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Month: April 2019

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From Rags to Robes of Righteousness

Look at that picture, what do you see?

Did you come to Jesus as bankrupt as this man did? Oh, he wasn’t penniless, the man depicted in this picture was a spiritual leader in Israel – the high priest Joshua in the days of the prophet Zechariah. His bankruptcy was not financial it was spiritual and the rags he wore represented the loathsomeness of the sins of Israel (and his own) in God’s sight – he was performing his priestly ministry, praying for the sins of the people and his own.

But I want you to look again.

What you don’t see is Satan, the accuser of the brethren, standing beside this man ready to oppose him – ready to protest any grace which may be afforded on behalf of the man or the people by God and to mercilessly accuse him before the Lord. You don’t see him but he’s there.

Before I go further, let’s look for a minute at where in the Bible this “picture” can be found (Zechariah 3:1-5 NKJV):

“Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel. Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.” And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.”

In the passage, “The Angel of the Lord” stood before Joshua and rebuked the accuser but note what He did not do – He did not condemn Joshua, instead He pronounced over him the grace of God which Satan hates.

In the picture, you may have noticed that the Angel of the Lord is depicted to look much like we have imagined the Son of God – the Lord Jesus Christ looks like. The reason for this is simply that in the Old Testament, every reference to and appearance of “THE Angel of the Lord” is a reference to the preincarnate Christ. Remember that Jesus always was, always is and always will be (see Revelation 1:8); Jesus has no beginning or end, He was present at creation (see John 1:1-4, 9-10,12-14) and at various times in the OT (see Dan 3:24-25). He appeared before Hagar (the handmaiden of Sarah and the mother of Ishmael) in Genesis 16:7-11; before Abraham as he prepared to offer Issac as a sacrifice as God commanded (see Genesis 22:11-19) and before Moses at the burning bush (see Exodus 3:2); these are a few of the numerous Old Testament appearances of the Lord Jesus as THE Angel of the Lord.

Returning to the picture, Jesus (aka THE Angel of the Lord) is depicted to be covering the man’s filthy rags with what appears to be a scarlet robe. In the fourth verse of the passage we read, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will cloth you with rich robes.” All of us come to Jesus in the same way – dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1) and, spiritually speaking, wearing the “filthy rags” of unrighteousness (Isaiah 64:6) but the Lord covers us as He did the man in the picture – in garments of salvation and the robe of His righteousness (see Isaiah 61:10).

You see, when I look at this picture I also see me – do you see you?

This picture is a powerful illustration of each of our lives the day we met Jesus. Now I may be projecting myself onto Joshua at this point but can you hear the man saying through his tears, “Me Lord?! Who am I that you should do this for me?” Can you see the humility of this man and the profound gaze of Him who is not afraid to make sinners His friends? His gaze is not to say “This robe is expensive, it cost Me My life – don’t mess it up!” but to say, “I am giving this to you because you need it and I love you.”

The grace of the Lord is costly! His righteousness is priceless, but the Lord will so clothe you if you will but turn to Him in faith.

To hear more on the subject of grace and Christ-likeness, click the link https://www.thetextmessages.org/sermons/striving-for-christ-likeness-pt-8/

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Opened Eyes

It struck me as I re-read the account of Matthew concerning the last portion of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem (Matt.20:20-34) that so often we seek the WRONG thing when we have the Lord’s attention.

Consider that two of the disciples, James and John – the proverbial “Sons of thunder” (clearly because their father’s name Zebedee meant thunder) sought greatness in the coming kingdom. That it was pride driving their request is evident when, after their mother had petitioned the Lord on their behalf, Jesus asked (v.22):

“Are you able to drink the cup I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

They said. ” We are able.”

Later, as they were journeying out of Jericho, the Lord Jesus and His disciples encountered two blind men. Mark tells us that one of the men was Bartimaeus, he and another had apparently taken their usual place beside the road out of town to beg for charity from the passers by (Mark 10:46). When they learned that Jesus was passing by they cried out to Him and in mercy He stopped and asked them what He had earlier asked the mother of Zebedee’s boys (Matt. 20:32):

“What do you want me to do for you?“

The blind men quickly replied,

“That our eyes be opened.”

Just as quickly, the Lord (v.34) had compassion, touched their eyes and restored their sight “and they followed Him.”

Many people are coming to hear the message of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem today. Many of them as blind spiritually as Bartimaeus was physically. The reader of this post today may also be spiritually blind to the fact that Jesus didn’t come to make you great in this world – to prosper you; He came to make you whole – to free you from bondage to sin and pride and to give you life.

