by Terry Laughlin | Apr 14, 2016 | Easter
The Battlefield Wounds Of Christ
Matthew 27:28-31 says, “They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand and knelt in front of Him and mocked Him. ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ They spit on Him, and took the staff and struck Him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put His own clothes on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him.” The prophet Isaiah enlightens us with this description of our Lord’s battlefield wounds, “Just as there were many who were appalled at Him – His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and His form marred beyond human likeness” (Isaiah 52:14).
The Word of God gives us numerous details of the “Battlefield Wounds of Christ” which were inflicted upon the Savior of the World. “Jesus came to rule in the hearts and souls of man, and the rebellion of man’s soul wounded Him. He came to rule the wills of His people and the resistance of self-will hurt Him. He came in righteousness to cast out unrighteousness and the wickedness of the world turned against Him.” (unknown)
Though the Roman soldiers inflicted Him with a crown of thorns meant to cause pain, mockery and morbid enjoyment, God was allowing the proclamation of some powerful truths. Thorns were introduced with willful sin and were part of the curse spoken by God, “Cursed is the ground because of you [Adam]… It will produce thorns and thistles for you…” (Genesis 3:18). Figuratively, thorns signify affliction, the adversities of the wicked and the evils that spring up in the heart to choke out truth (Numbers 33:55; Proverbs 22:5; Matthew 13:7). Jesus’ “crown” represented all our sin that He came to die for.
Another battlefield wound that was laid upon Jesus was flogging. Among the Romans it was customary to viciously whip a slave or criminal to cause even more excruciating pain for the victims about to be crucified.
The power of sin puts a person into bondage and causes him to become a criminal before the eyes of God. All sins are acts of rebellion against God’s laws and decrees. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). Sin is in the heart of every criminal and unsaved sinner. Therefore, Jesus was stripped and flogged, His body afflicted because of our sin.
A third battlefield wound that was laid upon Christ was crucifixion itself. On the cross Jesus saw two classes of people, those whose hearts will remain hard and those who would repent and call out to Him. He not only bore the physical pain, but also the entire torture and suffering that are the consequences of human cruelty.
In Isaiah 53:6 we read that, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.” Through the Battlefield Wounds of Christ sinners are offered forgiveness. Which class of people will you be in? Be like the repentant thief; put your trust in Christ for the salvation of your soul and receive Him into your life.
by Terry Laughlin | Apr 14, 2016 | Football Season
Living God’s Best for You
In boasting about tomorrow James, the half brother of Jesus wrote, “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, …carry on business and make money.’ Why you do not know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’” (James 4:13-15)
A key truth to grasp in living out God’s best for you is, “life is fragile”. You have now to have a lasting impact on those you are called to influence.
While coaching the Washington Red Skins, Joe Gibbs was awakened to this truth when he received a phone call from his boss, Dan Snyder. The call, “Sean Taylor, their superstar safety had been shot in the leg.” Sean was a Pro-Bowl player in 2006 and 2007. The media said “Sean had the talent to become one of the greatest NFL safeties of all time.” Sports Illustrated name Sean as the hardest hitting NFL player. His teammates gave him the nickname, “Meast,” because they saw him as being part man and part beast.
During their phone conversation, Joe asked, “How bad is it?” He was thinking, “Shot in the leg, how bad can that be? Certainly, not life threatening.” To Joes’ horror and the devastation of the whole team, Sean died the next day.
One year later as Joe was sitting in his office the incident of Sean Taylor still weighed heavily upon him. While doing business with a friend, Joe remembered George Tharel, a man who had a strong spiritual influence in his life. George, who had died 17 years earlier, had taught Joe how to understand spiritual truths from God’s Word, truths he still lived by. One year later, Joe thinks about the man who had taken him under his wing, taught him about the Lord’s truths enabling him to find and enjoy God’s best for him.
