Jesus Christ Our Anointed Savior

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today we’re going to talk about Jesus Christ Our Anointed Savior. Isa 9:6&7, For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. Let’s turn to Luke 1:26-38, Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible." Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. “Therefore that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God.”  Jesus is the Son of God, and He is holy. It is written in Isa 7:14,  Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Mat 1:18-25,  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:  Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, "God with us."   She shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.  The name “Jesus”, or “Joshua”, means, “The Lord is salvation”. The name “Christ” means, “Messiah”, “The anointed one”. Jesus is the Christ; He is our anointed Savior. Let’s turn to Luke 3:21&22,  When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." Chapter 4, verses 1&2, Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil… Verse 14,  Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee… When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, in the River Jordan, the Holy Spirit came upon Him in a bodily form of a dove. Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit; He was anointed of the Holy Spirit, and His Father spoke to Him from Heaven, out loud, saying, “You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased.” Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit every day to do the will of His Father. He delighted to do His Father’s will because He loves His Father, and His Father loves Him. Not only does the Father love Jesus, but He loves us too, very much. That is why He sent His Son to save us from our sins. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:14&15, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. God gave His Son on the Cross of Calvary to die for the sins of the whole world, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Verses 18-21, He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 

For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God. Jesus said, I am the light of the world; he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. 

John 1:1-5, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. Verse 14, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Jesus is the Word of God, and the Father sent Him to become a man; to become His only begotten Son, born of the virgin Mary. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory: the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Jesus is full of grace and truth. Eph 2:4-8, But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. God gave His Son; God so loved the world that He gave His Son, and His Son gave Himself to do His Father’s will and die on that Cross for all our sins; He loved us and washed us from our sins in His own Blood. John the Baptist said of Jesus, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus became a man. He lived as a man like us, and He was tempted in every way as we are, yet He never sinned. He became the spotless Lamb of God to be offered upon the Cross for all our sins. Everyone who hears of Him; of His loving sacrifice of Himself on the Cross for their sins, and comes to Him in repentance, believing in Him and what He did for them, believing that He died for their sins and rose again from the dead to justify them, shall be saved.  Whosoever shall call upon His name: the name of Jesus Christ, shall be saved. Because He humbled Himself to the death of the Cross, the Father has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name above every name, that, at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, in Heaven, on the Earth, and under the Earth, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Jesus Christ is Lord! Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered. 

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me. Jesus is the only way to the Father; to become a son or a daughter of God. He is the way. As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God: born of God. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new. Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts crying, “Abba, Father”. 

Jesus is the truth. He is the Word of God. The Word of God is the truth. He said, If you continue in My Word, you shall be My disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Jesus spoke the truth; He only said what He heard His Father saying. Jesus said, To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth hears My voice. Jesus said, Father, sanctify them through your Word; your Word is truth. The Word of God is the truth. Jesus is the truth. 

Jesus is the life. John 1:4, In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son Jesus Christ. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus came to save us from our sins, and to give us eternal life with Himself and His Father in His glorious Kingdom.  He accomplished it all through His death on the Cross and His resurrection from the dead. It is a finished, complete work which Jesus did for us, but we must repent and believe what He has done; we must receive what He has given us and lay hold on eternal life.  We must come to Him, through faith in His sacrifice, and be baptized into His death, burial, and resurrection, being crucified with Him and raised with Him into newness of life. We must become a new creature in Him and receive of His Holy Spirit to walk in newness of life, putting to death the deeds of the flesh; the lusts of our flesh, the pride of this life, and the deceitfulness of riches, to yield to the Holy Spirit, denying ourselves every day, and taking up our cross and following Jesus, as the Holy Spirit will lead us.  We must come to Jesus and ask Him to baptize us in the Holy Spirit, that we may serve the Father, in newness of the Spirit, not in the religion and doctrines and traditions of men, which are vain and empty. It’s all about Jesus. It’s not about us, and our ambitions and desires. Greater love has no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends. Jesus loved us, and laid down His life on the Cross to save us from our sins; from eternal torment and damnation. If we will love Him, and lay down our lives for Him and follow Him, doing the will of the Father, yielding to the Holy Spirit every day, walking in His Word: His Word is truth, we will overcome sin, the world and the Devil, as Jesus has overcome it all and is seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. Jesus said, He that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. 

Rev 1:5-8, …Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the Earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own Blood, and made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the Earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty”.

