The Triumphal Entries

The Triumphal Entries

By Rev. Lonnie C.  Crowe

Matthew 21: 5-9:  "Tell the daughter of Zion, `Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.' '' So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their garments on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! `Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' Hosanna in the highest!''

“Hosanna” means “God save us” or “God is our salvation.”  Later that week, the crowds became a mob demanding His crucifixion.  Little did they know that it is the crucifixion that brings the salvation.

On that first Palm Sunday, our Lord entered from the Mount of Olives, which is east of Jerusalem, on the back of a donkey.  He came as the obedient servant. Matthew 20:28: “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.''

A few days later, Jesus knelt, as a servant, and washed the feet of His disciples, even the feet of Judas Iscariot.  Later that evening, He was arrested, tried by three courts, and then died on the cross at the time when the Passover lambs were slain.  He served.  He gave His life as the ransom for sin.  He gave His life for all the children of Adam.

Ø  The triumphal entry fulfilled an ancient prophecy.

Ø  Zechariah 9:9 reads: “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

However, it isn’t over.  He is coming again.  He is coming again along the same route.  He will again enter through the Eastern Gate.  Zechariah 14:4a: “And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east.” 

He will enter again, but not as a servant riding a donkey.

Revelation 19: 11-16:  “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

It will not just be crowds on earth that will welcome Him. A great multitude in heaven will sound forth.

Revelation 19:1, 5-: 7a “After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power to the Lord our God! Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!''

“And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory.”

Look up! Your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21:28).

Psalm 24:

⁷    Lift up your heads, O you gates!

    And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!

    And the King of glory shall come in.

⁸    Who is this King of glory?

    The Lord strong and mighty,

    The Lord mighty in battle.

⁹    Lift up your heads, O you gates!

    Lift up, you everlasting doors!

    And the King of glory shall come in.

¹⁰    Who is this King of glory?

    The Lord of hosts,

    He is the King of glory.

The First Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem has passed.

The Second Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem is to come.

The question is “Will you live in triumph with Him today?

How Did We Get Here?

How Did We Get Here?

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

In the past months, I have been taking a new approach to the book of Revelation. I  am seeking the Lord for fresh revelation.  Because prophecy contains a message for the time in which it was written, a message for today (whenever that day may be) and a message for the future, I have been praying for the Holy Spirit to give me messages for this moment in which we are living regardless of whether or not we are in the last moments of history. 

The Holy Spirit drew me to Revelation 6:1-2 (NKJV): “Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, "Come and see." And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.”

This conqueror on the white horse represents both the antichrist of the tribulation period and the spirit of antichrist which has been in the world since the beginning . 1 John 4:1-3 (NKJV) “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.”

The phrase that captured my attention is “a crown was given to him.”  This, I sense, is a key verse in understanding much of what is happening in our lives.  We have given a crown, that is, placed in authority over ourselves, those whose decisions and actions are bringing about the circumstances represented by the four horsemen of the Apocalypse: violence, inflation, famine and death. We have participated in crowning the antichrist spirit in our personal lives, in our nation and in the global arena.

We have become a people so consumed by fear, that we have fed and empowered the red horse personifying violence. Revelation 6:3-4 (NKJV): “When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, "Come and see." Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.” 

In scripture, the word of God is symbolized as a sword (Ephesians 6:17 and Hebrews 4:12.)  The word of the Lord brings victory to those who stand on it.  However, the sword of the antichrist brings spiritual defeat to those who wallow in fear. 

One of our fears is based on the economy.  Ironically, in that fear, we spend ourselves into near bankruptcy.  

That brings us to the third horse, the black one. Revelation 6:5-6 (NKJV): “When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine."

Two things cannot be harmed by poor economic conditions—the oil and the wine. In scripture, oil represents the anointing, the empowering of the Holy Spirit.  The wine represents the covenant we have through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  In darkest economy times, the power and authority of God stand firm.  We have no need to fear.

In 1706 Matthew Henry wrote, “During the progress of this black horse, the necessaries of life should be at excessive prices, and the more costly things should not be hurt. According to prophetic language, these articles signified that food of religious knowledge, by which the souls of men are sustained unto everlasting life; such we are invited to buy, Isa 55:1.

“But when the dark clouds of ignorance and superstition, denoted by the black horse, spread over the Christian world, the knowledge and practice of true religion became scarce…The famine of bread is a terrible judgment; but the famine of the word is more so.”

The famine of the Word does not result from a lack of availability.  It most often results from Christians who are spiritually anorexic and/or bulimic.  We either refuse to eat of the Word or we purge ourselves of it as soon as we step out of the church door. 

What is the answer?  We must take back the authority we have been given in Jesus Christ. That authority is, amazingly, protected by the Constitution of the United States of America. Our hope is in the Lord who is our provision, our strength and our light. It is time for us to step out of the darkness of the spirit of antichrist and into the light of Jesus

Who Am I?

