GOSPEL MESSAGE REJECTERS

GOSPEL MESSAGE REJECTERS

BY DR. MERVYN ABREO

          Here are given examples of the Gospel being rejected, even given by the greatest of messengers, Jesus and Paul! This was because they preferred the honor, glory and position they enjoyed here on earth, rather than the riches that awaited them in heaven!

PILATE: At the trial of Jesus, Pilate was on the judgment seat. He knew that Jesus was innocent, and that the Jewish leadership had brought false accusations against Him, purely out of envy. And so Pilate wanted to release Him!

          And when he learnt that Jesus claimed to be God, he was all the more afraid. (John 19: 7, 8).

          Further, when he was on the judge’s seat, ‘his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of Him.” (Mathew 27: 19).

          And as the trial proceeds, with all this background information in mind, he asks Jesus weather He was a king. To which Jesus replies, “You are right in saying I am a King. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me.”

          Here was the greatest opportunity for Pilate to accept the truth and set Jesus free. He would lose his elated position here on earth, but gain an even greater one in heaven, for all eternity. And be forever called as the man who released the greatest ‘Releaser’ of all time.

          But he scoffed at the opportunity given by Jesus, and instead retorted, “What is truth,” thereby terminating the trial and condemning Jesus to an inglorious death. (John 18: 36 - 40).

FELIX: During one of Paul’s missionary journeys, he was arrested and put on trial under Felix, the governor. An opportunity arose for Paul to deliver the Gospel message, when Felix sent for him and listened to him. But when the Apostle spoke about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid, and stopped any further discussion.

          His fear was the best thing that could have happened, for, as the prophet had said, ‘’ so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11).

          It achieves conviction which leads to repentance and salvation.

          Or it brings about rejection which leads to condemnation.

          He could have responded with repentance, and received salvation. Instead, he rejected the message. And was condemned!

 The reason for his response? He wanted a bribe from Paul! Not, so much, for the money, but in order to discredit the message by discrediting the messenger! (Acts 24: 24 – 26).

KING AGRIPPA: Paul, accused by the Jews, is on trial. The Apostle speaks about his own conversion, and expounds how Jesus delegated him to spread the Gospel, and about his own journey in doing so.

          At one stage, during the proceedings, Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”

          And Paul’s reply is that not only him, but also all those listening to him, may become Christians. But none did! (Acts 26: 1 – 28).

          Here too, the message was given, was rejected, and they were condemned!

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FEAR-- REVERENTIAL / DEMONIC

FEAR – REVERENTIAL / DEMONIC

BY DR. MERVYN ABREO

          It’s a known fact that fear leads to hate! And therefore, it’s no surprise that most people, who dislike and reject the Biblical God, do so because the Holy Book exonerates us to ‘fear’ the Lord!

          The Bible never tells us to ‘fear’ the Lord, rather It tells us to revere the Lord! What’s the difference?

          Reverential fear stems from awe and respect for the Lord. It’s an acknowledgement of how great He is, and how little we are. There is a love relationship between Him and us. And therefore we dare to call Him Abba! (Romans 8: 15; Galatians 4: 6).

          The following dawned on me as I was heading to Sunday Service:

I realize as I came here to dine,

That I’m only human but You’re divine.

But as I partake of this Bread and Wine,

I am Yours, and You are mine!

          Demonic fear, as its name indicates, originates from demons. It causes anxiety, terror, panic attacks etc.

           Nightmares, when they occur, usually do so at three in the morning, when the coven of witches finish their ritual, and release demons, who go forth and do their evil deeds.

SHEKINAH GLORY occurs when there is a divine visitation of Jehovah God here on earth. This was the glory that filled the Holy of Holies.

FEAR AND US. A committed Christian should never be subjected to demonic fear. Rather, the demonic world should fear us.

           However, if it does occur, a simple prayer of deliverance solves the problem. Take the Name of the Lord in faith, and it is He Who will do the job!

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YOU ARE NO PAUL

“YOU ARE NO PAUL”!!

BY DR. MERVYN ABREO

Suffering needlessly:  A pastor who was suffering from a chronic disease had passively accepted his condition claiming that it was from God, because he thought that he was like Paul, who had been given a deformity to keep him humble!

          When I learned of this, I went to the pastor, whom I had never met before, and told him, “You are no Paul!”

          He was stunned, but gradually, as we got to know each other, he accepted the fact that he was suffering needlessly.

          All sickness, disease or deformities are from Satan, and have no part in a believer’s life! We should do everything to free ourselves.

Remaining unmarried: There are several young men in today’s Churches who do not wish to get married, claiming to be like Paul, and wanting to be fully involved in God’s ministry.

          They are fooling only themselves! They are lazy and do not wish to work hard and take on the responsibility of a family.

