Tag: Father John

Who, being in the form of God, . . . was made in the likeness of men: and . . . humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Phil. 2:6-8.

In order to fully realize the value of salvation, it is necessary to understand what it cost. In consequence of the limited ideas of the sufferings of Christ, many people place a low estimate upon the great work of the atonement. The glorious plan of man’s salvation was brought about through the infinite love of God the Father. In this divine plan is seen the most marvelous manifestation of the love of God to the fallen race. Such love as is manifested in the gift of God’s beloved Son amazed the holy angels. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

*** Have you every took time to just think about what God did at creation,
1. How he created this world from nothing.
2. How he created the light and set it apart from the darkness
3. How he created Life, “plants, Trees, Fish of the Seas, & Beats of the Earth
4. Then how he created his crowning work, “ Man ”

God the Father had a Divine Plan in mind for this planet, it was to be filled with his new creation, Mankind was different from all others.

Man was to be created in the image of his Creator. No wonder satin wanted more then anything to cause the fall of this planet. He knew that nothing would hurt God more then to see the crowning work of his hand, those created in his image fall to his deceptions and lies

The Savior was the brightness of His Father’s glory and the express image of His person. He possessed divine majesty, perfection, and excellence. He was equal with God. “It pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell”

Christ consented to die in the sinner’s stead, that man, by a life of obedience, might escape the penalty of the law of God.

Jesus was the majesty of heaven, the beloved commander of the angels, who delighted to do His pleasure. He was one with God, “in the bosom of the Father” (John 1:18), yet He thought it not a thing to be desired to be equal with God while man was lost in sin and misery.

He stepped down from His throne, He left His crown and royal scepter, and clothed His divinity with humanity. He humbled Himself even to the death of the cross, that man might be exalted to a seat with Him upon His throne. In Him we have a complete offering, an infinite sacrifice, a mighty Saviour, who is able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by Him. In love He comes to reveal the Father, to reconcile man to God, to make him a new creature renewed after the image of Him who created him.

Our heavenly Father made an infinite sacrifice in giving His Son to die for fallen man. The price paid for our redemption should give us exalted views of what we may become through Christ.

*** Have you ever considered what it took to keep Jesus on the Cross, this is Gods son he could have called ten legions of Angels to his side, But he didn’t. What kept him there?

1. The Roman Centurions didn’t keep him there!
2. It was not the priests who keep him there
3. It was not the Scribes and Pharisees that keep Jesus on the Cross

It was his love for Mankind that kept him there; The Divine Plan could only be paid by a Divine Saviour. Jesus laid a foundation that would never be moved. Greater Love has no man than this that he lay down his life for his Friend.

STORY: There was an old man that had no friends

Old dirty man who live down the street, no one like him WHY
Kids would through rock are cans at him, adult would curse at him. WHY

When you pass a person on the street in rag, pushing an old shopping cart with all there earthly procession what do you think of them.

If some one come up to you and ask for a hand out, what do you do, are say. What do you think?

Look at Matthew 9: 10-11
10: And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
11: And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?

Look at what Jesus had to say about it Mark 2: 17
17: When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Jesus came to save people like you and me

Luke 18: 10-13
10: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11: The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12: I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13: And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

Look at the answer that Jesus gave in verse 14
14: I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

What as Christian are we to do when someone is in need of help?

If someone in the Church is sick, don’t we all want to pray for them, what if they need work done around their house, or their grass cut in their yard. Now you are asking for my time too oh man I am just too busy.

What if they need money instead, Don’t you just hate when it hits you in the pocket book

Now, what if the person is not a member of your church, does that make a different !!!

Did not Jesus call us all his Children?

Now what if that person you prayed for, gave your time too, and even gave your money too. What if when he got better came up to you and spit in your face.

*** Is not that what we have all done to Jesus

Did not he pray for us, did he not give his time to us, and he gave more then money, He gave his Life.

And we all like Roman Solders spat in his face and nail him to a tree.

Look at Matthew: 5: 39-45
39: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40: And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
41: And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42: Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43: Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44: But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45: That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

The Bible tell us how to deal with people, People at work, People in the world, People at home, and People in the Church.

By using the key he gave us (Love) we can deal with all types of people.

