Category Archives: Questions of Jesus

Jesus for Answers?


A recent interview on GLC television, with Host Amy Cooper on the “Light of the Southwest,” led to a discussion (as often happens with TRI) of “Did Jesus come to give us the answers?” It is my contention that He did not – He came to teach us to think. The secrets we’ve been missing are in “the red ink.” (Red Letter Edition Bibles record the words of Jesus in red ink.)

The first book I read as a child was the Bible.  Although I don’t hold a reckless view of infallibility of inerrancy of the Bible – I feel that it is a valuable record of the exemplars of faith. One can ascertain my appreciation of the Bible, not as demonstrated by the liturgical adjectives that I use to describe it, but by the fact that I live by it.

Jesus said about His words what can be said by no other, “My words are Spirit and they are Life.” I believe Him. Some of the authors who inspire me – Abraham, Jeremiah, David, Job, John and Paul; but when you get the red letters (the words of Jesus) right, it ALL makes sense.

I am a former pastor, an insider who was privy to many of the escapades and shenanigans employed to build congregations calling it church; to build hope and call it faith. I quit. However, instead of tossing the whole package, I committed to an objective read of the Scriptures.

One day when I was demanding answers of God the tables turned; God became the inquisitor and I the examined one. As I answered His questions I came to a startling conclusion, “The Bible is ruining my religion.”

Then, my education began . . .

My life journey, searching for a logical and honest faith, has given me an objective view of the Scriptures. I learned years ago, to have a mind that is not hemmed in by prejudice, stifled by tradition, fenced by preconception is to have all knowledge at least within reach. It is a daily fight to keep these encroachers at bay, but is well worth the struggle. To see something that is so familiar to you a little differently because the God of the universe took time to illuminate you, will change you forever.

Don Harris of Think Red Ink Ministries is a preacher who offers solid, practical advice to men and families. Don is an accomplished author and the weekly host of “The Red Letter Edition – LIVE!” radio program which features a call-in segment for listener questions.

You are invited to “give a listen” at www.ThinkRedInk.tv.  We broadcast 24/7/365.

 

 

“How much better is a man than a sheep?”

I think that’s an interesting question.  I discuss this topic in my book, “The Questions of Jesus,” Question 25 – “How much then is a man better than a sheep?”

“…The lamb is the epitome of servitude; it has no other purpose than to give. No reason but to serve, the lamb always provides food and clothing and neither offers resistance to the one who shears it, nor to the one who slaughters it…”  You are invited to listen to the audio of this question from “The Questions of Jesus” by clicking on the picture of the lamb.

Recently, God’s Learning Channel of Midland/Odessa, Texas (GLC) requested that Think Red Ink Ministries (TRI) record a series of programs to air in March on “How to Keep a Christian Passover”. This work was accomplished in February. It was a joy for TRI to have this opportunity to share the message of what Jesus Christ accomplished (and changed) in the Passover.

Though it is still 6 weeks to Passover, recording these programs has me thinking about Passover, more perfectly, “The Pesach”. The Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world, to cover us, to redeem us, to reconcile us … in His words…

“For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them…. 

Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are… 

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. …”

***

Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father I thank thee…”

Gratitude, Fall candles, pumpkins, apples,

I suppose we should be thankful that we live in a country that still acknowledges God in some respect. The holiday of Thanksgiving is exclusively an American one. No matter its origins, no matter whatever foolishness Madison Avenue seems to have attached to it, we should thank God for the blessings in our life.

Some people who have eliminated pagan holidays from their lives have some concerns about Thanksgiving. I don’t think it’s a legitimate concern. As a matter fact, I think perhaps we should consider it one of the last vestiges of godly American life.  And for that reason alone, we should keep it with honor.

I encourage you to enjoy your family this year with a sincere heart of thankfulness.

I do not think that there is any future or benefit in contemplating any disgrace in the slaughter of innocent turkeys, the theology of the pilgrims, or the pagan symbology hidden in the cornucopia, or enter into conversations complaining of the degradation of Christian principles in our country,

All of which inevitably leads to a sour disposition, lack of participation, and in short, a poor Christian testimony.

It is, always has been, and will continue to be a fact that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Get some joy and spread it around.

