Thursday, April 28, 2016

A MARE USQUE AD MARE

Today’s Reading: Zechariah 9-10

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

 

The Palm Sunday Church on the east side of the Mount of Olives is in Bethphage. This is where Jesus mounted the unbroken donkey colt and started His triumphal entry from the Mount of Olives and into Jerusalem. From this point onwards, Jesus left no room for doubt as to His claims to be the Messiah (Christ).

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

 

Key Verses: Zechariah 9:9 & 10b

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… His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.

 

It was very clear to every person in the vicinity of Jerusalem that Jesus’ ride on the donkey into Jerusalem meant that He claimed to be, and the people believed He was, Messiah, King of the Jews. To protect their Roman appointed and enforced positions, the Jewish leaders had to act to destroy Jesus quickly or the thousands of Passover pilgrims in Jerusalem would bring down the wrath of Rome on all Jerusalem and the Jewish people. Peter had even bought a sword with which to fight. When Jesus showed no interest in an armed overthrow of the occupying power and their Jewish backers, Judas tried to force Jesus’ hand, forcing Him into action at His arrest. All the people, His disciples, the Jewish leaders, and the Romans, failed to see that our key verses, known well by all, had two completely different times of fulfillment, the first and second comings of the Messiah. The people, including Jesus’ disciples, missed all the prophetic Scriptures which inform us of the lowly, suffering Messiah (Read Psalm 22…also read Isaiah 53). The donkey, the Bethlehem manger, and Jesus’ refusal to use His miracle-working power to help Himself, symbolized His first coming. He taught clearly that there would be another arrival in Jerusalem (Matthew 25:31-46). When He stood before the Jewish parliament He left no room for doubt when He was asked, “Are You the Christ, the Son of God?” His answer was to refer them to the prophet Daniel, another Scripture with which they were totally familiar. Jesus said, “Hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of Heaven.” Read Daniel 7:13-14. Also read and perhaps weep, Matthew 26:47-68.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, as I read the Bible with the advantage of hindsight, it’s very clear that there are two very different times involved in the Messiah’s coming to rule and to reign on the earth. Once again today I bow before Him, confessing that He rules and reigns over my heart, my mind, and all of me by love and grace. I also confess that He is yet to come to rule and to reign over all the earth with great power and glory. I pray for a greater manifestation of Your love and grace through me! In the Name of the lowly suffering Saviour… the One who shall soon return in His second coming, Jesus Christ! Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I can identify with Jesus’ disciples (“talmudim”…used in Hebrew today to mean students). Over and over again Jesus had told them, as recorded in the Gospels, that He was going to Jerusalem where He would be arrested, crucified, die, and rise again. How did they miss it? There’s a Ben Franklin couplet that says, “Convince a man against his will, he stays the same opinion still.” I know myself well enough to say that once I think I have all the facts, and once I’ve made up my mind, it’s tough to change my mind. Just ask Norma-Jean! Let me give you just one example of what was going on with two of Jesus’ students, James and John. Both Mark and Matthew record the fact that Jesus took His disciples aside while they were travelling to Jerusalem and told them, with absolute clarity, that when they arrived at Jerusalem He would be mocked, scourged, crucified, and He would rise again the third day. He could not have made it more plain, but what was really on the minds of James and John? It was the planned request of their mother, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand, and the other on the left in Your kingdom.” In this case, human pride and ambition made them incapable of actually hearing what Jesus had just said (Matthew 20:17-28 and Mark 10:32-45). Through the years, as I’ve read the Gospels over and over, I’ve come to realize that God is often speaking to me through His Word, and because I have my own plans, I don’t really hear Him. I have a recommendation for all blog readers. It’s this…at some point take just the Gospel of Matthew, take note of all the times Jesus tried to tell His students about His death, and see if you can find the reasons why Jesus’ message didn’t get through. Take those reasons and think about yourself and your reactions to God’s truth. You’ll learn, as I have sought to do, what the mental blocks are (for me I would call it thick-headedness!!!).

