Peace of God

By Shirley Mitchell

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

John 14:27

           

The Gospel of John records the intimate details of the disciples’ last night with Jesus.  Jesus told them that one of the disciples would betray Him.  The charge of treachery stunned them.  They questioned their own hearts, “Surely, not I, Lord.”  Then, Jesus told them that they would be ashamed of Him.  They all would fall away.  Even Peter, the rock, would fall away.  Peter’s ego made him agree that satan would desire to defeat him.  However, he was insulted that he could be easily defeated by the evil one. 

Previously, Jesus had told them to go without purse, bag, sandals (Luke 22:35), gold, silver, tunic, or staff (Matthew 10:9-10).  Now He told them to carry money and weapons.  He said He would not drink of the fruit of the vine until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.  Did this mean He would establish His kingdom on earth very soon?  Then, why did He say He was going away?  Why did He talk of betrayal?  Confused!  Yes, it was confusion they felt.  The Holy Spirit did not indwell them yet to teach the deep things of God.  No wonder they did not get it!

           

So Jesus gave them assuring words to cling to during the upcoming dark hours.  Jesus said repeatedly, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1, John 14:27, and John 16:33).  Jesus begins and ends John 14-16, a three chapter segment of teaching, with the same message.  He had told them that they would be sifted as wheat by satan.  So of course, they were troubled!  Jesus understood that.  Jesus could read their hearts so He encouraged them with these last truths.  He knew their circumstances would be plenty of reason to lose their peace and trouble their hearts.

So Jesus left them peace.  He did not leave them a little peace.  He left them HIS peace.  Jesus gives peace that does not come from the world.  He gives peace that does not come from a drug.  When we pray, we are setting up a  military guard around our hearts and minds…Not just wimpy prayers but prayers where we recount who our God is, prayers where we praise Him for all His mighty deeds and His character, and prayers where we confess our fear but still trust Him.

Philippians 4:6-7 tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  We are called to guard our hearts and minds in Jesus.  I find it interesting that the opposite of “guard” is “to give little time or attention.”  If you have lost your peace garrison around your heart and mind, then ask yourself these questions:

• Have I given God little time or attention?
• Have I not prayed?
• Have I not had a thankful attitude?  Have I not praised Him?
• Is my imagination running away with me?
• Have I forgotten all that God has done for me?  (Psalm 42:6)
• Is my hope gone, or did I misplace it in something else besides God?
• Am I consumed by my flesh and not filled with the Spirit?  (Gal 2:20)
• Did I disobey God? 
• Did I make a decision that was not God’s will for my life?
• Is God giving me a burden for something?  Does God want me to intercede in prayer for something that touches His heart?

The last question is imperative.  Sometimes the loss of peace is not because of our own doing.  God may be calling us to be a prayer warrior for a situation.  When my friend Terri told me one of her closest relationships had worsened the other day, I realized God had allowed this crisis to burden her.  No one would pray for this person like she would pray.  She loved this person too much.  She got it and increased her prayers.

For whatever reason you and I should ever lose our peace guard, when we seek God, He will reveal His heart on the matter.  He does not want our hearts to be troubled or for us to be afraid.  He longs to give us peace.  Sometimes, He won’t give it until we seek Him.  We can’t have His peace until we get right with Him.   Oh, precious one, do you have this peace that comes from heaven today?

Pray with me:  Oh, Prince of Peace, thank You for giving us Your peace.  Your peace is nothing like the world’s.  It is true!  It has power!  We seek Your peace for the things that trouble our hearts and weigh on our minds.  We release our burdens to You and ask for You to carry them.  We ask for Your peace to flood our souls and guard our hearts and minds.  It’s in the Name above all names that we pray, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name.  Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study

Sifted

By Shirley Mitchell

“ ‘Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.  And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’

But he replied, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.’

Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.’ “

Luke 22:31-34

My Bible says the Greek word for “you” in Luke 22:31 is plural.  In my Kentucky language, “Satan has asked to sift you all as wheat.”  All of the disciples were sifted.  In v.32, Jesus spoke directly to Peter about His specific prayer for him in this warfare.  Many scholars believe satan attacked Peter with greater force than the others.  As the leader of the disciples, he took the brunt of satan’s fury against the disciples.  Please notice that satan had to ask God for permission before he could mess with the disciples.

