“Who hath ears to hear, let him hear….”
Jesus made this statement after He had given His disciples the parable of the seed and the sower. I think that Jesus was telling them to really listen to the parable, grasp its meaning and let it make a difference in their lives. If we would make a practice of listening with our hearts and minds, as well as our ears, it would make a difference in our lives. We need to really listen to what people try to tell us that which will be good for us. My good friend, and former coach at Lee County High School, the late Sherman Hall, sat me down in the locker room one day and had a heart-to-heart talk with me. Looking back, it was good advice. He was telling me that I needed to start studying and to get my life together. I heard every word Coach Hall said that day, and still remember his words today – but I didn’t listen. At least I didn’t listen at the time, but in ensuing years, through the Navy, college and seminary, the advice was remembered - and heeded. We need to listen to what our Sunday School teachers and pastors tell us. I don’t mean to talk down to you, because if you are reading this you are probably an adult, but we never get too old to listen. During the couple of years that I was seriously ill, I had to hear more preaching than I have listened to in all of my years in the ministry. It was good for me. I really needed to stop and listen to somebody else for a change. I think that it would do all preachers good to have to hear others preach for awhile. We never get too old to listen and learn. In fact, the longer I live, the more I realize the need to listen and learn. We need to listen to the “still small voice” of the Holy Spirit when we are in church, in prayer or reading the Bible. Jesus is always communicating with us and He does this through the Holy Spirit. You might be asking, but how can I know that it is the Holy Spirit speaking to me? I honestly cannot tell you how you can know, but if you are a Christian you will know when it is the Holy Spirit speaking to you. Your life will be richer if you will just listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling you. It might keep you out of trouble. It might keep you from gossiping. It might keep you from saying things to other people that you should not say. You get the point…. You have ears to hear – listen! Bro. Joe
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“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck and kissed him.”
You probably already know that the above text is about the young man that we call “the prodigal son.” The young man took his father’s inheritance and wasted it on what the KJV calls “riotous living.” In the parable, I think that the prodigal son represents Gentiles and the elder son represents the Jews. But for our purposes let’s just say that the prodigal son represents us. When he finally came to himself, the prodigal son realized what an idiot he had been. (I Beauchampized that a little) Jesus wouldn’t have called him an idiot, but I will. A lot of us can probably relate to this - as can I. What I want to point out in the article is that “while he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck and kissed him. “ The father in the parable represents God, and the parable gives us a good portrait of Him, for God is the waiting Father. There is no doubt that the younger son broke his father’s heart when he took the money and ran off into the world. I think that we break God’s heart when we take what He has given us and run off into the world. But He does not give up on us. I think that God/Jesus just waits for us to return. Now, God will probably discipline us while we are out there, but that is because He loves us and does not mean that He will not welcome us back into our fellowship with Him. Is it possible that God is waiting on you to return to your fellowship with Him that you inherited when you became a Christian? Maybe you have not gone off into “riotous living,” but you have drifted from your closeness to Him. But understand that God is waiting for you with arms wide open to reestablish the closeness that you had with Him. It might be that you have developed some habit that is drawing you away from your closeness to God. He wants you to “come to your senses” like the prodigal son did, run to Him and you will find Him running to you to “hug your neck and kiss you” as the father did in the parable. Whatever has you feeling that you are in a far country from God, realize that He still loves you and is waiting for you. What Max Lucado wrote is true: “He’s waiting for you. God is standing on the porch of heaven, expectantly hoping, searching the horizon for a glimpse of His child. You’re the one God is seeking." God is the waiting Father, the caring shepherd in search of His lamb….He scales the cliffs and traverses the fields. He explores the caves. He cups His hands to His mouth and calls into the canyon…And the name He calls is yours. This is the God that has saved, or will save you, and He is waiting with arms outstretched. Run to Him and you will find him running to you. Praise Him!!!!! Bro. Joe "Therefore if any (person) be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature: old things are passed away and all things have become new. 18. And all things are of God, Who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation.”
