The Palm Sunday Prophecy

The Palm Sunday Prophecy (Fulfilled)                                              By Kelly Durant 3-29-15

Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.

2. How many of you have been around young people when they get excited about their favorite group coming to town? I recall Renee a few years ago talking all the time about the British band ‘One Direction’, how I had to take her to see them, how they were the greatest, and on and on! (She will probably hate me now for mentioning it since that was ages ago in her mind!) The visit of a rock star, a movie star, a sports star, or of someone of political fame seems to always draw cheering crowds. People love to celebrate those that bring them some kind of inspiration or some kind of words of hope in this life! Isn’t that true? The sad part about praising people though is often people cheer only to get a huge let down once their true self is exposed!

Let’s go back about 2,000 years, who were the rock stars then for the people of Jerusalem? It certainly wasn’t any political leader with ties to Rome! They were the enemy, the cruel oppressors! As with many of the world leaders today! Music, sports, and movies were not marketed so what was left? Any prophet or teacher that could bring them hope, a hope of establishing them into power, to be free from the dominance of man, a supernatural person that could bring them honor, salvation, and healing! That was Jesus for them then but He still brings hope, happiness, and inspiration not only just to Jerusalem but to all in the world! The final fulfillment of a world full of love and peace will be in the New Jerusalem Kingdom of God when Jesus returns!

Like an urban legend news about Jesus in Israel had spread from town to town and it spread into Jerusalem that He was the new savior, an amazing miracle worker, a wise teacher, and He even was fulfilling the prophecies of being the expected Messiah! For years and years the Jews were desperate for the Messiah to come and the Rabbis combed over each and every prophecy and the common man got the news that Jesus fit the description of what Zechariah prophesied! And Jesus was arriving in Jerusalem, how world-changing!

3. Every Palm Sunday year after year we face the reality that Jesus through His birth, life, and death fulfilled many dozens of prophecies! This is why I could never be a non-believer: the dead Sea Scrolls and unexplained fulfillment of prophecy prove there is a supernatural God behind the scenes who cares for each of us. The prophecy I am focusing in on today is a little one in Zechariah 9:9 but it has great implications.  The Jewish Rabbis and students were familiar with all prophecy; throughout the ages they each learned that the Messiah would fulfill every detail mentioned by every major and minor prophet throughout all the sacred scrolls recorded by their ancestors.

So what can we do with this one verse today? Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.

This is a very specific verse with 5 points of fulfilment. For those who think the Messiah has not come, then they should rethink how difficult each of these points are to duplicate in concert with one another, especially if you were to try to replicate it in today’s world. The prophetic points are 1) Rejoicing, a shouting and worshipping of happiness for His arrival 2) The entrance of the awaited Messiah specifically going into Jerusalem 3) He is exalted as the King, an implication that He is recognized as the King of the Jews, the chosen Messiah 4) He is just, having salvation, and lowly, all of which means He is a humble man who is fair to all bringing salvation of the soul 5) And finally He is riding on a colt, which is a very unusual specific action strange for an honored King.

4. Let’s explore this more in depth. Matthew 21:1 Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: 5 “Tell the daughter of Zion,‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’

6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him[d] on them. 8 And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

“Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’

Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

This report written by Matthew includes the prophecy we are focusing in on today. It is the record of how Jesus obtained the colt (notice that no one yelled out, ‘hey you are stealing my colt’! I doubt that today any person would even be able to go into modern day Jerusalem on a colt with all the traffic! Before I get into the 5 points, let’s consider all the details here.

A separate prophecy was being fulfilled here as well, the one of shouting “Hosanna” at the sight of Jesus. That was a praise to Him and a recognition that He was of the required lineage of David. (Psalm 118:25) Amongst the studious Jews there was no doubt, Jesus was the Messiah.

5. One more thing before getting into the 5 points in the verse. Stand up everybody, yes get up, now take off your tunic or coat…now imagine spreading it out in front of a man on a colt! What an expensive and radical gesture to show honor, right? The rocky and muddy streets of Jerusalem were not too pretty! I doubt the dirt would have even washed out after the tunics got hoof prints and mud embedded in them.

Now imagine laying down the palm branches…this was a gesture of bowing down to share a small gift, a token gesture of honoring a person with the green carpet treatment (before the red carpet came into fashion, ha!).  The entire city was there to see what was going on!

As mentioned here in verse 10, “all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” The ones who knew “who He was” were shouting and praising God with all their lungs! The rest of the city had never seen such a welcoming! The welcoming of a Roman leader was done out of formality and obligation, but never had people seen such a positive welcoming like this one!

6. So the rejoicing of the people of Jerusalem was unprecedented! This praising is the first point, now on to the second one, how is it that this explosion of praise happened in such a small city as Jerusalem? Why didn’t God and His Son not decide to enter into Rome, the capital of the world at that time?  First of all, Jesus was a Jew who came to reach those of God’s own house first, but we know now that His love was intended to extend into all the world, to every tribe, tongue, and race as well. (As it soon did and continues to do) Jerusalem historically is a sacred city, a chosen city, the City of David, the place of peace and blessings.

There were many prophecies over Jerusalem, one is that they were being like a rebellious chick that the Father wanted to protect under His wings but they refused and rebelled (Psa 91:4). Jesus knew the Jerusalemites would reject Him despite their initial praise and acceptance. Notice what Jesus cries out here, Matthew 23:37  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”  God wanted them to see the light! They were given the first chance with the sign of loud rejoicing.