Paul’s ministry: He was given a thorn in the side to keep him humble. Nobody really knows what illness he had, but some guess that he suffered from facial palsy. He asked the Lord, on three occasions, to take it away, but He’s reply was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” (2Corinthians 12: 1-10).

          Paul needed to be kept humble because he had been shown great visions, heard inexpressible things, and had been and taken up and shown the third heaven and caught up to Paradise. (2Corinthians 12: 2).

          However, please note, that it was Satan, and not the Lord that had given him a thorn in order to torment him.

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JESUS 'HATED' THE CROSS

JESUS ‘HATED’ THE CROSS

BY DR. MERVYN ABREO

          Although the Lord did not shirk from His responsibility but went willingly to His death by crucifixion, He knew what was in store for Him.

          Death by crucifixion does not occur, either because of severe agonizing pain, or bleeding, but as a direct result of asphyxia, i.e. cutting off of the oxygen supply to the lungs.

MECHANICS OF CRUCIFIXION: Unlike popular belief, the nails that pierce the hands do not pass through the palms.

          Rather, the nails have to pass through the wrist.

THE FOOT REST: The feet of the crucified person rest on a small wooden wedge. And we will soon see why this wedge is necessary.

KEEPING ALIVE: Death is by asphyxiation occurs because the crucified person, who is literally hanging by his wrists, is unable to breath. And so, in order to suck air into his lungs, he has to pull himself up, using his pierced hands to do so, while simultaneously pressing down on the foot rest, beneath his feet, which too have also been pierced.

          The instinct for survival is so strong, that it may take several days for him to ultimately weaken, give up and die.

          To hasten death, Roman soldiers often broke the knees of those crucified, so that they were unable to lift themselves up any more.

JESUS AND CRUCIFIXION: Calvary weighed heavily on His mind. “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One Who could save Him from death…..” (Hebrews 5:7).

 GETHSEMANE: He showed us that He was human, (so we can identify with Him), by His prayer, “Now My heart is troubled, and what shall I say” ‘Father save Me from this hour? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father glorify Your Name!” (John 12: 27).

          He had a job to do. And He would complete it. But He was no masochist, and would have done anything to evade the torment He would have to go through.

          But there was none! And so He accepted crucifixion………. for you and for me.

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HOLY SPIRIT OF LORD JESUS THE JEHOVAH

HOLY SPIRIT OF LORD JESUS THE JEHOVAH

BY DR. MERVYN ABREO

          Is the Holy Trinity a mystery? No! It isn't! But it will always remain a mystery to those who, like the ostrich, hide their heads in the sand.

          And we need to get a better understanding of this ‘mystery’ if for no other reason but to get a better picture of Who God really is, whether we see Him as the Father, the Son or the Holy Spirit.

WHY IS THE TRINITY A MYSTERY?

On one hand, we have the Biblical truth proclaimed by the Church, that there is only one God! While on the other hand, in the Bible, on a number of occasions, we come across, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, being mentioned individually, or in twos and even   threes, conversing with Each other.

  The Christian and three Gods:  The greatest danger is to the Christian himself, who uses the term Father, Son and Holy Spirit as though they were three Gods.      

          When questioned, he quickly goes on the defense, saying that he actually believes in one God, and that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit actually are three Persons in one God.

              But when asked as to how he visualizes God, he describes God the Father as an old man with white hair and a long white beard, God the Son as a young man, with a trimmed beard and shoulder length hair, and the Holy Spirit as a dove, hovering in the air.

  GOD THE FATHER: Right from the beginning God revealed Himself to man as one God: ‘Hear, Oh Israel the Lord thy God is one God (the only God)’. (Deuteronomy 6:4).

  JESUS CHRIST AS GOD: There was absolutely no doubt that Jesus claimed to be God and was therefore crucified for it.

 THE HOLY SPIRIT AS GOD: is described as the mysterious power or presence of God.

 BASIC ISSUE ABOUT THE TRINITY: Is Jesus Christ God? Is He really and fully God? The core of the doctrine of the Trinity was and is the divinity of Jesus Christ, as well as that of the Holy Spirit!

THE TRINITY EXPLAINED BY TIME-SPACE-MATTER:

 The rules of time-space-matter can be applied to Jesus Christ, while He was on earth, because He was a man like you and me. But these rules cannot in anyway be applied to the Father and the Holy Spirit because They are essentially Spirit Beings.

THE WORLD OF GOD THE FATHER: God told Moses His name,’’ I am who I am. (Exodus 3: 13). An Omnipresent God! (One Who is continuously in a ‘present’ state).

WORLD OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: He is the Spirit of Jesus - or Jesus in the Spirit form, outside the confines of our world, so that He can be at all places at all times, (Omnipresent), ministering to everybody, simultaneously, an attribute/ characteristic the human Jesus did not possess.

