“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pititul, be courteous.”
Having been involved in church work for fifty-six years, twenty-seven as a pastor, twenty-three as a Director of Missions, working with churches in an association, then about one year as an interim pastor, then finally serving a church for two years, I am qualified to say that “living in harmony” is a real need in churches. Peter tells us how to live in harmony in this verse. First, he told them to have compassion for each other. This doesn’t mean to just tolerate each other. To have real compassion, frankly, we have to have the mind of Christ and also heed to have the pull of the Holy Spirit. We can get awfully callous in our treatment of each other in churches. I had to watch this in my own heart as a pastor and as a Director of Missions. I had to deal with this in the treatment of church members with each other. Having real compassion for each other, will make us careful how we treat each other. Second, he told them to love as brothers/sisters. In a real sense, a church is like a big family. This means that we are joined together in the family of God by the blood of Jesus, which makes it necessary for us to love one another as brothers and sisters. Sometimes with brothers and sisters we have to overlook some personality quirks. This is true of brothers and sisters in church. Sometimes with brothers and sisters we have to just accept them because we have the same father and mother. We have to accept each other as brothers and sisters because we have the same Savior. (I might also add that Peter was not joking or speaking lightly about this matter.) Third, he told them to “be pitiful and be courteous.” “Pitiful” can be translated as “humble.” We are to act in common courteousy with our brothers and sisters in church. Sometimes we just have to “get off of our high horse” as problems arise in churches and be humbly courteous. This would sure curtail a lot of church fusses. You just have to agree with Peter’s reasoning. Think of your own relationships with people in your church. Are you really in harmony with them? Do you have compassion for them? Do you love them as brothers and sisters in Christ? Are you humbly courteous in your dealings with them? If your church was like you, would your church be in harmony? Bro. Joe
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“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing wherewith I sent it. 12. For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field which shall clap their hands.”
In Isaiah 55:6-7, a great invitation was given to Judah to repent and they would receive God’s mercy and pardon. This great invitation is followed by a great promise, We can claim it as a promise to us. The promise is that God’s word will not return to Him void. The Old Testament prophets spoke the words that God gave them to speak. The promise of God’s mercy and pardon, was sure and certain. God promised that His word would accomplish what He wanted it to accomplish. It is my conviction that when I base what I speak, or write about on God's word, that it will accomplish something between God and somebody. Sometimes, praise the Lord, we get to see what His word accomplished, but often we do not. I have God’s promise that this is true. (If I only give my opinions on this that or the other, there is no promise for that.) The promise is that God’s word will prosper for the purpose that God sent it. People will be enriched by God’s word when it is preached, taught or written. We can call it sharing God’s blessings. This is true of your Sunday School class, your small group Bible study, or your conversations with people about God’s word. Yes, when God’s word is sung under the power of the Holy Spirit, it enriches the singer and those to which he or she is singing. The promise is that when we repent and get right with God, and are enriched by God’s word, we will go out with joy. God’s word brings joy into our lives. The promise that we will also “go forth with peace.” God’s word brings peace into our hearts and peace to those around us. The promise is that even nature will rejoice when God’s word is heard and accepted. Isaiah wrote that the mountains would break forth with singing, and that the “trees will clap their hands.” This could be metaphorical, but I was reminded when I read this that Paul wrote in Romans 8:22: “For we know that the whole creation groans and travails together until now.” I don’t fully understand this, but God does and that satisfies me. This is a promise to you and me. Let’s grasp it and rejoice in it. Bro. Joe “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near. 7. Let the wicked forsake His way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God for he still abundantly pardons.”