Who Am I?

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

I marvel at entrepreneurship.  Yet, I am a cautious consumer.  One of the current and, apparently, successful marketing trends is DNA testing to discover one’s heritage, cultural identity, and ethnicity.

Several companies are seeking to entice us with discounted testing.  We all like a discount.

Remember, I am a cautious consumer.  I do not fault the marketeers.  In fact, as a capitalist myself, I applaud them.  However, it seems to me that we might be buying the emperor’s new clothes. 

I enjoy family history.  I have several accounts written by my ancestors.  Their lives intrigue me, but do not define me.  Neither can DNA testing define me.

Who am I?

Just like everyone else who has ever lived or will ever live, I am from the seed of Adam.  I got off the ark with Noah.  Everyone who has ever walked upon this planet or who ever will walk upon this planet is, at least, my distant cousin. 

I am an American, not just because my family has lived in this land for 400 years, but because I choose to live here.  I am not blind to the blunders and frailties of our history.  However, the foundation of our nation, the vision, of our forefathers fosters an idealism that we must continually strive to attain.

I am also a Christian.  I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on the cross to pay the death price for my sin, that He rose again and will return to receive His own.  Therefore, I am joined in covenant with everyone who believes the same.  We may not worship the same, baptize the same, or structure our churches the same, but we are brothers and sisters in the Lord.

So, have your DNA tested.  No matter what you learn, just remember that you are part of my family on some level or levels.  I offer to you the right hand of fellowship.

Psalm 133

1.  Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!

 2.  It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments.

 3.  It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing Life forevermore.

Battling the Sycophant Spirit

Battling the Sycophant Spirit

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Ephesians 6:10-13 (NKJV) 
^“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

John the Baptist preached, “And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”  (Matthew 3:10 NKJV)  It is time to lay the ax to the root.

Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against evil spiritual forces.  We must lay the ax to those spiritual forces driving the negativity, whining, name calling and blame shifting.

One of the most prominent spiritual forces influencing our nation is a sycophant spirit.  A sycophant is a servile self-seeking flatterer or one who praises influential people in order to gain their favor; a slanderer, a deceiver, or a parasite. A sycophant will say just what people want to hear in order to get something from them—usually money or political support.  Sycophants want others to be dependent on them in order to exercise control.

Satan is the greatest of all sycophants.  Notice what he said to our Lord on the mountain of temptation: “Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours."  (Luke 4:5-7 NKJV)

            Jesus put the devil in his place, “And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.' "  (Luke 4:8 NKJV) 

            Later the Lord spoke to a group who believed Him but who did not recognize the bondage they were in because of the self-righteousness in their lives, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” (John 8:44 NKJV)        

            Every lie is from the pit of hell.

                       

            Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible states, “Flatterers, sycophants, tricking and fraudulent persons, who seek to supplant others, and get into their places; these should lose the favour they had, when detected.”

            How do we war against the sycophant spirit?  The first battle in the war is to make sure that we are not operating under that spirit either as an instigator or as a victim.  Then we can pray in power and authority to rebuke that lying, self-seeking spirit and call forth a spirit of truth and honesty over ourselves, over our media and over our nation.  

                ^“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’" (John 8:31-32 NKJ)

           

            Let us speak truth and search for truth from media and our leaders. Let us refuse to be bribed, flattered and wrongly persuaded by those who are seeking our support and our permission in order to erode our freedoms.

The Beginning of Knowledge

The Beginning of Knowledge

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7; NKJV)

I am learning more and more to seek the Lord about the root of the problems we face in our world. I have sensed the Lord saying that a spirit of foolishness pervades our culture when it comes to learning. We have come to despise wisdom and instruction.

While many people are embroiled in surface-level arguments like whether or not we should teach cursive writing in our schools, few are embroiled in a meaningful evaluation of what has actually been written; therefore, sadly, we have become easily distracted by meaningless statistics and fallacious arguments.

As adults, we often neglect to review any of the basic knowledge of mathematics, science, geography, history, and the arts that we acquired during our formative years. We lose the excitement of learning and discovering.

As a result, we also lose appreciation for our historical roots, our ability to problem solve, our appreciation of the arts, and our God-given ability to create, which, as Christians, further impacts our hearts in the study, appreciation, and application of the Word of God.

The reformation in learning, like all reformation, must begin in the hearts of God’s people. As the Church cultivates a love of learning and a value for the process of learning, we become better positioned to speak to the issues facing our world.

We know that we are taught by the Holy Spirit of God; however, the more He has to work with, the deeper He can lead us into truth. A possible starting point might be to apply Benjamin Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning—an important metric for gauging educational objectives and effectiveness—to our assimilation of the Word of God.