Life is a mist. You have now to live a life that has a lasting effect on those around you. The Bible says you are living letters, “…known and read by everybody.” (2 Corinthians 3:2) Surround yourself with men who love the Lord and who can teach you the truths of God’s Word. Become a person who teaches others the truths of God’s Word and point them to the Christ of the Bible. You have now to affect others for Christ!
by Terry Laughlin | Apr 14, 2016 | Football Season
Offering His Guidance to the Church
The Bible tells us 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) God, has given us a written account of His guidance for the church of Jesus Christ. Much can be said about this passage of Scripture, our focus will be on “careful instruction.” Careful instruction (διδαχή didachḗ) means the act of teaching, instructing, tutoring in such away that it incorporates the authority of what is taught.
At Kole’s Kicking Camps they teach young football players about the art of being a place kicker. They have the authority of ESPN, to seek out potential place kickers that have the ability and drive to go on from high school to college level and then on the NFL. Kole’s Kicking Camps have teachers who understand what it means to instruct and tutor young players to reach their full potential as a kicker as well as make the right connections to move forward in reaching the goal set before them. Kole’s instructors have applied the hard work of writing a handbook that gives clear instructions on the art and dynamics of the kicking career. Back in the early days, at the beginning of the camp, students were give written material that: First, substantiate their call. At the front of the handbook is a list of several hundred names of kickers, trained by Kole’s Kicking Camps who are presently kicking from Community College level to the NFL. An impressive list indeed. Second, the handbook gives detail instructions on how to condition for being a kicker. Third, there are clear instructions on how to kick a football from whatever position on the field they find themselves in. Lastly, this kicker training manual instructs kickers how to approach a college to receive a scholarship as well as help a kicker approach the NFL before their college kicking days have completed. That is a practical application of what it means to give careful instructions.
Imagine, what hope, joy and vision it would bring into a Christian’s heart if he could walk into the church he attends and be handed a well written handbook that list the 20+ Holy Spirit Gifts. A handbook that has a list of names of Christians who are sacrificially exercising their Holy Spirit given gifts presently in the church. (1 Corinthians 12-14) A handbook with clear instructions on Whom to seek, how his gifts are to work and how to effectively use them for the good of others. A handbook that clearly instructs Christians how to discern from trials and chastisements from the Lord. A handbook that has practical helps birth from Scripture placed in real life circumstances so one can grasp how to respond in key life situations. A modern day handbook which holds testimonies of people who have been ministered to by Christians who have exercised their gifts with true sacrificial love.
Could such a handbook intrigue lost souls to attend church and be what is needed for Christians who feel they are no longer getting anything out of church attendance?
by Terry Laughlin | Apr 13, 2016 | Memorial Day
The Importance of Gravestones
Genesis 35:19 – 20 says, “So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.
Rachel, the daughter of Laban was the one for whom Jacob worked for a total of fourteen years. (Genesis 29:15-30). The Bible says Jacob loved Rachel so much that his first seven years of labor to Laban (the first down payment for Rachel to her father) “seemed like only a few days… because of his love for her.” Here in Genesis 35:19-20 we see Jacob being a true mourner. He placed a pillar, a gravestone as marker over the burial place of the woman he loved. Biblically, Jacob is known for setting up stones of remembrance for life changing events in his life. (Genesis 28:18; 31:45-47; 35:14) Here in Genesis Jacob sets a stone of remembrance over the grave of Rachel so that she may be remembered long after her death. (Matthew Henry Commentary) According to Scripture, Rachel’s burial place is clearly remembered up to the time of Samuel. (1 Samuel 10:2; The Pulpit Commentary; The Expositors Bible Commentary) A brief allusion to Rachel’s grave site is also found in Genesis 48:7 and the prophet Jeremiah alluded to Rachel’s burial site. (The Expositors Bible Commentary)
There are writings of antiquity which indicate that Rachel’s grave was well marked so her life and legacy might be remembered. There are writings in the fourth century placing Rachel’s grave within the Turkish Chapel Kubbet Rachil (Robison, Vol. 1 page 322; Tristrain, “Land of Israel” page 404; Thomson “Land and Book” page 664; Stanley, “Sinai and Palestine” page 149) This chapel was placed about a half hour’s journey from Bethlehem. (The Pulpit Commentary) There are websites that have information about Rachel’s Tomb that show pictures and have written history indicating that her stone of remembrance has impacted lives, even to this day. (www.lifeintheholyland.com www.scared-destinations.com) Please find the truth in this study. We are in God’s will if we take time to set up a stone of remembrance for the deceased. It is under His Sovereign control what becomes of it.