Isaiah 55 is a heartfelt cry of God through Isaiah to the wandering People of Judah. I want to share the invitation that Isaiah gave to them. He called upon them to “seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near.” The distance between the people and God was on their part not on God’s part. If we feel that God is not with us, or that He is not near us, we need to check our own lives. We are assured throughout the Bible that God is always ready to hear our prayer. God longs to be an integral part of our lives. Jesus certainly emphasized this in His ministry. He sent the Holy Spirit into our lives to guide us in our daily lives. We need to seek His guidance. Isaiah shared with them what they needed to do to seek the Lord. It is a timely lesson for us. It is a call to repent. First, he calls for people to forsake their wicked ways. This meant to stop worshiping other gods and to stop living any way that they wanted. We still need to heed the call to repent. Second, he calls for people to forsake their unrighteous thoughts. Isaiah realized, as should we, that our actions are guided by our thoughts. That is why we need to watch our thought lives. There is much to call our thoughts to unrighteousness. Actually, it doesn’t take a whole lot of imagination to have unrighteous thoughts today. There is often little left to the imagination. Third, he calls for them to return to the Lord. When wandering thoughts and actions call us away from sweet fellowship with God, we need to return to Him in a spirit of repentance. Isaiah shared with them what would happen when they returned to good fellowship with God. First, they would receive the mercy of God. No matter how far we have wandered, God will have mercy on us when we repent and return. He will give mercy, not because we deserve it, but because He loves us and will forgive us. Second, they would receive a pardon from God. We are guilty when we wander, but God will give us a pardon and set us free to live for Him. You can find God’s mercy and pardon now. Just repent and sincerely seek God’s forgiveness. What a great invitation this is. Accept God’s invitation to His mercy and pardon. Bro. Joe “Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain you: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”
I want to recommend that you read Psalm 55 to gain a good understanding of this verse. David was being besieged by people whom he assumed had been friends. I don’t know the date of this psalm, but it could be Saul or Absalom, for both of them betrayed David. This placed a heavy burden on David’s heart, and, indeed, his very life. In verse 22, he told us what he did with his burden, and encouraged us to do the same. David’s first suggestion was that we “cast our burden upon the Lord.” There is no burden that you and I bear that is too small for God to care about,and not too heavy for Him to bear. That’s why Jesus told us, “Come unto me you that are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” I know that this is easier written, or said, than done, but it is something that we need to learn to do by faith. Here is the key: God wants our burdens. He longs to relieve us of the burdens that we bear. If we are bearing sin burdens, He wants us to turn from the sin that is causing the burden, He will forgive us and give us rest. Whatever your burden, get honest with the Lord and cast, throw, your burden upon the Lord Jesus, and He will catch it. David’s second suggestion was that when we cast our burdens on God, “He shall sustain you.” In order to do this, we must be willing to depend upon the sustenance of the Lord, and stop carrying it, and trying to solve it on our own. There are some burdens that we might have to live with because of the nature of them, and that makes it even more important that we give the burden to the Lord. The point is that God will sustain us by ridding us of the burden, or He will sustain us by giving us the strength to bear it. Either way, you will be at rest in the sustaining arm of the Lord. David’s third suggestion is that God, “will not suffer the righteous to be moved. “ This means that “He will not allow the righteous to be shaken.” (CES) You cannot be shaken, or discomfited, by a burden that you have given away to the Lord. When we come to the Lord in true repentance, and simple faith, He will take the burden and we can be at rest – unshaken. Hey, give it a try, it’s right here in the Bible to help you bear your burdens. Bro. Joe “Are you foolish? Having begun in the Spirit are you now perfect by the flesh. 4.Have you suffered so many things in vain? If it yet be in vain. 5. He therefore that ministers to you the Spirit, and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith. 6. Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
In Galatians, Paul was calling upon the people to realize that their salvation was complete in Christ. A group called “Judaizers” were calling them to salvation by legalism based on Mosaic law. We, too, need to remember that it was the power of belief in Christ that saved us, and changed our lives. I want to share some biblical men who show us the power of believing in the promises of God. Paul wrote that “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness.” Because Abraham believed God, and the promise of God in Genesis 12:1ff, he became the father of the great nation of Israel, and consequently the father of salvation by belief in Christ. Moses believed God at the burning bush, and led Israel out of Egypt. It is through Moses that we have the Pentateuch – the first five books of the Bible. He stands as an example of one who did not feel qualified to do what God called him to do, but by belief he carried out what God had for him to do. The Lord will do the same for you. Peter was a fisherman who was happy