If Words Could Speak...

What if words could speak?  Literally, what if written words could speak audible phrases?  What if books in stores could speak up for themselves when they noticed you or I judging them by their "interesting" or "bland" covers?  (here comes the tough one)  What if that Bible on the shelf could speak...what would it say?  Would it develop asthma because of the layers of dust?  Would it physically ache all over from overuse?  Possibly...would your Bible speak these words:

There's a growing ignorance of what the Bible actually says, these days.  As the song said, people may have Bible quotes tatted on their arms, but there's no actual application or understanding of the words.  Check out this excerpt from Donald Whitney's book, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life:

"In August of 1989 I had the privilege of participating in a mission trip to the bush country of East Africa...I was unprepared for some of my encounters with many of the professing Christians in this equatorial setting.  Lying, stealing, and immorality were common and generally accepted, even among the leadership of the church.  Theological understanding was as scarce as water...

Soon I discovered one of the main reasons this church looked as though it had been started by Corinthian missionaries.  No one had a Bible--not the pastor, not the deacon, no one.  The pastor had only half-a-dozen sermons, all half-baked over the coals of a few Bible-story recollections.  Every sixth week came the same sermon.  The only real contact with Scripture happened with the occasional visit of a missionary...

Most of us shake our heads in pity at such sad conditions.  It's hard to imagine that many of us have more Bibles in our homes than entire churches have in some Third-World situations.  But it's one thing to be unfamiliar with Scripture when you don't own a Bible; it's another thing when you have a bookshelf full."

What's your time worth to you?  What's it worth to me?  I challenge you (and myself), invest time into discovering God in the Scriptures.  It's vital to truly knowing God and living a godly life.  Again, I ask, "What do you value?"  Because God values you.

Grace Like Rain

The weather was crazy today, and while it didn't exactly resemble the picture above, it was pretty darn close!  Tornadoes touching down, random splatters of rain, elementary school evacuations...  And I heard about it all, while I worked on the 19th floor of my office building in Rockville, MD.  Honestly, I looked outside and just saw GRAY EVERYTHING, so I didn't think much of it.  After all, I felt safe where I was.  All that changed when my boss told me to leave early because of the threatening weather.

I walked out of the lobby of my office building and was nearly lifted off of my feet by the wind, alone!  (No short jokes)  Sensing the danger, I rushed to the Metro.  After all, when there's trouble up high, it's best to get low.  (Who's got short jokes now?!)  Due to the relative safety of the Metro, I forgot about the weather.  Then I boarded the MARC train to head home...

My train left Union Station and stopped in the middle of the tracks with rain pouring down all around it.  I couldn't even see out the windows.  At this point, I was a bit concerned--didn't bring a jacket or umbrella.  After 20 minutes of sitting still and another 20 minutes of riding, I finally made it to my stop.  I got off and the rain was still pouring!  I ran to the underpass to get to the other side of the tracks, but when I got to the other side, the rain had stopped!  For what seemed like no reason at all, the rain stopped for the entire time until I reached my car!

On my brisk walk to the car, I paused--only mentally--to thank God for the gift of a dry commute.  That's when He hit me with the wildest truth:  The fact that the rain had paused had nothing to do with anything I had done.  I was totally helpless before the elements--no jacket, no umbrella, no roof.  It was all God.  You may be thinking, "Jamil, aren't you making too much out of this?"  Not at all.  Think about it:

I sat in my office building in relative comfort, totally unaware of the destruction that awaited me.  I was content to continue working in my "safe zone," but I was removed from that environment and confronted with the danger that I had only glanced at through a window.  Going into survival mode, I tried to fend for myself by going underground, only to find myself stuck on the tracks.  Then, when all hopes of remaining dry had dissipated, God stepped in and cleared the way for me.

