Mission Central

Crucifixion is humiliating and horribly violent. You would think even the most angry might have some pity on a man going through such a death. There was none from the crowd of onlookers.

Consider these 2 things: 1. What did the crucifixion look like from heaven? 2. Why did Jesus stay on the cross?

God turns Satan loose to perpetrate the greatest evil ever seen by man: the crucifixion of Christ.

Barabbas is a bit player with no lines. Barabbas was both an insurrectionist and a murderer Barabbas can say more than anyone in history, "Jesus died on my cross."

The priests easily manipulate the crowd Even though they chose Barabbas, they still had to make a decision about Jesus "His blood be on us and on our children" was a prophetic statement, though they didn't know that at the time.

Pilate was an enemy of the Jewish people who became their needed ally. Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent. Pilate didn't have the fortitude to do what he knew to be right. Pilate claimed innocence while enabling rebellion. Pilate made the choice to not choose.

The "tingles" are dangerous. Lust leaves us with unrealistic expectations of the one we are with and the one we are lusting for. Adultery is the only thing Jesus says is serious enough to dissolve a marriage. Marriage covenant is greater than a contract and should be honored by all.

Most murders evolved out of a violent history of angry outbursts. - Anger is a sin that must be confronted - Anger harms our relationships - Anger makes us think everyone else agrees with us

Interview with Joel Bowden of the South Texas Children's Home. This interview took place in 2017.

Persecution proves that we should not seek peace at any cost. Persecution "for righteousness" is very different than persecution for being an obnoxious jerk. Be sure you get the first beatitude right (blessed are the poor in spirit) before you think you are living in the last beatitude.

Making peace is difficult. If you want to be a peacemaker you are going to have to be brave. You'll step into difficult situations by definition. That's why they need peace. You can't just wish for peace, you have to work for it.

Pure in heart doesn't mean that you've never sinned. We have all sinned and need the forgiveness of God, His cleansing to be made pure. We need to follow truth, God's truth, not our hearts. Your heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9)

Grace deals with sin. Mercy deals with the pain and misery of sin. Those who are merciful are compassionate, generous, and tenderhearted. Mercy doesn't mean that you do condone sin, rather that you see the debilitating effect of sin and choose to respond to the pain and misery that accompany sin.

Righteousness is threefold: being rightly related to God (justification), being rightly related to your own soul (morality), and being rightly related to others (relationships, justice). Don't accept cheap substitutes for righteousness.

This word is very hard to define in any language. "A man who is truly meek is the one who is truly amazed that God and man can think of him as well as they do and treat him as well as they do." D. Lloyd-Jones

He isn't talking about mourning a loved one, but mourning your own sin. We should mourn over the loss of innocence, personal integrity, self-respect. True joy will not precede the conviction of sin.

I need God's mercy. I am in spiritual poverty without Him. I cannot stand before God and tell Him all about my education, honors, morality, or accomplishments. Salvation is only for those who recognize their own spiritual poverty and trust in Christ.

This is Jesus' treatise on what a follower looks like. He is more concerned with WHO you ARE than with WHAT you DO. There must be a difference between the sacred and the common. Christians must be a people of distinction (Malachi 3) Not only does He draw a distinction with the world, but He also makes a distinction between His followers and those who are merely religious.

Don’t get complacent or satisfied. There is too much at stake and too urgent a task to languish in the luxury of division. Open your eyes. Look up to your leaders. Look out for one another. Look in at your own walk with the Lord, and get to the work of the kingdom. 1. Look up to your leaders 2. Look out for one another 3. Look in to your walk

Paul encourages the believers in Thessaloniki with 2 reminders and 1 important bit of additional info. 1. Stay in the Process - Even More 2. Love One Another - Even More 3. Don't Grieve Like You Used to Grieve