Jerusalem was where the blessings flourished with God’s chosen bloodline, but it also was where God’s blessings of peace (Salem=peace) ceased. Jerusalem about 40 years after Jesus entrance fell to their enemies, and then many times over were invaded and occupied by others dozens of times over in the past 2,000 years! Jerusalem has seen more war than peace and this conclusively is connected to their rejection of the King or Prince of Peace! (See Isaiah 9:6)

7. Now on to point 3, (‘Behold your King’) He was exalted as the King of the Jews there on that first Palm Sunday. The whole city proclaimed it! What was written on His cross by Pilot? Matthew 27:37 “And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” At first they accepted Him as King in truth, but later they retracted their praise accepting the lie of the false leaders instead!

The act of crying out the word “Hosanna” was special as it was a Hebrew word to express a deep worship and praise. No Hebrew should have worshipped any man this highly, only God, so the fact that all shouted “Hosanna” to Jesus indicates that they knew He was the true anointed Messiah or King. Otherwise, what they were doing would have been considered blasphemy!

We know today that Jesus, by His life, death, and resurrection is the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords! In Jerusalem they worshipped Him as King fulfilling prophecy, recognizing Him for the fulfilment of the prophecies and for the miracles He had done. For a moment they instinctively knew He was King! But Jesus was not finished in demonstrating His power and authority. The ultimate miracle proving His worthiness and Kingship was His resurrection!

8. Point 4, The Messiah needed to possess certain characteristics, those of being just, having salvation, and being lowly. For one, Jesus was not elitist, claiming to be of blue blood, or of a special class imposing His superiority and arrogance (contrary to the world’s rulers back then and today). He was the most fair and loving person ever offering justice and equality of salvation and healing to everyone without discrimination. How shocking He was as He even offered healing and salvation to the despised Sumerians and gentiles!  Today he still saves “whosoever will”; all one needs to do is worship and accept Him as savior and as the Son of God, as the King of Kings!

Lowly means humble and Jesus was the ultimate example of it! It hurts me to observe some Christians today who desire riches, praise, or arrogant power. They are damaging the cause of Christ and in my view do not know Jesus! Jesus served all without discrimination not just Jews. He mixed with publicans and sinners, forgave prostitutes, washed the feet of His followers and did unprecedented acts of humility that no other priest or man of God had ever done before.

For me any follower of Jesus must exemplify humility! Some pastors will not even take out the trash!  Serving one another in love to me proves the authenticity of Christlikeness in a person!   

9. The final 5^th point, Jesus rides in on a colt to fulfill this prophecy. How many of you ever rode on a colt, raise your hand? We all know that donkeys have a reputation for being stubborn, right? They will buck you off!  How would a small colt act then with a big 180 pound body  (about Jesus size?) on it? The expected is for it to kick and fight don’t you think, especially if no one had ever ridden it.

The Roman rulers would ride into cities on elegant horses or in carriages so to imagine Jesus, who is being hailed as King to be on a humble small colt is actually laughable! What humility he had! Jesus didn’t need to always use words to teach with, His actions taught us volumes as well.

The other lesson here is that Jesus obviously was not wealthy to purchase a nice horse or animal, but rather He got this colt by appropriation and it appears by the verses the appropriation of the colt was by divine design. Matthew 21:3 “And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.” No one said, “Hey you’re stealing my colt!” When God has a job for you, it will all happen in His design, He always supplies by surprising ways, and it may be with something that ministers to your humility.

10. As we celebrate today with our palm branches as was done over 2,000 years ago, let’s focus in on what it means for us personally. We are to obey Jesus in all His ways. Here are some questions I have for you just based on the 5 point prophecies in Zechariah.

1) Do you get excited, worship and rejoice when Jesus becomes the subject matter of attention? All nature praises Him! Luke 19:40 But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”

2) Is the spirit of the true Jerusalem worshippers where there is unity with others, present in your heart? Revelation 21:2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (a future Heavenly Jerusalem awaits as we learn here from Revelation)

3) Is Jesus the King of your life? In other words, are you not ‘living as you please’ but living to please Him with Him ruling all things in your life? Romans 14:11 For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.

4) Are you fair to all? Do you serve in humility without discrimination? Do you offer others salvation as Jesus did?  How humble and lowly in heart are you? Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

5) And finally, to suggest you mount on a colt to imitate Jesus would not serve much of a purpose!  But think of it this way, do you do actions that may put you a position to appear ridiculous to the world? Will you do that if your deeds are humbly fulfilling God’s purpose? 1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time

Jesus entry into Jerusalem brought us all these lessons! Let’s pray that we can be as He wants us to be on this Palm Sunday and for the rest of our lives! Praise Jesus, and love Him for His Kingship, salvation and humility! Do you know Him? Let’s pray…

Jesus: Forever Inspiring Love or Controversy

Jesus: Forever Inspiring Love or Controversy                            by Kelly Durant     3-22-15

A study in John 15 concerning His relevant word to us before for His departure.

2. Did you know the Bolivians are descendants of the extraterrestrials? When one Indian meets another they do not greet each other as we do, and ask, “How are you?”, they say, “How’s the earth?” (They actually do ask that but they are referring to the quality of the dirt and farm production in the area of their fellow brother!)