In the same way, in the past I walked through life, unaware of the destruction that awaited me due to my sin.  I was content to continue living my sinful lifestyle until I was confronted with the danger of my apathy (thanks, Steven).  I tried to DO things to make it right, but came up short.  It wasn't until I got to a point, realizing that it's all GOD and not me, that I found a reason to smile and whisper three words that have become a favorite phrase:  "Thank you, Lord."

Paul, inspired by God, makes it clear:

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them.  And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." - 2 Corinthians 5:17-19

My sins aren't counted against me.  There's no debt to pay, no hurdle to get over, no mountain to climb--Jesus paved a flat pathway to God that I might fellowship with Him unhindered!  And He's done the same for you.  If you aren't already, I implore you:  "Be reconciled to God.  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:20-21)

God!  I love Your creation...you teach me so many things through it..."nothing in my hands I bring; only to the cross I cling..."

Whose Plans???

Before I begin, let me wish a HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you!!!  (assuming that people will read this...maybe?  Lol!)  I've been really thinking about 2010 lately; I couldn't say that it was my most favorite year, but it was ok.  At church yesterday, I was with the Youth Ministry like usual, helping out and putting the middle schoolers in head-locks (j/k).  The middle school ministry leader asked a question:  "What is one bad thing from 2010, one good thing from 2010, and what would you like to do differently in 2011?"  He wanted everyone to answer--not just the kids.  I really got to thinking...

2010 was characterized by one truth, and that truth is my "bad thing from 2010":  NOT A SINGLE THING THAT I PLANNED WENT THE WAY THAT I EXPECTED OR HOPED!!!  Lol!  Seriously, though.  I entered into my final Spring semester of college and expected to graduate with no issues (after all, I hadn't had any issue before my senior year).  Instead, I ended up having to "run a marathon" just to walk across the stage!  I almost didn't graduate and the stress from my professors (and myself) was crucially heavy!  But I did graduate with a Bachelors in Architecture (truly by God's grace).

During that time, I was also planning my grand scheme for proposal that I had arranged to be in May.  Everything I was setting up was falling into place perfectly, and then it all fell apart in a nice "domino effect."  First, my girlfriend broke up with me (kind of a big element in the proposal scheme).  Then, the money that had been donated for the plan dried up in all the graduation madness.  Finally, the ring situation just evaporated.

Then came the summer.  I planned to work my "final" summer at Camp Sonshine and then begin full-time work in an architecture firm in August.  Instead, God closed the door on those applications and led me to stay at Camp Sonshine as part of the intern program (me in full-time ministry at THIS point in my life?!).

Fall came, and with it, quite an adventure.  My girlfriend and I got back together during the summer and I proceeded with my proposal planning.  With the help of some great friends, I managed to pull off a nice proposal, and she said "Yes."  So, with my fiancé, I moved forward in wedding planning.  As I've said in other posts, I enjoyed it!  ***spoiler warning***  But after 3 months of being engaged, my fiancé and I called the engagement, and the relationship, off (story shortened to prevent a never-ending post).

Haha!  I think you get the picture.  I had so many plans for 2010!  I remember God saying on New Year's last year that 2010 would be a "year of change."  Apparently, His "change" and my "change" differed, just a bit.  Lol!  It's cool, though, because my good thing for 2010 was that NOT A SINGLE THING THAT I PLANNED WENT THE WAY THAT I EXPECTED OR HOPED!!!  Lol!  Let me explain:

1)  I faced many issues and barriers to graduation, but they only caused me to go deeper into prayer and to CONSISTENTLY seek out the fellowship of believers for encouragement.
2)  I didn't get engaged at the end of May like I planned, but with everything else that was going on at the time, I wouldn't have been able to truly put all of my energy into planning for a memorable proposal.
3)  I didn't get a job in an architecture firm, but I'm able to work in full-time ministry with people I love and admire from camp!  Not only that, but I was in the perfect work-environment to endure the situation with the broken engagement!  I mean, not only could I find encouragement in my personal times and at church, but at work, too!
4)  The engagement ended, but it ended!  Can you imagine what marriage would have been like if I had a wife who still doubted if we should even be together in the first place?!!!  That would have been MISERABLE!

