“If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10.Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”
Psalm 139 is filled with praise for the diligence of God at being present in David’s life. The psalm begins: “O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.” There is nothing about us that God does not know. There is no good thing that we think or do that God is not aware of. There is also no bad thing that we have done that God does not know. God is omniscient – all-knowing. We can take that as a warning, but more than that we can take it as a blessing. I don’t want a God overseeing the universe, the earth and my life who is ignorant about anything. Thank God that He is omniscient and sovereign. The two verses under consideration here are a case in point. David rejoices in the fact that God is always present with him: “If I take the wing of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me….” If David goes to the most remote parts of the earth, God is there. We should take comfort in God’s presence in our lives, and we should be grateful to Him for it. Would we really trust a God that we could hide from or get away from? Realizing the presence of God in my life is both a joy and a challenge. It is a joy because I know that He is always with me and a challenge because I know that God knows everything that I do. David gives two promises based on the presence of God: “Even there thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” We can depend on the hand of God to lead us. In fact, when we forget about this leadership, we go astray. I think that Abraham went to Egypt during a famine out of the will of God because he neglected the leading hand of God. I think that Moses disobeyed God when he struck the rock that produced water instead of speaking to it as God told him to do because he neglected the leading hand of God. I think that Peter denied the Lord Jesus Christ because He neglected the leading hand of God. It is of utmost importance that we remember God’s leadership when we make decisions in life. Please don’t imagine that I am telling you that I have always followed God’s leadership in my life. I know how wrong we can go when we neglect His leadership. Thank God for His discipline that helps to remind us of His leadership. We can depend on God’s right hand to hold us. This is illustrated for us in the New Testament when Peter asked Jesus to let him walk on the water to Him. Jesus told Peter to come on to Him. Peter began to walk on water, but when he noticed the wind and waves, and thought about what he was doing, Peter’s faith faltered and he began to sink. The beautiful picture here is that when Peter called out, “Lord save me,” Jesus reached out His hand and held Peter up. What a picture that is of us as we go through all of the problems and troubles of life, when we look at the wind and waves instead of Jesus. Isn’t it amazing that He keeps holding us through it all? God will lead you and hold you. Let Him do it, for He really wants to do that for you. Bro. Joe
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“For whoso findeth me (wisdom) findeth life, and shall obtain favor from the Lord.”
All of us like to think that we live in wisdom, and we need to make sure that we are. I can only speak for myself, but looking back I can remember things that didn’t come of wisdom – come on you know what I mean. If we want to find the favor of the Lord, we need to seek His wisdom and base our lives on it. This is why I am asking you to do yourself a favor and live the best life possible. You have probably already guessed that I am about to share with you what I think that means. Do yourself a favor and make sure that what you do in your life is serving God’s purposes. The problem that a lot people have is that there is no great purpose in their lives, and there are others that their purpose is destructive to themselves and to others. I am glad that God called me to preach, because this gave me a great purpose in life from the start. But I have to admit that even in that great purpose I have found myself drifting from His real purposes. These were not happy times in my life, and I’m sure that they are not in your life either. I don’t mean to leave the impression that you have to be a preacher to serve God’s purpose in your life. God brings great purpose into every life that He touches. I think that Romans 8:28 applies to this idea: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to God’s purpose.” I have not written about specific purposes, because God’s purpose for you is between God and you. Do yourself a favor and make it a purpose of your life to pursue those things that will make your life better. I can think of no better place to go than Philippians 4:8 to find virtues that will make your life better and that will make you a better person: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report: if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” There is no better advice anywhere to make your life better than these six virtues. There are all kinds of solutions about how to have a better life today, but I challenge anyone who would say that these virtues would not lead to a better life. Paul wrote these words to lead the Philippian Christians to become better people in order to be better witnesses to the fallen world in which they lived. We still live in a fallen world and we need such Christian virtues to make us better witnesses. Do yourself a favor and purge those things from your life that you know are keeping you from being as close to God as you can. I can’t tell you what you need to purge from your life, because that is a personal decision, but I can promise you that the Lord will hear your prayers and will help you get rid of those things that you need to shed. Paul gave advice on this point in 1 Corinthians 5:7: “Purge out therefore the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened…” The "leaven" referred to here is anything that you know is holding back your Christian growth. Do yourself a favor and do the things that you need to do tp grow in Christ. The three points above should give you a good start. Bro. Joe "The just man walks in his integrity...."