Well, as Christians, we always meet, shake hands or hug and ask each other, “How are you?” but maybe we should do it with the deeper context and ask, “How is your spirit”? How is the quality of your walk with the Lord, your purity, your production for Him?

Today we will do a study on John 15 as a preparation to Easter. I love this chapter! We should read it, absorb it, live by it, and most of all learn to LOVE by it! I will comment after we read the verses. There are several concepts shared here and it is important we grasp each one. 

3. John 15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;[a] and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” Here Jesus is confirming that He is the only true connection to God, and God is the caretaker, the one who makes his vine to grow by fertilizers and additives (the spirit) and pruning (removing the dead branches, symbolic to letting go of the past and bad influences) The ultimate purpose of our lives is to be producing the maximum fruit for God! His Kingdom is forever, so why waste time with gaining so much material stuff you are going to leave behind one day?

Some times in our lives when we don’t get what we want in life and we may even get upset at God and others. But in our lean times, in our recessed times, we might take it that God might have cut us back and trimmed us. It is clear here that sometimes God will be trimming back the areas of our lives that are making us die, the deadening parts twisted up in dry pride and selfishness. It hurts us but it matures us to accept that God is in control and He shapes us how He needs us to be to serve Him best. Don’t just look at a pain or loss as undesirable, accept the fact that getting some things cut back is necessary so we produce more and have a life more like He is and less how we want to be. We don’t like changes in our lives but God permits them all our lives, so let go of the useless!

4. John 15:3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoke to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” Have you ever felt dirty after being around certain people? The words, ways, and life of many people just reek of filth. Or have you ever felt dirty inside after doing something you realized was wrong? The purpose of Satan is to tempt whosoever will listen to get dirty by some sin and then He hopes to keep you separated from God after that, dominated by guilt and shame.

The solution to freedom from unclean-ness is so simple it escapes many, even Christians, that all you have to do is get refilled back up with Jesus, absorbing His Words, and everyone must pray and confess anything bothering and then you and I are able to get cleaned up. It is like taking a shower; everyone of us needs to take one daily to be clean! Many people worry about being “holy” for Holy Week with clean new suits and dresses. How vain! The outside is only flesh, what matters is being clean spiritually, and it is Jesus’ words washes us clean!

We can be clean or holy and it is His work in us, and then this makes us apt to be able to remain in Him. Only staying connected to Jesus will allow the sap of his Holy Spirit to flow to the branches keeping you alive.

5. John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

The people that love God and are in Jesus will always have good fruit as a proof of it; they will have converted friends, people who love Jesus as well near them. In another part in the parable of the sewer Jesus mentioned this, Matthew 13:23 But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” This implies some people over their lifetime will convert this many (100) or this few (30). Think about it, how many are have you converted so far? What is your fruit?

Verse 6 does invoke fear! He is referring to the final judgment when the ones not in Him, those who produced nothing, will be cast into the lake of fire.  These are those who are withered and dried up (spiritually, due to sin). Whose fault is that? Only the one who disconnects and goes their own way without being in Jesus. It is worse for you to have had the truth of Jesus and then you separate yourself.

6. John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples”. How many of you have seen people who when they know a spiritual, righteous living leader is in the room, they prefer they pray when it is for a need of some kind? It just seems logical and natural that people know who has the connection and the power with Christ and who doesn’t.

Aren’t you as amazed as I am to hear about answered prayers! We pray, hope, and wait, but never know what God has in mind, and week after week we hear of victories and positive answers. When we prayed for someone and they got healed, we should be very thankful. Answered prayers is a blessing that others of the world do not understand that we have (They would not believe it!) how someone got a job, how someone else was freed from a problem, how if you are pleasing God He returns the favor in many ways.

Jesus is speaking to all humanity for all time in John 15 but when he says, “so you will be My disciples”, His ultimate goal is that everyone who is in Him will become a disciple, which basically is a person who loves, follows, and spreads the good news of His love, Kingdom, salvation, and eternal life to every creature.

7. John 15:9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love”. The greatest need of every person born is love! Babies within a few months will die without love! I think some people who get depressed and die young are very sad people who live without love. One of the main reasons I have dedicated my entire life to Jesus, to love Him and preach about Him, is because I have always been shown a great amount of love and kindness by those that love Him!

In the Salvation Army in doctrine 9 “We believe that continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ”. Basically verse 10 says this same thing! But it refers to getting love and salvation from God the Father (inferred is continuously) by staying connected to Jesus.

Jesus was, is, and forever will be pure love! If we want love from God (love from people is not eternal) then we must grasp the fact that we can only have it by going through the man of love, Jesus.

8. John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you”.

Do you see the connection? To have any happiness in life, any joy whatsoever, you have to have Jesus Word in you! What did He just speak about? Love! Now here joy is defined as a consequence of love. Love is directly connected to joy! If we are in Jesus love we will gain a continued joy which is a happiness light years beyond the momentary stimulation of excitement offered by the world.

Jesus laid down His life for us on the cross, now that is a true friend! Who here has a friend that has saved your life, raise your hand? If you have a story of some friend running in front of a car to push you out of the way so they could die in your place, I want to hear your story! There are a few stories of heroism and of love in this world but not so many really! Jesus died for us and did for us what we could not do for ourselves, and that was to redeem our fallen nature back to restoration with God.  So that motivates me to obey His commands as I have never had a friend like this before!

