Rande Greene

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”

– John 14:25-26

It is clear what is happening here. Jesus is about to physically leave the earth. His followers will be shocked at the events leading up to it. There will be confusion and chaos. They will grapple with fear and doubt. They will wonder if they’ve been duped into believing.

They will feel alone! Jesus is promising that they will not be alone. Jesus is promising that the Holy Spirit will be given to them. The Holy Spirit is called the “helper” by our Lord.

Rande Greene

All through Scripture we see the anger of God kindled against divine purpose unfulfilled or corrupted. Divine purpose will always be focused upon the lost sheep and the lost son. Compassion and justice for the hurting, broken and downtrodden are high priority for God.

“The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, ‘Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.'”

– John 2:13-16

Rande Greene

There is a profound temptation for even good people to be religious without true holiness.

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.

For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.”

– 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Our flesh is a very powerful thing. Our base human nature can ride roughshod over every good intention. When we what to be one thing because we know it is right we can be inclined to be the opposite. When we want to be generous and self-sacrificial because we know it’s god and right, we can be more inclined to be a “lover of self”.

Rande Greene

“For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

– 2 Corinthians 12:10

This does not sound like a man lamenting his weakness and struggles. It sounds as if he is rejoicing in them. We as Christians are normally situated to look at our weaknesses as liabilities –something to disdain and feel frustration about. Paul had a totally different attitude about his weaknesses and struggles. He rejoiced in them.

Rande Greene

“And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless, and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.”

– 1 Corinthians 15:16-19

It seems clear that Paul is saying the resurrection of Jesus has present implications. What happened 2000 years ago has say-so in lives today. If it didn’t happen, the person who believes and lives like they believe it are deceived and that makes them pitiable. If it happened, the person who denies or ignores it will face the resurrected, living Christ as their judge someday and will answer for why they didn’t investigate its possibility thoroughly.

Rande Greene

“So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

– Hebrews 5:7

They left the city and went to where Jesus was. Mark’s Gospel records threw their “cloaks” on the road to make a path for the Lord riding a colt to enter. This is what would have been done for the entrance of a king or prince. The idea is that royalty is here, and this royal figure deserves an appropriate welcome. They were recognizing him as royalty. My point is this, how do we see him? Do we recognize the Lord Jesus as the King he is? Do we see him as deserving the shirt off our back? Do we see him as one deserving royal treatment? Our response to Jesus is the most important thing about us. Our view of Jesus will determine our destiny, in time and eternity.

Jason Rose

Jason Rose is a missionary to Israel, working with Chosen People Ministries. This teaching is from the 10am service wherein he discussed and taught about the factual basis for the bible – both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Jason encourages us to speak boldly and with confidence regarding the Bible. He also reveals some simple tools for presenting the Word clearly and plainly, particularly to non-believers.

Rande Greene

Jesus’ death by love shamed and humiliated the powers who were originally created for the sake of humanity. The “powers” failed in their assigned task; Jesus didn’t. His self-sacrificing love revealed on the cross shows how self-serving the fallen and rebellious powers are. The fallen powers are self-oriented to the core.

Rande Greene

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”

– Proverbs 9:10

The best life one can live is a life guided by God’s wisdom. Wisdom would typically be defined as “the ability to discern or judge what is true, right or lasting”. The best life you can possibly live is one closely connected to and based upon God’s wisdom (what is “true, right and lasting”). Basically, wisdom is to obey the Lord

Rande Greene

One of the most wonderful things about walking with Jesus is the cleansing of the conscience. Coming to the Lord Jesus in faith allows the Holy Spirit to wash our conscience and remove the pain of guilt and shame.

The doctrine of substitution:

Jesus became our substitute in death. He died the death we should die (the death of a sinner separated from God).

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

– 2 Corinthians 5:21