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The Great Commission
1/3 has not heard of Jesus
1/3 thinks Jesus is no deal for them.
1/3 are saved !
Arise, Asia!
How do we get LOST in this world?
Distractions
Addiction
Materialism
Matthew 15:12-13
Luke 4-7
Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
I Came Across *This Wonderful Reflection For HOLY WEEK* And Would Like To Share This Thought-Provoking Viewpoint With All Those Who Believe . . . . . . .💖.
*"I KILLED JESUS"*
By Christina Mead.
While I read the story of Christ’s Passion and Death in the Gospel of Matthew, *I was looking for Myself in that Story.*
*Which Character Am I ?????* 🤔
*What is God trying to teach me ? ? ? ?*
Well . . . . . . .
I Realise that *I am Every Character in the Story of the Passion and Death of Christ.* And I think that’s The Most Significant Point . . . . . 😐
*I Am The Apostle . . . .*
I am Like Those Apostles : Sleeping in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:40). I’m prone and give in to Laziness in the presence of Holiness. I Don’t put up a Fight against the Pull of Distractions or sometimes even Sleep.
*I Am Judas.*
I Am Judas. Jesus has Every Right to call me Both “Friend” and “Betrayer” Barely 30 seconds Apart !!!!! (Matthew 26:46, 50). *My Heart is Fickle and Weak. And sometimes My Commitment to being Jesus’ Friend is Blown Off on the Whim of an Emotion.* 😢
*I Am Caiaphas.*
I Am Caiaphas, the High Priest. *I want Jesus to Prove Himself to Me* (Matthew 26:63). *I want Signs and Wonders to Know that I Really can Trust Him. I Want my Prayers Answered in My Way. I want Concrete Proof over Humble Faith.*
*I Am Peter.*
I Am Peter. Sometimes I Deny Jesus (Matthew 26:72). I Deny Him in the face of the Homeless when I chose to Look Away. *I Deny Him when I am Afraid of Being Judged and Condemned by those around me.*
*I Am The Crowd That Roared For His Crucifixion.*
I Am Part Of That Crowd Yelling “Crucify Him” !!!!!(Matthew 27:21-23). *And I say it Again and Again Every Time I Knowingly Choose To Sin.*
*I Am Barabbas.*
I Am Barabbas. I Am Chained in Sin and Holed up in the Prison of My Own Pride. And Instead of Suffering the Full Punishment for my Sins for which I am Guilty… I Let Christ Take My Place On The Cross (Matthew 27:26). *And I Often Forget to Thank Him.* 😢
*I Am Pilate.*
I Am Pilate. *I Want to Give Up when Life is Too Challenging (Matthew 27:24). I’m Ready to Wash my Hands of Christianity, when Being a Follower of Jesus Means pursuing Virtue over Mediocrity, a Life of Prayer Over a Life of Pleasure.*
*I Am Simon Of Cyrene.*
I Am Simon of Cyrene (Matthew 27:32). *I Suffer Reluctantly.* I Will Take The Cross but I Won’t Seek it. *I’ll Only take it if it’s Been Placed on my Shoulders…* and I Don’t Love It. 😔
*I Am One Of Those Spectators.*
I Am One Of Those Spectators Who Mocked Jesus while He was Hanging on The Cross (Matthew 27:30). How Quickly They had Forgotten All the Good Works HE had Done In Their Cities and Towns !!!!. When Popular Opinion about Jesus Changed, They Followed Suit. *How Quickly I forget The Good HE’s Done for Me !!!! In A Brief Moment of Pain All my Gratitude Vanishes and Is Replaced by Resentment.* 😢
*I Am One of Those Roman Soldiers.*
I Am One of Those Roman Soldiers. (Matthew 27:35). I KILLED Jesus. My Sins were the Reason HE was Nailed to That Cross !!!! It Was My Fault and I Know it.
*But Sometimes . . . . .*
*I Am Also Like That Centurion.*
My Eyes are Opened to Who Jesus Is in My Life (Matthew 27:54). My Heart Accepts The Truth that God Became MAN and Died for ME. And this Knowledge brings me Peace and A Resolution to Mend my Life Fills My Soul. 💖
*I Am One of the Women Standing By The Cross* (Matthew 27:55-56).
When I’m Open to God’s Grace, I can be a Faithful and Steadfast Christian. In the Midst of Pain and Suffering, I Can stay Close to The Cross. Jesus, My Beloved Teacher, Is my Strength. And He’s All I Need. 💖
*I Am Joseph of Arimathea.* (Matthew 27:59).
Again, *Only by God’s Grace, Can I Be Selflessly Compassionate, putting Others’ Needs Before my Own.* Moved by God, I will Use what HE has Given Me, in the Service of Others. My Time, Talent, and Treasure are all for HIM 💖
Sometimes I Am Every Character In The Story of the Passion and Death of Christ.
*I KILLED Jesus.
BUT . . . . . I Am Also The Reason HE Rose From The Dead On Easter Sunday !!!! 🕯⚘🕯⚘🕯⚘🕯
what a glorious end to the Reflection!!
Please continue to keep each other in prayers and blessings.
Share this in order to help others to reflect on their own lives.
Thank You!!
GOD BLESS YOU!!
James 1:13-18
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
Testing Trial Vs Temptations
God does not tempt us, He tests us.
God tests us to bring out the best in us and cause us to grow.
Devil tempts us to brng out the worst in us and cause us to sin.
Temptations are like fishing hook, once we get hooked, like the fishes, one day we get cooked by the devil. Sin leads to death.
3 Key Applications
1. Flee from temptation
Collection of all sins, little by little.
Flee from Idotary, aldultery, evil desires of youth
2 Tim 2:22
1 The 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil
Don’t fight temptation, flee ftom it!
2. Fight the Devil
James 4:7 Resist the devil, he will flee from tou.
3. Focus on God
The truth of God will deliver us.
The depth the submarine can go depends on how much it can withstand the water pressure.
But there are fishes are at bottom of ocean.
Be like fishes, develop pressure within so we can withstand the pressures from outside.
James 4:7 Submit yourself to God, Resist the devil, he will flee from you,
Psalm 119:9-11
Living according to Your Word. I seek you with all my heart.
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Like the middle C in the tuning fork, Christ never changes and be our steer and comfort!
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