Yours with a measure of frustration, because often I feel like a blockhead when it comes to truly understanding what God is trying to say to me as I read His Word! Also, I’m increasingly disappointed in myself when I look at the name of this blog (my original intention when I named it)…”100words.ca,”

David

P.S. O yes, I forgot to mention that Canada’s official motto, “A Mare Usque Ad Mare” (Latin for “From Sea to Sea), is taken directly from today’s reading, as well as Psalm 72:8. Also I wanted to write a special thanks to all blog readers who have prayed for me for healing from MDS acute leukemia. I truly believe that God has said “yes” in answer to your prayers for me. I feel so good that I’ll challenge any 79-year-old reading this to a race… ha-ha! As the doxology says, “Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! Praise Him all creatures here below!” Amen!!!

Also on display in The Palm Sunday Church is a large square rock on which the story of the donkey is told by an artist.

16 thoughts on “Thursday, April 28, 2016

  1. You are more than welcome, dear David. It has been an honour to pray for your healing. We are so grateful! Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! Praise Him all creatures here below, indeed! Yes, we are strengthened in the Lord and in His name we will live securely. Amen! Happy Belated Birthday, Ger! Wishing fellow saints a blessed day!

    “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” Psalm 50:15 ESV

    Overwhelmed, Big Daddy Weave
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6oxXwRWFTo

  2. Praise to the Lord for your healing and thank you for the wisdom which you share so generously with us. It comes from many years of being with our Lord and Savior, listening to His voice and learning to follow.

    I want to take up the assignment you suggested in the Gospel of Matthew. That will be a challenge.

    Looking forward to many more years of your inspired teaching and praying for you and your family

  3. Thank the Lord again for your healing David and you are welcome for any prayers of mine. Feel like that thickheaded person you talked about in the blog. You revealed some things today that I never thought of before, such as why Peter was carrying a sword and Jesus did not want him to fight that way, so our battle today in on our knees, Amen? Also there was pressure politically to get rid of Jesus quickly and not just from religious circles. Thank you Beverlee for the greeting. Bless you all.

  4. Amen Pastor! It is good to hear how strong you are and feel… I along with others are looking forward to your interview with Pastor John…

    You have inspired me to rise early each and every day before my wife rises to have my morning devotion with Christ Jesus… Thank you Lord.

    May God continue His Good Work in and through you Pastor David.

    God bless you, your family, the 100 Huntley Street program, and dear blog friends… Amen!

  5. David, God has really pleased you as you are pleasing us with your insight into the daily blog readings. A scripture found in Nahum 1:9 is believed for you.
    It says, ” Who will conspire against the Lord, He will make an utter end of it. Affliction will not rise up a second time.”
    God bless you and all the blog readers as well.

  6. I rejoice with you for the Master’s healing touch! I pray with you that “great doors and effectual” will be opened for you. Just as in the days when Jesus walked this earth, His works bring well-served glory to our King! Thank you for being so open to the Lord, David; may He be glorified through you!

  7. Hi Pastor David,
    You are not alone. Each time I look at a Scripture to prepare a sermon I discover new meaning or insight that I missed previously. Carol and I still treasure the time we spent with you in Israel nearly 18 months ago. Keep well and God bless you as you continue to serve Him.

  8. We are blessed by your 100 Words Plus. I personally am happy for them. As you continue on thru the Bible with your teaching, all of us do not want you to feel restricted by just 100 Words. Call your blog, “100 Words Plus.” Just a thought.
    I, too,am glad for the health God has given you. Indeed, it is for a purpose. May you continue to be use by Him in the great place He has for you and will have for you in the future. As a man of God you have served Him with faithfulness and integrity, a wonderful example as a TV evangelist. I know that, in your true humbleness, you would prefer not to have such praise. Nevertheless it is true. May God continue to bless you and your family. Amen.!

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