The Jesus Message

Psa 103:12  As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

As far as the east is from the West is Unreachable. This is not a measurable distance. It is the horizontal revelation of God’s mercy, dealing with us on a plain of sin and hope. Sin is stretched so far away from the sinner, that now the sinner can hear the voice of God without condemning interference.

As far is truly contrasted with east from the west. If I said as far as Denver is from Dallas you would have a measurable. You can’t measure forgiveness with a ruler, or a mileage track, or traced steps of grounds discovered and surveyed. You couldn’t even say as far as Pluto from Mercury. Or our galaxy from the most distant galaxy from us. And then think of he directional revelation. East from West. It keeps moving. It is an infinite gap that keeps growing. Forgiveness from condemnation incrementally grows more distant with each service, with each perfecting season of prayer; with each fiery trial successfully endured and testimony gained. The power of forgiveness increases and guilt of the past decreases as you walk with God. That should inspire you to keep on the move. Keep going forward in faith and faithfulness. Listen now…

It was a Judean evening. The temperature was cooling. Night critters were beginning to stir. The sun was setting. The wind was soft. The crowd was attentive. Jesus had been teaching for hours. Children were restless. Babies cried, others nodded off occasionally. But for the most part every listener was still in tune with the Messiah.

It was a desert place. So, the hardened ground was not the most comfortable. There were no fancy recliners or soft cushioned chairs. But they weren’t there to relax; they were there to find another kind of rest. Jesus words sailed on the winds, like ships of hope coming to the shores of the broken hearted, the discontented, the curious seeker, and the wandering souls.

When God manifested in flesh saw the bruised reeds and smoking flax of the hurting, he was moved with compassion. This was no feel sorry for me attitude from God toward the people. It was the fuel of love, the emotion of change, the desire of power to make a difference. He didn’t just show up to pat them on the back and tell them how sorry he was for their condition; he healed them; he touched them; he gave sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, he gave the ability to walk to the lame. “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.” Psalm 103:13 Listen now…

God wants us to be whole. Every part of us can have joy and peace, strength and honor. The hidden things that hinder us can be removed for the deep, intimate relationship we seek with God. When you love God with all of your heart, you give Him more of your attention. We are not as easily distracted by meaningless pursuits in the world. We are empowered to live our best faith-filled lives. We are influences that share love and truth with as many as we can touch with our testimonies. Listen now…

God wants us to be whole. Every part of us can have joy and peace, strength and honor. The hidden things that hinder us can be removed for the deep, intimate relationship we seek with God. When you love God with all of your heart, you give Him more of your attention. We are not as easily distracted by meaningless pursuits in the world. We are empowered to live our best faith-filled lives. We are influences that share love and truth with as many as we can touch with our testimonies. Listen now…

Psalm 1 tells us not to walk after the counsel of the ungodly. So, don’t go north with notorious enemies of the faith. Don’t go in the same direction as doubters, demons and deceivers. Don’t follow the trends of the unsaved. Avoid the pitfalls of the promiscuous. Stay away from the hallways of rebellion. When you go the wrong direction you end up in washed out dangerous places. When you stand for the wrong things you end up breaking down in storms of stress. Many are fracturing in their walk with God because they are keeping the wrong company, hearing the cynical descriptions that tear down spirituality. But if you will just stay the course of truth, walk the path of righteousness for His name’s sake, you will breakthrough walls of conflict and barricades of doubt. Listen now…

Psalm 65:5  By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:

No matter where you travel or spend seasons in trial, God has a refuge to be found. A moving shelter. A constant fortress. A consistent help in the desolate places. Some might travel a few miles in life and forget what they left behind; but the power of truth goes with you. It travels well. You see, he gives confidence to the ends of the earth. If you are in the Siberian ranges of cold mornings and frigid expectations, he gives confidence. If you are in the Sahara of heat and desert and long miles of waterless journey, He gives confidence. It doesn’t just work in the regions of the familiar. It works in places we’ve never been. Territories of pain. Landscapes of sickness. Dark valleys of frustration. Your trial has a finish line, but not your treasure. To the ends of the earth, both in trial and time. Chronologically and emotionally.

And the powerful revelation is that it’s not a place as much as it’s a person. It says “Who art”, indicating the person of God. How could it get any better than that? Diving housing. Sovereign residence. Spiritual refuge. Confident and secure. Peaceful and refreshing. It’s kind of like a heavenly embassy on location. And God is the ambassador. Listen now…

Weak. Frail. Exhausted. The body is drained of nutrients. Fluids of hope have been spent. His flesh longs for a simple sip of water. Dehydration has made its mark with parched lips and screaming muscles. He is dizzied by desire, for hope is drawn from his core like the blood will soon be drawn from his veins. He is thirsty. But he cannot drink human wells. There are no refreshing streams of relief. He is not near a waterpot of peace. Not here. Not in this moment.  He must drink the cup. The lonely, terrible, torturous, sin-tormenting cup. The transgression-filled, dirty, poisonous, blame-embittered, disobedient-laced cup.

And he has never felt so weary. But there is no time for rest.

It is like the virtue of a thousand worlds has drained from him. Sin siphons justice from his broken body. Death stands in the distance wondering how it can touch such a holy body. But destiny must be completed. Promises have to be performed. Love has to finish this course.

He is weakened by love. He doesn’t want man to be lost. He is weakened by the light burning in him. It contrasts with the darkness. It wrestles with evil. It clashes with sin and the Satanic. He is weakened by the sickness of the sinner. He aches for their liberty. He moans for their mercy. He cries loud and strong for their future, one without darkness and death; one without hopelessness and hell; one without threats and demonic thrones. Listen now…

We live in the atmosphere of flesh, trying to rise to higher levels of faith. Just as the earth has higher atmospheres, and great distances between them, me must travel far beyond strife and stress in our age. We rise above hatred with love. We rise above pride with humility. We rise above fear with faith. We go to better atmospheres of God’s Presence when we lay aside the weights of sin and burdens of carnality. LIfe can cause you to be satisfied in the troposphere of religion, never expecting anything higher than stale leftovers. But God wants you to sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Listen now…

There are distresses all around us. On our jobs. In our homes. Throughout our nation. People feel the crushing walls of disappointment and fear. But, when we turn our attention to God in prayer, God listens. God moves. God demonstrates His love for us. And He gives us an abundance of help. He is our shield that protects us from fiery accusations. He is our Rock that keeps us in a hiding place from the storms of evil. He is our deliverer from the most dangerous places of life and temptation. God offers an abundance of habitations in that He is our cleft in the Rock, He is our fortress when the fight is too strong for us; He is our High Tower, when we need to rise above the feelings of helplessness and futility. Listen now…

A city of rain. Blessings poured out. Mists of truth. Downpours of revelation. Other cities wither in false doctrine. they live in the drought of human commentary. They dwell in fruitless lands of rebellion. They rule themselves but without rain. So, they reign without rain. They possess themselves but are slaves to scarcity. They march to their own tune, but their melody has no manifestation. Their songs are of mourning and empty fields. This is the consequence of a life absent of submission to God. Repentance brings reward, but rebellion brings regret and withering remains. Listen now…