Posted by: missionventureministries | February 15, 2011

LYING LIPS ARE AN ABOMINATION TO THE LORD – Proverbs 12:22

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Proverbs 12:22 says that lying lips are an abomination to God – “Lying” means telling a deliberate or intentional falsehood.

What does the Bible say about lying? A lying tongue is not only something God hates, it is also something that is an abomination to Him. Proverbs 6:16-19 says: “These six things the LORD hates”, (the previous six things the Lord hates and the following) “seven are an abomination to Him:

  1. A proud look,
  2. A lying tongue,
  3. Hands that shed innocent blood,
  4. A heart that devises wicked plans,
  5. Feet that are swift in running to evil,
  6. A false witness who speaks lies,
  7. And one who sows discord among brethren.”

What constitutes a lie according to the Bible? Anything that is not the truth is a lie in God’s Word.

As believers, we must not tell lies. Christians must not exaggerate or embellish their speech, which is a form of lying. Another way is what some people call “white lies” which they tell not to hurt someone; this does not change it being a lie. Often, one must pray and ask for wisdom, carefully selecting ones words as the Holy Spirit guides us, but one must not lie.

There are many other forms of lying. For example, hypocrisy is a form of lying. 1 John 2:4 teaches that: “He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

Another form of lying is making false promises that we could keep, but simply choose not to. Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not a man, that He should lie … has He said, and will He not do it? Does he promise and not fulfill?” The implication is that, when a person makes a promise he could keep but refuses to do so, he has lied. God does not do this, but people often do.  

Then there is the half-truth, in which a person tells things that are technically correct but deliberately leaves out important facts or tells the story in such a way that leads people to reach a false conclusion. In the Old Testament, for example, Joseph’s brothers sold him to be a slave. Then they took his coat, dipped it in animal blood, took it to their father Jacob, and said that they had found this coat. Jacob, of course, concluded that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal, which is exactly what the sons wanted Jacob to believe, though they never came right out and said so (Genesis 37:31-33). Nevertheless, they had deliberately deceived their father to believe a falsehood.

Lying and deceit are not reconcilable with righteousness. If a person is honest and trustworthy, then they do not lie or deceive. Being honest and dependable is an integral part of being righteous. Proverbs 13:5-6 says:  “A righteous man hates lying, but a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame. Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.”

Revelation 21:8 says that “all liars“ will have their part in the lake of fire, which is the second death.

As Christians our behavior should represent and manifest the character of God’s Truth. Matthew 5:37 says: “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” 

Ephesians 4:15 tells us that we should “speak the truth in love” and a little further in verse 25 we read: “Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth…”

So if we are God’s children, the truth ought to be evident in everything we do. We must remember that the opposite of truth is lying and the devil is called “the father of lies” – John 8:44. When we lie, we are aligning ourselves with the evil one instead of God.

As believers we should refrain from speaking lies and should ask God to convict us through the Holy Spirit when we do, so that we can immediately repent. If we love the Lord we can be victorious!

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Posted by: missionventureministries | February 8, 2011

LOOK OUT FOR FALSE TEACHERS – 1 Timothy 6:3-11

“If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain” – 1 Timothy 6:3-5.

Paul had opened his letter to Timothy with warnings about false teachers: “I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer” – 1 Timothy 1:3. He also refuted some of their dangerous teachings: “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” – 1 Timothy 4:1.

Pastors and godly leaders, especially in the local church, must constantly oversee what is being taught, because it is easy for false doctrines to slip in. “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears” – Acts 20:28-31.

One of the identifiable marks of a false teacher is that they refuse to adhere to godly teaching – “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing”- 1 Timothy 6:3. In the Old Testament Isaiah’s first test of any teacher was “if they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” – Isaiah 8:20

Another mark of false teachers is their attitude. Instead of being humble, a false teacher is “proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions” – 1 Timothy 6:4.  They also “desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm” – 1 Timothy 1:7.