In the end, nothing happened how I planned it, but nothing happened that was bad for me (Romans 8:28).  The Scriptures are true:  "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps" (Proverbs 16:9).  Now all I want to do for 2011 is LET GO!!!  Sure I can plan some things, but if God closes a door, then I need to let it go--it's too much stress and headache trying to hold on to MY visions of how things should go.  After all, God is sovereign; I think He knows a little better than me.  ;-)

A Tale of Two "Loves"

I sat down to study this morning and realized that I had come to the end of the Gospel of John.  It's been a wonderful trek, I'll admit!  But the end was truly the climax--from which there is no falling action.

 "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"  "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."

This discourse between Jesus and Peter was repeated 3 times in the passage of John 21:15-19.  Each time Jesus was asking Peter for something very dear to him--something so cherished and hidden by man that God has sought it since the Fall.  If you look up the Greek word that Jesus uses for "love", you'll find the following:

Agapaō: To love, indicates a direction of the will and finding one's joy in something

Contrast with that the word that Peter uses for "love":

Phileō: To love, with the meaning of having common interests with another.  To befriend.

When looking at these two definitions, would you conclude that Jesus received the type of love He wanted?  I see a key element missing as I read.  Peter's use of the word "love" only included the range of the word "phileo."  Phileo has a limited range, in that it may or may not include a choice of the will.  Think about it.  If God only loved me in the sense of "phileo", then the moment I did something that was opposite of His desire, He could elect to stop loving me--there would be virtually no room for GRACE.  Still, this is the type of love that Peter offered, and sometimes I offer, Jesus.  Let's continue...

"Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?'  'Yes, Lord,' he said, 'you know that I love you.'  Jesus said, 'Feed my lambs.'"

 Check the response that Jesus gives:  "Feed my lambs."  The word used for "feed" is:

Boskō: To feed the sheep, swine.

Keep this in mind; we'll return to it in a bit.  Let's look at the second time Jesus questions Peter:

"Again Jesus said, 'Simon son of John, do you truly love me?'  He answered, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.'  Jesus said, 'Take care of my sheep.'"

This is interesting.  Peter's answer is still the same, but gets a promotion in responsibility?!!!  Actually, yes!  Check the word used for "take care of":

Poimainō: To shepherd, tend.

"Poimaino" involves much more than "bosko."  It implies the whole office of the shepherd--guiding, guarding, and folding of the flock, as well as leading it to nourishment.  Let's look at the third questioning:

"The third time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?'  Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, 'Do you love me?'  He said, 'Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.'  Jesus said, 'Feed my sheep.'"

The interesting point of this dialogue is that the definition for "feed" switches back to the original "bosko."  Jesus recognized that Peter wasn't at the point He had wanted him to be; so, meeting Peter where he was, Jesus gave him instruction to fit his heart condition.  It makes me wonder:  "How often has God wanted to give me a task, but upon recognizing that I wasn't fully dedicated and ready, simply met me where I was?"  This isn't a condemning thought, but one to grow from; for from this point onward, I can CHOOSE to find my joy in God as He does in me.

I know many of you who are reading this are like me; you say, "Lord, I want to be used by You!  Be exalted in my life!"  If you are really like me, then you read this and start thinking of the past and things you could have done differently...how you could have stood for God at that point...how you could have shared with that person...  God's message to you and me in this situation is simply that HE ISN'T DONE, YET!

At the end of His personal discussion with Peter, Jesus tells him the type of death by which Peter would glorify God (v. 18-19).  Afterward, Jesus says, rather strongly I might add, "Follow me!"  Much like He does with the psalmists in the book of Psalms, God doesn't leave his people without hope.  Can you hear His heart in this?