I have been retired for some time now and am not tempted to fill anyone else's shoes. Back in 1987 when I was called to be the Director of Missions of the Tucker Baptist Association, someone said to me about my predecessor Lester Turley,: "You have some tough shoes to fill." My answer was: "I will have enough trouble trying to fill my own shoes without trying to fill Brother Lester's shoes." It is a lesson that I have learned over my years in the ministry from 1960 to today. This lesson came home to me when I was a student at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, NC in the late sixties and early seventies. I found some old tapes in the library of the "Baptist Hour" sermons of Dr. George W. Truett. I had heard a lot about Dr. Truett, and, truth be told, had probably preached some of his sermons, but I had never actually heard him. I went to the library every day for weeks and listened to Dr. Truett's sermons. One night I had a dream that I was preaching in a large church. I sounded just like Dr. Truett. I walked around the pulpit and looked down at my feet and I was bare-footed. What I gleaned from this dream was that I might as well not try to fill Dr. Truett's shoes. Whether that was what I was supposed to glean from that dream or not, it has been helpful to me over the years. You see, Dr. Truett's shoes had already been filled by him. What God wanted, and still wants from me, is to do His will for my life and follow His leadership in doing it. What about you? You are a unique creation of God. There might be people who are similar to you, but no one else is exactly like you. You were born to be what God wanted you to be. It is your responsibility to find out what that is and do it. When you have found the niche that He has for you, then do what you can do, or what God wills you to do. Being human, you will make mistakes, as I certainly have, and you will not always follow His will, but , all things being equal, you will do what you can do under His leadership. In God's universe, there are no other shoes for you to fill but your own. Just make sure that the shoes fit and that you wear them well. Bro. Joe "Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself." 5.Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes." (NIV) These two proverbs seem to contradict each other, but they do not. In the first place, if you are talking to a "fool" and you have a disagreement, do not argue with him or her, because you will be acting just like him or her. In the second place, in another situation you might need to answer him or her to straighten them out, lest they "be wise in (their) own eyes." Different situations demand different responses. Some moments are teachable moments and some moments are not. If we don't learn to tell the difference we will become "fools" ourselves. Let me tell you what I thought about when I read this. First, I have decided that there is very little that is worth arguing about. I have gotten to a point that when I hear something that I disagree with, I zip my mouth shut, because anything I say is not going to change that person's opinion. Second, I consider to whom it is that I am talking. There are some people that you can have a friendly disagreement with, and it will turn into an interesting discussion. In that case, we both learn something. But there are other people that you do not dare disagree with, because they will take offense. I'm not going to call the other person a "fool," but if I proceed to argue with him or her, I will become a "fool." I should know better. Third, I will not say anything at that moment, but in the future, in different circumstances, I might be able to talk with that person about the issue. In that case, I have moved from verse 4 to verse 5. Fourth, I have to remember that I can be kind of "testy" myself at times, so I try to abstain from arguing because I might end up being the "fool." If we will look honestly at ourselves, we will admit that we can "play the fool" sometimes. I do not know if I clarified this issue for you, but it was clear to me. I have been in too many arguments in my lifetime where nothing was accomplished but hurt feelings. That is why I try not to argue. A fellow told me one time that he didn't think I cared, because when he said something that he knew I disagreed with, I wouldn't say anything in return. It didn't bother me, because caring does not depend on trying to prove your point when trying to prove your point is pointless. I remember a saying that proves my point: "I wondered if you were a fool, then you opened your mouth and I didn't have to wonder anymore." Selah Bro. Joe "Master which is the great commandment in the law? 37. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."
This is literally the word of Jesus about which is the "greatest commandment in the law." The greatest commandment of the law is that we are to love God with every aspect of our being: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all they soul, and with all thy mind." I asked myself a serious question this afternoon when I thought of my own love for God. Do I really love God with every aspect of my being? You need to ask yourself this basic question of your faith: Do you really love God? Think seriously about this question. Do you love God enough to have daily fellowship with Him in prayer? Do you look forward to spending those special moments with God? A sign of deep love between a man and a woman is that they want to spend a lot of time with each other. In all human friendships, people want to spend time together. We know that God is always present, but, if we love God with "heart, mind , and soul," we will want to draw close to Him in prayer, and in spending time in reading His word. (Wow what a long sentence. lol) If we feel that we are no longer close to God, we need to realize that He did not move - period. Do you love God enough to follow His leadership in making plans for you life? When you hear a pastor say that God led him to the church you attend, that is what he actually meant. In my 59 years in the ministry, I have made the mistake of not following God's leadership in at least one move in my ministry, and I paid the price until I got back into His leadership. If we love God, we will want to be under His leadership in our lives. This is true of teaching a Sunday School class, keeping the nursery, singing in the choir, or whatever one does in Christ's Church. This is true in all of a Christian's life decisions. Think seriously about this question about loving God with heart, mind and soul, and make whatever changes you need to make under God's leadership to get in line with your love for God. Bro. Joe ( I went back in the archives to 2013 to find this article on forgiveness to share with you. It is very good news. Accept and take advantage of the opportunity.)