In the Greek, the word “sift” is siniazo which means “to sift, to shake as grain in a sieve, to agitate and prove by trials and afflictions.”  One sifts wheat by placing it in a sieve and shaking it until the tares, chaff, and perhaps stones surface and are separated.  The evil one asked to give Peter the shake-down test because he knew Peter had some fake in him.  God knew it, too.  Since satan knew where the holes were in Peter’s spiritual armor, he wanted to expose to Peter what was deep inside himself.  He wanted to heap ruin, defeat, and shame on Peter to nullify him for the kingdom of God. 

God allowed satan to sift Peter because He knew the outcome.  Jesus told him it was certain that he would turn back.  He said when, not if.

Peter had a false sense of readiness.  He thought he was ready to go to prison and to even die for Jesus.  Yet, before this night was over, he would not even be able to admit knowing Jesus!  How could he be so mistaken?

I think what I’m afraid of most in life is myself.  I know there is still some chaff in me.  I know I have not become immune to applause of man.  I know I have not become inoculated from the criticism of people.  I know my heart is prone to wander.  I know how easy it is for my body to say “Enough!  Rest and get some sleep.”  I know the gaps in my mind that lack being the mind of Christ. 

In order to press on to the goal that He has called me to, I tighten my grip to the Word of God.  I cling to the knowledge that my God is greater than the powers of this world (1 John 4:4)  that would love to ruin my testimony to the watching world, shatter my life, slap the chains back on me, and return me to the prison of darkness.  I attach myself to the truth that my God is greater than my heart that can deceive me if it is not consecrated to Him (1 John 3:20).  I realize that I am becoming immune to people’s adoration and criticism.  I realize my mind is becoming the mind of Christ.  I am growing in godliness.  I hold fast to my motivation for all that I do – the love of Christ compels me (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).  I must keep pressing on because of His great love for me and for you.

It is with tears that I type this.  I want you to know this love with every part of your being.  The love of Christ has transformed my life.  Unlike what the world tells us, people can change but only through the divine work of God.  I am changed!  I am new!  I have been filled with the love of Christ, and I desire for you to be filled with Him, too.  I yearn for you to be a new creation.  I ache for you to become one who fulfills her purpose and is a fruitful worker on the harvest field.  I appeal to you to be a mighty warrior and to take your place on the battlefield no longer shirking your duties, but living the life of a servant of Christ.

Pray with me:  Oh, LORD, I want to be transformed to be more like Christ - a new creation.  I want to fulfill my purpose and be a bondservant to Christ.  When I am sifted, help me to turn back to You.  I’m not so arrogant that I don’t know that I am susceptible to the attacks of the enemy.  I know that he has methods that will work on me.  So help me tighten my grip on Your Word so the failures will be less, and the healing time after an attack becomes shorter and shorter.  Praise You, God, that You are greater than any power in this world that dares to come against me.  Praise You, Almighty God, that You are also greater than my heart.  Praise You that Your love is so amazing that it surpasses all understanding and compels me to keep serving and worshipping You.  It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray.  Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study

Remember

By Shirley Mitchell
“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ ”

Luke 22:19

   
The crowds are gone.  The public confrontations with the Pharisees are over.  Jesus spent His final hours with the ones He chose from the crowds.  He left those who rejected Him and focused on the ones God gave Him.  It was Jesus’ last night with His disciples.  It was a time of final teachings.  It was a time of sweet remembrance.

They were celebrating the Passover Feast, which is the feast to remember how God
delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt.  When the children of Israel first moved to Egypt, they were safe under Joseph’s care and power.  When a new Pharaoh rose to power who did not know Joseph, he grew fearful of the rising number of Israelites and enslaved them. Our all-knowing God had promised to Abraham long ago He would bring His people out of slavery in Egypt (Genesis 15:13-14).  When enough time had passed, the Israelites cried out from the pit of their souls. God remembered His covenant and was concerned about His beloved children.  After 400 years, the time had come for our covenant-keeping God to send a deliverer named Moses who would tell Pharaoh to let His people go.  After nine terrible plagues, Pharaoh’s heart was still hardened, and he refused to let God’s people go.  Therefore, God told Moses about the 10^th and final plague. 

