Praise- The Road To Victory

Holy Land Picture of the Day

Trees around Jerusalem Today's picture is of trees in the hills around Jerusalem. It reminds us of Amos9: 14-15; "Also I will restore the captivity of My people Israel, and they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit. I will also plant them on their land, and they will not again be rooted out from their land which I have given them," says the LORD your God. “On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel” (John 12:12-13). The  Pharisee’s were there with their sinister purposes.  The decision had already been handed down from the power broker, Caiphas , “It is better that one man die..”.  I have always found it confusing that the Pharisee’s, Sadducees and the Scribes, were the intellectuals of the day, but their eyes were totally blinded by their intellectualism, pride  and fear that they would lose their ‘knob hill status’ due to the teaching of this up-start Nazarene carpenter.     They could not put their evil purposes out of mind and look deeper at this Man who raised the dead, healed the sick and cast demons from these who were so afflicted.  I mean, no matter how deep the pride element had control of oneself, would it not compel one to take a hard look at this man who said, “Lazarus, come forth from the tomb” and he did! (John 11) Now I realize our pride can prevent our understanding words spoken and twist those truths that seem to be iron clad in their meaning, but how can one misunderstand Jesus’ question to the Pharisee’s, “Is it easier to say your sins are forgiven” than  to “take up you bed and walk”. (Matthew 9:5)  And then we try to see the rational of their solution of how to handle the ‘Lazarus raising’ when it was, in their eyes, contaminating the masses that had chosen to follow Jesus after this earth shaking event; their solution to the problem “Kill Lazarus”. Before we cast the first stone, we need to take a look at what is happening in our world today, and even in many of our churches.  There are growing numbers who are not willing to take up their cross and follow the precepts and statutes of the Savior and, therefore, the focus has changed to “let’s get rid of everything that remotely reminds us of Jesus’ saving grace”. How sad that so many have chosen the “wide road” that leads to never-never land.  How sad that we have a Lord who, on numerous occasions said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find, knock, and it will be opened to you”  (Matt. 7:7) but yet we chose to go our own way and do our own thing. But, how great it is to know that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).   How fabulous it is to know that He (Yeshua) is the way, truth and life; that He is the truth - and the truth sets us free; and, that greater is He (Jesus) than he who is in the world. Jesus has already overcome the world!  Soooo, are you shouting Hosanna this morning and sending your praises into the heavenlies? This morning as you go about your business, sing a verse of two of ‘Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so’ and let it sink deep into your soul.  And then sing a verse or two of ‘Lord, make me a sanctuary’.  Blessings, Gramps