9. John 15:15 “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you”. Today many people and groups in the world are the ultra-secretive with hidden agendas kind, but not so with Jesus. Our government, and the rich rule over others never revealing an iota of their plans. People hate the 1% rich, the Rothchilds, The Illuminati, the 300 Group, the Bohemian Grove Group, and the world’s most powerful and rich who pull the strings of the politicians changing laws and  why are these evil ones hated?

Because these people and their groups in their pride have the idea they know what is best for you! They will chose the laws for you, we the people are only the peons. They create double standards and insulate their selves from the common man so they lord over all. Political powers are all abusive, yet some more murderous than others, but it is in our God given nature to reject lordship and to be subjugated as servants by murderous greedy perverts totally corrupted by pride being full of Satan.

Also all the world’s religions (except true Christianity) exercise lordship and oblige submission to their laws and customs (often having no logical sense). Some even literally mean submission! I redundantly reject any idea that God wants me under Him by means of any oppression and slavery! Jesus liberates us, from sin and from oppression and deceivers! Satan’s subjugated oppressed followers are murderously jealous over our freedom in Christ! Jesus is our friend, not our slave master! He is the world’s first wise teacher, and only Son God, and He clarified to His followers that you and I would not be kept in the dark on agendas as some subjugated servant. All of Jesus’ preaching was an invitation to the Kingdom of God and His prophecies reveal the future, so He keeps back nothing from us!    

10. John 15:16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

Have you ever been to party and then the hosts say, “Okay, it’s time to dance, everybody get up!” I never learned to dance, but I always will go along with it because it is asked of me. Can you relate to this type of situation? In this verse of being chosen, basically Jesus is saying that everyone is chosen to do his will by appointment. But don’t you hate to see party poopers rudely rejecting the will of the hosts acting upset when everyone else is doing what’s requested and being happy? What is it that Jesus just did by ordaining or appointing? We just read it, to bring others to Him bearing fruit, and to get us to love each other! It is simple and direct but many will not obey this even though they were chosen. Both commands actually are somewhat sacrificial to do, both require hardships and humility, both will involve embarrassment and persistence, but His Holy Spirit gives us power to do it and we gain joy when we accept the appointment!

And once again Jesus affirms that if we are in His will, “Whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” Getting prayers answered is the privilege that those who bear fruit get to have! But the fruit must remain, meaning we must disciple others as well, right? And a second time here we are commanded to love one another! God is love! We must love Him and others! People who never love are of Satan!

11. John 15:18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

Look how the world is hating Christians today! Has it ever been so bad? Actually yes! From the beginning the Romans murdered in horrific manners a few million Christians! Christians have been hated and murdered ever since the beginning! Who has murdered Christians throughout history and why? When you think of motives, think of Satan’s pride and jealousy. Christ haters go into a murderous rage when a person will not bow down to them, to their ideology, to their despot self, or submit to their oppressive leader. But Christian will never stop proclaiming that they love Jesus above all things!

Consider the politics of Nero. He set fire to Rome so he could rebuild it with his own architectural plans (a personal agenda) and then he falsely blamed the Christians for doing what he actually did so he could arrest and murder them! His crimes and hypocrisy became exposed along with his extremely cruelty and supposedly entertaining way of killing innocent ones. For people like Nero, for fallen angels, along with countless Satanic others, we comprehend why God is justified in allowing   the existence of a burning lake of fire hell for souls of those that deserve it. Revelation 20:14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

Who persecutes Christians? Those who do not know God the Father (even though they may claim they do), those who refuse to honor Christ, and the result is they share the same sentiments as the murderous followers of Satan! These horrible abusers have always killed children, raped and tortured women, and done horrific crimes. But Christians will be safe in heaven one day leaving this hell and their eternal hell behind!

12. John 15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’

Isn’t it amazing how some people actually “hate” Jesus? The basis for His rejection seems unjustifiable and illogical. Why reject a healer, a lover, a teacher, a sacrificial man? Jesus is purity, love, and freedom but His power by authority in Word and in deed shines with a scorching light of truth deep into the dark places of the human soul. It is unrepentant people who want to continue deceptions in the dark, who want to keep on benefiting by propagating lies to others, who want to manipulate followers for gain, who are stubborn in their pride and selfishness, are those who fiercely reject allowing Jesus in their lives!

Pray for each other here! You never know but some spouses give their mates hell over coming to church or doing good for others! Many divorces have happened because one mate accepts Jesus and the other one does not. But one thing is clear, once a person learns about Jesus they at that moment then have a choice, to recognize their sin and repent, or reject Him and the Father and the hate Him without a cause.

13. John 15:26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

How do Christians keep having super human strength to overcome in the world? Because Jesus left with us the Holy Spirit! It is an unexplained force that gives Christians the ability to remain faithful to Jesus, to be able to love the unlovely people and bear fruit for God, to endure persecutions and even death.

You and I have the conviction of Jesus being real and true as our spirit connects with His spirit! He is not controversy to us and hated, Jesus instead is love and power! He created you and I to stay with Him forever, and if we can make it through the tests and trials of life with Jesus help, He has reserved for us a mansion in heaven (But that is in John 14, which is a whole additional study!) Do you need power in these trying times? Let’s pray for the “helper”, the Holy Spirit to empower you.

