We were blessed this week at Acts II Ministries, my home church, by the ministry of Bro. & Sis. Ricardo Gonzalez. I’d like to share the message of a couple sermons that ministered to me. The first message was that whenever and whatever God wants us to sacrifice, we need to put it on an altar and give it up to Him. The second was about human nature: when God asks for one offering and we disagree with Him and want to give another offering, we get mad at Him foolishly when that offering is not acceptable.

You probably know the Bible story of Cain and Abel (read about it in Genesis 4:1-12): Cain the tiller of the ground and Abel the shepherd gave offerings of their increase. Cain gave fruits and vegetables and Abel gave the “firstlings of his flock”, or the lambs of his flock. God rejected Cain’s offering but accepted Abel’s, because Abel offered what was required. We must put what He wants on the altar, without reservations and without holding anything back.

Another concept given to me by an individual of late regards times when we come to the altar and give almost everything to God, but hold back one thing we think we can handle. We leave wondering why Jesus doesn’t have complete control in our lives, yet we have only ourselves to blame. At other times we come and give everything, then take it back to ourselves when we leave. No wonder He can’t work on it if we keep pulling away from Him! Every day — or maybe every hour, minute, or second — we have to recommit it to Jesus. I’ll be the first to admit that that’s a whole lot easier said than done sometimes. Giving our all takes work. It comes down to commitment and consistency.

Relationship with God is a prerequisite to an abundant life, and relationships require commitment. God asks us to consistently give Him our all; every prayer time is a visit to the altar remind ourselves what we’re living for and to give ourselves again without any reservations. I’m striving to get better at this, and I pray you will, too. Thank you to all who dare to make their personal altars and offer everything to God as a sacrifice unrestrained and unrestricted.

“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”  –Matthew 20:28

“It happened during one of the early offensives of WW I.  The Australians were experimenting with mines and now it was show time.  The advance was timed for zero hour—dawn.

All was in the readiness.  The Sappers had done their work well, and the mine was filled with TNT.  The soldiers were buckling on their accoutrements, seeing to their bayonets and drinking their grog in silence.  It was the darkest hour preceding dawn and nerves were on edge.  Some were praying.  And then the faintest suspicion of light tinged the sky, and the black of night was beginning to fade into early morning gray.  The Brigadier looked at his watch and compared with the Major’s.  They nodded assent.  It was time.  He deliberately pressed the button.

Nothing happened.

It was a moment of acute crisis.  The men were going over the top, into enemy fire, mine or no mine.  They might take the position, but at tremendous cost of life.  Just at that moment the Sapper Lieutenant turned to the Brigadier and said, “Excuse me, sir, but I think I know what’s wrong.”  The moments seemed hours as they watched him disappear into the tunnel leading to the mine.  Perspiration stood out on their foreheads—waiting.  A minute passed.  Then an ear shattering roar told its own tale.  The men already half way across no-man’s land took the position with little resistance.

But the Sapper Lieutenant was never seen again.”

–Sacrifice by Howard Guinness, p. 81-82

He had to decide in one agonizing fraction of a second who would die: one of him, or hundreds of his fellow soldiers.  Jesus Christ of Nazareth did much the same.  (Read Matt 26-28)  He was faced with a choice, and to the dismay of the devil and our great gain, He chose the way of the cross—betrayal, mockery, torture. He was left naked and forsaken to die one of the worst deaths imaginable.  His life traded for that of a wicked criminal like so many baseball cards.  A perfect sinless man who bore the weight of the whole world.  But He was living out code Twenty Twenty-Eight—giving his life a ransom for many.

And now He’s risen with victory over hell and the grave and anything you might be facing. And that leaves us to carry on the work He started.  To live as Christians, or Christ-men: to be like Him.

The Bible says that the harvest is ripe, so we aren’t waiting on the world.  And God does not want any to perish, but multitudes die every day, so I don’t think it’s God we’re waiting on.  Rather, I think that God and the world are waiting on us.  Revival starts in the heart.  Revival starts in everyday living.  Just how much of my life am I willing to give?  Am I willing to be like Jesus and the Sapper Lieutenant and give up my earthly life so that others can have life?  I know Jesus paid the price of salvation, but we are supposed to be living sacrifices.  You may never have to face actual physical death.  But possibly even tougher is dying out to self each and every day.  How much time am I willing to give up… in prayer? In Bible study? In outreach? In fasting?  How much criticism will I bear?  How much of God’s love do I take outside the church walls?