I have learned that even the lost and spiritually blind man prays. Do you have enough faith to believe that He to whom you pray has the power and desire to answer you? Can you believe the words of Jesus in (John 3:16) which declare that from love God sent His Son and the words of Paul in (Romans 5:8) which proclaim that God extended and demonstrated His love toward us while we were still His enemies?

Knowing these things, what will you say when the Lord responds to you? When He mercifully asks, “What do you want Me to do for you” what will you seek?

I pray it is for sight that you ask. For opened eyes to see and to follow after Jesus.

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Faith Has the Last Word


Where do you go to “get away from it all?”

The world is full of strife and striving and it is clear that we cannot “all get along” as Rodney King hoped in the midst of the L.A. riots of the early 90’s. Daily we are assaulted by another ignorant soundbite from society in the media. Daily we are hit by the realities of our mortality – the sudden onset of illness, the sudden loss of loved ones, or of freedoms, or hopes and the dashing of dreams – these come at various times sometimes fast and furiously to punch us once more right in the gut.

About that…Jesus warned us; He said in (John 16:33), “In this world you WILL have tribulation...” – we will have trouble.

So let me ask you again, where do you go to get away from it all? Does peace have an address?

First of all, lets consider where peace CANNOT be found; it cannot be found in this world – Jesus said it. Specifically speaking to His followers, the Lord declared that nothing on earth can give you lasting peace. Look what He said in (John 14:27):

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Through His cross, Jesus has “overcome the world” and because of that He said that we could rejoice or “be of good cheer” (John 16:33).

If peace cannot be found around us in this world and Jesus promised that He would leave such a peace with us that we need no longer be overwhelmed by the troubled of this world – where is it?! Where is this peace of which the Lord spoke?

It is IN you. Trusting in Jesus, abiding in Him and He in us (John 15:5) through the person of His Holy Spirit (John 14:17) combine to make peace an ever available resource in every place where your feet may take you.

Sometimes though, we don’t draw from that well within us at first. Sometimes we are so overwhelmed that we become temporarily overcome by the storm around us. Like Peter, we often tend to focus on the storm (see Matthew 14:26-32) around us rather than on Him who calms the storm – we focus on the uncertainties of life and in that moment we are walking in fear instead of faith.

If we focus too long on the storm our heavenly vision gets out of whack and instead of eyes of faith we see through eyes of flesh and what we see drags us down to discouragement, despair and depression.

In that moment, emotion wins out over truth.

The fact is that our emotions and eyes of flesh are always at war with our faith – they seem to have been with the writer of Psalm 42 and 43 and in those moments we must cling to our hope in God and to His promises.

In (Isaiah 26:3) we see one of those promises:

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed (focused, concentrating) on You, Because he trusts in You.”

“Why are you cast down, O my soul?” the Psalmist asked himself in (Psalm 42:5), “and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.”

Because of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead; because he keeps His promises and dwells within us in the person of His Spirit we don’t have to search for a peaceful place nor be run over by our troubles.

Faith in Jesus makes peace possible in every place and at ANY time.

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Giving Till it Hurts

This is Rudy Vargas and he is an unusual man.

Rudy is the pastor of a ministry called Heaven Scent Baptist Mission. His is a mission what goes to people most people reading this would NEVER go to. Forgive me but first of all, way too many ministries expect the people to come to them – to their churches.

Rudy goes.

Rudy was an inmate in the Texas correctional system, now he ministers from the outside to those he formerly ministered to on the inside. Offering those who want to go deeper with the Lord a rigorous study of Biblical doctrines so that they may rightly divide (rightly understand and teach) the Word of God. Corresponding with those men, Rudy encourages their study and rewards those who complete the program with a certificate and a Bible.

Rudy was also on the streets for a time as a homeless person, now he ministers to the same in the city of Victoria Texas. Weekly, he ministers to those he finds on the streets; once a week (at least) he and his wife (Julie) prepare sack lunches for the homeless which they take to the people on the street sharing the “bread of life” with them first and then the food and at various times also clothing that has been collected.

Rudy was once a troubled youth, now he ministers to at risk kids, showing them the love of Jesus, leading them to faith in Christ and then discipling them to live out their faith in Jesus Christ. His ministry to these youth, mostly junior and senior high school age, is the only Christian influence some of them are exposed to.

The Lord is making a difference in lives through Rudy Vargas; so why am I bringing him to your attention today?

Rudy’s ministry is not brick and mortar – he works from his home office; in addition to that, Rudy does not receive the benefit of tithes and offerings from which to conduct ministry. Unlike most full time ministers, he receives no compensation nevertheless, from his own “mites” he serves the Lord by serving others; like the widow of (Matt. 12:41-44) Rudy does not give from his excess but from his own poverty.