It is always sad for me to read the words of our Lord Jesus as he held the newly cleansed leper in his arms and looked back over the shoulder of this thankful man for “the other nine” and said, “… is none but you returned to give thanks?”

I wonder sometimes what the other nine men who were cleansed we’re doing at that point in the story.

Do you think they were smiling?

Do you think they were happy?

Do you think they were planning for their new futures?

Do you think they ran to reconcile with their families that had previously rejected them?

Do you think that they were filled with hope?

… finally …

After years of rejection, loneliness, pain, and poverty…filled with hope?

Perhaps they now had hope.

Perhaps they again had a future.

Maybe happiness once again filled their lives.

It may be that their new lease on life had indeed restored to them what they had lost.  But it did not seem to give them the one characteristic that the One who had healed them so longed to see…

GRATITUDE.

Of all the characteristics of Christianity, faith, hope, love, charity, kindness, long-suffering, etc, etc., the singular characteristic that invariably contains an element of sublime worship is … gratitude.

Let’s be grateful.

“Thank you Lord Jesus.”

Friendly,

Don C Harris

Reference:

“The Questions of Jesus” by Don C Harris – Question #92:  

      Where are the nine?

On Thankfulness

However elusive unprompted gratitude may be, it is the point that our unworthiness occurs to us that becomes the point of our salvation and wholeness – not the time of our cleansing.  The return to show gratitude is the visible indicator that a man has been adopted into the family of God – and that point is out of our control.

Luke 17:17,”And Jesus answering said, “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?”

… Ten lepers got together one day and finding their opportunity, called out to Him, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” One of them was not an Israelite but, hiding among the nine he calculated that he would get in on the deal. The Jewish Master would not notice, he schemed, or ask for pedigrees and he would blend in and get a blessing just these Jews. Much to their surprise and amazement, the Teacher granted their request. Jesus, knowing the Law, said to them to go to the priest for pronouncement of cleanliness and as they went, the record says, they were cleansed. The Samaritan watched wide-eyed as the white scales fell from under his robe and out of his sleeves and his arms were clean and beautiful for the first time in years. This one returned running. He thanked Jesus for cleansing him. Jesus looked at him and saw that it was not one of the Israelites to whom He was sent, but a man of a bastard culture, a land that worshiped a god named Yahweh, but whose worship was far from true, and whose understanding was far from pure. He had but a vague idea what Jesus wanted him to do when he was asked to go to the priest. He was not allowed to even approach a priest. He just did as he was told. Now, overwhelmed with gratitude, he returned and thanked Jesus.

Jesus looked at his disciples and asked, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.” (Luke 17:17-19)

Here is a question for us, what made the others whole? Were they made whole, or were they merely healed?

It is when we return and give thanks, it is when we realize our before and after condition, that our faith makes us whole. There are many who have bowed at an altar, many who have made professions of faith, prayed a prayer, even repented of sin, but few have fully realized our wonderful blessing and returned in humility to give thanks.

This quality of gratitude is a missing ingredient in the salvaging process. We cannot teach thankfulness, we cannot put it into a tract as a step to salvation.

We cannot demand appreciation, as it would become an act of compliance instead of a spontaneous act of love.  However elusive unprompted gratitude may be, it is the point that our unworthiness occurs to us that becomes the point of our salvation and wholeness – not the time of our cleansing.  The return to show gratitude is the visible indicator that a man has been adopted into the family of God – and that point is out of our control.

Many have been touched by Christ, many have been forgiven of Him, but few have been made whole. When it comes down to words on paper, it cannot be better said than, “Many are called, but few are chosen.”

There is a special message here to we who are Gentiles in the flesh. Do we fully realize that we have received cleansing by “hiding” among ungrateful Jews? Paul’s comments on this matter are worthy of note.