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” There are people who feel that they do not have a sin problem, and will be hostile if we say that they do. On the other hand there are people who feel that their sins have been so bad that Jesus would never forgive them. The verses under consideration in this article take care of both of these opinions. We’ll take a look at the sin problem first. Verses 8 and 10 tell us that we do have a sin problem. Verse 8 tells us that if we think that we have no sin we are “deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” In other words, those who think that they never sin are living a lie. Verse 10 tells us that, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make (God) a liar, and (God’s) word is not in us." Those who say that they are perfect and never sin really overestimate their holiness and underestimate the power of the devil. They also have a shallow view of sin. We can commit sins by doing wrong, and we can commit sins by not doing what is right. A perfect person would always do what is right, and never do what is wrong. Those who say that they have no sin are deceiving themselves. I’m not calling you a “bad” person, but I am telling you that you have sinned and need to be forgiven. Since Romans 3:23 tells us that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God," what can we do about it? John tells us to confess our sins. You know what confession is: when you have done something wrong and you tell someone about it that is confession. Jesus knows that we have sinned, for He knows everything about us, but He wants us to confess our sins to Him. Sometimes we can pray, “Lord, forgive me for my sins,” which covers all of our sins. At other times we must ask Jesus to forgive us for some particular sin. Sometimes confession also includes seeking the forgiveness of people against whom we have sinned. But the most important forgiveness is that which comes from Jesus. John tells us that Jesus will be “faithful and just to forgive us our sins. and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1John 1:9). You might ask, “What in the world does that mean?” It means that when we come to Jesus in honest confession, He will always forgive us. We can depend on His forgiveness for our sins because He died on the cross to forgive us and exists at the right hand of the Father in order to forgive us. What does it mean that Jesus is “just to forgive our sins”? It simply means that Jesus can forgive our sins. No one else is qualified to forgive our sins, for no one else died on the cross for us, and no one else has God’s authority to forgive us for our sins. Jesus can. and will, faithfully forgive you now. John tells us that Jesus will “cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Sin makes us feel dirty. There are people, maybe someone reading this article, who feel dirty and guilty and think that there is no hope for them. There is always hope for you. If you are not a Christian, you can be now by asking Jesus to forgive you and enter into your life and change you. If you are a miserable Christian living in guilt, you can receive His forgiveness and cleansing now. The Bible promises that if you will seek the forgiveness of Jesus, He will be “faithful and just to forgive (your) sins.” Take Him up on it! Bro. Joe “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say: Rejoice!"
This is virtually a command to rejoice, but not to just rejoice but to “rejoice in the Lord.” This doesn’t mean to just be happy when everything is going in our favor. We are reminded to “always” rejoice – “in the Lord.” I want to share with you what I think that it means to “rejoice in the Lord.” We should rejoice in the salvation that God offers us through His grace. Being saved, being made right with God through faith in Jesus, is ample reason to rejoice, even in the difficult times.Hebrews 7:24-25 reminds us of a good reason to rejoice: “But this man (Jesus), because He continues ever, has an unchangeable priest hood. 25. Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost those that come to God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them.” Do you see what this means? It means that, through Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, who indwells us, God is personally involved in our lives. That Jesus intercedes for us, means that He is praying for us, and leading us to a better life. We should rejoice in the hope that we have in Christ. Romans 12:12 reminds us of this hope that we have in Christ: “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12. Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation (trouble); continuing instant in prayer.” The hope that we have in Christ is not the “hope so” kind of hope that we think of today. According to Vine’s Dictionary of New Tesatment Words it means, “favourable and confident expectation.” We are secure in our relationship with Jesus Christ, for He “is our hope.” (1 Timothy 1:1b) According to Colossians 1:27, Jesus is our “hope of glory.” This doesn’t mean that we will have self glory, but that we have the eternal glory that He alone can give, that is, eternal life beginning in this life and continuing through all eternity. Rejoice in the hope that Jesus gives, and is, in our lives. We should rejoice in the peace that we have in Christ. Look at the promise given in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” We are reminded in Philippians 4:27 that through prayer we can have “the peace of God, which passes all understanding.” We should not just seek peace of mind, but we should seek the “peace of God” that we have by faith in Jesus Christ, and by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. There is much, much more that could be written on this subject, but I think that the three that I have given here can give you a good start in “rejoicing in the Lord always.” Bro. Joe “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?”