"Peter, at this time you aren't ready for what I have planned for you.  That is fine; I'll come to you.  Don't be downcast, my son; for off in the distance, I see you glorifying me greatly with your death!  Simply follow me and I'll lead you there, with plenty of chances to be used by Me along the way!  I [agapaō] you!"

Be encouraged, dear brother or sister in Christ!  And please don't misread what I'm saying.  We don't "mess up God's plan" by our lack of readiness!  God's will is absolute!  As Mordecai encouraged his cousin Esther, "If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place..." (Esther 4:14).  There is absolutely no pressure on us as far as ruining God's plan (as if we could).  Still, God wants to use us!  Let's let Him!  In order to do that, we must do as Jesus said and  FOLLOW HIM.  

PS - You'd never even believe me if I told you that my study this morning really focused on verses 19-22...  Lol!  All of this was noted earlier, but expounded upon just now...talk about chewing on the meat of the Word!  Be blessed, family!

Willfulness

If I asked you how you define sin, what would you say?  If you asked me, I'd probably answer with, "Missing the mark," or, "lawlessness" (1 John 3:4).  I recently listened to a message by a guy named Ken Graves.  Coincidentally, that message was entitled "Be a Man."  Lol!  If you want, you can check out that message here.  In any case, in his message, Ken Graves defined sin as "willfulness."

What's interesting is that his definition lines up with what I've been noticing as I've read through the Gospel of John.  What did Jesus come to do?  Some would say that He came to die for the sins of the world.  Others would say that He came to demonstrate for us the "most excellent way" (1 Corinthians 12:31).  Both of those answers are correct and point to the larger reason for Jesus coming in the flesh:  to do the will of the One who sent Him.

Numerous times in the book of John, Jesus mentions how He can only do what the Father does, how He only seeks to please the Father, or how His words are not His own (John 5:19 & 30; 6:38; 7:16 & 28; 8:28-29 & 42; 12:49-50; 14:10 & 24).  Jesus was truly all about His Father's work and will; He wasn't caught up in what He willed, but deferred to the Father.

In fact, we can see examples of Jesus denying Himself so that the Father could be glorified by others.  If we look at John 11:4-6, we see a situation where people whom Jesus loved (v.5) were in distress; yet, instead of going to them immediately, He, being led by the Spirit (v.6), stayed where He was for 2 more days.  Of course, we know the rest of the story of Lazarus' death and how Jesus raised him from the dead.  But think of Jesus in His humanity.

He had emptied Himself of His divine power before coming to earth (Philippians 2:7)--He was working in the power of the Spirit, just as you and I can today.  He wasn't peaking ahead in time and seeing how it would end; rather, Jesus was trusting in the Father (v.4).  So when Jesus received the news of Lazarus' sickness, I'm sure His flesh did the same thing that our flesh usually does--spring up with anxiety.  Can you hear the anxious thoughts?  "Lazarus is dying!  You have the power to save him, so do it!"

But Jesus pushed back His own will to see Lazarus, and those anxious thoughts, and did the will of the Father (through the prompting of the Spirit).  He waited 2 more days and Lazarus died; however, ultimately, Lazarus lived and God was glorified by multitudes (John 11:45; 12:9-11).  In Jesus we see the perfect example of how to have a trusting and loving relationship with God!  Yet, when issues arise in our lives, everything just goes right out the window, right?  Lol!  I know it gets like that with me.  Recently, I've had issues with college--my professors don't want me to graduate on time.  Though I've done the required work, they've told me that I haven't done enough to graduate.  They've even began to throw out suggestions that I could graduate in May of 2011.  I'm in a 5-year major, so you can imagine how them suggesting another year made me feel!

Almost immediately I was upset and anxious, crying out to God because of the situation.  Then I recognized how Jesus lived His life--in TRUE self-denial.  Thoughts came to mind like, "What if God wants to get glory from your graduation struggles?" and "Why are you really upset?"  Honestly, I was upset because this wasn't happening the way I wanted it to happen, and because, ultimately, I don't want to fail.  Truly, I have never read of Jesus having such an attitude as this in the Scriptures.  Lol!