In this call to the “ministry of reconciliation” I do not see a “reverend” after the name. I also do not see “international missionary,” or “North American missionary.” What is do see is that all of us who are part of the Christian faith has been given a “ministry of reconciliation.” "Christian" is not a profession; rather, it is a lifestyle. We are born again to minister in the name of Christ to the world. The main work of the church is not in the walls of our church buildings. I love churches. I have given fifty-six years, and counting, in serving churches. I actually enjoy what goes on in the walls of a church. But we assemble together, after which we scatter to our homes and businesses. We do not cease being Christians when we say “amen” at church. The main work of a church is to witness and minister to the world. That includes every Christian. We are to seek to bring people into reconciliation with Jesus Christ. This is the work of the church. This means that when we scatter into the world, we should actually reflect the righteousness of Jesus Christ to the world. I’m not referring to a shallow, pharisaic righteousness. I’m referring to just watching what we say and do in our encounters in the world. I’m referring to actually share the love of Jesus Christ to the people in your world. When we do not live close to Jesus we give the world a mixed message. The world is really looking for us to be changed, to be different. I’m not saying that no one does this. I know a lot of fine Christian people who are serving as reconcilers. I have been the pastor of a lot of these people. But more Christians need to realize their personal ministry of reconciliation. We first live it, and when the opportunity arises we share it. We are to seek to bring people into reconciliation with each other. We really need to work on this in our churches. Don’t you agree? We Christian people have a ministry of reconciliation to each other. We need to love each other, “warts and all.” We need to be reconcilers at church and at work. In Matthew 5:9, Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers : for they shall be called the people of God.” That’s heavy stuff! People are going to know that we are children of God when we seek to make peace between people. We need to be at peace within ourselves and share that peace with the world. I hope that you get the point: You are called to be a reconciler. Bro. Joe “Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
If you will read Ephesians 2:10, you will see that James and Paul agreed on works. We are not saved by works, but we are saved to work. Are we really trying to do even the simplest works that would make us better witnesses for Jesus? The three things that I will mention are not things that you have never heard about. But are you really, really trying in these areas. Are you really taking the time to pray? Praying is not hard work, but it is great work. Jesus set aside time to pray, and that is an example for us. Even if it is only a few minutes, we should set aside time for private prayer. But we need to remember that the door to prayer is never closed, and we can pray anytime, anywhere. I remind myself to pray when I am reading the newspaper, watching television, etc. You will find plenty to pray for in these things. People need prayer and we need to pray, even for people with whom we disagree. Are you really taking time to pray? Are you really taking the time to read the Bible? This is a little more difficult than taking the time to pray, but for a Christian it is just as necessary. Make time!!! You might even decide which television program you will sacrifice to take the time to read your Bible. And when you read it, read it systematically. What I mean is that when you read the Bible start at the first chapter and read through the final chapter. In this technological age there are other ways to “read” the Bible. It is available on CD’s, or for “oldie goldies” like me who still have cassette players, you can find cassettes to listen to. (You might need to find them at Goodwill, but they are out there.) There are millions of people in the world who would love to have the freedom to own and read the word of God. We have the freedom, so let’s take advantage of it. Are you really taking the time stand up for Jesus? The name of Jesus has become toxic in today’s society. People will tolerate a generic “god,” or maybe even Allah, but “Jesus” is a no no. I am afraid that they are going to pass a law that it is against the law to say “Jesus” in a crowded theater. (There are some places that you could get your head severed for doing this.) The name “Jesus” is the new blasphemy in the unbelieving world. There are a couple of biblical verses that we need to read. The first is Mark 8:18: “Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him shall the Son of man be ashamed….” The second is Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ….” Take the time to do these things in your life. Bro. Joe “The Lord sits upon the flood, yes, the Lord sits king forever. 11. The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.”
In my annual trek through Psalms, I found some good news that I would like to share with you. This should make your day. We can take comfort in knowing that the Lord rules. He is our creator and He “sits as king forever.” The Hebrew word translated “Lord” is "Yahweh". This is the “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” He is the Lord of the universe. This Lordship came to earth in name of Jesus Christ, and His Lordship was revealed through His perfect life and through His miracles. This was particularly true of His miracles in nature. For example, Jesus turned water into wine – which cannot be done naturally, and He calmed a storm on the Sea Galilee just by His word. This is the Lord who loves us, died for us, arose the third day and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God making intercession for us. AND HE LOVES YOU! See, I told this would make your day. We can take comfort in knowing that the Lord will give us His strength – His eternal strength. The Hebrew word translated “strength” can have wide meaning, but in its context here, it means that the Lord gives His strength to His people to meet the inevitable challenges of life. It is in using the Holy Spirit’s strength to meet the challenges of life that we can emerge victorious. There is no challenge, no problem that can keep us down when we lean on Christ’s great strength. There is no temptation that can ruin our lives when we lean on His strength. Read 1 Corinthians 10:13 to understand this: “There has no temptation taken you but that is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” See, I told you this would make your day. We can take comfort in knowing that “the Lord will bless His people with peace." This is the translation of the Hebrew “Shalom” (or “Salom”) which has variable meanings. Shalom peace gives us a sense of well-being. We have the peace of knowing that God is in control, and that we just need to lean to His understanding and not merely our own. Shalom peace gives us the knowledge that the Lord holds our lives together. Shalom peace gives us a sense of wholeness. The important thing is that we have this peace in Jesus. I want to share a word from Jesus on this subject of peace from John 16:33: “These things I have spoken unto you, that IN ME you shall have peace. In the world you will have tribulation/trouble, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” In Jesus, this peace is yours. See, I told you this would make your day. Shalom Bro. Joe “For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your countenance, because you had a favor unto them.”