To be able help other we must first learn to LOVE unconditional
Not because they are our family
Not because they are the same color we are
Not because they go to the same church as we do
Not because they dress the same
Not because they talk the same

But because God Love them

Unconditional love is Christ likeness or Agape love

And we as Christ Ambassador mush learn to love

One day Peter and John were walking into the temple and a man at the gate asks for money. They said unto him silver and gold have I none, but such as I have I give unto you, That in the name of Jesus I command you to get up and walk Act: 3:6

But such as I have I give unto you

God has giving to each of us the mean to help other, to show them the way to tell them of how God so love the world that he gave his only son, so that the world would not be condemn but have everlasting life in Jesus Christ its Savior.

STORY OF PETER:

Peter began: “I now see how true it is that God has no favourites, but that in every nation the man who is godfearing and does what is right is acceptable to him.” Acts 10:34, 35,

Peter . . . was called by God to take the gospel to Cornelius. . . .
As yet none of the disciples had preached the gospel to the Gentiles. In their minds the middle wall of partition, broken down by the death of Christ, still existed, and their labors had been confined to the Jews, for they had looked upon the Gentiles as excluded from the blessings of the gospel. Now the Lord was seeking to teach Peter the world-wide extent of the divine plan. . . .

How carefully the Lord worked to overcome the prejudice against the Gentiles that had been so firmly fixed in Peter’s mind by his Jewish training! By the vision of the sheet and its contents He sought to divest the apostle’s mind of this prejudice and to teach the important truth that in heaven there is no respect of persons; that Jew and Gentile are alike precious in God’s sight; that through Christ the heathen may be made partakers of the blessings and privileges of the gospel. . .

It was with reluctance at every step that he [Peter] undertook the duty laid upon him but he dared not disobey. . . . As Peter pointed those present Cornelius and his kinsmen and friends] to Jesus as the sinner’s only hope, he himself understood more fully the meaning of the vision he had seen, and his heart glowed with the spirit of the truth that he was presenting. . .

When the brethren in Judea heard that Peter had gone to the house of a Gentile and preached to those assembled, they were surprised and offended. They feared that such a course, which looked to them presumptuous, would have the effect of counteracting his own teaching. . .

Peter laid the whole matter before them. . . . Convinced that Peter’s course was in direct fulfillment of the plan of God, and that their prejudices and exclusiveness were utterly contrary to the spirit of the gospel, they glorified God, saying, “Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”

Many of the Gentiles had been interested listeners to the preaching of Peter and the other apostles, and many of the Greek Jews had become believers in Christ, but the conversion of Cornelius was to be the first of importance among the Gentiles.

The time had come for an entirely new phase of work to be entered upon by the church of Christ. The door that many of the Jewish converts had closed against the Gentiles was now to be thrown open. And the Gentiles who accepted the gospel were to be regarded as on an equality with the Jewish disciples, without the necessity of observing the rite of circumcision.

Christ unconditional love embraces the whole world

Forgiveness is free, but it is not cheap. It cost the life of God dear son.

The is the Divine Plan

STORY:

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the school’s students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.

After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question. “Everything God does is done with perfection. Yet, my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is God’s plan reflected in my son?”

The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. “I believe,” the father answered, “that when God brings a child like Shay into the world, an opportunity to realize the Divine Plan presents itself. And it comes in the way people treat that child.”
Then, he told the following story:

Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, “Do you think they will let me play?” Shay’s father knew that most boys would not want him on their team. But the father understood that if his son were allowed to play it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging.

Shay’s father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his teammates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said, “We are losing by six runs, and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning.”

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. At the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the outfield. Although no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again.
Now, with two outs and bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base. Shay was scheduled to be the next at-bat. Would the team actually let Shay bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that it was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least be able to make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have ended the game.

Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman. Everyone started yelling, “Shay, run to first. Run to first.” Never in his life had Shay ever made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled “Run to second, run to second!” By the time Shay was rounding first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman for a tag. But the right fielder understood what the pitcher’s intentions had been, so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman’s head.

Shay ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home. As Shay reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, “Run to third!”

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams were screaming, “Shay! Run home!”
Shay ran home, stepped on home plate and was cheered as the hero, for hitting a “grand slam” and winning the game for his team.

“That day,” said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, “the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of the Divine Plan into this world.”

May the God of our fathers bless you as you share with other His divine plane

Jn:14:23: Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Elder Tim McNab
Restoring Gods Truth

+1