“I say then, Have they [the Jews] stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles… For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in… ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their [the Jews] unbelief:” (Romans 11:11-30)

We have been called now to the feast that we did not, and yet do not deserve only because those who were called spurned their opportunity. If we have been called we must seek to be worthy of acceptance – at the very least we can be grateful. “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Jesus used this phrase again when describing a man, invited to a wedding feast, who, when given a garment to wear, refused it for his own clothes. Here was a man invited in the place of ingrates, though unworthy, a man called, a man who answered the call, but he accepted the favor on his own terms. He wanted to participate in the festivities and food and wine at the expense of the wedding family, but he did not want to do it if cost him his identity to do so. In short, he was very ungrateful. “And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.” He was promptly thrown out. For many are called, but few are chosen. (Matthew 22)

Another example was the story of the greedy workers who, after they worked all day wanted more than what they were hired to receive only because they saw others being paid the same for less work. Complaining to the husbandmen, they accused him of being unfair, though they received exactly what they agreed. They showed themselves ungrateful. Their wages were paid, but the last came before them. “So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.” (Matthew 20:16)

We need not only be called; we need to be chosen for our gratitude and our lack of complaint. We need to be faithful and thankful. Do we ever consider the sacrifice made for us, the invitation we have been given, or the miracle that has been bestowed on our behalf? Have we counted the price paid by Christ for us as dear, precious and undeserved? Do we wear, without complaint, the beautiful garment we have been given, to appear to the world as one of His own? Do we try to hold to our own way, or withhold faithful service until benefits equal our idea of fairness? If we want to be counted with Him, there is only one way. The verse in Revelation lists the attributes of those who are with Christ, “… for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, AND chosen, AND faithful.” (Revelation 17:14)

If as many who were cleansed, were grateful enough to serve, our efforts of evangelism may reveal better statistics. Many people have professed faith in Christ because He once touched them. Most of our country, as well as a large portion of the world, has been to Christ and asked for cleansing, but only one in, perchance, ten have returned to thank Him, to serve Him, to honor Him… but… where are the nine?”

questions-book-and-mp3

~ Excerpt from The Questions of Jesus by Don C Harris.

Something New

Fire

What We Need Is A Living Guide.
As a Quaker, I am often challenged about the fact that I honor the Spirit of God as the ultimate Guide and final authority and not the church, (as does the Catholic faith) nor the Scriptures (as does the Protestant faith). The argument goes like this, “If you let only the Spirit tell you what is right, it could lead you anyplace, but if you are led by the Bible (Catholics say the church) it will lead everyone to the same faith in Christ.” But I must ask, why is the Spirit of God so mistrusted as Guide?
Many feel that unity is only possible if the rules (no matter their source) are laid out and enforced. When the reality is that everyone I know who gives free course to the Spirit of God share a unity in Spirit and faith and doctrine, while the people who have turned their doctrine over to men or printed pages of a Bible are divided on nearly every doctrinal issue! No, if we are honest in our evaluations, we will find that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is unity. That cannot be said about the greatest and most obedient members of churches, or about those most devoted to Bible study.
What makes people afraid to give the reigns of their lives to Christ? Why do they trust a book or a church full of men more so than they do the Spirit of God? Why will we believe what Jesus said and mistrust what He says? Why is it so difficult to accept a living, Spiritual Christ and readily accept a Christ of 2000 years ago? Why is it easier to believe what Jesus said, written down more than 60 years after he said it? We trust what was mouth to ear, and then copied out untold times in different languages, translated by people we do not know, printed, copied, and edited numerous times by people of questionable character, and yet we will accept that as a standard and not even seek the risen, living Savior for guidance for fear of being misled.
What an abundance of knowledge awaits the honest seeker, the pure of heart, the one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness if only they were directed to the well of Living water, the Spirit of the living God! The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to teach and to guide; yet we go only by what we can understand – words on a page that we can point to and declare ourselves “right” and “just.” We gravitate toward the tangible and the controllable. We want only what we can manipulate and use to our advantage. The Holy Spirit is no such a guide. He is not manipulated or controlled and therefore…is not sought.
From early childhood we are anxious of what is beyond our dimension of understanding, and we fear what we cannot control. Whether this fear is learned behavior, a reasoned reaction or an innate response is debatable, but one thing is for sure, we are guilty of not turning seekers of God toward the Spirit. Instead, we send them toward churches and people, books and teachers, memberships, fellowships and rules and doctrines.
We should feel shame for teaching that Jesus is unreachable or only accessible through the intercession and efforts of men. Jesus is alive and well and fully capable of meeting with any and all who seek Him. He can guide and direct a man’s life with finer and finer precision. He can pilot our ship through this hostile atmosphere safely and accurately, but He must have the controls. He does not need to know the consensus of others who have flown here, nor does He need the manual read to Him as He flies, just let Him do what He does best – pilot us!
When the disciples thought that they had encountered Jesus as a ghost, they were astonished. They were frozen and wondered what it was that they were seeing. Fear gripped them and they soon were deafened and stricken dumb with thoughts racing through their mind. Thoughts of spirits and ghosts were now taking the place where there were previously only thoughts confined to the tangible, touchable and “real.” What caused this fear to grip them? The appearance of Christ had interposed another dimension in their thinking.
Peter and Cleopas had just returned with the news of the risen Savior.
“And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them.” (Luke 24:36-43)
It is obvious that Jesus wanted to prove to them that He was not a ghost. He, everything that He ever was, His mind, His body, and His Spirit, had risen to be Him again. He was not a spirit; He was exactly as they knew Him to be.
People are still afraid of Spirits
These men, however, were afraid when they thought He was a spirit. Much as we are when we find comfort in the tangible Christ, He who existed two millennia ago. Our fear of the Spirit of God as teacher comes from this fear of what we cannot touch and control. We all know that the Spirit goes where it wants to, and we hope to always end up with plenty of company around us, believing what can be considered orthodox, doing what could be understood as “normal” and living a life not too far from center. Well, forget it! The Spirit of God is not an option as your Teacher; He IS your Teacher. He is not one of several Guides; He IS the Guide promised by the Lord Himself.
Some think that the Bible says,
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the BIBLE will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send THE BIBLE unto you. And when THE BIBLE is come, IT will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment…Howbeit when IT, THE BIBLE, is come, IT will guide you into all truth…”
But it does not say that.