 Ruth

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today we’re going to talk about Ruth. Let’s turn to the Book of Ruth, chapter 1, verses 1-22 , Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband. Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited His people by giving them bread. 

Therefore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each to her mother's house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband." So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. And they said to her, "Surely we will return with you to your people." 

But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!" Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. And she said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law." But Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me." When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her. Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, "Is this Naomi?" But she said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?" So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. 

Ruth 2:1-13 , There was a relative of Naomi's husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz. So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter." Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, "The Lord be with you!" And they answered him, "The Lord bless you!" Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?" So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, "It is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. And she said, 'Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.' So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house." Then Boaz said to Ruth, "You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn." So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" And Boaz answered and said to her, "It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge." Then she said, "Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants." 

Chapter 3, verses 1-13, Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.  Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do." And she said to her, "All that you say to me I will do." 

So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her. And after Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet. And he said, "Who are you?" So she answered, "I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative." Then he said, "Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman. Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you—good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the Lord lives! Lie down until morning." 

Chapter 4, verses 8-17, Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." So he took off his sandal. And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, from the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day." And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman." So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him." Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him. Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, "There is a son born to Naomi." And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. 

Ruth loved her mother-in-law Naomi, and she fully gave herself to her, and to her people Israel, and also to the God of Israel. She whole-heartedly left behind her own people, the people of Moab, and their gods, to join with Naomi and her people and her God. She honored her mother-in-law; she honored the people of Israel, and she honored the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and, though she was a stranger, she became as one of them; she became a Jew and a daughter of the God of Israel. Because she did this; because she humbled herself before God, to forsake all that she had to go with Naomi and love and serve Him and His people, God Himself greatly honored her; she was accepted of the Jewish people and they respected her. God also gave her to Boaz to be his wife; a wealthy and righteous man in Israel. He blessed her, and she also became the great-grandmother of King David. Ruth 2:10-13,  So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" And Boaz answered and said to her, "It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge." And so did the Lord do: When God gave her to Boaz, He placed her in the lineage of King David, and in the lineage of Jesus Christ, our Savior. And He even gave her a Book after her own name: The Book of Ruth, in the Bible, which has been preserved by Him for thousands of years. Because she humbled herself before the Living God and His people Israel, God highly exalted her.

I want to speak to Christian women; especially young Christian ladies. Consider Ruth; let her be an example unto you; see what God will do in your life if you will humble yourself before Him as she did. He has made it very clear in His Word that He is not a respecter of persons. Whoever will humble themselves before Him, male or female, He will exalt them. And whoever exalts themselves will be abased and brought low by Him. Jesus said, How can you believe who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from God only. Ladies, don’t seek to exalt yourselves; don’t seek the honor of men and women, but seek the honor that comes from God only. Humble yourself before Him to love Him; to love and honor your husband as unto Him; to love and honor His people Israel, and the servants of Jesus Christ. See what He will do in your life!  God looks on the heart. When God sent the Prophet Samuel to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be king over His people, as Jesse brought forth his son Eliab before him, Samuel was impressed with his appearance, but God said to Samuel, Do not look at his appearance, or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. As it was, God had chosen David to be king, and He commanded Samuel to anoint him in the presence of his brethren. God knew David’s heart, and He said that he was a man after His own heart. David always loved God and served Him with all his heart. From the day that Samuel anointed him, the Holy Spirit came upon him, and he continued with God, loving Him, honoring Him, and believing Him. The Apostle Paul said, For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision (the covenant of God) that which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not from men, but from God. If you will honor God, He will honor you.

 The Name Of Jesus

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Wherever two or more are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Gathered together in His name, that’s what this program is about: the Name Of Jesus. Let’s turn to Luke 10:1-20, After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say, Peace to this house. And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, The kingdom of God has come near to you. But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you. But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me. Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name. And He said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. Jesus appointed them, and He sent them into certain cities where He was going to come, before His face. He who hears you hears Me; he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me, Jesus said.

We are servants of our King, in His Kingdom. When He sends us, wherever He sends us, we are sent in His name, and His authority is working through us. The Holy Spirit is with us, and He will lead us. It is absolutely crucial: whether He sent someone in His name, or whether they just went and claim that they are sent, and use His name in vain. 

Rom 10:9-17, that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Gospel of peace; who bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report? So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, and there is no other name given among men by which we must be saved. Verse 15 says, And how shall they preach unless they are sent? When Jesus sends you, you go in His name; in His authority; being led by the Holy Spirit, and as you go, you preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, speaking the Words that the Holy Spirit gives you, which are Spirit and life to those who can receive them. These are the Words of eternal life. The Holy Spirit will also be working, according to the will of the Father, various gifts and miracles, confirming the Words that He has given you to speak.