At midnight, the death angel would pass through the land.  Every firstborn of each family and the cattle would die unless blood was sprinkled on the doorway.  In Exodus 12, God instructed Moses how the Israelites would be saved from the dramatic night of judgment.  God would free His people from bondage and oppression.  They were to select a male lamb of the first year without defect or blemish.  On the 10^th day of the Hebrew month, Nisan, it was to be taken from the flock and kept until the 14^th day of Nisan.  In these four days, the family became personally attached to their lamb.  An innocent lamb would die in their place.  On the 14^th day the lambs were sacrificed in front of the whole assembly.  Yet, the blood of their lamb was placed on the doorposts of each home.  It symbolized each person’s individual faith. The blood of the innocent lamb caused judgment to “pass over” them. 

In Exodus 12:14, God told them that future generations would commemorate this night as a festival to the LORD.  Since God commanded them to observe the Passover as a memorial to this time forever, a typical ceremony emerged called the Passover Seder which was practiced centuries before Jesus.  This feast is what this band of brothers celebrated that night. 

One of my favorite songs in the Lexington Passion Play is the song, “Remember Me” that Jesus and His disciples sang after the Passover meal.  In the play last week before I entered for the Garden scene, I slipped in the back of the sanctuary to watch the upper room scene.  I sobbed loudly at the beauty of their relationships and for the pain that Jesus felt in knowing it was the end of their time together.  Jesus warned them that His time was near and that He had to leave them.  He said it hurt Him so that He had to go.  It anguished Him to know their precious time together was ending.  He sang repeatedly, “In all you say, in all you do, remember Me.  Remember Me.”  It is similar to a parent repeating words of instruction so the child will hear the parent’s voice in her mind reminding her of the right way even when the parent is absent.  The verses of the song are filled with the disciples recounting their adventures with Jesus since they first met Him.  They laughed together and remembered the good times that they shared.  They remembered their first miracle of the water turning into wine.  They remembered the lives Jesus changed.  As the stories are told, their smiles became brighter.  They touched each others’ shoulders and remembered their connections as they experienced the same emotions when they watched the Son of God reveal Himself to man. 

Why would Jesus stress remembering?  What is its impact?  This entire night is about remembering.  Remember the Passover and God’s deliverance from Egypt.  Remember the New Covenant that Jesus instituted.  What value are memories?

In Exodus 2:23-25, God remembered His covenant with Israel, and then He acted by sending Moses.  Jesus called His disciples to remember this covenant meal because when they remember, they would act on it, too.  The New Covenant was instituted so we would also remember.  He desires for us to remember Him in order for us to act on it.  Memories are essential for learning.  Without a memory, we would not have a foundation to learn anything new.  Remembering what God has done in our lives will give us hope for what He will do in the future.  Likewise, not reconciling destructive memories will sear our souls and manifest in negative behavior.  We must let Him re-characterize our hurtful memories.  A healthy practice of memory will lead to a life of freedom from bondage and worship in spirit and in truth.  Giving God our pasts and viewing them through His eyes will unleash His power and change our perspective dramatically.  Do you need to give Him your past and view it through His eyes?

Pray with me:  Oh, Lord, my God, thank You for delivering the Israelites from bondage and mankind from sin.  Thank You for remembering me.  I remember You, too.  I can’t help but think of You and to dwell on how wonderful You are.  May there not be a day that goes by that I don’t realize that I am a sinner saved by the blood of Jesus.  May I use this memory to bestow Your gift of love to others.  May I never be proud of myself but always boast in You.  Help me to have a healthy memory of my past.  I give You the dirt of my past and ask You to unleash Your power so that the things that I am ashamed of can be used for Your glory.  I pray that through using my memory in a healthy way, learning more about You, and memorizing Your Word that my times when I fail are fewer in number.  Thank You for all that You have done and all that You will do.  You are worthy to be praised!  I lift up my voice to exalt You, O Lord God Almighty!  It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray.  Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study

The Extent of His Love

By Shirley Mitchell

“It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.”