The Youth: On the Path of Good, Or on the Path to Evil!

The Youth: On the Path of Good, Or on the Path to Evil!                     By Kelly Durant 3-15-15

1 Timothy 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

2. They say you got to be young and dumb before you get old and wise; I think we should be careful with this mentality because wisdom is there for the young or old! Some youth are wiser than old fools! Some young people are very capable of being strong leaders and God throughout history has often chose young people to lead. I think more young ones could rise to be leaders but sometimes the ones stopping them from a great mission in life are the old ones who doubt their abilities and familiarity is an enemy!

Consider a few young leaders called by God in the Bible. Samuel was called by God as a child answering to God’s voice in the night. David was possibly 14 when he killed Goliath and then became the King’s assistant. Daniel was taken as a slave when young and was honored as a leader not long afterwards standing firm in his convictions in Babylon. Some records indicate Mary, the mother of Jesus was not any older than 16. And today in scripture we observe that Paul is letting everyone know that Timothy should not be disrespected as a leader just for being young man. Was he even 18, we do not know? But recall most people such as the Romans in Paul’s day usually died by age 35! Age 18 would be comparable to age 40 today! 

A young person, if living honoring God in holiness, will gain a powerful anointing for a special calling, and it is up to all of us to recognize this calling and support them! The factor with people, as when you or I were young, is there exists an inherent desire to want to adventure out and conquer the world! Channeled energy can be good, right? But independence can turn out very wrong if not guided by God! I observe that most all of us get energized from the activities of the youth who can for the most part be very optimistic, willing to take risks, and have a positive confidence believing that they have the ability to bring about a good “change” to this messed up sad unjust world.

3.  Speaking of the messed up world, the perceptions the youth have of the world are ones that have been shaped by us, the parents, as well as by past teachers in schools or extended family (and include church family too). Do you recall there was some advice, which was a reality check, that circulated not long ago?  I want us to revisit these important concepts as they reveal a lot about the condition of our youth in the world today.

If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.

If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.

If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.

If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.

If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.

If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.

If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.

If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.

If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.

If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.

If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.

If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.

If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.

If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.

If children live with fairness, they learn justice.

If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.

If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.

If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

4. Here is an obvious conclusion, and tell me if I am wrong young people: A young person decides what they will do in life when usually about age 18 based on the good or bad influences or experiences they have had growing up? There is a contrast of radical convictions reported in the news as we hear of sacrificial young people going to serve in danger zones and even getting martyred helping the poor on missions. And at the same time we are informed about other young people raised pampered with the freedoms of the West, even girls, that chose to travel abroad in order to be trained to kill non-Islamic men, women, and children for jihadists? Not only young jihadists kill, but Hitler, Stalin, all the dictators had a young teenage army who were trained killers? So what causes young people to be so extreme, either extremely sacrificial, or extremely cruel? We as Christians know Jesus makes all the difference!

The biological clock ticks loudly in young brains and there is an acute awareness that whatever path one chooses between age 18 and 25 will greatly influence the rest of their lives and they desire significance in this world where they are often disrespected. Love or bitterness usually motives one’s actions. The past weeks I have been in awe hearing of our young people’s plans who are graduating from High School this year. Some want to be military, others will go to study to improve their artistic talents, and there are some undecided still, but in general most of them are dedicating their selves to something they consider worth their whole life investment. What a heavy decision! What reaping will occur the rest of their lives from their investment while young?

It is a pity that we do not have more young people choosing to be Salvation Army Officers!  Well, there still is time for that decision and many decide this even after college or the military, or even after having started a family. I didn’t know about the Salvation Army calling until I was 40 and at age 48 the leaders at the Evangeline Booth College For Officer Training took me and my wife in to get equipped and trained, God bless them! I find we have been challenged and blessed ever since! 20 years of non-stop action, and that is keeping her and I young! (But we feel old sometimes keeping up with it all!)

5. Like it or not it is a process of nature that young people mature and leave behind the parents, the games and toys, and they pick up the college books, trade tools, or instruments that will enable them to flourish and express their inner selves. The problem in fulfilment and expression is, is it a God inspired expression, or is it some worthless vanity? Sometimes in college it is easy to see others get tricked to swallow a twisted vision by some deceived person of the world promoting a godless agenda seeking ego inflation by giving a so called purpose to low information followers.  

Young people have impressionable minds and what the old college professors share with them does influence them heavily. The sad part is there are countless kids that grow up in the church and in general they mostly choose right things being in a positive environment influenced by the teachings of Jesus in the church, but then about age 18 they fall and get corrupted away from that in just a couple of years! Here is a warning: Colossians 2: 6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

All of us must stand firm in Jesus or we will fall for anyone! Even here in our Corps there is a young person that told me that they have a professor in college that tells everyone he is into porno and is liberated and feels no shame about it. This is criminal and a horrible influence, and a professor like this is unfit bring shame on academia and the universities. However, this is the so called normal that the youth live with today! This professor of course would obviously mock anything moral or Christian and these highly paid worthless godless agenda propagandists are proliferating to no end setting young people down dangerous amoral paths in life! People are getting hurt and devastated from abusive narcissists! I personally have a big problem that many young people are  being brainwashed into the communist liberal mentality accepting every kind of sin as normal preparing them to unabashedly mock all moral hard working people who are conservative or Christian!