Willfulness is the sin that flies beneath the radar.  It gets you and I to think that we are truly souled-out for the Lord, when really we just want what we want--not God's will, but our will be done.  God has given us LIFE!!!  Are we willing to abandon all else for this marvelous gift and the marvelous Giver?

I'm not even going to assume to know what you, the reader, needs; but I need to continually remember that God is not some unruly dictator who could care less for my well-being.  God knows what I need, and He gives it to me.  That may sometimes line up with what I want; but I must trust God regardless because He can see the things that I can't--He knows better than me.  After all, He is sovereign.  So when the issue of will arises, I must live as though I have none; for my will died with Christ, and only the Father's will resurrected with me when I was born again.

Just Not Feelin' It...Pt. 2

I'm just getting back from the Calvary Chapel East Coast Men's Conference...and it was SUCH a blessing!  It just seemed like every session was tailor-made for me, specifically.  It just felt like I was the center of God's attention...it was lovely.  Still, this morning at the last session of the conference, I was so tired from Saturday night's fellowship at the Waffle House...and when it was time for worship, I just didn't feel like singing--too tired.  Then, I remembered my last post; so I reminded myself of who God is and I decided to praise Him regardless of how I felt.  I struggled to focus as I sang in worship, but God met me where I was and it was wonderful--the conference closed out in an amazing fashion!

Afterward, I read today's entry in a little book titled My Utmost for His Highest.  It's a wonderful 365-day devotional by Oswald Chambers (I highly recommend it).  It really spoke to me.  Here's the entry:

Instant in Season

"Be instant in season, out of season."

2 Timothy 4:2

Many of us suffer from the morbid tendency to be instant "out of season."  The season does not refer to time, but to us--"Be instant in season, out of season," whether we feel like it or not.  If we do only what we feel inclined to do, some of us would do nothing forever and ever.  There are unemployables in the spiritual domain, spiritually decrepit people, who refuse to do anything unless they are supernaturally inspired.  The proof that we are rightly related to God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.

One of the great snares of the Christian worker is to make a fetish of his rare moments.  When the Spirit of God gives you a time of inspiration and insight, you say--"Now I will always be like this for God."  No, you will not, God will take care you are not.  Those times are the gift of God entirely.  You cannot give them to yourself when you choose.  If you say you will only be at your best, you become an intolerable drag on God; you will never do anything unless God keeps you consciously inspired.  If you make a god of your best moments, you will find that God will fade out of your life and never come back until you do the duty that lies nearest, and have learned not to make a fetish of your rare moments.

Just Not Feelin' It...

 Ever FEEL like morning devotions are a burden?  I had one of those this morning.  I woke up late, missed class, and immediately went to my computer to check the status of an April Fool's joke.  After I finished checking, I reasoned, "Why should I spend time with the Lord now?  I've pretty much started my day already; plus, I just don't FEEL like it."  Ah, but God pursues...

All at once I started thinking of God and His love--He surely didn't FEEL like dying on the cross for my sins (Luke 22:41-44); the love God shows me doesn't speak of Him FEELING like doing anything for me (1 Cor. 13:4-8); God didn't have a sudden notion one day, "Hmm...I FEEL like redeeming mankind today" (Ephesians 1:4).  Don't misunderstand, I'm not suggesting that we serve an emotionless God.  What I am saying is that God's love for us supercedes simple FEELINGS; His love is a promise.  So I decided to spend some time with the Lord, and I was blessed!

"My heart is steadfast, O God,

my heart is steadfast;

I will sing and make music.

Awake, my soul!

Awake, harp and lyre!

I will awaken the dawn.

I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;

I will sing of you among the peoples."

