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New Release! Soaring Servants: Women in God's Service by Linda Sedrick Pearson is now available at PS Publishing.
Would You?
By Linda Sedrick Pearson
Two teenage males stand on the sidewalk. One speaks more than the other. The second young man shakes his head and begins to walk away. As he turns, the first young man notices a car coming towards them. He grabs the second young man and throws himself between him and the approaching car. Gunshots ring out in the first young man falls.
You see, this young man was a Christian, but he had been a gang member. That was until someone cared enough to share Jesus with him. He now went into the streets and shared Jesus with the gang members he knew, including those who before had been his enemies.
This second young man was a member of a rival gang. He wouldn’t listen to the words the first young man told him. He didn’t want any part of this Jesus. At least not until the first young man saved his life.
“Why?” The second young man asked the first.
“Because,” the first young man gasps weakly. “I knew that if you had died at that moment, you would have been condemned to the burning fire of eternal damnation. I didn’t want you to die lost and I know that I am prepared and ready.” And with that he breathed his last here on earth.
The second young man weeps with all his heart. He has never had anyone to love him that much. He reaches over and gently removes the book the young man holds in his hand. It flips open to John chapter 15 and his eyes rest up on verse 13.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
This is a true story. These events really happened.
Think about it. Would you? Would you give your life for someone that you had considered an enemy?
Excuses
What if Jesus had used the same excuses we use when we don’t want to do something? Think about it.
What if Jesus said, “I was going to come die for your sins, but I forgot!” Or, if he said, “I didn’t have time to save those people.” Maybe He would say, “I don’t like those people so I’m not going to go save them.”
What if Jesus decided, “Even if I gave my very life for them they wouldn’t accept me. So, I’m not going!”
Maybe He would say, “I don’t feel like it! I just don’t feel good today.”
Or, He could have said, “I’ll go after my favorite TV show and I finish playing this video game.”
What if Jesus said, “I have to check on my Facebook friends first and play some of the games there. Then, if I have time, I’ll go die for their sins.”
Or what if He said, “I didn’t have time to write the Bible.”
Jesus could have said, “I am too tired. Maybe I’ll die for their sins tomorrow.” And then, what if you died today!
Jesus did not say those things. Instead, He dropped everything He was doing in heaven to come to earth. He put it all away, just for you. He ran to earth to be born of a virgin, suffer a life in the flesh, to be tortured beyond any imaginable pain and suffering.
Why? So each and everyone of us could be saved.
Don’t you think it’s time to lay down your own excuses?
Doctor It
by Linda Sedrick Pearson
Have you ever had a sore that you didn’t doctor? You know that if you don’t put any salve on the wound soon it will become a huge festering thing. Every minute, hour and day that goes by without medicine makes it grow bigger and it hurts more.
There are lots of things in our lives that are like that.
Are you a person without Jesus Christ in your life? The longer you go without Jesus, the worse you become. If you continue in this way, your whole being is eventually consumed.
Perhaps at one time, you tried serving the Lord. Then, one day, someone said something that hurt your feelings. Maybe this person did it intentionally and maybe not. Instead of confronting that person, you sit and think over and over again what the person said to you. Every time you think on this, the sore gets bigger. Why not take the salve of the Holy Spirit and put it on the wound? How do you do that? Go and talk to the person who caused you injury.
There is a good chance that the person didn’t realize what he or she was doing. Not only will you rescue yourself, but you may even rescue the other person from festering sores. It may even stop them from injuring someone else.
It’s time we stopped giving the devil entry into our lives. Stand up for God. Let’s learn how to handle these things in a godly manner.
Envy and Strife or Good Will Preaching
Philippians 1:15-16 “Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will.” (KJV)
Some preach Christ with envy and strife. Some preach with good will.
One preaches Christ with selfish ambition, not sincerely, expecting to add to my chains (or troubles and trials). Philippians 1:17 “But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel.”
The other preaches with love, knowing that I am appointed to defend the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:18-19 “What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.”