Let’s turn to Phil 2:5-11, Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.   Are you doing this? Are you letting this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus? Are you humbling yourself to become His servant? Are you becoming obedient, even unto death? Are you serving Him faithfully in what He has already given you to do, doing it unto Him for the glory of God? In John 7:18 Jesus said, 

He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. His name is above every name. 

If He sends you by His Spirit, then you are going in His name, and you speak in His name, and you glorify His name, not your own name. He will manifest Himself, by His Spirit, according to the Father’s will as we do this; as we yield to the Holy Spirit and obey Him. It all starts with Jesus sending you: He initiates your work. As you go forth in His name, the Lord will be working with you, as in Mark 16:20,  And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word through the accompanying signs. Amen. 

Acts 3:1-16, Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, Look at us. So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's, greatly amazed. So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.  Jesus humbled Himself to the death of the Cross to receive His name, and all that He accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection is made available to us through faith in His name. Verse 18, But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Also in Acts 4:10-12, …by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the Stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the Chief Cornerstone. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. 

Prophecy:

I am God Almighty. Those of you who are listening to My servant Rob this day, humble yourselves before Me, the Living God. Understand that I loved you, and I gave My Son for you; I gave My Son on the Cross of Calvary to suffer for your sins; He bore your sins in His body on the Cross, and on the third day I raised Him from the dead. He was crucified for your sins, buried, and I raised Him on the third day. And through faith in His name you shall be saved; through faith in His name you shall be healed. Through faith in His name: because He humbled Himself I have given Him His name. Trust Me, says the Lord; look unto Me; believe what My Son accomplished on the Cross. Trust in His name; call upon His name and be healed, and be saved, all of you who hear my voice this day.  

For those of you who don’t understand: That was a prophecy. As I was speaking, the Holy Spirit came upon me, and the Father just spoke through me by means of prophecy. If you will look in First Corinthians, chapter twelve, and you can read about the various gifts of the Holy Spirit, and one of them is prophecy. The Father gave this prophecy through me to edify you. 

Let’s turn to Isa 52:13-15, Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men; so shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; for what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider. Chapter 53, verses 1-5 , Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. Because He humbled Himself to the death of the Cross, therefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him the name which is above every name, that, at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, those in Heaven, those on Earth and of those under the Earth, and that every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Also in John 14:13&14, And whatever you ask in My name, Jesus said, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. There is our motive: that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.  In this way we might pray: Father, I’m coming to you in Jesus’ name, the one who saved me and justified me with His own Blood; I am trusting in Him, and obeying Him and following Him; He is my Lord, and I am asking you in His name for this, that you may be glorified in Him. If we pray in this way, walking truly in Jesus, we shall have what we ask. That’s why He said, Ask, and you shall receive. He also said, Seek, and you shall find, and he that seeks after righteousness shall be filled. So, if you are not walking this way, in His name,  you can, if you seek after it with all your heart.  Don’t faint! Keep seeking! Keep asking! Keep knocking! Remember: Jacob told the angel of God, with whom He was wrestling, “I won’t let you go unless you bless me.” And God blessed him, and changed his name to Israel. Luke 18:1-8, Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 

Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, Get justice for me from my adversary. And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. Then the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth? 

Faith in His name; in all that Jesus accomplished to acquire His great name through His death and resurrection, will bring the answer if we faint not. His name, through faith in His name, yes the faith that is by Him, has made this man perfectly whole. Mark 16:17&18,  And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; (in my name) they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover—No other name but the name of Jesus.  

 Alas Sinful Nation!

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today’s program is entitled: Alas Sinful Nation! Just as this was Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Isaiah the Prophet, this is America today: Turn with me to Isa 1:1-28, The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Hear, oh heavens, and give ear, oh earth! For the LORD has spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me. The ox knows its owner and the donkey its master's crib; but Israel does not know, My people do not consider. Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, they have turned away backward. Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, or soothed with ointment. Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire; strangers devour your land in your presence; and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. So the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, as a hut in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. Unless the LORD of hosts had left to us a very small remnant, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been made like Gomorrah. Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; give ear to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah: To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me? says the LORD. I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs or goats. When you come to appear before Me, who has required this from your hand, to trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me; the New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; they are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD; Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of justice; righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers. Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed with water. Your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes, and follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, nor does the cause of the widow come before them. Therefore the Lord says, The LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will rid Myself of My adversaries, and take vengeance on My enemies. I will turn My hand against you, and thoroughly purge away your dross, and take away all your alloy. I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her penitents with righteousness. The destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together, and those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed. 