6. For the older crowd. I will warn about the degenerate climate in which our young people are forced to live in. Girls and guys are extremely proud, vain, and unashamed of their liberal behavior fomenting debauchery and sickness. There are several “apps” for the iphone so people can meet and hook up with any stranger nearby not just to chat but to have sex! This app (I will leave it un-named) gets multimillions of hits daily! And due to these types of activities in our increasingly degenerate society recent reports state that 1 in every 3 people in the U.S. have an STD! “More Than 110 Million Americans Have an STD: Report.” 15 million new cases per year! (see link)  http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2013/02/14/more-than-110-million-americans-have-an-std-report    Sadly these habits and lifestyles that lead to the highway to hell begin in college!   

So have a little mercy on the youth considering the world’s sin laden condition! Ask, what can you and I do for our young people who remain in the good path in holy living, who reject living in lawlessness like so many wolves, goats, and prodigal sons? We must honor those who stay firm on the path of Christ like Timothy. 1 Timothy 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.   There are few here who truly are worthy of our respect and unfeigned support as they are staying close to God.

When I was about 14 there was much talk about the “Generation Gap”. The youth in my day grew up with a very different more comfortable educated life than our parents who worked hard on farms. We were the first ones to grow up with television (black and white), with wild loud music, marijuana and drugs, and hear of new oriental philosophies mixed with messages of love and peace. We lived through the civil rights movement, the Vietnam war, and a man landing on the moon, and suddenly our parents seemed hillbilly and lost in the midst of the changes rapidly going on! Now us today, who used to be “hip” can feel lost around our own children observing them race through computers with their tech savviness. 

7. I wanted to share with you some of the characteristics of the youth of today to encourage you and them that there are many things positive about them. And you have seen my example, I almost always give everyone (the youth in particular) a chance to lead with the desire to want to see them go far in life.  The information below is from this article concerning young people born at the end of 90’s being those coming into the 2,000s.   http://talent.linkedin.com/blog/index.php/2013/12/8-millennials-traits-you-should-know-about-before-you-hire-them

Millennials are…Multitaskers and can juggle many responsibilities at once but they may get easily distracted and find social media and texting hard to resist.

Millennials are Connected…and know all about social media because we are living it. They are constantly perusing Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.  - it’s how we share and get information.

Millennials are Tech-Savvy…and know more than other generations, although Generation Z may soon surpass them!?

Millennials want…Instant Gratification & Recognition to feel like what they are doing is important and that they are on the right track.  Yes, it sounds a little needy…and it is. But, many Millennials grew up with constant praise from their Baby Boomer parents. It’s what they know.

Millennials: Work-Life Balance & Flexibility…Millennials aren’t as willing as former generations to sacrifice their personal life in order to advance their careers. They like to “work hard – play hard” and want to be at a company that appreciates this desire for balance.

Millennials desire Collaboration… They are team-oriented and enjoy collaborating and building friendships with colleagues.

Millennials want Transparency…and want to feel like they have an open and honest relationship with their manager and co-workers and that there won’t be any nasty surprises when they join a company or become a part of a group.

Millennials desire Career Advancement…and want to know that they will have the opportunity to advance and develop their careers within the company they choose to join.

8. In the world of today where a person could choose from dozens of thousands of tech games and play all day and all night it seems difficult to face the challenge of how to make the gospel attractive so they will pay attention to it. The reality is each young person (and you as well) has to develop their own love for the Word of God, and if they have seen us, their parents, read, love, and obey the Word then they have a better chance of wanting to getting into it. Kids imitate what we do, not what we say.

Many young kids now arrive home or at church with an ear bud in their ear with music on and they may look at you kind of bored when they see you are trying to talk to them and they have to take the earpiece out, but just ignore the initial looks. They actually want human interaction as they themselves even get bored of being alone in their heads interacting with known or unknown people in cyberspace.

And cyberspace, which often is fun can become a serious threat! Your own kid might put on a twitter or instagram that they “down today” and some demon thug out there who doesn’t know anything about one’s life will write back, “End it all, go get a knife from the kitchen and cut your wrists open!” Cyber bullying is horrific and several dozen young people have committed suicide over getting humiliated to the point they believe their future was gone. I am amazed how many thousands of anti-God vulgar troublemakers are out there, who seem to spend their entire day commenting randomly, who target posts to mock that are wholesome or Christian. We all do have freedom of speech but I believe it was never intended to be protected when typed from the shadows from a person with a fake name attacking everything that is good mixing in vulgarities with ugly impressive graphic insults! Pray and check what people are going through in their cyber-world! Matthew 18:5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. 6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

9.  Youth…you will be on your own but be on your own with Jesus help! In most societies, as in the Jewish custom, all of you would have been declared men and women at age 12! You have grown up being taught the way of holiness and it is up to you to maintain it! Philippians 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Some great advice on how to live is in the beginning of Proverbs… 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. 10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

It is up to all of us to obey as in 2 Timothy 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. And when as you youth you obey you gain respect getting honored by the honorable as Paul wrote to Timothy in I Tim 4:12. Today we all know we answer to God, and no matter past influences, no matter how advanced the technology, no matter how liberal the perverted professors or students are, no matter how corrupted the system, the challenge is to remain true to God, faithful until the end! If you need this supernatural strength, ask it of God now. Come, let’s pray for each other!