John 13:1

Let’s talk about the interactions between Jesus and His followers on Jesus’ last night which was also His last Passover Feast. The brotherhood of men touches my heart like nothing else. The closeness of the disciples and Jesus’ great love for them permeate this night. Jesus was their whole lives. In Him, they were cleansed from their past lives. They had forsaken their occupations and wages to follow Him for three years because they believed that He was the Messiah to deliver Israel. He represented security and strength to them. All their hope for their future rested in His promises.

Jesus had sent Peter and John to prepare for Passover on this night. Every word of Jesus’ instructions for the preparations to Peter and John had come true. Just like Jesus said, they had found the man carrying a pitcher of water, and he had provided a room. At sundown, thirteen men met in an upper room in a house in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. By flickering flames, Jesus explained how much He desired to eat this Passover meal with them. He said He would not eat it again until it was fulfilled in the kingdom of God. In spite of the multiple warnings from Jesus, none of them understood that this was their last meal together, except the one who would betray Him.

Jesus knew that it was time for Him to leave this world and go to His Father. It was time to be betrayed. It was time to be arrested. It was time to be abandoned. It was time to be tried and tortured. It was time to be crucified. Jesus was fully aware of what the next 24 hours held; yet, instead of focusing on His impending crisis, He served His disciples and “showed them the full extent of His love.”

In a devotion time before a Lexington Passion Play performance, the actor who played Jesus shared his thoughts about a scene where the disciples and the crowd sing a praise song to Jesus and God. He said, “As you all sing the song ‘Jehovah,’ you disciples sing, dance, clap, and celebrate around me. I look at your faces and the glowing faces of you who play the crowd. I see the love you have for God.” Tears welled up in his eyes. Then he said with a breathlike voice while he choked back the emotion, “Your faces burn in my heart.”

On the last night with His disciples, I believe the faces of Jesus’ disciples were burning in His heart. His eyes must have been moist. Perhaps at times He looked around the table and saw others’ eyes were moist, too. I can see Jesus trying to grab every facial expression and every bit of human eye contact He could for His last few hours with His disciples. He was trying to savor these last moments with them. Yes, He knew He would see them again but only briefly until heaven. He knew what they would endure on account of Him so He communicated to them deeper than ever. He knew that in a little while they would cling to these last words. For now, they were struggling to follow the majestic things that He was saying. So on His last night, He showed them the extent of His love for them. The next day, Jesus showed every person who has ever lived, including you and me, the extent of His love for us. Maybe our faces were burning in His heart, and He clung to the fact that someday we would be with in heaven with our Father God – forever. Hallelujah and Glory to God!

Pray with me: I am amazed. It makes me stop and just absorb it like I’m drinking from a spiritual cup when it hits me how much You love me. I feel the chains of this life and the cares of this world fall off of me. I want to please You so much, Jesus, that You experience whatever the heavenly equivalent is of being choked up with emotion when You see me. It’s in Your Name that I pray, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study

Poured Out

By Shirley Mitchell

“Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

John 12:3

In the first story about Mary in the Bible, she is found sitting at Jesus’ feet while He is teaching. Her sister Martha is distracted by the preparations and complains to Jesus that she is not helping her. Luke 10:41-42 says, “ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’ "

In the last story – which includes today’s Scripture – about these two sisters, Martha was giving a dinner to honor Jesus six days before the Passover. The week before, Jesus had raised her brother Lazarus from the dead. Since Martha had just witnessed the greatest miracle of her life up to that moment, she was celebrating by serving dinner while the men reclined at the table with Jesus. Then Mary took an expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. She poured out the most expensive thing that she had. It may have been the treasure that she was saving for her marriage dowry. Nothing else would have held more value than that. She broke the ornamental jar and poured the perfume on Jesus’ head (Mark 14:3) and His feet (John 12:3). It was costly to her, but she had decided that she must pour it out to her Teacher, Messiah, and King.