When we do not have godly teachers people are “robbed of the truth” while they think they are discovering the truth; what a tragedy! To make it worse, they think that the weekly arguments in their meetings, during which they exchange their ignorance, are a means of growing in grace; when the result is exactly the opposite.

False teachers use their religious professions as a means to make money. To them it is just a religious business. As Jesus’ return nears, we see more and more religious racketeers who prey upon gullible people, promising them help while taking away their money. We know that wealth is not lasting because “we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” – 1 Timothy 6:7. And the desire for wealth leads to sin because “those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” – 1 Timothy 6:9-10.

Paul told Timothy to “preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” – 2 Timothy 4:2. His purpose was to convince these teachers and get them to be “sound in faith” (Titus1:13).

Godly leaders must protect the church from false teachings because false doctrines are like yeast. It enters secretly, it grows quickly, and it permeates completely (Galatians 5:9). The best time to attack false doctrine is at the beginning, before it has a chance to spread. This is very important because it makes the difference between life and death, whether or not you believe the truth of the Word or believe lies. You can choose what you want to believe, but you cannot change the eternal consequences.

Paul continues to tell Timothy: “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness” – 1 Timothy 6:11. The word flee here refers to separating or withdrawing oneself from the sins of these false teachers.

We need to remember that not all unity is good, and not all division is bad. There comes a time when a servant of God should take a stand against false doctrine and godless practices, and separate himself from them.

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Posted by: missionventureministries | February 1, 2011

WAITING ON GOD – Psalm 62:5

 

“My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.” – Psalm 62:5

The Bible has a great deal to say about waiting for God. However, many people become so easily impatient with God’s delays. Yet much of our trouble in life is the result of lack of prayer, our restlessness and sometimes reckless haste.

We cannot wait for the fruit to ripen, but insist on picking it while it is still green. We cannot wait for the answers to our prayers, although it may take many years for the things we pray for to be prepared for us. We are encouraged to walk with God, but often in our minds, God walks very slowly. Yet there is also another side when God often waits for us.

Quite often we fail to receive the blessing God has ready for us because we are not moving forward with Him. While it is true we miss many blessings by not waiting for God, we also lose numerous blessings by waiting to long. There are times when it takes strength simply to sit still, but there are also times when we are to move forward with a confident step in faith.

Many of God’s promises are conditional, requiring some initial action on our part. Once we begin to obey, the Lord will begin to bless us.  Great things were promised to Abraham, but not one of them could have been obtained had he waited in Chaldea. He had to leave his home, friends, and country, travel unfamiliar paths, and press on in unwavering obedience in order to receive the promises.

When the Israelites were entrapped by Pharaoh’s pursuing army at the Red Sea, they were commanded to “go forward” (Exodus 14:15). No longer was it their duty to wait, but to “go forward” with heroic faith.

Years later the Israelites were commanded to show their faith again by beginning their march over the Jordan while the river was at its highest point. They held the key to unlock the gate into the Promised Land in their own hands, and the gate would not begin to open until they had approached and unlocked it. The key was obedience and faith.

When a great multitude came against Jehoshaphat “he was afraid and turned his attention to seek the Lord” – 2 Chronicles 20:3. And as they went to battle “he appointed those who sang to the Lord and those who praise Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said: Give thanks to the Lord, for His loving kindness is everlasting” – 2 Chronicles 20:21.  They had great faith and their victory was won by the Lord.

We are destined to fight certain battles, and at times when we do not trust the Lord, we think we can never be victorious and conquer our enemies. Yet as we trust Him and enter the conflict, God comes and fights by our side. Through Him we are “more than conquerors” Who loves us – Romans 8:37. If after we pray, we wait in fear and trembling for our Helper to come before we enter the battle, this is when we wait to long in unbelief. God is waiting to pour our His richest blessings on us. Pray, ask His council and once you hear a clear command, “go forward” with bold confidence and take what God is rightfully giving you. “I have begun to deliver . . . Now begin to conquer and possess.” ” – Deuteronomy 2:31 

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Posted by: missionventureministries | January 25, 2011

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER – Mark 1:35

 

Prayer is communion with God. Prayer is the intimate bond with our Creator and Savior.

