The “Spirit” of Apathy

Thoughts, ,

In Matthew 24: 12, we find the 13th sign of our Lord’s return is “The love of many will grow cold.”

This is the only place in the Bible where we have this phraseology – the love of many growing cold. This phrase speaks of something that grows cold or becomes cooler when it is acted upon. The word picture here is what happens when we blow on hot coffee or hot chocolate or hot food to cool it down. Jesus said, when the love of many grows cold, that is the last straw so to speak. How does this happen? How does love grow cold? What kind of love is this?

There are four different Greek words for love.

  • Agape – self sacrificing love
  • Phileo – brotherly love
  • Eros – the love-making kind of love
  • Storge – the love parents have for their children or pet owners have for their pets. It’s the idea of loving someone who is very close to you, but it is a different love than the other three.

Which one do you think is the love in Matthew 24:12? The word for love here is the word agape. It is self sacrificing kind of love. It is the kind of love God expressed when He sent Jesus to die for us on the Cross. The kind of love we have when we really care for people; when we care for the right things. Jesus said, when this form of love grows cold we are near the end.

How does this happen? The enemy is often referred to as the chairman of the cold water committee. He loves to bring discouragement.  He loves to take away our zeal. He is the one “blowing his cold wind” of discouragement over us to cool us down.

In Matthew 24:4, Jesus began this discussion with,  “Take heed that no one deceives you.” What is the primary activity of the enemy? He is deceiver of the whole world. We see this in Rev.  12:9., he is referred to as the one who “deceives the whole world.” He deceives us in many ways. He even deceives those who worship him and think they are on his team. Remember, the Bible says, “he is the deceiver of the whole world.” Next time we will see see how he does this.

Signs of His Return

Thoughts

Approximately 1,986 years ago, the wisest Man whoever walked this earth said there would be thirteen signs describing the end of the age; the end of life as we now know it on the earth. Look at the list (especially #12 & #13) and see how many are true today. Feedback welcome. Have a great day and get ready. The worst is yet to come!

  1. Wars and rumors of wars
  2. For nation will rise against nation and kingdom [will rise] against kingdom
  3. Famines
  4. Pestilences (plagues, wide-spread diseases)
  5. Earthquakes in various places
  6. They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you
  7. You will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake
  8. Many will be offended
  9. People will betray one another
  10. People will hate one another
  11. Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many
  12. Lawlessness will abound
  13. The love of many will grow cold

tom@tomsavage.us

 

Seven Sayings #7

Thoughts

“Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”

Here, Jesus raises His voice to call out in triumphant victory. Here we have two power truths:

  1. Perfect Knowledge: Jesus is totally aware that everything He came to do has been completed and He was ready to return home.
  2. Perfect Relationship: In that relationship Jesus had what we have by faith and what we will experience totally and completely one day. One day we will know even as we are known.

As we close this abbreviated study, let’s consider six things that prevent people from having a relationship with God. Here they are:

  1. Sin – we inherited from Adam
  2. The penalty of sin – the wages of sin is death
  3. Physical birth – we need to be born again
  4. Relative righteous – God requires perfect righteousness
  5. The character of God – God will not tolerate sin
  6. Man’s position – we were born in Adam

As we close, consider these powerful words in Romans 5:6-11

        “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

Have a great day!!

Tom@tomsavage.us

Seven Sayings #6

Thoughts

“It is finished.”

In that phrase there are at least three axioms.

  1. Before His crucifixion, there was something unfinished that had to be done.
  2. By dying, He was accomplishing something that could not be accomplished any other way.
  3. By His death, He accomplished that task.

Several times during his earthly ministry, Jesus remarked that there was something He needed to do.

  • “I must be about My Father’s business.”
  • “I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”
  • “I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem”
  • “Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”
  • “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming, when no one can work.”
  • “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there will be one flock, and one shepherd.”

Jesus came to do the Father’s will and He finished completely what He came to do. What keeps us from accomplishing the things we need to accomplish?

Few men in Southern Baptist life are as recognized for their scholarly contributions as that of A.T. Robertson. His Word Pictures in the Greek New Testament are a standard in many personal libraries. Dr. Robertson decided that he would translate the New Testament. When completed it would be known as The Robertson Translation of the New Testament. In that massive endeavor, he had arrived at Matthew chapter 8. He left his study to go teach a class, he never returned to that study. When they went to his study to carry out a very difficult task, they found his lexicon, his books of cognate languages, all of his papers, and all of his reference books scattered across his desk, just as he left them. There also lay Dr. Robertson’s hand written notes on the translation of the Bible that he never finished.

The same things that prevent us from accomplishing tasks were hurdles Jesus encountered (He saw in others) during His ministry. How many of these things have we experienced personally?