- Psalm 57:7-9

David was truly in a troubling situation--on the run from Saul and hiding in a cave, David had plenty to occupy his thoughts.  With all that God was allowing him to go through while fleeing from Saul, David was quite distressed (Psalm 55:4-5; 57:4 & 6).  He didn't feel like praising God, but he didn't allow how he felt to get in the way of his relationship with God.  In the verses above, David commanded his soul to wake up as he willed himself to praise the Lord!  He reminded himself of his covenant with the Lord as he repeated, "My heart is steadfast."  The Greek used for that word is "kuwn" and it means "unwavering, established, firm, stable, securely determined."  David's love for the Lord was unwavering and established; despite how he felt.  David's relationship with God was firm and securely determined; regardless of his fluctuating FEELINGS.  What about us?  Will you and I trust our FEELINGS, which may lead us astray as our flesh continually wars against us?  Or will we trust the facts--what we know to be true as evidenced by the Word and what God has done for, in and through us in the past?

Once again, don't misunderstand the message.  I'm not going to one extreme and saying that every morning with the Lord will be a burden, nor am I saying that every morning will be like fresh manna (Exodus 16).  Some mornings I wake up and I just FEEL like getting into my Word and praising the Lord ALL DAY!  Other mornings, I wake up FEELING like I can simply coast through today by leaning on yesterday's, or last week's, time in the Word.  What's interesting is the more I give into the notion that time with the Lord is a burden, the longer I tend to go without fellowshipping with Him; which leads to me falling away in my walk.  Instead, when those rough times come, we have to fight through it!  Anyone can vibe with the Lord when they FEEL like it, but who is willing to do it when it requires a little work?

Some may read of how David willed himself to praise and conclude that his relationship appears forced.  If He had to will himself to spend time with the Lord every single day of his life, I'd probably conclude the same thing.  However, that's putting a lot of emphasis on David and ignoring a very significant factor:  God.  Who honestly believes that God will watch a person fighting through what they FEEL day after day just to spend time with Him, while NEVER providing any relief or support?  Surely not!  God is not unjust; He doesn't ignore our feeble efforts to spend time with Him, just as He doesn't ignore our efforts when we're "in the zone."  Rather, God blesses our meager efforts, for in them, He sees our true desires.  He blessed David's faithfulness (as evidenced by the rest of David's life), and God will do the same for you and I.

Christmas

It's been a while since I checked in on my blog (darn finals!).  I'm glad to be back, though!  :-)

Lately, the Lord has been speaking to me consistently about one specific area:  Pride.  Today, He spoke from Luke 10 (particularly verses 17-24).  Here we have the return of the 72 that Jesus had sent out to proclaim His coming.  Imagine the scene of their return:

The 72:  "Jesus, so many amazing things happened!  It was awesome!  Even the demons submit to us in your name!"
Jesus:  "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven."

...what?!  What type of response is that?  Is Jesus being "like a child" and engaging them in an argument of accomplishments (ref. the Disciples in Luke 9:46)?  Certainly not.  I mean, could you imagine the Lord of the universe actually arguing with a mere man about good works?  The thought is laughable!  I mean, what "good" can man do apart from God?  But I digress...

Instead, Jesus was presenting a clear warning:  "Be careful of pride."  Pride can sneak in; and it tends to do so when God is truly moving in our lives and blessing us with victories over sin, financial increases, etc.  In those times, we become susceptible to looking at the gift more than the Giver; thus, eventually forgetting that it was God who supplied--not ourselves.  This is why Jesus points the 72 back to the fact that He had given them the authority that they had experienced (v. 19).

It's crazy to think that if I'm not careful, I'll start thinking that I had some hand in God's blessings!
"God surely blessed me, but:
- ...it was my gift of gab that made that auto shop give me a $300 discount."
- ...it was my sheer will and effort that kept me from sin."
- ...it was my obedience to the doctor's instructions that helped me recover from surgery so quickly."
- ...it was my decisive words that led to ______ getting saved."
The list could go on, but the fact remains that we must be on guard against pride in our lives.  Otherwise, the same sin that led to Satan's fall could kill us spiritually; leading us to focus on ourselves instead of what Jesus has done and is doing.