in his chosen profession. But one day he met a man called Jesus and believed in Him and in the mission to which Jesus called him. He gave up all of his livelihood, based on the belief in Jesus. He preached the great Pentecostal sermon in Acts 2, which led three-thousand people to faith in Christ. He gave us First and Second Peter in the Bible. Saul of Tarsus hated Jesus and His church and was mercilessly persecuting believers in Christ. When he met Jesus on the Damascus Road, he believed and became a champion for the cause of Christ. Paul gave us epistles, or letters, to churches and individuals which give us great guidance in our belief. All of these men were human beings like you and me, who did great things by believing in Christ. Believing in Christ, you can reach people in your sphere of influence. Hey, believe and serve, and see how Jesus can use you! Bro. Joe “Now if any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.” HCSB
James 1:5 tells us something about God that we need to know: He is interested in us and wants to give generously to us. Perhaps you are one of those people, of whom there are many, who have given up on the God of the Bible. You might be asking, without realizing it, “What has He done for me lately?” It could be that you have been convinced that He does not exist, and if He does exist, He doesn’t matter. It could be that you are a believer who is just jaded by the trials of life and just feel that God is distant from you. You can’t read James 1:5 and believe that God is indifferent about your life. The text made me think about three simple facts about God/Jesus that I want to share with you. Hopefully, these simple facts will help you to either look at God as He has been revealed through Jesus in a different light, or that you will rejoice in the fact that you know Him. Either way you will be blessed. First, there is the fact that God loves us. John 3:16 tells us this: “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 so loved the world" means the people of the world. If you have not discovered His love, it is time that you did. Someone wrote: “When we lift our hearts to God, we open ourselves to a never-ending source of divine wisdom and infinite love.” Well, lift your heart to Him! Second, is the fact that God is available to us? One of the most important things about the God of the Bible is that He is not remote from His creation. Throughout the Bible we see Him reaching out to people, making His great love and power available to them. Also, throughout the Bible we see people running away from God, not really believing in His availability. It is difficult for us to understand a God Who is everywhere all at the same time. He can bless someone in Japan at the same time that He is blessing someone in the USA. The wonderful fact is that God is always only a prayer away. He is available to enter your life to save you for all eternity. He is available to help you through all of the trials of life. Third, is the fact that He will be our ultimate judge. No matter what people think of us, it is more important for us to consider what God thinks of us. The Bible says that, “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) We are accountable to Him for how we live. You can ignore God, but you cannot ignore the fact that He is interested in your life, and that He wants to be a part of your life. This is what Jesus is all about. Consider these three facts about God and give your life to the God who loves you, is available to you and to whom you are accountable. If you have given your life to God, rejoice in His great love and care. Bro. Joe “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are.” John 17:1b
“Fulfill ye my joy that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, or one mind.” Philippians 2:2 Jesus prayed that we might be one. Paul encouraged the Philippian church, and us, to be “of one accord, of one mind.” Both of these texts remind us that we are to stay connected if we are to be effective in declaring the gospel to a lost world. There is no such thing as “solitary Christianity.” We are saved individually, but we are bound together by the Holy Spirit in church fellowship to be what Christ would have us be in this world. In other words, we are to be connected. The first thing that we should do is to stay connected to the main source. How do we make a lamp shine? Do we just turn the switch on? No. The first thing that we must do is to be sure the lamp is connected to the source in order for the electricity to course through the wires and provide the power to shine. In the same way, we need to be connected to Jesus Christ in order for the power of the Holy Spirit to course through us and provide power for us to shine. If we are not careful, we will disconnect from the power source and attempt His work in the flesh. Our connection to each other will be meaningless if we are not connected to the main source. We can stay connected by staying in touch with Him through prayer. Also, we have to stay in His word. The second thing is that we are to stay connected to each other in Christian love and Holy Spirit power. In Philippians 4:2, Paul wrote: “I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.” Two women who had effectively served with Paul, for some reason, were out of sorts with each other and because of this the whole Philippian Church was suffering. When we disconnect from each other, our churches suffer as well. As written above, if we are out of sorts with Jesus, we will inevitably get out of sorts with each other. It is Jesus, the love of Jesus and the love of Jesus in us that keeps us connected. We need to remember that in churches we do not just have fellowship, we are a fellowship. The Greek word translated “fellowship” is “koinonia.” Basically, this word means “partnership.” We are partners in the Lord’s work. Third, let’s go back to the lamp mentioned earlier. The lamp can be plugged in the right source but still not shine. Why? Perhaps the bulb is loose and not making the needed contact with the electrical source. We can be like that loose bulb. The source is working fine, but we are disconnected. When we are disconnected from each other we cannot shine as we should. How can we reconnect? Paul gave us the answer in Colossians 3:12-14: “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies (compassion), kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” As partners in Christ’s work, we should love and forgive each other. Are you connected to the source – to Jesus? Are you connected to your fellow Christians? If sharing the gospel is the most important work on earth, doesn’t it behoove us to make sure that we are connected? Bro. Joe “But if we walk in the light as He (God) is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
1 John is one of my favorite “go-to” books to find encouragement and enlightenment. John was an eyewitness of most, if not all, of what Jesus did in His earthly ministry. In this text, he gives us an encouraging word of walking in God’s light. I found three components here that encouraged me, and I trust will encourage you. Light “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light…” Everything about the triune God has to do with light. Jesus referred to Himself as the “light of the world.” (John 8:12) In the Bible, God is always referred as not just being in the light, but that He is the source of the light. John shared this thought with us in Revelation 21:23: “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it: for the glory of God did light it, and the lamb is the light thereof. Jesus promised in Matthew 5:16 that we are the “light of the world.” His light shines through us. We walk in the light that we might shine the light of Jesus on the world. Are you walking in the light? Fellowship We have fellowship with one another…” As we walk in the light, we are in fellowship, or partnership, with each other. This refers to everyone who is “washed in the blood of the lamb.” I know what you are thinking; you are thinking what I am thinking, i.e., we don’t appear to be light sometimes because of breaches of fellowship. But just as the light is not from us, we have to remember that our fellowship is bound together with God. 1 John 1:3 refers to this: “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” We might act like burned out bulbs sometimes, but God’s light never fades. New Testament churches had troubles just as we do, but the light continues even until today. According to Jesus “the gates of hell will not prevail against” His church. Cleansing “And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son, cleanses us of all sin…” In 1John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We can walk in the light, and have fellowship with God and one another, because of the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. He forgives us and cleanses as we repent and confess our sins. Jesus knows that none of us are perfect and that we need His forgiveness, and He forgives when we come to Him for it. Thank Him!!! Are you walking in the light with fellowship with God and with your fellow Christians? Have you sought His forgiveness to cleanse you to make your light brighter? Bro. Joe “Giving thanks unto the Father, which has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. 13. Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son. 14. In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”
I thought of the word “deliver” today. I looked up the word in my Bible and this text is what I found. It exactly fit the outline that I had figured in my mind. (You might say that my outline was preordained. Lol) Here is what I thought and what I found. God Delivers Us From Paul wrote that God delivers us from darkness. The world system is under the darkness of Satan. We need to be delivered from this darkness, and God provided a way for us to be delivered from darkness. Through Christ, we are “made to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. Who has delivered us from the power of darkness.” John tells us that “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5) In John 8:12, Jesus referred to Himself as "the light of the world.” It is through faith in Jesus that we have been delivered us from Satan’s world of darkness. Call upon Christ to, either thank Him for deliverance, or to ask Him to deliver you . God Delivers Us Into Paul wrote that “God has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated unto into the kingdom of His dear Son.” We changed kingdoms when we received the redemption that Jesus offered. Here is what happened: “In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” It is the old, old story that is ever new. We have been saved, redeemed, through the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on Calvary’s cross. Then through Jesus, “the light of the world,” we become, what Jesus called us: “the light of the world.” As the redeemed of Jesus, we also invite people to come out of the kingdom of darkness, into the kingdom of light. (At this point you can shout hallelujah, or just stay a loud “amen.”) God Delivers Us In I want to make one more short point before I close this article. I have discovered, and I think that the Bible verifies, that Jesus delivers in the midst of whatever problems we might encounter. I have discovered this in my life over and over again. God delivers us from our problems, around our problems, or through our problems. This is God’s delivery system, claim it or share it. Let the light of Jesus shine through you. Bro. Joe |
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