NS Ministries

Making Jesus Simple Part Four

Part Four: The Promises of Jesus a starter… Written by Gary Piper Scripture quotations marked ESV "Are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The journey through life is always one of taking detours, walking over rough terrain, crossing raging rivers, bridging vast cannons, traveling super highways, and occasionally traveling a scenic slow country road. Also along the journey there are junctions. Taking the right road brings growth and new roads of adventure. Taking the wrong road takes the traveler back in the same direction from which they just came. The Promises of Jesus is such a junction; it is the junction of "A Promise" and "Wishful Thinking." Take the road of A Promise and travel in peace, hope, understanding, and eternity. Take the road of Wishful Thinking and travel in disillusionment, discouragement, hopelessness, and fear. It is at this junction where the discipline of "not my will but thy will," becomes very painful and crucial. JESUS CHRIST NEVER MADE A PROMISE HE DIDN'T INTEND TO KEEP. Weave those words into the fabric of your life. As you walk through life be sure those words are left in your footprints. When you awake in the morning let those words be the first to greet you. Each time you breath, each time your heart beats feel them pulsing through your very being. Let each word that comes from your lips be tempered by those eleven words. Just before your eyes close at night see them one more time. As your body sleeps and your mind races may they remain in your foremost thoughts. In short may you live by them, may you die by them. "JESUS NEVER MADE A PROMISE HE DIDN'T INTEND TO KEEP." At what point does the theology of the bible change to reality? At what point do the words of scripture become real enough to change the circumstances of lives? Do we have the power to raise the dead, give sight to the blind, make the lame walk, calms storms, walk on water, cast out demons, heal the sick, multiply food supplies, increase the "catch of fish" in our work places? Do we really believe the scriptures or not? Do we really believe in the promises of Jesus or not? It would be a great thing if we could take the promises of Jesus and walk up to someone who is in the "pit of hell" read to them from the bible that God loves them and promises to send some help then save them. Then go on our way feeling good about what we've done and search for another who needs a promise from Jesus. Unfortunately that doesn't wash People in the "pit of hell" NEED promises that go beyond words on paper and beyond lip words to be lifted out of the darkness and into the light. If we are to believe in the promises of Jesus then it behooves us to see those promises in the Light of his understanding, not ours. Jesus separated his understanding from our understanding when he was questioned by his disciples, And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" (John 9:2 ESV) Jesus reaches into eternity and grasps the mind of his Father and provides a key to understanding his promises, Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (John 9:3-5 ESV) "…BUT THAT GOD'S WORKS MIGHT BE DISPLAYED IN HIM." Paint those words into the canvas of your life. Imprint them on the lenses of your eyes so all of life is viewed through them. Impress them into your finger prints so they appear on all you touch. For they are the keys to the Divine promises! The promises of Jesus are for revealing God’s life in ours. Through Jesus’ promises God enters our every day struggle bringing us peace, strength, love, and forgiveness. Sometimes when we pray and ask Jesus to keep his promise we are looking for an easy way out. "Jesus heal me from this terrible affliction," a sick man prays. Jesus does not take affliction away but the man overcomes it and then becomes an inspiration for others who are afflicted. "Jesus, please lift this burden from us," a young couple pray. Jesus does not lift the burden so family and friends begin praying and reach out to the couple and soon afterwards the burden is lifted. "Jesus, you promised my husband wouldn't die," a widow prays. And there isn't a day goes by that is easy, but she still has fond memories, and she still has her relationship with Jesus. Here are some more words to paint on the canvas of your life, "THE EASIEST WAY ISN'T ALWAYS JESUS' WAY, BUT HIS WAY IS ALWAYS THE RIGHT WAY." To place a claim for the promises of Jesus one must first make an honest examination of themselves. Why do I want Jesus to keep his promise? What do I want Jesus to accomplish by keeping his promise? For example, remember the person in the "pit of hell" that wants out? He first needs to confront why he is there, and make any necessary adjustments in his life he can do. The old saying, "God helps them that help themselves," goes a long way. Do not expect the pit to suddenly disappear (although Jesus may bring that about). One of the most important questions we must ask ourselves is, "Why do I want Jesus to keep his promise of………..