  • People
  • Darkness
  • Money or possessions
  • Expectations of other people
  • Laziness or slothfulness
  • Jumbled priorities
  • Fear of failure
  • Sin
  • Hypocrisy
  • The desire to jump ahead

Jesus was able to say “It is finished.” meaning – the purchase price for our salvation was paid in full.

  1. The prophecies were fulfilled
  2. The law was fulfilled
  3. His suffering was complete
  4. The goal of His life was reached
  5. Satan was defeated
  6. Our sin was dealt with; our salvation was purchased
  7. His sacrificial work was completed

What do we need to finish? Maybe something in life, but the purchase price for our salvation has been paid in full. “It is finished!”

Seven Sayings #5

Thoughts

“I Thirst.”

It has been said that thirst is one of the most severe agonies of crucifixion. The wounds of the hands and feet, the brow of the forehead, the back having been severely lacerated with the cat of nine tails, would have been all inflamed by now. Jesus would now be experiencing a raging fever, and water would have been greatly desired because of the insupportable thirst.

Previously, Jesus cried out “My God, My God, Why have You forsaken me?” In that phrase, we have a message of spiritual suffering as the sin of the world was poured out on Jesus in a three-hour interval of time. Now we come to another moment of anguish but the realm of suffering is different. Previously it was a cry of spiritual suffering. Now, it is a declaration physical suffering. He was thirsty. Once again we see – He is 100% God and 100% man; the perfect God man. He was thirsty.

A good question might be “Why did He say these words?” Is there more here? For sure, he was thirsty. It may well have been as much as 20 hours since He has had anything to drink, but is there more? In that moment on the cross Jesus thirsted for water. It could be said today Jesus thirsts for souls; the souls of people who will admit they cannot make it alone.

  • He thirsts for souls who will serve Him faithfully all the days of their lives so they will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
  • He thirsts for souls who appreciate the fact that He died for them and appreciate it to the point that the appreciation is manifested in the way they live.

Have you turned to Him and by faith claimed Him as your Lord and Savior? “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If you have never been saved, remember, He died on the cross for you too.

Seven Sayings #4

Thoughts

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken me.”

The first three statements of Jesus took place between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. Matthew tells us from the 6th hour (12:00 noon) until about the 9th hour (3:00 p.m.) there was darkness over all the land. How are we to understand what Jesus vocalized here?

  1. Some say He is quoting from the first verse of Psalm 22
  2. Others say Jesus “felt” forsaken even though He knew in reality he was not.
  3. Still others say that as He tasted death, it repulsed Him.

The battle that is being wagged is intense as Jesus hangs on the cross. Sins are being poured out on Him who knew no sin. It was this portion of the cross Jesus desired to avoid. We are reminded very vividly of the anguish Jesus experienced in His own spirit just hours before in the Garden of Gethsemane.

It was not the thought of the crown of thorns that bothered Him, though they were sharp and prickly. It was not the nails in the hands and in the feet, as painful as they would have been. It was not even the scourging with the cat of nine tails, the plucking of the beard, being slapped and spit upon. It was Jesus, who knew no sin becoming sin for you and for me.

Throughout His life Jesus has never sinned; not even one time. And now, as our perfect sacrifice, every sin is being poured out on Him. Those sins were your sins and my sins and the sins of the whole world. At that moment, He who knew no sin became sin. Read those last few words one more time. It is impossible for us to comprehend the vile He experienced.

As we close this saying, there are three important truths to remember:

  1. Jesus did not renounce God
  2. Jesus did not surrender His faith in God
  3. Jesus expressed His anguish of becoming sin in a cry of affirmation as He paid the sin debt for all of mankind.

 

Seven Sayings #3

Thoughts

“Woman, behold thy son! … Behold thy mother!”

We now come to the third of seven sayings of Jesus. In John 19:26-27 we find the words. Although they are found in two separate verses, they comprise one flow of thought.

“When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.”

Here we see the tremendous love and affection of our Lord. He is experiencing unimaginable pain, yet His focus is not on Himself but on the needs of others; at this moment His mother.

Mary was a woman acquainted with grief.

  • When the angel Gabriel came to her and told her she was highly favored and would give birth to the Son of God, the Bible says she was troubled at his sayings.
  • When there was no room in the inn on the night of Jesus’ birth, surely there was a sense of disappointment.
  • Then there was Herod’s attempt to kill the baby Jesus coupled with the anguish which came from the knowledge that many mothers were in great torment and affliction as their baby’s were snatched from them as Herod’s men went on a rampage trying to find the one “born King of the Jews.”
  • In the temple Simeon told Mary that Jesus was set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel … and that a sword would pierce through her own soul speaking of the sorrow that would fill her heart on the day of His crucifixion.
  • We do not have a written record of how Mary grieved during Jesus’ earthly ministry, but it must have been very difficult knowing that her Son, who did so much good, was despised and rejected by so many people.