This is how Rudy describes his ministry to his Facebook subscribers:

” We are a faith based and Jesus Christ centered non profit 501c3 organization, with a three fold function. First we are a congregation, and assembly (Church) of Bible Believing Christians, who come together on the basis of the Bible. We have a youth mission, in which we reach out to, and disciple young people, to nurture them in their faith, guiding them towards a Christ centered life. Our team of disciples, built from the ground up, discipling others to be apart of Jesus Christ’s mission to the world. Second we are a Street Ministry that takes the gospel to those who might not be reached by other Christian organizations, feeding the homeless as we minister, and counsel the less fortunate with God’s holy word. And thirdly we are a Prison Ministry, going into the prisons, reaching out to those who have quite often been forgotten, or discarded by their families, and society. Offering Bible correspondence courses, providing Authorized King James Bible’s upon completion, certifying them as inside ministry team members in order to continue the mission from the inside. All for the glory of God our Savior, and to touch those with the love of Christ Jesus, who died for our sins, and with the hope of leading others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, helping them change their lives as we have. Bringing hope to the hopeless in this world. ”

I am writing in hopes that as some of you read it you’ll send up a prayer for this brother in Christ. Additionally, I am writing so that some of you might share a word of encouragement with Rudy and I am writing in the hopes that a few of you might even consider helping this ministry materially. You can contact Rudy by searching on Facebook for Heaven Scent Baptist Mission or by clicking the group link https://www.facebook.com/groups/301237056957743

If you are led to help materially you can do so through PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/tortugaink

Additionally, if you can help and don’t want to use paypal, please message me directly on The Text Messages Facebook page for other ways to help.

Please like and share this post to get the word out….

Thanks.

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The Calling of the Everyday Christian

Nearly eight billion faces, each representing a story and a soul – every last one of them different in so many ways. Some are homeless, some are addicted to anything from food, drink and sex to any one or more of a number of drugs; some are single parents trying to make it work; some are happy and some are stressed and frustrated even suicidal, everyone of them believes in something even if they call it nothing. Atheists, deists, pious, self-righteous; Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian – people who look like you and people who don’t.

As a Christian witness where do YOU draw the line? Who is there in your life or in your day to day routine that you WILL NOT reach out to?

Why? Who were you and what were you doing when someone told you about the One who loved you anyways?

Last week we talked about loving, forgiving and serving others like Jesus loves, forgives and takes care of us; is there someone in your life for whom you could not do that?

After having heard how Jesus willingly set aside His rights and prerogatives as God (see Philippians 2:5-11) for the sake of those He came to save and that those rescued and redeemed by Him are called to do the same thing many believers would quickly say: “Yes, but he is Jesus, I am not.”

After hearing the command of the Lord after He had set aside His robe, filled a basin with water and washed the dirty feet of those who followed Him that they who believe in Him are to “do likewise” (John 13:15) many believers would quickly say: “Yes, but He is Jesus, I am not.”

After hearing that believers should love others (including those who don’t love them) as Christ loved them (John 5:12, Matthew 5:44) and that they should forgive as the Lord has forgiven them (Ephesians 4:32), many believers would say: “Yes, but He is Jesus, I am not!” as if those commands and instructions are beneath our dignity and beyond our own spiritual experience.

What does that even mean – “He is Jesus, I am not“?

Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God, holy, perfect, sinless – the creator of all things! If anyone had the right to decline setting aside their rights it was Jesus! If anyone had the right to say: “I am not loved by them, neither will Iove them” it was Jesus! If anyone ought to have been served rather than serve or had the right to refuse to stoop to the level of washing the filth from another persons feet – it was Jesus! But He did NOT claim His rights – He did all of those things which many believers today could NEVER bring themselves to do.

When we attempt to excuse ourselves from the call of the everyday Christian with words like “He is Jesus, I am not” we are not saying, “I can’t do it” in reality we are saying “I won’t!” Such are not merely overwhelmed by the thought of obeying, rather, they literally cannot find it in themselves to love the unlovable, to forgive the unforgivable or to minister to the “undesirable.”

My friends, selfless living is what you and I are called to as everyday followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have the greatest example of Christ to show us how, we have the indwelling Holy Spirit of God to encourage, empower and enable us to do as Jesus did and we have the examples of people just like us who have been “Christ” to the “least of these” to prove that it is possible for the redeemed to act like it.

Would you be willing to go outside of your comfort zone to reach the ones you haven’t spoken to about the love of God in Christ Jesus? Let us all TRULY model the mind of Christ today – the world is waiting and the Lord is worthy.

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