Matthew Henry writes, “It may be good for us to keep this in mind [the placing of Rachel’s Stone] so others may be encouraged to set up memorials.” It is important to put in place markers, gravestones, headstones, tombstones or statues of remembrance so others may remember the life and work of those who paid the way before us. Nacie Carson wrote, “A gravestone is a maker used to delineate the location of a burial site for an individual, family or group.” Most people alive today can expect to be remembered through the ages by cemetery headstones personalized to include their names, dates of birth and death, special designs, and other relevant information. Even people whose bodies have been cremated (a tradition whose popularity is increasing dramatically) are often memorialized with cemetery headstones installed in their family cemetery plots. This is in keeping with the advice of many psychologists who say that, even if a person’s ashes are scattered at sea, having a specific, special place in which to memorialize a loved one is an important part of any family’s grieving. Besides their obvious emotional value, cemetery headstones are also valuable to historians who often need to document people’s lives for decades, or even centuries, after death has occurred.
Headstones are typically used as the memorial of any person who has passed away to serve as “Stones of Remembrance” of their life. Only the Lord knows how someone’s grave stone will affect a person’s life. There is a truth in what Jacob did for his wife that is worth grasping. We certainly must honor those who loved us by showing the act of sacrificial love by setting up a “Stone of Remembrance.”
by Terry Laughlin | Apr 12, 2016 | Halloween
What Should Really Frighten You
Halloween is the time of the year when many parents participate in a fun time of dressing their children up in costumes, going house to house gathering goodies or attending a wonderful social event of fun, games and healthy socializing. In short, it’s just fun and games. Also, Halloween is a great time for movie makers and horror-genre writers to release and promote their productions with the purpose of money-making or for a select few because they enjoy doing so. On the darker side, Halloween has been used as a time to worship the Devil, promote acts which harm others, disrespect others property, or even destroy the lives of the innocent people and animals. Mature Christians see Halloween as an opportunity to point people to Godly truths with sayings such as, “If the Devil offers you a treat, it’s a trick!”
I would propose to you that there is a truth far scarier than any Halloween production which needs addressed more aggressively than more arbitrary religious arguments about how and if Christians should observe Halloween. There is a spiritual truth that should cause you to want lock your doors, check your windows and look under the bed as you lay down for the night. There is an enemy of your soul who is powerfully effective in causing destruction, destroying life and takes full control of the self-will of mankind. He does not have horns and a spiked tail, nor does he dress in a red uniform, carrying a flaming pitchfork; he is a living nightmare of unimaginable proportions.
The Apostle Peter gives a warning, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) In 2 Timothy we read of a frightening truth, “…escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:26) Again, Scripture tells us there are frightening “…spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)
The Apostle Paul writes to the young pastor Timothy, using the word “captive” (ζωγρέω zōgréō) meaning “to ensnare, seduce, to bring under control, to hold in check, to not allow a person to do what he wants, but able to make him obey his [Satan’s] will.” (Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers; Friberg, T., Friberg, B., & Miller, N. F.) In the Bible we read about Judas Iscariot, one of the men who kept close company with Jesus. He was a witness to many of our Lord’s miracles and good deeds as well as hearing His teachings. Luke writes, “Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve.” (Luke 22:1-6) From that moment on Judas watched for an opportune time to hand Jesus over to His enemies.
If Satan can take Judas captive to do his will, even though Judas witnessed such events Jesus had performed, he can bewitch or intoxicate any unrepentant soul to accomplish his purposes. Dr. David Jeremiah writes, “…My friend, the very thought that it ‘could never happen to us’ is the step toward our seduction. We need to keep our eyes wide open to the events happening around us…” (Jeremiah, D. (1999). Until Christ Returns: Living faithfully today while we wait for our glorious tomorrow (pp. 31–32). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.)
Twelve times in the New Testament, Satan is called “the evil one.” The horror of horrors, for who has been, who is or who will be taken captive by the devil to obey his will?
Recent Comments