People’s attitudes toward Mary and Martha have always bothered me. We have compartmentalized Martha to be the type A personality. If you want something done, then you go to a Martha. We think if we had more Martha’s in the church that we would get things done. In our fast-paced world filled with a list of to-do’s that could never be accomplished in our lifetimes, many of us relate to the “Martha” stereotype. Bible study gets put on the side while we get done our “have to” responsibilities. We collapse into our beds in exhaustion only to wake up in the morning to the alarm clock and be right back in the race.

Mary is known for lying around at Jesus’ feet and taking in a good Bible story and being uncaring and inconsiderate to her sister’s hard work. We think the Mary personality just attends Bible study and never serves in the church. She just brings her kids to the nursery for care and lets the Martha’s tend to the kids. She shows up for the fellowship dinner and socializes while the Martha’s work in the kitchen.

But I believe these two ladies were much more complex than the “get it done” girl and the “lazy, social” girl. I don’t think Mary’s choice was easy to sit at His feet or else Jesus would not have praised her.

A true Mary who has sat at the feet of Jesus, who has seen Him demonstrate His love and power in her life, will not just go to Bible study and suck in all the Word that she can and leave the service to the Martha’s. An authentic Mary is like a mighty rushing river that cannot be held back from ministry for the kingdom. You can’t stop her if your life depended upon it.

She will worship with no concern for how others may react to her. In fact her worship is unbridled! When you and I serve God out of the “Mary” in us who has chosen the better part, we will never find ourselves more alive. Our ministry may not be stress-free, but less stressful, because we are acting out of the Holy Spirit flowing out of us. We find fulfillment and significance. We uncover what we were created to do.

I can’t help but wonder if Martha had prepared enough beforehand that she, too, found the release of her soul as she served the dinner that night. As she waited on them at the table, did she find the joy that she had been lacking on the prior occasion? Did she find that her natural compulsion, when under the rule of the authority of Jesus, was also her passion?

I’ll be the first to say that writing is not my natural compulsion. However, when I write for you, I feel like the real “me” is being released. I feel like I’m getting a glimpse of the Shirley I will be in heaven. I feel closest to God when I pour out my heart for you through what He has shown me in His Word. If I am robbed of the time to do it, I almost feel like a part of me is dying like someone moaning in agony on her death bed dying a slow death. When I do it, my spirit is alive. I believe it is because I am in unison with the Holy Spirit playing a divine symphony in the heavenly realms. Just as the aroma in that room that night pleased Jesus, so I believe that when you and I serve out of the Mary within us that we please our Father. When we cannot stop ourselves from pouring it all for our God, we have won the ovation of our God and Father. Beloved, there is nothing sweeter in all of life than that!

Pray with me: Oh, God, You are life! You are our strength and our shield! You fulfill Your promise to never leave us! You are worth all sacrifice! Release Your Spirit through us. We want to serve You with the unbridled passion that Mary had. Show us the ministry thing that makes us feel like if we don’t do it, then we will die! We will just die! Disobedience is not an option because we cannot be stopped from doing it. When we serve You, either in the kitchen like Martha that night or on center stage like Mary doing the wild and the crazy, may we always do it for Your exaltation and never self-exaltation. May we become physically ill at the thought of ever receiving glory that is due Your Name. We serve for the applause of One, just for You, Lord. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright ©2011 Christ Compels Ministry

Examination of the Temple Treasury

By Shirley Mitchell

“Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.’ "

Mark 12:41-44

One of Jesus’ final acts in the temple was to examine the offerings of the people. Jesus sat down in a place with the perfect view of people putting money into the treasury. This was more than normal people-watching. This inspection went deep into the hearts of each person who placed his money in the temple treasury.

Jesus either recognized the widow’s poverty by her attire or by His divine knowledge. I suspect it was both. This widow gave the smallest offering one could give, one-eighth of a penny or 1/100 of an average daily wage. Yet, her gift touched her entire being. God honored it by doing great things with her small contribution.

God doesn’t exempt the poor from giving. The widow’s offering surpassed all other offerings because she gave sacrificially. The wealthy people’s gifts did not touch their lives at all. There gifts may have been large and a great benefit to the temple, but it didn’t require sacrifice. It didn’t require for them to evaluate how much did they really believe in supporting the temple and obeying God.