Either way, whether preached by a pretender or by one true preacher of Christ, Christ is preached. Rejoice because Christ is preached. Because these will all cause salvation through prayer and supply the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
(By Linda Sedrick Pearson)
Mother Hears the News
A young man runs to the mother of his friend and informs her that her son has been arrested. Fear tears her heart. She knows he is innocent, but being a woman she is not supposed to be in the courtroom. She runs as fast as her legs will carry her. Her feet entangle in the long skirts and she trips. She falls on her face. Her nose is bloodied and her body hurts. Ignoring the pain, she jumps up and continues her run.
The crowd is gathered and the mother cannot squeeze through. The crowd will not relent for her. Do they not know she is his mother? Can’t they see her heart is broken?
“My son, not yet!” she cries. “I am not ready. I need you still. Please don’t leave me, yet.”
All of a sudden the crowd begins to shout, “Crucify him!”
“No! Please! He is innocent! He is my son!” Mary cries.
Suddenly, she catches a glimpse of him. His body is torn and ragged, ripped and bleeding. She breaks down and the strength leaves her legs. She collapses in a heap. John, Salome, and Mary Magdalene surround her for protection, afraid the crowd will trample her. They help her up and escort her aside. They all weep in anguish.
They remember his words and know his time has come. Many of the things he said they did not comprehend before become clear and they know their precious Jesus is to die for the sins of the whole world.
What Kind of Disciple Are You?
Take a look inside yourself for a minute. What kind of disciple are you? Are you one like Peter, James, and John, who could not stay awake for one hour to pray for Jesus (Matthew 26:40; Mark 14:37)? Are you like Peter, who during the Lord’s greatest time of need ran away (Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72)? What about Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus with a kiss on the cheek (Luke 22:47)? Are you like that – a betrayer of the Lord?
As we get ready to come into the time when Jesus was crucified, stop and take a good hard look at yourself. It is not my job to judge you. It is your job to search yourself and to see if there is anything standing between you and God.
What kind of disciple are you? Do you study your Bible daily, spend some quiet time with God daily, pray daily? Do you witness to all who God has prepared and put in your path? We are not meant to witness to everyone. We are meant to witness to those who the Holy Spirit has prepared the heart and mind to receive our witness. Then, God causes them to cross our path and we are to be ready and aware to witness to them.
If you are not doing the basics of a disciplined life, start now. It is not too late. God expects – NO, HE REQUIRES – us to do these things. What things? Daily Bible study, prayer, quiet time, and witnessing to others.
Jesus is asking you, “What, could you not stay awake for just one hour for My sake?”
What is Your Prison?
Prisons come in many shapes and forms. Financial debt can be a prison. So can alcoholism, drug abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, homosexuality, pornography, shopping, and ______________________ (fill in the blanks with your own prison).
When we are in prison, we must follow the rules of that prison. These are the laws that hold us prisoner.
Jesus came to set the captives free. We can be free from our prisons by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.
Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Do you want to be free today?
Accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
He can set open that prison and break you loose from it.
How Important is Discipleship?
Did you know that there are 257 verses and 274 times within those verses that the word disciple or disciples appears? This means that disciples and discipleship training must be a very important aspect of the Christian life. Or at least God must think so. Why else would He have mentioned about disciples so many times in His word – the Bible.
The first mention of disciples is in the Old Testament, Isaiah 8:16. Although God was talking to Isaiah and the houses of Israel and Judah, He was also talking to us and commanding us to teach the ways of God to others.
“Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples” (King James Version). Continue reading
The Crucifixion
Matthew 27:25 – 66 (King James Version)
Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
Then released he (Pilate released) Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. And sitting down they watched him there; And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.
And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.
When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple: He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
For All Have Sinned
If anyone tells you they have not sinned, they are lying to you. Every person, including myself, has sinned.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
To fall short means that you do not reach the finish line. Sin causes that to happen. When we sin, we miss God. We never reach him. We do not reach him because sin places a large gulf between us and God.
There is only one way to pass over that gulf of sin. That way is the bridge to God. The bridge is the Lord Jesus Christ. He becomes our bridge over the gulf of sin and allows us to pass over and reach God.
If you feel that you have reached a dead end, reach out for Jesus. Let Jesus bridge the gap for you and you can be saved. Ask Jesus to heal you and to cleanse you from your sins. Believe, confess, be cleansed, be healed, be saved – grab Jesus.
Until next time,
Linda Sedrick Pearson