 USING TIME-SPACE-MATTER TO STUDY THE ‘THREE GODS’ OF THE TRINITY:

GOD (God the Father) - the one true living God (Jehovah, Yahweh):

He created the earth (matter).

In a time/space environment.

 Time: made up of- yesterday, today and tomorrow.

 Space: made up of- length, breadth and height.

He created man: matter in time and space.

Man sinned- God lost His kingdom to Satan.

God communicated with man (Israel) - people terrified.

God decided to become man (matter) in time/space dimension.

And communicate with man on a one to one basis.

JESUS (GOD THE SON)

God became man, and was named Jesus.

Got the title of Christ (Greek), Messiah (Hebrew) -- Anointed One.

In the Gospel of John:

 “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus).

And the Word (Jesus) was with God (the Father).

And the Word (Jesus) was God (the Father).

He (Jesus) was with God (the Father) in the beginning.

Through Him (Jesus) all things were made”. (John 1:1-3).

Jesus came down on earth to reestablish His kingdom.

Crucifixion, resurrection & ascension: Jesus ceased to be human (matter) and ceased to be bound on earth (by time & space).

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT (Advocate, Councilor)

          Presence of God (Lord Jesus Christ) continues on earth in the Spirit form as:

          “The Holy Spirit of Lord Jesus Christ the Jehovah”.

 

A CHILD LIKE EXPLAINATION FOR THE HOLY TRINITY

          When my son was nine and daughter six years old, I explained to them about the Trinity by giving them my personal example.

          I told them that I was their dad, a doctor in the clinic and a preacher in the Church. Was I three different persons? Definitely not!

          If you had to ask my son who I was, his answer, ‘My dad, Dr. Mervyn is a preacher in the Church!’

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THE COUNSELOR'S PITFALL

 THE COUNSELOR’S PITFALL

BY DR. MERVYN ABREO

Counselor’s personal problem: They may be very professional, highly trained and well qualified. They may even be born-again pastors, with several churches under their control.

          But, more often than not, these counselors have unresolved issues, which they, knowingly or unknowingly, pass on to their clients with, resulting in more harm than good.

          If you are being counseled, be on your guard, lest you be led astray.

AN EXAMPLE: There was this pastor who used to advise, both married as well as unmarried couples, to ‘release their partners’.        

         On questioning him, he confessed that his wife didn't trust him, not even allowing him to even speak to another woman. His need of freedom caused his advice to be biased and unreliable.

KING SOLOMON: Considered to be the wisest of men, came out with utter rubbish. He wrote, “………man has no preeminence over a beast…..” (Ecclesiastes 3:19).

          The Bible does not teach this, because God’s inspired Word, is infallible! “Every Scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching………..reproof……….correction, for instruction……….in righteousness.” (II Timothy 3:16).

          Then why include Samson’s nonsense in the Bible? Because it gives a startling picture for how fatal it is for even the wisest of men to substitute man’s “wisdom” for God’s wisdom, and to attempt to live by it. Solomon’s reign began with God, gold and glory. It ended with bafflement, brass and bewildered acceptance of man’s having “no preeminence over a beast,”…….man who was made “in the image and likeness of God” (Genesis 1:27) and “but little lower than God.” (Psalm 8:5).

A WARNING: When receiving council, remember that even Solomon, the wisest man, spewed nonsense. So then, be rest assured that you need to very carefully evaluate the advice you receive!

          And if you are a counselor, then diligently pray that your advice truly reflects the thoughts and heart of our Lord Jesus Christ!

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SCREWED? THANK GOD!!

 SCREWED? THANK GOD!!

BY DR. MERVYN ABREO

          “My daughter’s a stripper!” Cried out an anguished mother to a pastor! To which he asked her, “Have you thanked God for it?”

     “And why would I ever thank God for something so terrible?” she asked, taken aback.

          “Because, by thanking God, you get every situation under His will and control!” (Note: one does not thank God that she was a stripper).

          Thank Him for everything! We strongly believe that everything good comes from God, and that we should thank Him only when the going’s good. And that we should!

          But how should we react when accidents, disease or calamity assails us. Do we rightly blame the devil? Or worse still, blame God? It would seem ridiculous, to a devout Christian, to thank God at a time like this, thereby indicating that He is the cause of this disaster.

          But thanking Him is what we should rightly do, especially when times are bad! Not because He is the author of our misfortunes, but because, by doing so, we bring the situation under His will. And act, He will definitely do!!

The stripper daughter: The moment the mother thanked God, He took control. A committed Christian was passing the club and the Lord told him to enter. He did so with great reluctance. But once inside, he was confronted with the daughter doing a pole dancing. As the other customers were jeering, he, not knowing what to say, blurted out, “Jesus loves you.”

          After her performance, the astonished girl came to his table. And he was able to give her the Gospel Message. She accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. And returned home!