“In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” Mark 1:35

Jesus is our example. He as the Son of God prayed frequently (Matthew 14:23; 26:36; Mark 6:46; Luke 5:16; John 17).  Likewise, the apostle Paul prayed (Romans 1:9; Ephesians 1:16).  There are many examples in the Bible of people praying and getting answers to their prayers. God wants the believers to have fellowship with Him and that is accomplished through prayer. 

Why should we pray?  One reason is that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” – Ephesians 6:12 

In looking at the life of Jesus, we see that He always prayed. It was his customary practice to wake up early in the morning while it was still dark and pray. Often, He departed from the people that He was ministering to, and went to a quiet place to pray. Many times he spent all night in prayer.

If Jesus, the Son of God spent such a large portion of His earthly life praying and encouraging His disciples to pray, that shows us that we need to spend time with the Father as Jesus did.

Why is prayer so important?

We get to know God more through prayer: God reveals Himself to those who really want to get to know Him. To those who are willing to take the time of separating themselves often and long in other to seek Him, the Bible says: “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:12-13

We are empowered through prayer: Prayer is like charging our spiritual battery. Many of us use mobile phones. What happens to it if we continue using the phone and never charge it? The answer is obvious. The battery will run down and sooner or later the phone will stop functioning until it is adequately and fully charged. In the same way we cannot afford not to pray.

Prayer changes us: Prayer not only changes situations and circumstances, but one of the most important reasons we need to pray is that God changes us in prayer. Jacob had been a cheat and a deceiver. Not until he really started to pray did he change. He was so afraid of meeting his brother Esau that he decided to set time aside to pray. He prayed all night and his life was changed. His name changed from Jacob to Israel and his destiny changed. (Genesis 32:24-28). Prayer is the key. Prayer will change you because God works through prayer.

God answers prayer: The Bible says “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!” – Matthew 7:7-11. God gives good things to those who ask Him. God answers prayer. Another verse says “You do not have because you do not ask God.” – James 4:2. God gives to those who ask Him. God gives to those who trust Him to the point of asking Him. God is able to answer your prayers even beyond your expectations, “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, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen”- Ephesians 3:20-21. No matter what your situation is, no matter what circumstances you may be facing, take it to God in prayer. He wants to answer your prayers. He longs to hear your prayers. He wants to know that you trust Him, that you believe in Him to the point of coming to Him with all that is in your heart.

Through prayer we are delivered from temptations: “And when He was at the place, He said to them ‘pray that you enter not into temptation . . . And He said to them, why do you sleep? Rise and pray lest you enter into temptation” – Luke 22:40, 46. Prayer makes us able to withstand temptations. Many have fallen and have been defeated because they neglected prayer. Our enemy, the devil, the tempter is in business of weakening and destroying believers. Jesus encourages us to pray lest we fall into temptation. Prayer is God’s key to answers.

There are many more reasons why it is important to pray. No matter what your situation is, God is longing for you to talk to Him through prayer.

For more verses and additional information about prayer, click on the following link  HOW TO RECEIVE ANSWERS TO PRAYER

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Posted by: missionventureministries | January 18, 2011

WE SHOULD FORGIVE – BUT DO WE FORGET? – Hebrews 12:14-15

The most amazing thing that God assures us is that when He forgives our sins, He forgets them as well. God wipes it completely off His mind. “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” – Isaiah 1:18

As humans it is hard for us to forget, however there are numerous scriptures commanding us to “forgive one another.  In Matthew 6:14 we read – “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”  Ephesians 4:32 states: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Joseph is a great example of a forgiving heart. The Bible gives us many reasons why Joseph could have been a very bitter man. His brothers hated him and sold him into slavery. His master’s wife falsely accused him of a serious crime which had him thrown into an Egyptian prison. Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer promised to help him get out yet left him in prison. Despite all these things, Joseph did not allow any root of bitterness to take hold in his life. 

