Posted by: pastorapbell | January 19, 2011

as Jesus sign the will; it is finished!

When Jesus died on the cross several significant things happened.

  1. The religious leaders thought that had gotten rid of their problems and consequently keep their Roman occupiers at bay. Sedition among them meant that the Roman army would continue to exact their tough regime amongst the Jewish people.   
  2. Many Old Testament prophecies were being fulfilled at that moment, namely; casting lots for Jesus’ seamless garment. They cast lots rather than rip it to shreds because it was an expensive seamless piece of clothing which would have taken about three months to weave. So they gambled for it (Psalm 22:18). They did not break his legs, since he was already dead when they inspected him (Psalm 34:20). They pierced his side with a spear (Zachariah 12:10, Isaiah 53:5) to see if he was really dead.
  3. The death of Jesus was the turning point in the history of humanity. That single event brought the reality of our mortality and the possibility of our eternity into sharp focus. Jesus died physically, but spiritually he was very much alive. And like any disease, death died with Jesus in his body but could not rise with him because it was dead (1Cor 15:55). So the sting of death has been overcome and the gift of life given to all those who believe on the name of Jesus. The name which is above every other name!

The Jews thought they had solved a problem, the Romans though they had appeased the Jews but we know that God’s plan was executed with precision and accuracy so that all those who were dead in their trespasses and sins can have the opportunity to live and do so eternally. The plan has been executed now read and embrace what that means for you. Read John 19:16-37.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Restoration | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | January 18, 2011

as we witness the symbolic slaughtering of the Lamb, to institute the plan!

Jesus is standing before Pilot; it is early in the morning. Jesus was kept awake all night being spat on, slapped and insulted by the temple police and the spiritually blind religious leaders.  When they hand Jesus over to Pilot, they stand outside his quarters so that they would be able to eat the Passover later on when the sun went down (John 18:28). Little did they know that the son would go down earlier than usual, about 3pm that afternoon, and would not rise until three days had passed!

Pilot asked Jesus what turns out to be questions that brought conviction to his spirit.

Pilot: “So you are The King of The Jews?”

Jesus: “Do you ask on your own or did someone tell you about me?”

Pilot: “I am not a Jew am I, it is your own people who’ve handed you over to me as a criminal so what have you done?”

Jesus: “My kingdom is no of this world, if it was my followers would be fighting to keep me from being arrested.”

Pilot: “so you are a king?”

Jesus: “If you say so, but it is for this reason I was born, this is why I came into the world, to testify to the truth, and everyone who belongs to the truth, listens to my voice [including you, implied].”

Pilot: “what is truth?”

Jesus had said earlier to his followers, you will know the truth and the truth will make you free (John 8:32).

Being face to face with Jesus sent shivers down Pilot’s back. He did everything he could to avoid putting Jesus to death. He had him tortured, ridiculed, stripped naked and totally humiliated by the soldiers. And he knew what he was doing, killing an innocent man was wrong! But it was Passover and the Lamb of God had to be slaughtered to fulfil the plan of eternal redemption.

Today, what questions do you want to ask Jesus? And what answers do you think he would give? Can we say like John, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, mine included!” (John 1:29).

Leave a Comment

Posted in Restoration | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | January 17, 2011

as we die to self and allow the Spirit to germinate in us

Jesus said this: ‘unless a grain of wheat fall into the ground and dies it remain a single seed, but if it dies it produces many seeds (John 12:24).’ As Jesus stood before Pilot (John 19:28-40) he knew that the time had come for everything he had preached about to be fulfilled. This was the culmination and the fulfilment of the plan of God. Jesus would die to self and for others so that we all could have access to eternity. Today, allow those things that separate you from the love of God to die. Things like bad habits which we say is ‘how I am’ or ‘how God made me’, take a stand; habits only become habits when we feed them.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Spiritual Development | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | January 16, 2011

as we re-align ourselves with the greater plan

Peter was introduced to Jesus by his younger brother Andrew. He was so passionate about finding the Messiah that he put his business on hold and spent three and a half years learning from the master. At the most pivotal point in Jesus’ ministry Peter felt lost and isolated. Jesus was arrested and would be sentenced to death and Peter’s whole world which was now constructed around the ‘New Messiah’ and the rebuilding of Jerusalem with a righteous king like David, was in ruins. So what does Peter do? He reverts to ‘his plan’. He denies that he ever knew Jesus three times (John 18: 17, 25 & 27).  And Mark records that he began to swear and curse when asked if he was a follower of Jesus (Mark 14:71). 

In times when trials and grief press us, it is easy to look to other sources for comfort and deny that we know the king of the universe, the one who produced the original plan for our lives. But although we sometimes ‘mess up’ remember that our God is a God of forgiveness and restoration. In the end Peter was forgiven by Jesus although he went back to resurrect his lucrative fishing business (John 21:15-19) and sent to do the greater works the Jesus taught his about in the early days. Peter became the linchpin among the people that turned Jerusalem upside-down and was instrumental in establishing the kingdom of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. How does this affect us? We sometimes shelf the plan the God designed for us and deny him. But today, allow him to restore you so that he can use you, warts and all, because it is in the plan!

Leave a Comment

Posted in Restoration | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | January 15, 2011

as we apply another principle of the plan; consult the architect!

Jesus allowed his opponents to arrest him so that he could fulfil the plans and purposes of God. The same officers who were driven back by the power that came from Jesus, were now able to bind, spit on him, ridicule him and take him to judgement (John 18:12-14). They were told that it would be better if one person died for the people than for all the people to suffer (v.14). Jesus knew that was his mandate and irrespective of how it came about it had to be so.