  

Leadership 101: Fix Your World!

Leadership 101: Fix Your World!                                                By Kelly Durant  3-8-2015

2 Corinthians 8:21-21 Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

22 And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you. 23 Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.

2. How many of you like diligent people who are efficient? Don’t you hate it when you feel like you or someone you love are spinning their wheels in life? That can happen to people who are not seeking God as deep as they should or they are not tuned in to the needs around them. It is sort of like when you have been in a grocery line that takes half an hour and you discover when you finally get up front that the delay was only because the cashier is going as slow as she can with an attitude over something! How many times have we wanted to see more progress in our nation, community, and personal life only to be disappointed by our own selves or someone else? I think it is a God given instinct that you and I want to be ahead of the game, and busy doing something meaningful and purposeful in life, don’t you agree?

In life Jesus gives us a purpose, a reason to keep on going, and we being messengers of God glorify Jesus. But for those that are living just for the flesh, just for the material with the frustration of never really achieving much of anything of value, due to not being guided by Jesus and the Holy Spirit, then life becomes a sad, and depressed, sort of like a living hell. There is one image of hell that is actually frightening to me because it mirrors real life for some. It is of the Greek mythological figure that was punished to roll a rock up a mountain only to never reach the top as the rock would slip and fall back down to the bottom again and again for ever. He would roll it up, watch it roll down and start all over again and again. His name was Sisyphus and his punishment in eternity was to repeat this action forever and ever never making any progress!

I research materials for my sermons from week to week addressing the social issues affecting our world, as well as basing them on the issues in our Corps, and aligning them with the special Sundays recognized by the Salvation Army. My leadership goal by the messages I create is to apply the Word of God in a way that makes the content personal, to inspire you, and to make you want to love, follow, and live more intensely for Jesus! If you learn the things of God then you will apply leadership to your own self and grow spiritually and be challenged to accomplish more and more for God becoming an equipped saint living a blessed and holy life now and forever!  Today I am sharing excerpts from leadership notes as presented by a renowned respected preparer of leaders, John C. Maxwell. (His quotes are in quotations)

3. In 2014, Dr. John C. Maxwell was named the #1 leadership and management expert in the world by Inc. Magazine. In the Salvation Army College, EBC, we studied his books on leadership and I suggest you study them too.  He is an evangelical Christian, with a Master of Divinity degree from Azusa Pacific University, and a Dr. of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary.  Here is what I will share, the ‘Top Ten Ways People Get in their Own Way’. Well, we do not just want our own way, but we want you prepared on Jesus way, amen? These 10 points are presented as the obstacles (some more than others) which each of us must overcome.  Take note: I have added Bible verses to back up each concept presented, get your arms (Bible) ready, don’t miss any of these 10 points.

  

#1.       POOR PEOPLE SKILLS – “By far the greatest single obstacle to success that I see in others in a poor understanding of people.  A while back the Wall Street Journal printed an article on the reasons that executives fail.  At the top of the list was a person's inability to effectively relate to others.  Excuses you will hear ". . . it wasn't fair."  "All the people involved knew each other, and we didn't have a chance."  "It's all politics. . ."  The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people and work with their faults.

Proverbs 16:7 When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. Ask yourself right now, am I capable of relating to people being pleasant with any kind of person no matter what their stubborn-nesses may be? People skills are in high demand because not many people are very nice or pleasant anymore. We should get along with everyone, right? I always look at each person as a world of knowledge and I can learn from everyone.

#2.       A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE -- "Two men looked out from prison bars.  One saw mud, the other stars."  If you can learn to make the best of any situation, you can remove a formidable obstacle that stands between you and your dreams.”     Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. It is hard to stay positive in this negative world but with trust in God is possible to have peace in the midst of a storm.

Negativity can come from within or it can come from without. You can consciously train yourself to reject those inner critical discouraging voices. If you are surrounded by too many negative people, then change what friends you have! Be positive or suffer people abandoning you as bad attitudes have no attractiveness!

4.  #3.  A BAD FIT --  “Sometimes a case of mismatched abilities, interests, personality, or values can be a major contributor to chronic failure”. I personally have seen this happen like when someone puts a person in charge of a specific culture in the church and the ones appointed know nothing about the distinctiveness of their lives or the culture yet they are expected to lead them in the church, even without knowing their language! Languages, culture, social status, and knowledge of political influences are all barriers to understanding people groups and it takes a large amount of time, love, and dedication to learn volumes about the many influencing factors in people.  Everyone does have a calling and a gift for certain specifics but not always are you or I pegged in the right hole. Despite how well we fit or not recall that Paul was able to adapt to the Romans, Jews, and Greeks. You might be in a mismatched unfamiliar place but you can do your best anyway. With God we become all things to all men to win some, right?

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.

#4.       LACK OF FOCUS --  “People lacking focus have trouble not because they're too busy, but because their priorities are out of whack…And that wastes their time and resources.  If you go from task to task without making any progress, or you can't seem to reach a goal no matter how much effort you give it, examine your focus.  No one can move forward without it”.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.  In other words, work hard and fulfill your job and stay focused until it is done before it is too late and you pass on and then you cannot make up for lost time.