Half of Jesus’ parables concerned money. 15% of all that Jesus said pertained to our attitudes about money. His final act in the temple was to oversee the gifts to the temple treasury. Was it because as many people today claim, “Preachers are always begging for money”? Why do you think Jesus was so concerned with people’s gifts to the temple and with money?

Our God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills never needs to beg. I wouldn’t respect a god who had to beg his followers for money in order to thrive. Strangely, our giving to godly purposes is for our sake and not His. God has entrusted us to manage His affairs. We are to be stewards of His resources. God owns it all, and we administer it on His behalf. We are to be loyal and accountable to our Master’s business. His affairs are the priority over our ease, safety, and pleasure. God owns everything, but He decided to give some of it to us to teach us how to manage it. Why? Our faith is revealed by our giving. Our faith is strengthened by our giving. 1 Peter 1:7 says that our faith is worth more than gold.

I will never forget what a manager said one time at work while we were doing a market analysis of users of our machines, “Income doesn’t really matter. People find a way to spend money on what they really think they must have.” Do you really think that you “must have” God’s Name glorified?

I want you to remember two things about the places we decide to spend our money or give our money:

1. We give money to things in which we truly believe.

2. We give money to things that we want to empower.

Americans have been blessed with so much that it is hard for us to fathom giving all that we have to live on like this widow did. It is one thing to give to God out of abundance; it is another thing to give out of sacrifice. Surplus giving will result in mediocre living. When you and I give out of sacrifice, we are saying that the kingdom of God is more important to us than our own well-being on earth. Money represents the fuel which provides earthly energy to something. What do you want to empower?

God does not need us to empower Him. He is all powerful. We love money because it represents our physical livelihood or our pleasure. When we give to God, our hearts are saying we desire for God’s kingdom to be advanced over our own desires and sometimes needs. The power does not come in the money. The power comes from the hearts of the people belonging to their God. God responds to His people’s devotion and releases His supernatural power that catapults them into a spiritual explosion.

Jesus called His disciples to Him so He could praise her to others. The Holy Spirit inspired them to record her story for people from every generation to hear. Jesus esteemed this woman. He was delighted with her choice to choose God. Her affections were set on Him. Can you imagine impressing Jesus enough that He recognizes your actions in front of others? What an honor! Oh, sweet sister, how I want my life to please Him, too. Don’t you?

Pray with me: Oh, Father in Heaven. It is the desire of my heart for my giving of my resources to be because I truly want Your Kingdom to be empowered. Help me to overcome any unbelief in my life. Create in me a heart that desires to give sacrificially and not out of my excess. Couple the earthly energy of my money with the greater power of my Faith so that Your Name is Glorified throughout the entire earth, and heaven is impacted for eternity! It’s in the Name above of names and the Name that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study

The Rocks Will Cry Out

By Shirley Mitchell

“Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples!’

‘I tell you,’ he replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.’ "

Luke 19:39-40

Jesus accepted the public worship of His followers and did not silence them. He stated if the people were silent, then the stones would cry out. It was a day to give praise. Let’s explore history to understand why it was such a great day that inanimate objects would have to praise God for the event.

For centuries, cities were surrounded by walls made of stones. Guarded gates opened to those who were allowed to enter and shut out the unwanted. From the tops of the walls, watchmen surveyed the landscapes and the horizons to see anyone who approached the city as either an enemy or a friend. The condition of a city’s walls was a matter of pride or shame.

God gave Israel (the Northern kingdom) and Judah (Southern Kingdom which included Jerusalem) repeated chances to repent from their idol worship and turn to Him. The prophet Jeremiah warned the people and prophesied that they would be turned over to their enemies and be held captive for 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11-12). The prophecy was fulfilled when the Babylonian empire invaded Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Decades later in captivity, Daniel searches the Scriptures for this prophecy. He prayed for God to confirm the 70-year captivity period is near the end (Daniel 9:1-3). God not only told him that captivity would end soon, but He also told Daniel more of His plans for the future.

Daniel 9:25 says “…From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until…” This decree was issued by Cyrus, king of Babylon (or Persia), on March 5, 444 B.C. Ezra 1:1-2 tells us that “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing…The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build a temple for Him at Jerusalem in Judah.”