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BIBLICAL GOD -- A LOVING FATHER

  BIBLICAL GOD – A LOVING FATHER

BY DR. MERVYN ABREO

          HEAVEN’S FEARSOME GOD! The Old Testament depicts God the Father as an angry, fearful and revengeful God! But this is only towards His enemies.

          What is He really like? The Bible depicts Him as a powerful King, filled with majesty and splendor.

          And to His children, He is a loving Father, slow to anger and abounding in love.

          But the problem arises for those who have had a horrible childhood, born to tyrannical, abusive or an alcoholic father. Or have seen their friends or neighbors, having to endure the same. And these memories haunt them throughout their lives.

CAESAR and his son: Once, after his many conquests, the triumphant Caesar was leading his victorious army through a tumultuous and jubilant Rome. He was in his chariot surrounded by his generals.

          Suddenly, his son, a mere child, darted forward, climbed onto Caesar’s chariot and threw his arms around his father’s leg. The generals, who considered Caesar as god, were aghast.

          “What are you doing?” they cried out. “Don’t you know that’s Caesar?!”

          To which the boy calmly turned to them, and said, “To you he’s Caesar. To me, he’s my dad!”

          Dear friends, God the Father, as depicted in the nature of Jesus, loves you, and cares for you. If you look at God as a tyrant, then your perception of Him needs to change, so that you can visualize Him as He really is. Seeing Him in the Person of Jesus, especially when you read the Old Testament, helps greatly.

          Even for a horrible childhood, there is inner healing in Jesus.

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YOU DESERVE WHAT YOU TOLERATE

 YOU DESERVE WHAT YOU TOLERATE

BY DR. MERVYN ABREO

           There is an old saying: “You get what you deserve.”

           This is just another way of saying that you are paying for your mistakes. And therefore, you tolerate what you do not deserve.

          But once you realize that, ‘you deserve what you tolerate’, you will react swiftly, boldly and decisively. And it will pay you in the long run. This means, no more bullshit from anyone!!

          The parents of a young lady brought their teenage daughter to a female counselor so that she could straighten her up.

          

        The wise counselor refused, saying that it wasn’t her job, but theirs, because they had accepted her nonsense, and were now reaping what they had tolerated all along.

SONS OF ELI: He was the high priest, and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were both fundamentally evil. They treated the Lord’s offering with contempt, a sin which was very grave in the Lord’s sight. Also, they slept with the women who served in the Temple.

          And Eli did not correct them! Therefore, God sent a man to prophesy against him. The result, the precious Arc was captured by the Philistines, his sons were killed in battle, the news caused Eli to fall back, thereby resulting in a broken neck, and his daughter-in-law, died in child birth. (1 Samuel 2:11 – 4:22).

SPIRITUAL WARFARE! Do not accept sickness, disease, calamity, and even death, from the devil………thinking that you deserve what is your due, because of the sins you have committed.

          When you repent and are forgiven by the Lord, not only are your sins taken care of, but also the consequences of the wrong you have done! So do not tolerate the lies of Satan, but enjoy the peace and joy that are your due.

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JESUS'PREPARATION FOR CRUCIFIXION-PART II

 JESUS’ PREPARATION FOR CRUCIFIXION 

PART II –THE LORD PREPARES HIS PEOPLE

BY DR. MERVYN ABREO

HE PREPARES THOSE AROUND HIM:

Reassures them: The Lord reveals to His Apostles that He is the Christ, but psychologically prepares them for His death.

           He assures them that He would rise again on the third day. (Luke 9: 18 - 22).

Predicting His betrayal: At the Last Supper, Jesus tells His closest twelve, that one of them would betray Him.

          This was to prevent them losing faith! (John 13:18 - 30).

Comforts them: (John 14: 1 - 14). He assures them that, since they have accepted Him, they are assured of salvation and heaven, because, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” And, “I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me.”

Promise of power: Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these……” (John 14: 12).

Promises the Holy Spirit: To those who love Him and obey Him, the Lord has promised to send the Counselor that is the Holy Spirit, to empower us and give us His peace! (John 14: 15 – 27).

                                         

 Washes their feet: What the Lord was teaching them was not being humble by serving others, but becoming humble by letting others serve you. 

          This was essential so that they would be able to grasp that salvation was a free gift, that we could not work for it and that we should accept it in the true spirit of humility.  (John 13: 1 – 17).

Prays for disciples: He asks the Father to protect them, just as He protected them, because they are His. (John 17:6 - 19).

          Protect them from what, since all of them were martyred?! The protection that the Lord asks for is spiritual, and not physical! The Lord’s desire is that they be protected from the evil one, and to sanctify them by the truth.

          Satan had asked that he sift them like wheat, but the lord had prayed for them so that their faith may not fail. (Luke 22: 31, 32).

Prays for all believers: The Lord then prays for all those who will accept Him as their Lord and Savior, down through the ages, till the end of time. (John 17: 20).

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