There are events in our lives that must happen in a particular way. There are some things that we just cannot circumvent and there are others that we can prevent from happening. Today, ask the lord to reveal to you the things that he allows to happen and the things that you allow because of lack of consultation with him!

Leave a Comment

Posted in Spiritual Development | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | January 14, 2011

as we stay under the cloud, it’s in the plan!

the 'glory'

The glory is the aura that emanates from those who are in Christ (en ‘Christo’) and are therefore protected by his shed blood. Because many followers of Jesus never realise the power they have they leave metaphorical ‘doors and windows’ open for the enemy to steal their glory and wreak havoc in their lives. This power of the presence of God is revealed in John 18:6 when the temple guards and soldiers came to arrest Jesus. The minute he opened his mouth and responded to their question they fell to the ground and were rendered completely powerless. It was Jesus who offered up himself to them rather than them arresting him.  The glory of God was so strong that his accusers were not able to come against it. For us as his followers this is what we must realise. We are in a war and so long as we are in Christ, we are protected by his glory. When we do our own thing, go our own ways and use our own mouths on God’s people, we remove ourselves from the protection of His glory. The analogy in the Old Testament is that of the children of Israel wandering in the desert and having a large cloud over them by day and a pillar of fire by night. This was the glory covering them. Today, stay under the protection of his glory! And if perchance you move away, please come back quickly and repent in prayer.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Spiritual Development | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | January 13, 2011

as we learn another basic ingredient of the plan

the glory is here

It was and still is Jesus’ desire that all those you dare to follow him into His Kingdom, into a different way of doing things, would see and share in his glory. He says this plainly in John 17:24; “Father, I desire that those also whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.”  For us to be with Jesus we must be led to him by his Spirit. He said that no one can come to him unless they are drawn by the father (John 6:44). And no one can come to the father unless they go through him (John 14:6). He is the only way!

The idea is that by living in love and making decision to do things ethically, openly and above board, we automatically attract the glory of God in Christ Jesus. The glory is a presence that stays with the individual irrespective of where they are or who they’re with. It is the glory that causes people to comment on how radiant you look! Or how well you are keeping for your chronological age! Or have you heard people say, ‘there is something different about you!

It is all because of the glory, which is the manifest presence of the triune God inside, outside and among us.

Today, let us fulfil Jesus’ desire and attract his glory so that we can shine like stars in this dark world of ours! Meditate of John 17:24 and read 18:1-11.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Spiritual Development | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | January 12, 2011

as we clean up our act!

Jesus praying for you

Jesus prayed that his followers will be sanctified by the truth as they are sent into the world (John 17:17). It is the truth that sets us free, not our eloquence nor our academic prowess. It is the truth of the gospel that is revealed to us who walk by faith and not by sight. The gospel is good news to all those who develop a spiritual ear to hear. To build up your most holy faith we are called to drop off all the bad habits and vices that we acquire from life experiences. We are encouraged by the apostle who reminds us with the following: “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:13-15). Today as we drop off an old habit put on a spirit of excellence in Christ and strive for unity and peace with all men. Meditate on John 17:20-26.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Love | Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | January 11, 2011

as we learn that the foundation starts with unity

love and unity

Four times in chapter 17 John tells us that Jesus prayed that his followers would become one (v.11, 21, 22 & 23) as he and the father are one. This is the corner stone and the building block for authentic lasting relationships. Jesus knew that the plan of the enemy was to engender disunity and separate the fellowship from each other using whatever tactic he could use. We see this tactic in full swing in the church at Corinth. The more eloquent the person was the more esteem they were given, 1Corinthians 1:10-17; 2:1-16. One person blatantly caused disruption by having unhealthy relations with his mother-in-law (5:1ff). And then certain people in the church were promoting one gift of the Spirit over and above the others 12:1-31, assuming that the more gifted you were the more spiritual you would be and the closer you were to God.  Gifting in not equal to integrity!

In Jesus’ prayer in john 17 he did not say that we will be one, which is an imperative. He prayed that we may be one, that is, we could be together or we could be apart. But the cry from his heart was that we operate in unity, not in uniformity but in unity. Paul picks this up in 1cor 13 when he tell the church of Corinth that there is a more excellent way. This was built on the building block of love, not gifting, or spiritedness, but love. So let us put Jesus’ prayer into action and say like the apostle Paul: love is patient, love is kind, love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never ends. so build your Christian life on love which always promotes unity.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Love | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | January 10, 2011

as we dig a bit deeper to lay the foundations

In john 17 after Jesus told his followers that ‘he had conquered the world’(16:33b) he said this: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.  And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”  

The only way to know the only wise God and his plan for your life is to read the will that he wrote specifically for you. However, having written the will it still needed to be executed. No one can benefit from a will unless the testator, the person who proposed the will, dies. It is only when death occurs that the benefactors can get what was bequeathed to them in the will.  Today recognise that the plans for our inheritance is in the last will and testament written by men with help of the Spirit and signed in the blood of Jesus the anointed on that pivotal day in spring just under 2000 years ago. The plan is still valid, the testator has died, and in dying he conquered and removed the sting of death so that all those who are in him can die but still live and live and never die!

Now let us build on this foundation and from there grow into the person God wanted us to be!

So let all of us read the will, it’s been executed!

Leave a Comment

Posted in Restoration | Tags: , , , ,

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Categories