Excerpt from, “The Questions of Jesus,” by Don C Harris,  Q. 145 “Why are ye troubled?”  (Luke 24:38, “And [Jesus] said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

 

Answers

[Insert your question here…]  I wish I had a wonderful answer for you… however, in my life I have learned to stop struggling over what has not been revealed to me.  Jesus said, “Why ask ye among yourselves of that which I said?” Here’s an excerpt from “The Questions of Jesus” book, Q.118, page 377.

We Should Go To Him

We should have no fear of making Him our teacher and ask Him for clarification or explanation. Why do we go to the professors or other so-called experts? If we but ask, He can make it plain to us. It is His desire to do so. When Jesus explained His comments the disciples exclaimed, “Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things…”

Revelation from the Most High is probably one of the greatest experiences of the Christian’s life. It forms a bond, a communicative bond, between God and us.  After all, the main difference between our God and the gods of stone is that our God speaks!

The Scriptures are replete with examples:

Jeremiah 33:2-3, “Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

John 5:39-41, “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men.”

Deuteronomy 29:29, “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

Mark 4:22, “For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was anything kept secret, but that it should come abroad.”

1 Corinthians 2:10, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit; For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”

When you do not understand, when the sayings are obscure, when you are not clear on a point, a doctrine, a concept, you are to go to Christ and not one another. He can make it clear, expand upon it, or dispense with it altogether. He is the teacher, He is the revealer, and He is puzzled by your lack of confidence in Him when you go to man and his narrow understanding for answers.

When you are perplexed about something  that He is trying to teach and you forsake Him for the wisdom of man, or when He finds your nose in books on Greek and Latin, or discovers that the concept, idea or mystery that He has been trying to reveal to you being bandied about in discussion groups, He asks, “Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said?”

The Father’s Business . . .

“HOW IS IT THAT YOU SOUGHT ME?”

“. . . didn’t you know I would be about the Father’s business?” 

The Father’s business is opening eyes blinded by hatred and sin, to heal the broken hearted, the life-trodden souls that are only chess pieces to the power brokers of the real world.  The Father’s business is to justify, rectify and set in fair and proper order the heart of desperate man and to make him acceptable in the sight of God. . . We must find His way and get in it.   

Questions of Jesus Television Series:  From the production facility at Think Red Ink Ministries.