Jerusalem’s walls were also destroyed during the Babylonian invasion. The walls and the gates were in rubble. While living in exile, Nehemiah learned “…The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” (Nehemiah 1:3) He sat down and wept, fasted, prayed, and reminded God of His covenant of love that God always keeps (1:5). God had placed Nehemiah in the palace as the cupbearer for the king. When Nehemiah was sad in front of the Babylonian king, the king asked him, “Why this sadness of heart?”

Nehemiah asked the king if he could return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls. God granted Nehemiah favor and success with the Babylonian king, and this king gave him the provision to rebuild the walls. However, the enemies of darkness attempted to thwart God’s plan. Their enemy mocked them saying the stones could not be brought back to life. The Jews were so committed to bring honor and protection to their beloved city that they did it under the fear of attack. They risked their lives to rebuild the walls.

Are you grasping the big picture yet as seen from God’s holy throne? The walls that Nehemiah had rebuilt after the Israelites were released from the 70-year Babylonian captivity would have cried out because of the eternal significance of this event. If the people of this generation would not recognize the Messiah, then an inanimate object with a tie to the previous generations would have to recognize Him. Praise for the true and long awaited Messiah could not be repressed or veiled. The stones would bear witness to this day anticipated by men of long ago. The stones would have cried out for the men who fought to build those walls who had the faith to honor their God and risked their lives to rebuild the city. The stones would have cried out because all of creation is crying out for our Redeemer. The stones would have cried out to give praise to the Most High God who fulfilled His divine plan made before the creation of the world, using kings set into their positions of authority who withstood enemies’ attempts to thwart His plan from being fulfilled.

In my church’s Passion Play this year, the directors asked me if I would take the role of the mute. Jesus heals the mute right after the triumphal entry. After praying over it, God told me there was no way I could be silent during the triumphal entry. After writing today’s study, my heart will be overflowing with joy as I act out these people’s emotions over this long awaited day. Even now, my heart is filled with praise like the lyrics to the song we sing at the play’s closing:

“If we keep our voices silent, all creation will rise and shout.

If we fail to praise You, Father, then will the very rocks cry out.”

An inanimate object won’t give my God the praise that He desires from my lips and from my voice. That’s my job. That’s your job. It’s time to let a little WAHOO-ing out, darling!

Pray with me: Oh, Lord, God, I praise YOU! Thank you, Father, for what this day meant to people for many generations! This world is crying out for a Redeemer…One who protects us from our enemies…One who frees us from captivity. Jesus, You are the answer to generations who have cried out for such a Redeemer so I cry out in worship! It’s in the Name above all names and the Name that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study, Copyright ©2008 Christ Compels

Hosanna!

By Shirley Mitchell
“They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!’ ”

Matthew 21:7-9

The Mount of Olives is a ridge about two and a half miles long on the other side of the Kidron Valley east of Jerusalem. From this mount, Jesus instructed His disciples to find a donkey with her colt beside her. Scholars say the mother was most likely taken to calm the colt. The time had arrived for Jesus to enter Jerusalem, the “city of peace”.

Jesus had walked throughout Galilee and Jordan; yet, on this glorious day He chose to ride into Jerusalem to fulfill prophecy. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was nothing like a Caesar’s triumphal entry with fanfare and Roman guards that sometimes continued for two to three days. A Caesar or a conquering general would ride on a chariot of gold pulled by stallions. Officers would display the banners from the defeated armies. At the end of the procession, slaves and prisoners in chains would be forced to march through as the spoils of victory. Jesus’ entry was nothing like that. His followers were the lame, the blind, children, Galileans (of all things!), and the peasants. However, His entry did declare that a king was coming. When ridden by a king, the donkey was an animal of peace. However, when a king rode a horse, it was an animal of war. Jesus was presenting Himself in Jerusalem as the Messiah while His earthly ministry closed down.

