GuineaField

Jesus’ final days on earth were packed with teaching.   A large chunk of all that we have recorded of Jesus’ teaching on earth is recorded from the final week of His life.   Much of that was given on Tuesday.   We read some poignant parables directed to the Pharisees which did not miss their mark (ouch!).   He calls them hypocrites to their face in front of their home crowd.   For many of these sessions, we can picture Jesus in that outer court of the Gentiles (which He brought to order a couple days ago, you will remember) with a large crowd gathered around teaching the common man using pictures they could understand (albeit some pictures they could not understand). Books have been written on the teaching recorded on Tuesday of Passion Week, so it is beyond our devotional study to delve into these paragraphs.   Instead, I would like to point your attention to one paragraph from Matthew which tells us of two meetings that may have even occurred simulta...

Jesus’ practice in the first part of the Passion Week was to spend the night in Bethany which was about a two mile walk from Jerusalem.   Perhaps He and His disciples spent the nights with His friend Lazarus.    Early in the morning Jesus would walk to Jerusalem.   The walk was uphill.   No doubt the path was busy, well-traveled from other worshipers coming for the Passover festivities.   A “Curse”   On Monday, as Jesus traveled the uphill path, He looked ahead at a fig tree that was unseasonably lush with green leaves.   He anticipated a nice snack only to find that the tree was fruitless.   Jesus used this to teach a lesson.   Matthew expounds on the lesson more Tuesday morning, but it is most likely Monday that the Lord declares that no one will eat fruit from the tree again.   This ‘curse’ is not a spontaneous vendetta because of hunger.   The Lord is teaching something much more serious.   Tuesday mo...

Today is Palm Sunday.   Each of the Gospels record the event because the Lord wanted us to remember the significance of the event.   Brace yourself, it has little to nothing to do with Palm branches.   Though they may help us remember the occasion.   Do you remember?   Let’s read Matthew’s account to recollect the scene.   “The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats.   Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road.   The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is He Who comes in the name of the LORD; Hosanna in the highest!’   When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, ‘Who is this?’   And the crowds were saying, ‘This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth i...

The Saturday before the Sunday traditionally called "Palm Sunday" included a beautiful event which gives a valuable worship pattern.  Listen to the beautiful story. "So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him.  Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.  But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, 'Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?'  Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.  Therefore Jesus said, 'Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.  For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me'"  (J...

I'm definitely a guy.   Today is Christmas Eve so I loaded up the four kiddos (onto the bus) and ran to Queens Center Mall to give them a chance to get mommy & daddy some last minute Christmas presents.   I was shocked.   There cannot be another place on earth busier than this.   Viewed from the clouds the Mall must look like an ant hill.   Lines of people are pouring from the subway, from the parking garages, from the surrounding sidewalks and climbing in line up the hill.   All the ants take little crumbs away from the colony instead of bringing crumbs into it.   They crawl over each other as they leave the ant hill with their crumbs packed in variously sized plastic bags.   We added to the organized chaos and took our crumbs back home. What a difference 2,000 years makes!   The first Christmas Eve was much more simple.   In Bethlehem there was no procession of lines of people to see the King.   Yes, the city was packed ...

I really enjoyed my run Monday morning as Hurricane Sandy began to brew.  She brought strong wind and a cold mist across my path.   Forest Park enjoys several miles of running trails through as much a forest as a runner can get around here.   The scene was breathtaking.   The mighty branches of the oaks were swirling around like leaves.   "The trees of the field [were clapping] their hands."   The forest chorus made a large and majestic sound - similar to Niagara , though perhaps on mute.   Twenty four hours later and the beauty of the storm was gone.   Now, scenes of destruction replace the scenes of majesty.   Among them are scenes from Breezy Point.   I was a security guard in this little gated community in Queens while working as a youth pastor several years ago.   Devastating!   Once quiet sandy streets are now blocked with houses and other floating debris.   100 homes burnt to the ground.    The...

This verse (Psalm 119:91) is so encouraging to me. Here are two thoughts of application. First, all that comes my way is a servant in the hand of God, and I need not fear His servants (to complete the deduction... therefore I need not fear anything that comes my way). Second, I am privileged as well, to be one of His servants. So I want to be as faithful and trustworthy as possible. All things are His Servant   All that comes my way is His servant. Criticism is His servant. Loosing my keys, a splitting headache, and a whole in my favorite shirt are all His servants. They are sent with His permission to build me in grace and glorify His name. The loss of a child, terminal cancer, loosing a job or career, and being side-swiped by a drunk driver are His servants as well. These too are sent with His permission. These too work His work of grace in my life. If you believe this verse then you can smile at life's storms. They are still rough waves to row through. You still g...

Danny Anderson was feeding his horses with his son in Prosser, Washington when he spied a rattle snake too close for comfort. They pinned the snake to the grounds with an irrigation pipe and cut its head off with a shovel. Dead. As Danny reached down to throw the snake’s head aside the fangs bit in to his hand with enough force to latch tight. Danny shook the snake from his hand but the venom was already seeping into his bloodstream. By the time he reached the emergency room his tongue was swollen and the poison had begun to spread through the rest of his body ( MSNBC AP Article ). A dead snake can do much harm. In the same way Satan’s head is severed – he has been dealt the death blow at the cross. Although the Son’s heel was bruised at the cross, the serpent’s head was crushed. Dead. The last two thousand years are the last ditch efforts of Satan; he's spewing his poison into the world. His fangs are still latching on wherever possible and he longs to infect you. He is...

I have been reading through Exodus/Leviticus devotionally and have been struck again with the demand for blood. When sins were transferred from the person to the lamb the lamb had to die. His blood had to be spilt. Also, if the priests were not ordained properly they too would have to die. Either they were set apart correctly through the death of a ram (among other things) or the priest would have to die. The specific verse that hit me this morning was Leviticus 8:35: ESV "At the entrance of the tent of meeting you shall remain day and night for seven days, performing what the LORD has charged, so that you do not die, for so I have been commanded." My Priest was perfect yet He had to die for my sin. He was ordained perfectly; He was always doing what pleased the Father yet He chose to be the Lamb of God that takes away my sin. What a glorious Gospel this! I’m also reading through Charles Simeon’s biography. He came to faith in Jesus through examining the picture of the Old Te...

Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. What a challenge to live out each day! This is truly a passage that helps us gain the big picture of life. All must be to the glory of God. Bach wrote 'SDG' at the bottom of each cantata 'Soli Deo Gloria' - 'Only to God be the glory.' Oh that I would live each day this way. Each hour one bar in a cantata of praise lived out to the glory of God. Living each moment to make Him bigger in others eyes. That is life. And life lived that way is true contentment. This Sunday's Sermon: http://www.nycgrace.org/pages/sermons.aspx?fsId=10&itemId=44

Recently, in my time with the Lord, I read from from I Chronicles 10. The Lord instructed me about the comparison of the lives of Saul and David and also Peter and Judas with reference to their repentance . . . I don’t have time to develop this but here are a few thoughts: 1. Fear a repentance composed of seeking man’s forgiveness and not God’s. Saul’s repentance sounds good in word. But there are no tears or remorse and there are several egregious sins over an extended period of time only once do we read of repentance. In that time of repentance (I Samuel 15) the words sound good but they are really superficial. There is a lack of acknowledging the sin to God. Saul speaks to Samuel and seems to be afraid to speak with His God (He says to Samuel “Pardon my sin”). David has no go between. He says, “against you and you only have I sinned and done this evil.” Saul’s seems tied to his position before the elders of Israel (I Samuel 15:30) 2. Fear a tearless repentance. In both David (Psa...