The Taxonomy presents six levels: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating. In our study of the Word, we tend to do well with the first level—remembering. We have been wisely taught to memorize scripture. The more scripture we have memorized, the more the Holy Spirit can bring to our conscious level in times of need.

Understanding the Word is the next level. As students of Scripture, it is important to grasp the need for defining words from original languages and contexts in order to truly understand the message.  

Context is as important as definition. Because reverence for the Lord is the beginning, or foundation of knowledge, God must be the first context we consider. Understanding of the attributes of God is essential to understanding His Word. We realize that we need to know the basic functions of math—adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing—before we can tackle algebra. However, we often neglect the basic nature of God in our Bible studies.

The next level in the Taxonomy is applying knowledge to our lives. Paul’s words to Timothy have not lost their significance: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15; NKJV).

The more we understand the Word, the more relevant it becomes in our lives. Understanding and relevance open the door for us to analyze other information using the Word of God as our plumb line. Does what we are being told line up with the Word?

Paul cautioned the church at Colossae: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8; NKJV).

Analysis allows us to evaluate what we are hearing, reading, and thinking, and to make spiritually intelligent decisions about the barrage of information that surrounds us.

We do not want to be those who are always learning, but are never able to come to an understanding of truth (2 Timothy 3:7).

Spiritually intelligent decisions will enhance our creativity in the arguments we make, the words we speak and write, the songs we sing, the dances we dance, and the pictures we paint, as well as in our ministries and every other aspect of our lives.

King David, a man after God’s own heart, was also a man who loved learning. The longest psalm, Psalm 119, expresses David’s delight in remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing and evaluating the precepts of God. In that process, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. his creativity soared

May we also be people who love learning, who can sing with David: “I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word” (Psalm 119:15-16; NKJV).

Thanksgiving Prayer

Thanksgiving Prayer

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

As we prepare the food for our Thanksgiving tables, as we share the gift of hospitality, as our hearts overflow with gratitude, let’s look into His word and allow the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to lead our thanksgiving.  The following prayer is a compilation taken from the psalmists, the prophets and the apostles.

Father, we freely offer to You a sacrifice of thanksgiving.  We joy in all Your wondrous works.  We praise Your name in singing and magnify You with thanksgiving.  With hearts overflowing, we come into Your presence. We are thankful to You and bless Your holy name. Oh, Lord, our God, we praise You.  We shout hallelujah in response to the promise that You are with us wherever we go. Father, we open our hearts knowing that Your Holy Spirit surrounds us and that You are love.

We will be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, we will let our requests be made known to You.  We say: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

Returning to Gratitude

Returning to Gratitude

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)
^“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Many have misinterpreted this verse to say that we should be thankful “for” everything that comes into our life, even the misery, because the misery, too, must be the will of God.  The scripture actually says that “in” all situations that we should be thankful and that it is God’s will for us to rejoice always, to pray without ceasing and to be thankful in spite of what might be happening in our lives. 

However, as our culture has moved away from rejoicing, it has also moved away from thanksgiving.  “Thank You” notes are regrettably a part of the past and seldom appear in the present.  We neglect to thank the restaurant waiters because, after all, they are only doing what they get paid for.  Appreciation has all too often degenerated into deprecation.  In that deprecation, we celebrate “turkey day” and get an early start on “Black Friday” by shopping while the turkey roasts.

Our Pilgrim forefathers, after a miserable winter, celebrated their first harvest in the new colony by sharing their bounty with their neighbors.  It was a time of fellowship accentuated with gratitude to the Almighty for their survival.  In spite of the hardships they had endured, they were thankful for the harvest and hopeful for the future. 

   

How do we return to gratitude?  Let’s look again at our scripture. 

1.     Rejoice always.  Our willingness to rejoice is predicated on our free will rather than our circumstances.  Psalm 118:24 (NKJV) “This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” We should rejoice because His mercies are renewed every morning” (Lamentations 3:33).

2.    Rejoicing focuses our attention upon the Lord rather than on our circumstances.  As we focus on the Lord, it becomes the order of the day to discuss both the ordinary and the extraordinary things with Him.  That is prayer without ceasing.

3.    Then, as we pray continually, thanksgiving will flow from us.  We will desire to thank God for all that He has done.  We will feel gratitude for those who serve to make our lives easier.  We will see the thought behind the gift rather than the price tag.    

Father, we thank You that You are joyful and that the desire of Your heart is for Your children to be joyful as well.  We rejoice in Who You are and the blessings You pour upon us.  We thank You for Your loving arms.  We thank You for Your peace.  We thank You for Thanksgiving Day.   

We love the food; we love the fellowship; we love the family.  Give us strength to walk away from the lure of merchandisers and simply rest in the bounty You have provided.  Our hearts sing with joy in the knowledge that Your Son has made it possible for us to rejoice always, to pray without ceasing and in everything to give thanks.  Amen.