Jews traveled to Jerusalem for the weeklong Passover feast. The road was filled with Jews on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The custom of their day was to spread out cloaks on the ground ahead of royalty like a royal carpet. The people cut down branches from the trees to wave in welcome. They shouted “Hosanna to the Son of David!”, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”, and “Hosanna in the highest!” Hosanna is made by two Hebrew words:

1. Hosha – “to save”
2. Na – “help, please”.

The people were shouting, “Save us, please”. Most people believed Jesus would now set them free from the oppression of Rome. They expected Him to be a national ruler who would exalt the nation of Israel and restore it to its former glory. The nation’s highest hope for centuries now filled the air. Tears must have run down the women’s cheeks. The men were so happy they weren’t sure if their hearts were going to keep on beating. Maybe they were skipping, leaping, patting each other’s shoulders, shaking hands, and hugging each other.

The Jewish leaders did not miss the significance of Jesus riding the previously unridden colt into Jerusalem. They knew He was fulfilling the Zechariah 9:9 prophecy. Yet, the Jewish leaders rejected the Messiah. They must have cringed at this unbridled spectacle. This mob could turn against the authority of the Roman rule and bring the Roman sword against the city.

Jesus saw through the crowd’s infectious enthusiasm. He knew what would happen in just one week. Therefore, Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem. The Greek word for wept is klauso which means “to weep, wail, lament, implying not only the shedding of tears, but also every external expression of grief.” Klauso is weeping from the pit of one’s soul. It is much deeper than the tears that Jesus shed in the story of Lazarus. When He saw Jerusalem, He wept loudly and demonstratively. “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – but now it is hidden from your eyes.” Jerusalem, the “city of peace”, did not recognize the “Prince of Peace”. The truth was hidden from the people.

I never want the truth to be hidden from me! I want to recognize what He brings in my life that will bring me peace. Don’t you?

Pray with me: Oh, Lord, my God, I join the crowds who rejoice in the coming of my Savior. I know the peace Jesus brings. I know the wounds He heals. I know the freedom of the chains that He has broken. It makes me want to skip, leap, and celebrate. Help me to recognize what will bring me peace. It’s in the Name above all names and the Name that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study

Mary’s Choice

By Shirley Mitchell

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’

‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’ ”

Luke 10:38-42

Was honest labor being rebuked? Was hospitality? What was wrong with caring about Jesus and the disciples, making sure they were well fed and comfortable, the linens were clean, and the food was tasty?  What was Jesus really saying when He said that Mary had chosen what was better and it would not be taken from her?

Please don’t make the mistake of thinking Mary did not know that she had some responsibility to finish the chores and preparation of the home. She was not lazy either. Don’t minimize the fullness of her choice. She chose to respond to the situation differently than her sister. She chose to spend time in the Lord’s presence.  She made the better choice.

Not only did Mary’s choice benefit her, Jesus allowed the situation to expose Martha’s heart. If Mary had been helping, then the incident would not have occurred which revealed Martha’s insecurities and feelings. Isn’t that encouraging that when we choose wisely and worship Him, that not only will Jesus defend us to the ones who point their fingers at us, but He also is able to expose their hearts? Mary kept quiet and let the Lord handle Martha. I had to share this truth with one of my daughters. Many times I have told her that the volume of her crying and complaining against her sister who has wronged her is so loud that I can’t get to the heart of her sister.

Mary’s choice benefited herself. It benefited Martha. It also benefited all women. In Mary’s time, a woman was expected to be concerned about many things, but never about ideas. No woman had been allowed to discuss spiritual matters with a man other than her husband. Women were treated as house slaves, men’s property. The Jewish religion was male-dominated. Women were only allowed to enter the women’s court of the temple to worship and in the gallery in the synagogues.

Jesus flung open the door to God’s view of womanhood. When He invited Mary to sit down at His feet and engage in Bible teaching, He shattered the gender barrier that separated women from the spiritual intimacy with their God. No longer were women at a distance, peering through the window, while men splashed in the pool of intimacy. Women were invited to dive in to splash around, too. Mary began the wave of women who chose the better part. I pray that you and I will never let it be taken from us again, nor will we give it away through being consumed by many things that breed neglect.

Pray with me: Oh, Lord, my God, I want to be like Mary and sit at Your feet. Help me to prioritize my life and to put You first. Make me attentive and not neglectful. I cry out for You! May my friends and my loved ones also splash into the pool of intimacy with You. There are no barriers between us because Jesus broke them all. It’s in His precious name that I pray. Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study