. When the lights were turned off the darkness seemed to overwhelm us to the point of being tangible. Spelunkers say being deep in a cave is the most complete experience of darkness we can have on planet earth. There deep in the cave there is no, not any light.

This is what spiritual darkness is like. In John 4:4 Jesus talks about how “the god of this world has blinded the unbeliever’s mind, preventing them from seeing the illuminating light (Truth) of the gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the Image and Likeness of God” (Amp.).

To me, to lose my sight would be the worst loss of all my senses. The thought of constantly being in total darkness, after having enjoyed the light, is a horrible thought to me. Jesus spoke in Matthew 6:22 & 23 of how we walk in the light (understanding) of the Truth our life will be filled with more light, but if we do not walk in the Truth we have received the light in us (our conscience) is darkened and great is that darkness! Jesus also tells us in John 11:9 that if we walk in the light we won’t stumble and fall.

Only believers have the true Light (understanding of the Truth). In John 8:12 Jesus said He was the Light of the world and whoever follows the Light will never walk in darkness but will have the Light which is Life. Romans 1:18-25 shows us how if we all are given understanding about Who God is but if we do not walk and grow in that understanding we “become futile and godless in our thinking and our senseless minds are darkened. Claiming to become wise we become fools. We exchange the glory and majesty of the immortal God for images of our own making.

Therefore God will abandon us to the degrading power of sin because we exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever!”

My Prayer:

Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, Who is the “Day Star” (II Pet.1:19) that has risen in our hearts. This same Jesus is the “Bright Morning Star” (Rev.22:16). He is the Word (Jn.1:1) that is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path (Ps.119:105). Thank You that once I walked in darkness but have seen a “Great Light” – Jesus the “Light of the World.” I love that Light!

Mary Jones

Wash Me, Daddy

Monday, August 4, 2008 “If we freely admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son will continuously cleanse us from all sin.” (I John 1:7b, 9) Do you remember as a child when you came in from playing, usually in the dirt, your Mom or Dad would send you to wash before coming to the table or touching anything. They expected us to wash thoroughly, even to our elbows if necessary. After doing a "Beaver Cleaver" wash (fingertips and wiping the rest on the towel), more often than not we would return half washed only to be sent back "to do a thorough job." In the spiritual realm our Abba Father (Daddy) invites us to His banqueting table for spiritual food and fellowship - but we must come with clean hands and a pure heart (Ps.24:4; II Cor.7:1). He sends us to the laver (Ex.30:18) (Jesus Christ) to be cleansed from all sin (Ps.51:7). With His own blood He has purged us from our sin (I Jn.1:9) and now sits at the right hand of the Father (Heb.1:3b). In the industrial environment there is testing for “safe” levels of toxins where not all the impurities are removed, just enough not to be harmful. But spiritually even one sin separates us from God. But when we come to Jesus He cleanses us from all sin and impurities (I Jn.1:9) and because we are in Christ we sit with Him at the right hand of Abba Father (Acts 2:34). The only “safe” way to live is to live confessed and cleansed from all sins. In one of Martin Luther’s writings he tells that he once dreamed that Satan came to him and told him he could never hope to get to heaven because he was such a sinner. Luther asked his accuser, “Do you have a list of my sins?” “Yes,” said Satan, and he brought him a long list of Luther’s failures, which Luther remembered. Twice Luther asked if there were any more, and both times Satan brought him a still remembered list. Again, Luther asked if there were any more. “That is all,” Satan said. Luther cried, “Then write now across them all, ‘the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin.’” In the light of the Truth of God’s Word with which Luther defended his faith, Satan had to leave (James.4:7)!! Have your sins been washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ? Search me, O God, and know my heart today; Try me, O Savior, know my thought, I pray. See if there be some wicked way in me; Cleanse me from ev'ry sin and set me free. Edwin Orr (based on Ps.139:23)