5. #5.   A WEAK COMMITMENT -- “For a long time, it seemed that apathy was chic.  But effort and commitment seem to be coming back into style.  Without commitment, you cannot accomplish anything of value.  The last time you failed, did you stop trying because you failed, or did you fail because you stopped trying?  If you're committed, a failure doesn't mean that you'll never succeed.  It just means you will take longer”.

Proverbs 24:16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. In this life I have seen too many people give up too easily. A little criticism, a little resistance and some people shamefully throw in the towel too easily. We need to recall what a fighter Jesus was and how the powerful religious leaders accused Him of having a demon but that did not faze Him. He exposed their sins not fearing their anger and He did not fold under pressure. Our strength comes from the Lord, and we must ask Him for it! Commitment engenders boldness, endurance, and strength to finish the marathon God has for you to run.

#6.       AN UNWILLINGNESS TO CHANGE – “Change is a catalyst for personal growth.  It gets you out of a rut, it gives you a fresh start, and it affords you an opportunity to re-evaluate your direction.  If you resist change, you're really resisting success”.

Constant change seems to be a big part of my life and of anyone who serves the Lord! I had to change languages and cultures many times but if I had not been willing to do that and move on and re-adapt, I think I would not have accomplished near the amount of what God intended for me to do. Too many people want to find a comfortable spot in life and then just stay there, but that leads to vegetating. Here is a verse that always troubled me because I always want to fear & obey God so I have had to accept that God will change me around to new settings when He desires. Psalm 55:19 God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.  

6. #7.  A SHORTCUT MIND-SET – “A common obstacle to success is the desire to cut corners and take the short road to success.  But shortcuts never pay off in the long run.  Most people tend to underestimate the time it takes to achieve something of value, but to be successful, you have to be willing to pay your dues”.  Albert Gray said -- "The common denominator of success lies in forming the habit of doing things that failures don't like to do."  Self-discipline is a quality won through patience.

We live in a society that has lowered the bar and so many people expect to reap great results but mistakenly by investing just a little; this is not reality. You cannot reap where you did not sew. With patience and goals you can overtime succeed. Here in Miami we had a friend in the 90s that worked under a man at a rental shop and as an employee he sacrificed and saved his money for ten years. After that he had the knowledge and money to open his own shop! He even went on open a total of 5 shops! Persistence and a long term vision is the key. Luke 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls. Note that for maturing in God’s work there are no shortcuts.

#8.       RELYING ON TALENT ALONE – “Talent is overrated because talent alone isn't enough to take a person through the multiple failures that life brings.  Adding a strong work ethic to talent is like pouring gasoline on a fire.  It's explosive.  Put yourself on a growth plan so that you can make the most of your God-given talent”.

Proverbs 18:16 A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men. It is true that God uses our gifts but it is up to us to use them taking them to the next level and work hard so we become stronger in all areas. Romans 12:11 “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;” It is our business to live in a balance developing as many skills as possible, and improving on what is easy for us.

7. #9.   A RESPONSE TO POOR INFORMATION – “Successful executives have in common the ability to make weighty decisions based on limited amounts of information.  But they also have in common the ability to gather reliable information to use as they evaluate issues”.  General Douglas MacArthur said -- "Expect only 5 percent of an intelligence report to be accurate.  The trick of a good commander is to isolate the 5 percent." Proverbs 18:13 He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.

Today the frustration against leaders making poor decisions because they are out of touch with the common people they are supposed to be serving is higher than ever. We all suffer when there are leaders choosing actions out of their own agendas and not selflessly choosing what is most favorable for the general populous. I personally have always tried to live by the 3 sides to the story idea. A person may come to me wanting me to immediately rebuke someone over some abuse, but I first try to hear from all sides. Then the 3^rd one to influence me is God; after praying according to the peace or lack of it I have, I either take action or a I don’t. It’s true, we will never ever know the complete story of anything so we must research and then be spirit led.

#10.     NO GOALS – “The last major cause of failure is an absence of goals”.  Consider this goal, "My goal is God Himself, not joy nor peace, nor even blessing, but Himself, my God."  Oswald Chambers  Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Review of things to conquer: POOR PEOPLE SKILLS, A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE, A BAD FIT, A LACK OF FOCUS, A WEAK COMMITMENT, AN UNWILLINGNESS TO CHANGE, A SHORTCUT MIND-SET, RELYING ON TALENT ALONE, A REPSONSE TO POOR INFORMATION, AND NO GOALS.

The PRIMARY QUALIFICATION for a Christian leader is not love for souls, but LOVE FOR CHRIST, then comes the love for souls. As we make life decisions regarding ministry, vocation, and education, may we all examine our own hearts. Are your goals based on obeying God more? Can you tell me your personal goals and how they relate to your spiritual growth? Or what goals you would like to see get accomplished in the Corps that you can contribute to? How are you developing yourself as a leader? These are important questions. We must move forward with Jesus Christ’s kingdom of God in mind remembering that you and I are a child of God, called to be leading and governing as a royal priests. It is amazing that God can use even you, (or me) and we just need to let Him! Would you be recommended as a diligent person as Paul recommended Titus, who was diligent in all things? We need to do our part and He does His part, amen?