Psalm 44 is a prayer for the people of God to drive out their enemies. I discovered His formula for victory in verse 3, which can be applied to our lives. Here is the formula: “For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their arm save them, but your right hand and your arm (gave them victory….)" Victory is possible only in the strength of God If we want victory over Satan and his forces. We need to lean on the strong arms of the Lord and depend on Him to give us victory. Stop trying to fight the battle on your own strength and depend on the Lord’s strength. Pray for His strength, and when you have it utilize it in your manner of living and win the victory. When David confronted Goliath, he knew that it was God’s “right hand and his arm” that would give him victory. (Look up 1 Samuel 17:31ff and read about it.) “And the light of your countenance….” (Please pardon the incomplete sentence…) It is by walking in the “light of God’s face” that we will have the victory. In our case, it is the light of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that we win the victory. It is by His light that we can differentiate between the good and the evil. It is in His light that we march to victory over the world system, which is controlled by Satan and his minions. Satan wants to entrap us in the trap of doubt and cynicism. We need to walk in the light of Christ in our daily lives. We do this by prayer and by the word of God. If we drift through life without touching the throne of grace by prayer, and by neglecting the Bible, we cannot win in this battle. “Because you had a favor unto them..” It is in God’s favor that we have victory. We are afraid of this word “favor” because if we claim God’s favor people think we are boasting. Having God’s favor is not something to brag about; rather, it is a gift of God through faith in Jesus. One of the translations of the Hebrew word “favor” is “to be accepted.” To be in God’s favor is to be accepted by Him through faith in Jesus Christ. 1 John 5:4-5 tells us: “For whosoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. 5. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" That is a good definition of God’s favor. If you want victory in your Christian life, depend on God’s strength, walk in His light and find His favor by faith, and claim the victory!!!! Bro. Joe “After they had come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia; but the Spirit suffered them not.”
Paul and Silas wanted to go into Bithynia and the Holy Spirit said “no.” In short, God said “no” to their plan. This seems strange to us, because we forget sometimes that God forbids what we plan to do. But God never does anything without a purpose. When God says “no,” He knows better than we do about what we need, or what we need to be doing. For example, in the event in Acts 16, instead of Paul turning to the right and going into Bithynia, he was directed to go straight into Macedonia. Did the people in Bithynia not need Jesus? Of course they did, they just didn’t need Paul to do it. It was a job for someone else. God knows where you need to be, and you need to listen to what it is that God wants you to do. When God says “no” He means “yes” to something, or someone else. Many a person has had his or her heart broken, only to discover that God had their real love waiting for them. We think that we can know in our hearts exactly who, or what, we want, but with these finite minds of ours we cannot always discern what is best. I know that this is a great understatement, but we need to always take into account that God knows what we need. Sometimes people get angry with God because He knows that He knows better than they do about what they need, or where they need to go. Keep in mind, that when God says “no” He wants more for you than you want for yourself. When God says “no” he is keeping us from getting out of His will. In the Lord’s model prayer, Jesus said “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This is not just a friendly prayer reminder from Jesus. It is serious business, and He wants us to be in His will. Believe me I have learned the difference in serving in His will and serving in the flesh, so to speak, and I can tell you that it is better to be in His will. Saul of Tarsus was going to Damascus to stop the work of Christ, en route he met Jesus and ended up going into Damascus and doing the work of Christ. And the rest is history….. I do not want to leave the impression that I think God always says “no.” I think that He has said “yes” to me more than He has said “no.” When He has said “no” I have been thankful that He did. If He says “no” to you, thank Him! Bro. Joe “But now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; and we all are the work of your hand.”
After reading the text several times I could think of no better title than the one that you see above. You will see what I mean as you read the article. The first thing that I thought of is that God is in control – period. Isaiah portrayed the Lord as the potter. Specifically he wrote: “We are the clay, and you are the potter.” This is a tremendous way of saying that God is in control. It is wise for us to seek to be in the Lord’s will in our lives. God gives us freedom of choice, and it is important for us to freely seek and do His will in our lives. The second thing that I thought of, as the text reveals, is that God is the creator. We did not just happen to appear in the world as a blob of protoplasm. We can separate our lives from His will, but we cannot separate ourselves from His authority. We are “the work of His hand.” David wrote in Psalm 139:14: “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knows right well.” This should elicit praise from our hearts. It should also cause us to seek to love and obey Him. The third thing I thought of is that we are under obligation to God. This is true no matter what we decide to do with our lives. The point is that we can do as we want, but we will ultimately have to answer to God. Jesus Christ came to earth and offered His life as a sacrifice for us to save us from sin. That was a dear price for the Son of God to pay on our behalf. What a shame it would be to stand at the judgment bar of God, having refused the love of Jesus Christ. If you have not given thought to this, you need to put it in your mind and remember that you are under obligation to God. The fourth thing that I thought of was that the Lord is our Father. The implication of this is that the God who created us, and to whom we are under obligation, also loves us as a father loves His children. The Lord loves all people, and it is not His will that anyone should perish. (2nd Peter 3:9) If a person dies lost without Christ, it will not be God’s fault. God wishes to be more than your “creation Father,” but He wishes to be your “heavenly Father.” Give your life to Him by faith in Jesus Christ and He will be your Father. Amen Bro. Joe “He that covers his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy.”