Verse 2, …I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me; Verse 3, The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib; but Israel does not know, my people do not consider. America does not know, nor do we consider. We do not know God, neither do we consider Him. We have rebelled against Him; we have rejected His Word to our own destruction. We do not consider that He is God and our breath is in His hand. Verse 4, we have forsaken the Lord and provoked Him to anger. Verse 13, Bring no more futile sacrifices; I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn meeting. Bring no more empty, vain prayers and religious services. Verse 15, even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Why? YOUR HANDS ARE FULL OF BLOOD !!! Even now we continue to slaughter innocent babies by the thousands, every day !! Let’s go to 2Ki 24:3&4. This talks about King Manasseh who was the son of Hezekiah, a righteous king; but Manasseh did evil in the sight of the Lord; he did much evil, but the worst thing that he did was that he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. Ladies and gentlemen we have filled our nation with innocent blood with the slaughter of these babies. We call it health care. We call it women’s choice. You can call it whatever you want, but it is murder. It’s murder of innocent babies. They haven’t even had time to do any evil or good, and they are snuffed out like some kind of inconvenience. See what the Lord said about Manasseh in 2Ki 24:3&4, Surely at the commandment of the LORD this came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the LORD would not pardon. The Lord would not pardon the shedding of innocent blood. Our land is defiled with innocent blood!! 

This is our diagnosis America, by the Prophet Isaiah, and it speaks still today! There is a cure! There is a real healing: verse 16, wash yourselves, make yourselves clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good, seek justice, rebuke the oppressor, defend the fatherless, and the unborn, plead for the widow. Verse 18-20, Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD, Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. So, repent now! Turn from your evil ways! Come to your Savior Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for your sins, and let Him wash you and make you clean, and give you real life in Him. The only healing for America is to return to the God of our forefathers; to come weeping and mourning to our God whom we have forsaken and to His Son in true repentance, turning from the evil of our doings, being washed in the precious Blood of the Lamb of God. You cannot pick and choose scriptures and songs and try to justify your life of evil. The only way out is repentance; godly sorrow from the heart and returning to God with all our hearts. Then He will abundantly pardon and restore our judges as at the first, and our counselors as at the beginning. Then and only then shall we be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city; then and only then shall we be great again. No repentance; no forgiveness, and destruction will follow. America has been blessed and become great only because of the faith of our founders and the love and obedience which they lived toward our God; the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we refuse to return to Him there will be no healing, but rather a great purging by Him of those who have rejected His counsel to their own destruction. Verse 28, The destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together, And those who forsake the LORD shall be consumed. 

Isa 2:11-18, The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. There is a day coming: The Day of the Lord! For the day of the LORD of hosts Shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up—and it shall be brought low—upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan; upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up; upon every high tower, and upon every fortified wall; upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all the beautiful sloops. The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, but the idols He shall utterly abolish. So let us humble ourselves now, all of us, before the Great and Mighty God and come to His Son Jesus, who gave Himself for us a living sacrifice for our sins, with fear and trembling and true repentance that we may find grace in His sight; grace to help us in this great hour of need. We must see our need as Jesus said to the church in Laodicea in Rev 3:17-22, Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. It is not enough to do a little righteousness and pat ourselves on the back while we continue to slaughter innocent babies and commit many other abominations, quoting scriptures and trying to appear to be honorable in the sight of men. That is not going to work! It’s a lie! It’s deceit! We must repent now, while we still have a nation, while we still have breath, and turn from our evil ways with all our hearts, with fasting and mourning and crying out to God, like the people of Nineveh did at the preaching of the Prophet Jonah. Let’s turn there, Jon 3:1-10, Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you. So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown! So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it. Do not be deceived people! God’s judgement is upon us. If we will turn back to Him, perhaps He will pardon us and repent of the evil that He has planned to bring upon us for our evil ways. But if we refuse and continue in them we will be destroyed. Isa 3:10&11, Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, For they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, For the reward of his hands shall be given him.

Isa 1:9, Unless the LORD of hosts Had left to us a very small remnant, We would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah. There is a remnant in America, a very small remnant of people who really love the Lord. Thank God for them, otherwise we would be as Sodom and like unto Gomorrah.