Instead, let's focus on the Lord!  He's not just the reason for the Season, but the reason for everything!  Speaking about joy, Jesus tells us to find joy in salvation (v. 20)!  Not only that, but we can find joy in the fact that God has revealed to us His plan of salvation--something that prophets and Old Testament kings longed to know more about (v. 21-24).  So let's move forward, shutting out all forms of pride and rejoicing in the finished work of the Lord!  Merry Christmas, indeed!!!

(Get it?  Christ-mas?  English-Spanish combo?  "More Christ"?  C'mon...I know you see it!)

("Rejoice")

The Seriousness of IT All

Lately, I've had a few conversations with interesting persons. What makes them interesting is that they claim Christianity, yet their lifestyles reflect a world of sin. When questioned about their lifestyle choices, they shrug off the sin choices as if they're no big deal.

Let's check out Mark 15. Really, you can look at any of the Gospels for the crucifixion story, but I'm focusing on Mark. The question asked is simple: "How seriously does my sin offend God?" For the answer, any one of us could visit Romans 6:23 and point to the fact that the cost of sin is death, and thereby surmise the seriousness of it. Instead of doing that, let's look at what Jesus endured to clear the sin debt of the world:

- He was bound (verse 1)
The Greek word for "bound" refers to being in chains; but whether He was bound with chains or ropes, we know that Jesus was made to be a prisoner.

- He was slandered (verse 3 & 4; and Mark 14:60)
The testimonies against Jesus before Pilate were strikingly similar to those against Him before the Sanhedrin in chapter 14--they were false. These verses are great for anyone seeking to understand what it means to "bear false witness." They were outright slandering Jesus' name and making Him out to be something He wasn't.

- He was beaten and spat upon (verses 15 & 19; and Mark 14:65)
Matthew records that members of the Sanhedrin spat in Jesus' face and struck Him with their fists (26:67). The King James Version uses language like "buffeted" and "smote" in this verse. The Greek word for "buffeted" is kolaphizō, and it means "to strike with the fist, give one a blow with the fist; to maltreat, treat with violence and contumely." The Greek word for "smote" is rhapizō, and it means "to smite in the face with the palm of the hand, to box the ear." Mark records that the soldiers beat Jesus over the head with a staff and spat on Him (verses mentioned above).

- He was mocked and insulted (verses, 18, 20, 29, 31, & 32)
To add insult to injury, Jesus was ridiculed throughout the entire process. Whether He was made fun of by the soldiers, passers by, the chief priests, the teachers of the law, or the thief being crucified next to Him, the psychological effect must have been great!

Then, as if all of that wasn't enough, after enduring it all, Jesus was crucified. While being crucified, Jesus only cried aloud twice. The first time was when He cried out to God, saying, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (verse 34). The second time was when He breathed His last, saying, "It is finished" (John 19:30). Can you imagine the emotional anguish that Jesus must have been experiencing? Jesus had never feared death or the attacks of man. It was the thought of being out of fellowship with the Father that had greatly troubled Jesus while in the garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33-34). Compared to that, everything else paled in comparison...

(Sidenote: Because we have grown accustomed to being out of touch with God, the things that terrify us are bounced checks, not getting the promotion, or a boyfriend or girlfriend breaking up with us. I find it interesting that the one thing that troubled Jesus is the one thing that we can so easily ignore, and barely notice when it's gone...)

THIS is how serious God is about the sin in my life (our lives)! He's not sitting back, content with my (our) compromises! God is deeply moved by my (our) choices to sin. So much so that He endured physical, psychological, and emotional pain just to do away with sin! I (We) must look at sin seriously--God certainly does! I (We) can't take it lightly. I (We) must constantly reflect on the seriousness of sin in my (our) life (lives)!