A Christian who does not forgive can reap bitterness and the loss of eternal rewards. “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many”-  Hebrews 12:14-15.

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” – Matthew 6:14-15. 

Forgiveness is a decision of the will. Since God commands us to forgive, we must make a conscious choice to forgive. This frees the forgiving one from the past. The offender may not desire forgiveness and may not change, however Jesus said: “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” Matthew 5:44. Ideally the offender will want to seek reconciliation, but if not, the one wronged should still make known their decision to forgive.

Many times God gives us the ability to forgive and forget as times heal the wounds of our past. However, there are times where it is impossible to truly forget trespasses that have been committed against us, especially when circumstances arise that remind us of them. We cannot selectively “delete” events from our memory. The Bible states however that God “will forgive (our) wickedness and will remember (our) sins no more” – Hebrews 8:12.

God is all-knowing. God knows that we have “sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23. However, having forgiven us, He treats us as if the sin had not occurred. If we belong to Him through faith in Christ, God does not hold our sins against us. In that sense we must “forgive and forget.” If we forgive someone, we must act as if that wrongdoing had never occurred. We remember the transgression, but we live as if it had not occurred. Ephesians 4:32 tells us, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Several things will occur once the forgiveness process is complete. First, our negative feelings will disappear. Second, we will find it much easier to accept the people who have hurt us without feeling the need to change them. Third, our concern about the needs of the other individuals will outweigh our concerns about what they did to us.

The Bible says: “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord” – Romans 12:19. Let us then understand that God is the only One who judges.

*******

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Posted by: missionventureministries | January 12, 2011

TEACHING QUARRELING PEOPLE WITHOUT BECOMING QUARRELSOME – 2 Timothy 2:24-26

2 Timothy 2 vs 24-25

Here are the words that describe the mission for whom Paul is preparing Timothy. The most important thing is that he is to instruct these quarrelsome false teachers without becoming like them.

  1. Kind to all. Meaning gentle, as this word is also found in another of Paul’s letters: “We were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children” – 1 Thessalonians 2:7. In other words, our teaching doesn’t need to have an edge of anger or an attitude of trying to score points against the opposition.
  2. Able to teach: This next characteristic involves a skill in teaching. Teaching in the face of controversy requires skill and finesse.
  3. Patient when wronged: Lacking resentfulness or having patience is difficult in the presence of the opposition. Here we see Peter instructing us as Christ being our example: “When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.” – 1 Peter 2:23
  4. With gentleness correcting: The (KJV) reads “in meekness instructing”, which means, the quality of not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance, but correcting with humility and gentleness.  We need to be very sensitive to the Lord and make sure that when we correct opponents, our ego is not involved. We need to realize that we are not the ones changing the person, but rather God is using us to soften hearts and change minds through Scripture.
  5. If perhaps God may grant them repentance. Trusting God to do the work is the final characteristic. Instead of doing this in our own strength, we teach and correct in the hope that God will “grant them repentance leading them to knowledge of the truth.” Instead of believing that our teaching will accomplish this, we are firmly trusting that God will do this by His Spirit, through the instructions of the Word He has given us to teach, which contains the power in itself to bring about change:

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” – Hebrews 4:12-13

Our job is to teach the truth of God’s Word with a pure heart and with a clear spirit. It is God’s job to change the heart of our opponents, not ours. We see the same kind of attitude that Paul is talking about, in Peter’s epistle: “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” – 1 Peter 3:15-16

What allows us to teach opponents in the right spirit is a right understanding of the One who must bring about the change. “If perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will” – 2 Timothy 2:25-26.

        6. God may grant them repentance: In Greek repentance literally  means, “a change of mind,” with the hint of “remorse.” According to this verse God is the one who gives or grants repentance.

People are so used to a humanistic theology that centers on self-action and self-will, that they easily forget God’s sovereignty. Everything we have is a gift, not the product of our seeking and accepting God, but first of Him seeking and accepting us. “We love because He first loved us” – 1 John 4:19.