 Your First Love

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Today’s program is called Your First Love. Let’s turn to Luke 7:36-50, Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner." And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." So he said, "Teacher, say it." "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?" Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged." Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."  Verse 47, Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. This is a picture of your first love; the love you had for Jesus when you first came to Him; when you learned of how much He loved you, and that He gave Himself for you on the Cross for your sins; that your sins, which were many, were forgiven the moment you came to Him in true repentance and put your faith in Him. You saw the love that He had for you, and your heart was broken, and you were truly sorry for your sins. Many of you came to Jesus like this woman, weeping and loving on Him. He touched you, and you touched Him and ministered to Him. He set you free from your bondage to sin and forgave you, and you were so thankful! You loved Him like a little child, with all your heart.      Do you remember? 

He still loves you as much as He did that day. Do you still love Him?, with all your heart? Today, when I read this message in Luke, I started weeping, and the Lord gently showed me that I had left my first love for Him, and He led me to repentance.

In Rev 2:1-5, Jesus spoke to the Church in Ephesus, "To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, 'These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: "I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. 

Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. Verses 4&5, Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works. If this is you, like He is doing with me, Jesus is speaking to you and saying, Remember; remember your first love. You have fallen from it. Yes, I know your works and your labor and your patience; how you cannot bear them that are liars; how you have labored for Me and not fainted. Nevertheless, I have something against you: you have left your first love: the fervent love which you had for Me at the beginning, when you first began to walk with Me. Remember! Remember! Repent, and return to your first love! If you won’t; if you will continue to harden your heart, I will come unto you quickly and remove your candlestick out of it’s place, except you repent. If Jesus removes His candlestick from you, you will be in darkness; His light will not be shining in you. The candlestick gives light. If we will repent and return to our first love, He will shine through us again. Our faces will once again be aglow with His love, and His love will be shed abroad in our hearts by His Holy Spirit to those people He has in our lives, and they will be drawn to Him. Jesus said, By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another. He said, This is My commandment, that you love one another. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down His life for His friends, and you are My friends if you do whatsoever I command you. 

Remember when the scribe asked Jesus, Lord, which is the greatest commandment? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment, and the second is like, namely this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. The scribe said to Him, Well said teacher. You have spoken the truth. For there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, You are not far from the Kingdom of God.

1 John 1:1-10, That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us. 1 John 2:1-6,  My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. In 1 John 3:16 we read, Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 1 John 4:7-11,  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 

Perhaps you are like Simon, the Pharisee who invited Jesus to come have dinner with him. Jesus came into his house and he gave Him no water to wash His feet; he gave Him no kiss; he did not anoint His head with oil. Jesus came into his house, but he did not love Him very much; he did not minister to Him. He was a religious man, and he was not sinning, very much. He looked down on this woman who was a sinner, as she was weeping for her sins and ministering to Jesus, and loving Him greatly. Her sins were forgiven because she loved much. Simon was even looking down on Jesus, saying to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who, and what manner of woman this is that touches him, for she is a sinner.” I’m reminded about the parable that Jesus told about the publican and the Pharisee who went into the Temple to pray. Let’s turn there, Luke 18:9-14,  Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' And the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." The Pharisee was righteous in his own eyes. He was not sinning, very much. He was a ”good man”, yet he was not justified. It was the publican, who humbled himself before God and said to Him, Lord! Be merciful to me, a sinner!, who was justified. He humbled himself before God, and he found grace in His sight. Some of us, even though we started with the Lord, like this publican, or like this woman who was a sinner, we have become more like the Pharisee; more like Simon. We go to Church; we labor for the Lord, and we have increased in knowledge, and in our position in the Church, and we have been lifted up and exalted in our hearts; we have left our first love. God is calling us to repentance! Remember, He said to the Church in Ephesus, from where you have fallen, and repent and do the first works. Come back to your first love and minister to the Lord with all your heart; worship Him in Spirit and in truth; do the first works, loving Him and serving Him from your heart. Confess your faults to Him, and to one another; be cleansed by His precious Blood. Remember His love for you, and His sacrifice upon the Cross for you. Humble yourself and turn back to Him with all your heart, and He will receive you to Himself. And walk on with Him, as a little child, trusting Him, and doing His will from your heart. He loves you, and He wants you to love Him as He has loved you: with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, laying down your life for Him, and for your brothers and sisters, as He has laid down His life for you.