There is a warning and a promise in this powerful proverb. The warning is that we should be honest about our own sins, and when we are honest about our sins. we prosper in God’s mercy. The verse warns us that we can deceive ourselves about our own righteousness and goodness. Actually, behavior that we would loathe in other people does not seem so bad when applied to ourselves. As long as we hide ourselves from ourselves, we will not prosper in the good that this life offers. (Please do not see $ in this.) There are people who are always finding fault with other people. I have known people like this, and, to be honest, I fight this tendency in my life. (It might prosper you to pause here and make this confession.) Frankly, it is painful to really look at our own sins and faults, but we need to do it if we would prosper in the good things of this life. Instead of covering our sins, we need to honestly confess them. In fact, honest confession is where our soul’s prosperity begins. In Luke 18:10-14, Jesus shared a parable about two men who went to the temple to pray – a Pharisee and a publican. When the Pharisee prayed he reeled out all of what he thought of his virtues, as though he was doing God a favor by praying. When the publican prayed, he said: “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Jesus said that the Publican was justified before God, and the Pharisee was not. Be careful now: you will begin to think of other people as the Pharisees and you the Publican. Be careful because the Pharisee was poor in righteousness simply because he did not confess his sins. According to the proverb, confession of our sins alone is not sufficient. When we have confessed our sins, we need to forsake them. If there is one thing possibly more difficult than honest confession is actually forsaking those things that we confess. Let’s look at one particular “set of sins” that would be the hardest to forsake – sins of attitude. When we look honestly at ourselves, there will probably be some attitudes that we need to forsake. I can’t name your sins of attitude, but you can – if you will honestly confess. The benefit of confessing and forsaking our sins is God’s mercy. It is in finding God’s mercy that we come to peace with God, with ourselves and with other people. Honestly confess your sins and forsake them. You will find Jesus at the end of your honest confession, forgiving healing, and giving you His mercy. Bro. Joe “And the angel of the Lord appeared unto (Moses) in a flame of fire out of the midst of the bush: and he looked and behold, the bush was not consumed. 3. And Moses said. I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned. 4. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, here am I. 5. And (the angel) said, Do not draw near: put off your shoes from your feet, for the place whereon you stand is holy ground.”
Why was this common ground declared “holy ground”? It was holy ground because Yahweh was present there and spoke from the burning bush. I remember that Old Testament professor, Dr. J. Leo Green, when we discussed this passage, told us in a wry way that there is more here than a burning bush. The importance of this incident is based on the presence of God. It was holy ground because God had a holy purpose for Moses. God’s people, the Hebrew people, had been enslaved in Egypt for over forty years. At this bush, God was calling Moses, at this point a simple shepherd, to deliver His people from Egypt. Here is part of the call to Moses in verses 9-10: “Now, therefore, behold the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. 10. Come now therefore, and I will send you unto Pharaoh, that you may bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt.” It was a holy calling that took Moses by surprise, and he tried to get out of it in ensuing verses. He said that he was not a good speaker. Some suggest that Moses had a problem with stuttering. Among other things God reminded Moses that he created his mouth, and the He would help him speak. He also did not know who to tell them the name of the One sending him. God told him that His Name is “I am that I AM. He also told Moses to tell the people that He is “the God Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” It was holy ground because of the concern of the Lord for His people. God had called their father Abraham in Genesis 12 and told him that he would become a nation. They had gone into Egypt seventy strong, and four hundred years later there were thousands of them. Some say that it could be as many as 3 million people. This was the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham – a holy promise with a holy fulfillment. God sent an angel to call Moses’ attention to the burning bush, but it was the Lord Himself Who gave Moses his marching orders. As reluctant as Moses was at the burning bush, he took up the mantle and with his brother Aaron led God’s people out of Egypt. This was a holy place, with a holy calling and a holy purpose. He might be calling you to a holy purpose where you are!!!!! Bro. Joe |
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