Jesus was traveling from Judea to Galilee, and we are informed in 4:4: “And He must needs go through Samaria.” In other words, Jesus had to go through Samaria. In His infinite mind, Jesus knew that He had an appointment with a sinful woman there, and that a whole town needed Him. Jesus met the woman at Jacob's Well, where she had come to draw water and talked with her. She was a sinful woman who had been married five times and was living with a man out of wedlock at that time. Jesus told this sinful woman that He was/is the Messiah. That’s when she went into the town and told the town’s people about Jesus, and they went out to meet Him and accepted His message as well. (You can read the whole story in John 4.) This is an incident in the New Testament where Jesus changed a desperate woman’s life, and the lives of the people in the town in which she lived. How was she changed? First, before Jesus came into her life the woman was friendless. Women usually went to the well to get water together, but she was there by herself. Since she was a sinful woman, the other women in town wouldn’t have anything to do with her. I like to think that after she told the people about Jesus, she found a new acceptance in that town. The Bible doesn’t follow up on her life, but I believe that she was a changed woman after that encounter with Jesus, and because of Jesus she found a new acceptance among her neighbors. At least they listened to her when she told them about Jesus, and they went out to meet Him and also accepted Him as Messiah. Most importantly, the woman was, no doubt, able to accept herself because of her changed life. Jesus knew this woman’s predicament, and He acted to change her life. After Jesus came to town, the woman had a new fellowship with her neighbors. This is a beautiful picture of Jesus’ acceptance of sinners. Jesus promised that He would accept all who came to Him in faith. This woman was not too sinful to be saved, nor is anyone else if they will just come to Jesus in faith. Second, before Jesus came into her life, the woman was hopeless. Not only was she an outcast in her own community, she was lost in sin, which was reflected in her lifestyle. I imagine to the people who knew her, this woman was hopeless. I think that she probably thought she was hopeless too, and she was until she encountered Jesus at the well. She was given a new lease on life that was filled with the hope of Jesus. We need to understand that no one is really hopeless where Jesus is concerned, and if they have an encounter with Jesus they will be filled with hope. Jesus came to bring hope into a seemingly hopeless world. All over the world, people are accepting Jesus as Savior. Many of them are accepting His hope in spite of the threats on their lives. There is nothing greater than the hope that we have in Jesus. This woman shows us that people can be saved and enter into the hope of Jesus, regardless of what they have done in the past. To get a clearer picture of what I have written, I would like for you to read the fourth chapter of John’s gospel. It might be that there is something in your life that an encounter with Jesus can help you with and give you a renewed hope. It can also help us see that the people we know who seem hopelessly lost can encounter Jesus as well. Like the woman in the text, it might be that we could lead someone to an encounter with Jesus. Read this chapter and think about your own life. Bro. Joe "Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer."
David was in distress. He went to the right source, because he sought the Lord. The Lord is always the right source when we are in distress. We sometimes make the mistake of trying to work it out for ourselves. Perhaps we do not wish to bother anyone with our distress, but God is always available to us, and He wants us to seek His help. Believe me, we will not overload the Lord wlth our distress. Let's just say that God can take whatever we bring to Him, and He will give us the answer that we need. Perhaps you are trying to work things out for yourself without taking it to the Lord. In this prayer, David said, "Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress." "Enlarged" means that David had been relieved when he took his distress to the Lord. The Lord always wants us to lean on Him. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus said, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." Understand that Jesus meant what He said when He promised to give us rest. that He would give us rest. We just need to take Jesus at His word, and bring our distresses to Him and let Him give us rest. Keep in mind that God is always the right source at any time in our lives whether we are distressed or doing well. We never make a mistake by just going to God and seeking His perfect answer for our lives. I have found that when I take burdens to the Lord, He either relieves the burden, or gives me the strength to carry the burden if that is His will. Seek the Lord and your life will be on a solid foundation. He will take the problem from you, or He will give you the strength to bear it. God will hear you and act on your behalf. Julst go ahead right now, and give your heart and mind to Him, and He "wi;;give you rest. Bro. Joe |
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