…? Massive Impact Ministries of Port Huron attempts to take "outcasts" from society by taking them off the streets help them to rebuild their lives and to build a relationship with Jesus Christ. Occasionally they get some men who are only looking for a warm place to spend the cold Michigan winter when the warm weather of spring come arrives they go back out on the street. All they are looking for is temporary relief. We need to validate our reason for wanting Jesus to keep his promise. When we think about what Jesus wants to accomplish through his promises we need to think in terms of eternity, not just the here and now. Each of his promises opens into your individual world from eternity. “And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." (Matthew 9:1-2 ESV) It is easy after reading this scripture to think that physical illnesses/problems are the result of sin but that is not the intent here. The intent here is to illustrate that Jesus' main concern is for the spiritual needs of people. He saw the spiritual needs of the paralytic as more important than the man's physical needs. He illustrated that the blessing of healing is for the healing of man's relationship with God. Every touch no matter how slight whether it comes in the form of a healing or a chastisement opens a swinging doorway into eternity. Jesus adds the finishing touches, eternally linking each of us to his promises, "The Spirit gives life; the flesh is no help at all." (John 6:63 ESV) Jesus' advent into to world was greatest provision for humankind's spiritual growth ever. We have God's promise that he sent Jesus into your world and my world to save us not to condemn us, he sent Jesus to not only to assist us in our spiritual growth but to lead us on the uphill climb to spiritual growth. For many the term spiritual growth is shrouded in great mystery and difficult to understand. Spiritual growth is a growing awareness of God's involvement in your world and your life. It is a growing awareness of Jesus Christ mending the broken relationship between you and God. It is the process whereby the gap between you and I and God narrows. For many people the mystery of spiritual growth separates them from spiritual giants of the past such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, David, Ezekiel, Peter, James, John, Matthew, Mark, and the list goes on. Believe it or not you have the potential to "rub elbows" with Christianity's "elite." You can and will stand tall against the world, against the principalities and powers of the world and join with Simon Peter, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." There is but one shroud, your own unbelief. There will never come a time when God will not be seeking an audience with his greatest creation, you. His Spirit will forever reach into the souls of all people and pave way for the process of their spiritual growth. If God were a business man by today's standards he would have went bankrupt eons ago. If his kingdom were like an expensive department store where you could shop for all the spiritual blessings you needed He would be standing at the door handing out blank checks so you could make your purchases. So the first step toward spiritual growth starts by God handing you a blank check. We can call it the revelatory step because God reveals to us that he is willing to bankrupt himself for us. Before closing this part there is one more point must be made because it is of eternal significance to you. There will come a time when you will become a promise from Jesus to another. Remember our friend in the "pit of hell?" You may be one of the promises Jesus sends them! By telling them your story you may just be fulfilling a promise Jesus made to them! Are you up for the challenge? Remember, "We can only take people as close to Jesus as we ourselves are, we can not give Jesus to anyone. The single most important lesson people need from us is that, we can not give them what they already have; we can only help them sift through the rubble of their lives and find him. We are all God's greatest creation, every human being ever to walk, walking, or will walk is so valuable that Jesus died for that one person. This entire work, all the books ever written, all the sermons ever preached have taken you to the doorway of Jesus’ greatest promises but it is you who must go through the door and take the hand of the Master and believe he CAN and WILL fill your spiritual cup with life giving water. Telling your story of Jesus to others empties your cup so he can refill it, thus keeping the "water of life" fresh and invigorating. You are unique there is no one in all creation just like you. You are not generic. Some things you share with others but no one walks in your shoes. Because of the diversity created by God in all things and all people there is no generic gospel. Some things are shared in common, the principles of eternity applies to one and all. The way life is lived physically first will determine where we will live when we leave this life. As we journey through life Jesus promises helps along the way whether directly (by himself) or indirectly (by others) to ensure our place beside him in eternity, those promises are yours to discover. Remember, "JESUS CHRIST NEVER MADE A PROMISE HE DIDN'T INTEND TO KEEP." Search the depths of the scriptures, search the depths of your life then ask and he will reveal them to you, knock on the door to his Eternal Mansion and he will open his promises for you. We leave this part a word of caution, be sure you know the difference between a promise and wishful thinking. Sometimes in our zeal to serve or in response to our compassion we might do or say something that Jesus would not say or do. For example do not promise a physical healing when that may not be Jesus' ultimate goal.