Greetings Brothers, Sisters, and friends, grace and peace to you in the name of God our Father, and The Lord Jesus Christ. I thank God for you. I pray that everything is Good for you considering that the enemy has launched a devastating assault against God’s people. The enemy doesn’t even care if He kills vast numbers of his own followers as long as he can destroy the lives of God’s people. This is where his understanding breaks down, It is apparent that he doesn’t know that nothing absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, Amen.   Lord thank you for giving me this opportunity to share your word concerning the gift of life and the key thereof. Please help me to use the right words so that I may say what you want me to say, and that you help everyone who hears and read this message understand, Thank You, Father, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

My friends Our Lord Jesus while on His mission to provide salvation to the world was constantly surrounded by controversy. The religious leaders of that day represented God to the people. This position in the eyes of the people was one of privilege, authority, admiration, and respect. In other words, this was a position of power over the hearts and minds of God’s people, until the coming of the Messiah who would sit on the throne of David. These people thought themselves to be special, and in fact, they were. They were Gods’ chosen people. The promised Messiah was announced centuries in advance and his identity was unknown until Jesus’s ministry began They could not see, nor did they try to see. the light had come into the world and it was like their eyes couldn’t take the light so they preferred darkness. Unless the Messiah burst on the scene with chariots and armies of angels they were not going to accept Him regardless of his being the embodiment of truth and grace and life.

So there are three controversies that came into play that was quite revealing in several ways. There was the controversy form His

1. family: Jesus brothers knew that  He had the gift of healing and that he attracted people everywhere He went. They wanted Him to use His gifts in a spectacular way before all the people at the first of the Passover. Maybe they thought to cash in on His claimed Messiahship. they were not really concerned as they pretended to be, they didn’t have discernment about his mission. Jesus gave his brothers a lesson on time, and it was related to the fact that people didn’t hate them,  because they were just like them, they are one of them, but they hated Jesus because He reminds the world of its evil. Jesus said It is not my time to make such an appearance that will trigger being put to death before the time allotted by His Father. It was not part of His Fathers’ plan.

2. Crowd. The crowd just couldn’t get a good fix on identifying Jesus. They entertained all types of opinions about Him. Some thought of him as a good man, some thought of Him as a deceiver, some as the deliverer, some as a prophet, some as demon-possessed, and some as the Christ, some even thought that he as an entertainer such as a circus act. hey questioned His credentials and His origin. The crowd wanted to know how it is that Jesus had such knowledge without attending school? Jesus explained to them that His teaching came from God. If you want to serve and do the will of God you will search the doctrine and find out if I am telling you the truth. This is also a lesson for us today. If you want to know if a preacher is teaching you the truth go to the bible, you will know. Since Jesus used this offer of proof I believe it to be fair to say that the word authenticates the preacher and not the preacher authenticates the word. Not that we in any way measure up to Jesus. Jesus explained that the doctrine he teaches is not his own, but the doctrine that was given to Him by his Father. If He was teaching His own doctrine He would be seeking His own glory. But He who seeks to glorify God is true.

People claim to honor Moses so Jesus reminded them that Moses gave them the law and not one of them obeys the law. Yet for the sake of the law, they would circumcise a baby so as not to break the law, the law says that a child had to be circumcised on the eight-day after birth. If that day falls on the sabbath they obeyed the law concerning circumcision but, when Jesus healed a man on the sabbath they became very angry. Don’t judge according to the way something appears, judge with righteous judgment.

Religious Leaders

After hearing the crowds The religious leaders sent the temple guards to arrest Jesus, but when they heard him speak, they stopped in their tracks Never have I heard a man speak like that before. they were scolded by the religious leaders for not carrying out their orders. The crowd reasoned among themselves concluding that when the Messiah comes they will not know where He is from because they know where Jesus is from. Jesus told them“Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.“I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.”(33, 34)  Suddenly Jesus stood up and said, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within (37-38).

Immediately the temple guards said what did he mean? Where is He going? Jesus was telling everyone that He is going home where he will be glorified, once He is glorified, The Holy Spirit is going to come. The life Giving Spirit of God. Everyone who believes is going to be filled by the Holy Spirit and receive eternal life.

The question remains today. Jesus asked Peter Who do men say that I am? Then Jesus asked Peter who do you say that I Am? Peter replied you are the Christ, The living God. Who do you say that Jesus is? The answer to this question will determine where you spend eternity. This is the question that comes before the world and everyone must answer. The answer will come in the form of belief. God said that if you believe that Jesus is His Son and that He (God) sent him to the world to die on the cross for your sin and mine, that you shall have eternal life. The scripture said if you confess with your mouth Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. The scripture also says that anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Thank you, Lord, for your love, goodness,  grace, and generosity.  My friends, who do you say Jesus is?

 

https://testflight.apple.com/join/om8voNVm      When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them.
When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace”(Luke 7:36-50).

In the days when Jesus was here,  it was customary to recline while eating. dinner quest would lie on coaches with their heads near the table. they would prompt themselves upon their elbow and stretch their feet out behind them. The woman could easily wash his feet without approaching the table. There were several customs that were not observed, or extended to Jesus, as a quest in the house of Simon who was a pharisee. Simon observed what the woman was doing and also recognized the type of woman she was. He immediately said to himself that this was proof that Jesus was not a prophet, because He didn’t reject the woman who was washing his feet. Jesus having omniscience knew what he was thinking. through the use of a parable, Jesus ask Simon who would be more grateful for the forgiveness of the debt? Simon said that it would be the one who had the most debt.

Jesus pointed out Simon’s inconsistencies. It was customary for a quest to be greeted with a kiss, it was customary to anoint the quest head with olive oil because people wore sandals it was customary to wash their feet. Jesus explained to Simon that this sinful woman who has sinned much has washed his feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair, Simon you wouldn’t even give me the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has covered my feet with expensive perfume, you wouldn’t give me the customary kiss, but this woman has not stopped kissing my feet. Jesus said “therefore her sins and there are many are forgiven, for she loved me much, but one who is forgiven little show little love. It is the grateful prostitute whose sin is forgiven and not the stingy religious leaders. It is God’s grace through faith that sins are forgiven and not acts of love or generosity. Her act demonstrated her true faith and Jesus honored her faith. Overflowing love is the natural response to forgiveness. Only those who realize the depth of their sin can appreciate the complete forgiveness God offers. Do you appreciate the wideness of God’s mercy? are you grateful for his forgiveness?