When we faithfully preach and teach the Word, this is one of the means by which God uses to open the heart and transform the soul of those He has placed in our lives.

 

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Posted by: missionventureministries | December 29, 2010

NEW YEARS RESOLUTION – DENYING UNGODLINESS AND WORDLY LUSTS – Titus 2:12-13

“Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” – Titus 2:12-13

As we enter into a New Year, let us reflect on Christ’s first coming and wait in anticipation for His return.  To the unbeliever, that coming will entail a fiery time of judgment; but to the born again Christian, the return of Christ is “that blessed hope.”

This should encourage us to “live soberly, righteously, and godly.” As the apostle John says: “Abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” 1 John 2:28.

Jesus warned us: “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly” Luke 21:34. It would be very sad to be caught in one of these acts or in a less than honorable situation when the Lord returns.

The hope that we have of His imminent coming is also a great incentive to evangelize and perform missionary work. Paul gives a message immediately after his long description of the last days, where he says: “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching”. . . “But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” 2 Timothy 4:1-2, 5. 

The blessed hope is, in fact, an incentive for the Christian life. “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” 1 John 3:3.

 

 

 

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Posted by: missionventureministries | December 22, 2010

FOR A CHILD WILL BE BORN TO US – Isaiah 9:6

 

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

This verse proclaims the extraordinary prophecy of the divine and human nature of the coming Messiah. He would be born as a child, like every other human being. He would also be given as a Son at the same time, with God being the giver. “He gave His only begotten Son” – John 3:16.

When Isaiah wrote this prophecy it was stated, “therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel” – Isaiah 7:14. God named Him Immanuel, meaning “God with us.”

This amazing child is none other than “The almighty God” and “The everlasting Father.”  He is the “Prince of Peace” and is the only one who can unite mankind and bring true world peace.  

In His human nature, He is our “Wonderful Counselor,” our perfect example and faultless teacher. He shows us what to believe and how to live, and He is always right, for in Him “are hidden all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge,” and “in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” – Colossians 2:3, 9.

During this time of year, let us reflect that God Himself is the great sign to Israel and the whole world. The attitude of men and women to God, in Christ, would reveal the state of their hearts and seal their eternal destiny, whether to everlasting life or being forever separated from God.

We trust that you will make a decision for Jesus Christ and eternal life.

Merry Christmas!

 

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Posted by: missionventureministries | December 15, 2010

CHRISTMAS AT NAOMI HOUSE – December 12, 2010

We were privileged to share the love of Jesus on December 12, 2010 with the staff and the kids at Naomi House. Click on the link below the nativity scene to see the video of our celebration.

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION VIDEO

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Posted by: missionventureministries | December 10, 2010

SLOW TO BELIEVE AND UNDERSTAND – Isaiah 53

Then Jesus said to them: “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!” (Luke 24:25)

Throughout the period of the Old Testament God’s children understood, through the sacrificial system, that the Lamb of God would come into the world to give His life a ransom for mankind (Isaiah 53).

When Christ was born, very few people were expecting the Messiah, and when Christ died, it was clearly demonstrated that the disciples did not understand what the prophets had written. Rather than rejoice with the stunning victory of Christ, they were disappointed and stunned, muttering: “But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21).

Despite all the existing prophecies about the first coming of Christ, His mission and death, the disciples did not understand the spiritual nature of Christ’s kingdom, they were expecting the immediate coming of the kingdom of His glory, and were disappointed because He was not crowned King. They doubted His divinity when He was crucified, and finally, they did not believed He had risen from the dead.

Was Christ not clear enough? Let us look at some of His statements: “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.” (Mathew 16:21). “Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. “For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again”  (Luke 18:31-33).

Christ could not have been more explicit. “But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said” (Luke 18:34). For Jesus had repeatedly tried to show the future to His disciples, but they did not want to reflect on what He said, so because of this, His death came as a surprise to them.

As today’s disciples, God wants us to understand what the prophets wrote, so that when Christ returns, it will not be a surprise to us.

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