God's Way

God’s Way
In one of my previous blogs I noted how Jesus had become a political liability to the Jewish religious leadership of the day. In this portion of scripture John records Jesus as doing something that most definitely twists the religious leaders the wrong way. John writes, 
“The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.  
They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!’” 
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” 
“Blessed is the King of Israel!”  
Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, 
“Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” 
At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him. 
Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.  
Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.  
So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” John 12:12-19.
Up until this point Jesus had discouraged public expressions of support now however a week before he would be crucified he allowed it.
The crowds welcomed him as a prince. They placed palm branches down before him and called out “Hosanna” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
John tells us,
“Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.  
Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.” John 12:17,18.
John notes the reaction of the Pharisees saying,
“So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” 
Up until this point they had taken no physical action against Jesus. They had not arrested him or detained him in any way probably for two reasons.  One the crowd believed in him and they feared the wrath of the crowd. If the crowd rioted the Romans would step in and their positions would be in jeopardy. Also they had no legal grounds to arrest him.
Still however they feared what Jesus may do.
These men were blind to the fact that Jesus was not the conquering Messiah but the suffering Messiah. Even his disciples were blind to this.
After the resurrection of Jesus while he was meeting with His disciples the book of Acts records this conversation,
“So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.  Acts 1:6,7.
It would have seemed to any person thinking logically with the wisdom of man that getting yourself crucified as Jesus did was not the way to conquer the world.
The apostle Paul however tells us,
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.
The apostle Paul when writing to the Romans said,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8.
Jesus tells us,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16,17.
God could have used a mighty army or bring legions of angels to force man to submit to His will but he didn’t. That would not have produced true believers. Many would have believed simply out of fear of what God could do to them.
Napoleon the late French emperor said of Jesus,
"You speak of Caesar, of Alexander, of their conquests and of the enthusiasm which they enkindled in the hearts of their soldiers; but can you conceive of a dead man making conquests, with an army faithful and entirely devoted to his memory? My armies have forgotten me even while living, as the Carthaginian army forgot Hannibal. Such is our power.”
“I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him.”
“I search in vain history to find similar to Jesus Christ, or anything which can approach the gospel.  Neither history nor humanity, nor ages, nor nature, offer me anything with which I am able to compare it or to explain it. Here everything is extraordinary.”Napoleon Bonaparte.
In Jesus, God reached down in Love to each person offering them eternal life with Him. The apostle Paul noting,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9.
Salvation and Eternal Life with God is free to all who would believe in Jesus. Thus the choice is yours.
Please think about it.

God's Way

God's Way
The apostle Paul writes,
“I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.  
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”  2 Corinthians 10:2-4.
Here is something many Christians forget. Although we live in the world. We do not wage war the way the world does. Our warfare is spiritual not physical.
I look at the society around me here in North America and I see people demonstrating against everything they disagree with. Now there is nothing wrong with a peaceful demonstration. It tells people in power especially, there are those out there that have another point of view.
Certainly in my lifetime demonstrations have become the norm. I can remember the protests against the Viet Nam war. Against American Nuclear weapons in England. Of late there have been demonstrations against the top 1%. Against same sex marriage, abortion, against political candidates. The list goes on and on.
How effective these demonstrations are is subjective. Some do work some don’t. Most allow at the very least freedom of expression.
Demonstrating for or against something is the way of the world. Sadly however Christians have adopted this method to try and change things.
I think Christians should evaluate things however especially if they demonstrate against things. The apostle Paul states,
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”
Picture this if you can. Imagine a group of people living in a world that has teachings and beliefs that are quite the opposite to what they believe. A world that has practices that are morally reprehensible to what they believe. With a government that allows these practices to continue without regulation.
This is the world Jesus and the Apostles lived in. In Corinth alone there were supposedly hundreds of temple prostitutes. Pagan teachings and ceremonies were every where.
When the apostle Paul entered Athens there were temples to dozens of gods. Things were being going on that Paul, a Jew would have found very much in conflict to what he believed. Yet Paul said nothing about them.
Paul didn’t protest to the Roman Emperor. Nero wouldn’t have listened anyway. In fact Nero later on had Paul put to death along with Peter.
Yet Paul said,

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. 

Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” 

Romans 12:9-18.

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, 

for there is no authority except that which God has established. 

The authorities that exist have been established by God.” 

Romans 13:1   

Billy Graham the American evangelist, speaking about the Apostles of Christ said,
“The men who followed Him (Christ), were unique in their generation. They turned the world upside down because their hearts had been turned right side up. The world has never been the same.” Billy Graham.
The men and women who followed Christ knew what the Apostle Paul was saying was right when he said,
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” 2 Corinthians 10:4.
We have the power to change society. To change the way people think it is the power of Love and the Grace of God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
We as Christians need to stop using the weapons of the world and fight our battles using God’s word.
The temple prostitutes in Corinth are no longer practising. The temple they served in is in ruins. The temples to all those Greek Gods Paul seen in Athens are now ruins. Their priest long dead. The power that was the Roman Empire with it’s emperor worship and worship of idols are but notes in history.
Christianity on the other had is in every country in the world today. Even in countries that violently oppress Christians it survives.
Christianity survives because true men and women of God do not fight with the weapons of the world. They fight with prayer, and The Word of God. Weapons that demolish strongholds that the weapons of this world cannot defeat.
True Christians stick to the script. They obey what the writer of Hebrews states,

“Make every effort to live in peace with all men 

and to be holy; 

without holiness no one will see the Lord.” 

Hebrews 12:14.

     True Christian follow the command of Christ who said,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.

In doing so the lives will be changed and the world will be a better place.

Please think about it.