Conformed or Unconformed

Have you drove slowly pass an accident to get the picture of what the back up was all about?
Have you ever walked slow down an isle to find out what an upset customer was complaining to the associate or manager about? You were eager to find out what was happening, maybe even wanted to give your opinion or maybe you DID give your opinion. You may have been wanting to fit into a group, so you conformed to their way of talking, dressing, and joined in with their activities; maybe in school or work you've done this.

In Jesus' time, they had these kind of people. It is mentioned in Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

When Jesus was being mocked by the crowd, there were drifters and strangers from other cities among this crowd. They may have been more concerned about fitting in and not standing out. The strangers may have been in the cities for a while and heard of the miracles and wonders of Jesus Christ. They may have believed in him, but because the majority of the crowd mocked Jesus, they thought it was better to join in with the chanting "crucify him!"  After all, no one wants to stand out and stand up for Jesus when he was being crucified. Peter was his best friend, ready to stand in his place of death until the time approached and he denied Jesus, not just once but three times as predicted.

I am not asking if you are drifter or follower, but are you asking God who you are?
 Is social status more important to you and fitting in with your crowd more important?
When it comes to your last day and you stand before God and he ask you "why should I let you into heaven?" What will be your answer? 
"What did the crowd say?"   "Whatever they said, I agree."
The crowd isn't going to be there with you. You have to answer the question alone. Noone can make you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. No one can make you do anything unless you lay down and let them walk all over you; like a floor mat.  

I hope one day, today, you will say "Lord, I need you in my life. I need to believe in you, please help my unbelief."

Marjorie 

Too Righteous?

The chief priests and levites embraced the commandments and upheld the law of them. These scholars knew what the prophets had told about the Messiah and wrote about the coming Messiah. They should have been the ones that were reverencing Jesus, but they didn't. Instead of edifying Jesus Christ and acknowledging him as the Son of Gan, they encouraged and inspired the crowd to have Jesus crucified. They were among the  people telling Jesus to save himself and prove he was the Son of God.
 This is shared in Matthew 27:41-43
The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus.  “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him!  He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

This group was too self righteous, too holy, too educated, and proper to agree with the Word of God.

What about you? are you too educated or holy to follow Jesus Christ? Are you too self righteous that only what you believe matters? The living Word tells us that there will be a day we are separated from the Lord. It tells us this in 2 Thessalonians 1: 7-10
And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, ⁸ in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. ¹⁰ When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.

It is your choice, but I want you in heaven with me and with others you know who believe in Jesus Christ. I pray you will let the wall down and accept the Good News.
He came down from heaven, first as a baby born of a virgin, grew to be a man telling the world of God's plan for his death on the cross for your sins, he rose again on the third day and descended into heaven. No one can come to the Father accept through the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Call on His name today, won't you.  Tell him you're sorry for your wrong choices and ask him to come into your life and reign forever more.  Let the healing begin here and now.
You don't have to carry your burdens anymore. Nothing you have done, he doesn't already know about.
He loves you inspite of yourself.

So do I.

Are you like the soldiers that mock Jesus?

 Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice to decide who would get each piece.  It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.  A sign was fastened to the cross, announcing the charge against him. It read, “The King of the Jews.”
Mark 15: 24-27
You just read how the soldiers treated Jesus with mockery and detest. The soldiers were known to strip the prisoners of  their clothes, gamble to see which soldier would get the prisoner's garments. Next, the soldiers would drink unto drunkenness.
The soldiers were not concerned over the fact that this man was innocent of the charges brought before him. They didn't care for His messages of eternal life that they heard throughout His visits and they certaintly didn't care what was going to in the next few hours either. They were more concerned over what they wanted in that moment. They wanted to feel big, important, bullies, and to feel good in the present. The soldiers let the government officials decide what to do with this man name Jesus.
They were oblivious to Christ. 
Are you oblivious to Christ?
Are you willing to stand up and do the right thing, or are you more concerned about what is in it for you?

So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!” Mark 15:39

One soldier, after all was said and accomplished, became a believer of Christ. It's never too late to believe in that which you know to be true.

What is your attitude towards Christ? Mockery or Repentant and Accepting?

Where are today doesn't  matter as much as it does when you die.
Seek life afterlasting with Jesus Christ. He is the one who gives and takes away. You cannot come to the Father accept through the son. He died on a cross for your sins, rose on the third day and sits at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. He wants you to live with him in paradise and not without him in hell.

References:
NKJ and NLT Bible
Pastor Kirby from First Baptist Church Palatka