As we look at these two verses of Scripture along with the events that surround these two verses we see several things.

  1. We see the anguish of Mary
  2. We see the steadfastness of Mary
  3. We see Jesus more concerned about His mother than about Himself
  4. We see the return of John
  5. We see an interesting set of events

The words of Jesus were understood by John. “John, I want you to take Mary and care for her as you would care for your own mother. And John, I want you to do that today, for me.” The Bible tells us from that hour John took her unto his own home.

At this moment, Jesus practiced so many of the lessons He taught. Below you see the references. Look them up and read them.

  • John 13:34-35
  • John 14:15
  • John 15:13
  • John 15:17
  • 1 John 3:11
  • 1 John 3:16
  • 1 John 4:7-8
  • 1 John 4:19

The love of Jesus is remarkable. He loves those who love Him. We see that in His love for Mary. He also loves those who do not love Him. His love is unconditional. Have you placed your faith and trust in Him? Is He your Lord and Savior? As we close, consider these words of the Apostle Paul. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Seven Sayings #2

Thoughts

“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

As the crowd looked on, Jesus previously prayed the prayer, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” As He did so

  • The crowd looked on
  • The soldiers gambled and divided His garments
  • The religious leaders sneered at Him
  • The soldiers mocked Him

Next, there begin to be words from the two criminals. The Bible tells us one of the criminals said to Jesus, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” The other criminal responded, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then, that same criminal said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” That is when Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

What we see in the repentant thief is the spectacular moment in the life of an individual just before salvation. It is the moment when one stops trying to vindicate oneself and admits that he is utterly helpless and needs someone to help. The difference between the thief on the cross and the unbeliever today is this: The thief knew he was helpless. The unbeliever today does not realize how helpless and hopeless he is. The other thief represents a calloused unbeliever.

The important lesson for today? Jesus is always the way of salvation.

Regardless of where you are, what you are doing, or unable to do, Jesus is always the way of salvation. That was true for the repentant thief. It is true for us. In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Seven Sayings #1

Thoughts

It is 9:00 a.m. Jesus now hangs, nailed to a cross, and He prays.

 “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

In this first of seven sayings we see …

  • Jesus fulfilled prophecy

In Isaiah 53:12, we find “Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

While He hung on the cross Jesus prayed for people who would not pray for Him. He prayed for people who would not have been prayed for if He had been unwilling to do so.

Of the many ways a person may die, one way we cannot die is by self- crucifixion. All one can do is fight it or yield to the crucifixion. You cannot crucify yourself. No doubt, the thieves fought to keep from being crucified. We would do anything we could do to keep from being crucified. But Jesus, “… humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

As He hung on The Cross He was being the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.

  • We also see an intimate relationship

Notice, He said, “Father” forgive them for they know not what they do.

Who were included in the “them” in this first statement? The crowd of that day consisted of soldiers who played with dice; casting lots while the Son of God died. The crowd today, consists of people who gamble their life away while they reject the Lord. The crowd today, as they were then, is unconcerned, unconverted, and unaware of the destiny that awaits them.

  • We also see His solemn intercession

In Isaiah 53:7 we find the words “He was oppressed and He was afflicted yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth.”

Though He did not open His mouth in complaint, He did open His mouth in prayer to the Father. Even though He could not do many of the things He did during His earthly ministry, He could still pray.

Jesus said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” The prayer of Jesus while hanging on the cross, stands in stark contrast to the rebuked hurled at Him after He forgave a man’s sins.

Saying #2 to be posted soon.

The Seven Sayings of Christ on The Cross: During the Night

Thoughts

Throughout the night …

  • Jesus is led to the house of Caiaphas
  • Peter denied the Lord and cock crows
  • Jesus appeared before Pilate and Herod
  • Barabbas was released
  • Jesus was sentenced to die by crucifixion
  • Jesus was beaten and treated more harshly than imaginable
  • Jesus carried His cross to Golgotha

As the hour of crucifixion drew near, there were four groups of people present at His crucifixion:

  1. The calloused soldiers
  2. The cruel thieves
  3. The fickle crowd
  4. The hypocritical religious leaders

It is quite fitting that Jesus would die this way.

  • There was no room for Him in the inn at His birth
  • Herod tried to kill Him after He was born
  • During His ministry several times people tried to kill Him
  • One of the twelve betrayed Him into the hands of the Roman soldiers
  • He was tried in a mock trial and sentenced to die even even though His judge said “I find no fault in Him.”

 

Beginning at 9:00 a.m. and continuing one per hour, the seven statements of Jesus will be posted.