When we get to heaven, I have a feeling a lot of things will be put in perspective.  It’s worth it.  This is my call, and I believe it’s the call of every other believer.  Our mission statement: to live Twenty Twenty-Eight.

So many times we hear of great preachers and prophets and what they have accomplished during their amazing lives here on earth. But there is one Prophet that is over all the rest: Jesus.

Matthew 21:11 recounts, “The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’” Prophet in the Webster’s Dictionary is defined as “A person regarded as, or claiming to be, an inspired teacher or leader.”

Jesus is, was, and forever will be our teacher and leader, or what is called a Prophet. He was the inspiration for all the prophets of the Old Testament, who foretold His coming. Even if we have our teachers and leaders here on earth, we must remember that we serve a great and mighty Teacher and Leader. He knows all there is to know! He truly is the Great Prophet!

Lamb of God

The Lamb of God. When I hear this name, my mind goes to little fluffy animals that prance around in the green meadow. But Jesus was also referred to as the Lamb of God — in John 1:28 we read that “the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God , who takes away the sin of the world!’”

Lambs were used at that time as a sacrifice. When I think of a lamb I think of a soft white coat. Innocence. Beauty. Why would something like that be sacrificed? They were sacrificed to show that the people wanted to give something perfect. But Jesus was the only perfect sacrifice.

Hebrews 9:13-14 says, “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”

Lambs and bulls could not do all that God wanted to do. Jesus was the only pure and spotless sacrifice, innocent and perfect. The Lamb of God.

High Priest

A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites. In particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities. Priests have administrative power as well as spiritual power. Hebrews 6:20 says “Here Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever.”

Jesus is the priest above priests. Even with as much authority as a priest has, Jesus overrules their authority by a long shot and takes over that “small” role. God is above all men, priests, popes, governers, and even presidents! Some people might not like that there is a priest that is higher than all the rest, but I guess that just ensures that no one can rise to complete power, no matter what! There is no realm where a person can override the authority of Jesus, our High Priest!

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  — John 3:16

What does it mean for Jesus to be the Only Begotten Son? Does it mean that he is Jehovah Jr. a second divine person?  Does this mean he is a good man, powerful prophet, or insightful teacher? Or does it mean something totally different?

Jesus was fully man and fully God, born of a virgin impregnated by the spirit of God. Luke clarifies this: “the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

This scripture gives us the reason he is the Son of God or the only begotten son. Not because he is an eternal second divine person whose name is Son. But because God caused the conception, God caused the begetting of the baby Jesus.  Just like any boy is the son of his father, because that father planted the seed. Except in the case of Jesus, the begetting was a supernatural work of God’s spirit.

In order to be the son of a king, you must be in his kingdom. The way we enter that kingdom is explained in John 3:5, “Born of the water and of the spirit.” Because of this we are now the sons of God. But we are not Only Begotten sons, we have an earthly father and mother. Jesus was God incarnate. This is why he was not merely a good man but he was the only perfect man. He was needed to be the sinless sacrifice for all of us who are imperfect.

Everlasting Father

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”  — Isaiah 9:6

One thing that is cool about this scripture is it shows the unmistakable Oneness of the Godhead.  Colossians 2:9 says “in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” The man, or son, was at the same time the everlasting father, God come down from heaven manifested in flesh, dwelling in a perfect man.

But on a less doctrinal note, how incredibly blessed are we to have an everlasting Father? It is important to remember that he is the heavenly Father, the everlasting Father. Too many have had bad experiences with an earthly father, and therefore are skeptical of anyone trying to move in on this sore spot. But don’t confuse the endless mercy of the everlasting Father with the callousness of a flawed father. Remember, God doesn’t just love you, but he actually is love.  (I John 4)

He is also “the father of the world to come” as the Septuagint (a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) reads it. While he is the loving, intimate daddy that is right down at our level, to kiss our boo-boos, and cuddle us and do all the things a good — no, a great — Father would, don’t forget how big he is. He isn’t contained by this world or the next one because he is the creator of both. He isn’t confined by time because he made time. And time will cease to exist when He chooses. He is waiting to see us face to face if only we will follow his commandments. I am determined to be a son in whom the everlasting father is well pleased.