“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in you. 4. Trust in the Lord forever: for the Lord, Jehovah is everlasting strength.”
Our text gives us a promise that is made throughout the Bible: We can trust God. The question is do you trust Him? Do you trust that it true that God “will keep him/her in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on (God/Jesus)”? God works primarily from within our minds, and when our minds on Him we can have peace. The problem is that too often we ignore God until we need Him. You can trust Him to give you peace, but you must put your mind Him. Jesus made a great promise of peace in John 16:31: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will tribulation (trouble) but take heart; I have overcome the world.” If you believe in Jesus, you can trust that you will have peace in the midst of the world’s troubles. Do you trust that you can “trust in the Lord forever”? .In this line in verse 4 is hidden the dynamic of the peace that He will give us. “Forever” means that there will never be a time when we can’t trust in the Lord. He is the “Forever God.” Your trust in Him is not something that is here today and gone tomorrow. The old saying is true: “You don’t the future holds, but you know who holds the future.” Every day and every tomorrow are in the hand of God. Put your trust in the eternal God. He will always be there for you. Do you trust that is in “Jehovah is everlasting strength”? The NIV translates this: “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the rock of strength.” You can trust that the eternal God, revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ, is a rock on which you can stand through all that life throws at you. Jesus is the “Rock of Ages” that we sing about. Another great hymn tells us: “On Christ the Solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” You can take your stand on, and depend on the eternal strength of the Savior. Thinking of all that written above, do you trust that when you put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ that you will be saved for all eternity. This is the main thrust of the Bible. Jesus is the One prophesied by the prophets in the Old Testament, and revealed in the flesh in the New Testament. He is the one who can save you from sin, self, and Satan. If Jesus is your Savior, REJOCE! If He is not repent, and confess that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior and invite Him into your life. (Continued tomorrow) Bro. Joe
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“But God commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. 9. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled we shall saved by His life. 11. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received atonement.”
I have been chasing the word “reconciliation” in the Greek and English, and this is the passage that I landed on to share with you. First, we have been “reconciled to God by the death of His Son.” Though we are sinners as mentioned in verse 8, we have been, or canbe justified by Christ’s blood as mentioned in verse 9.. The only way we can be justified before God is through the blood of Jesus. This does not call us to religious ritual, but to a faith relationship with Jesus. Second, to be reconciled through Christ is to be saved from the wrath of God. We don’t like to dwell on the wrath of God, but it cannot be erased from the Bible. God hates sin, which makes it imperative for us to seek reconciliation with God. For we have “all sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Christ died on the cross that we might turn to Him in faith in order to be saved from the wrath of God. Third, to be reconciled through Christ enables us to find “joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Christian gospel does not call us to gloom and doom. Some people see us as a joyless bunch, but they are wrong. In Christ we have found joy, and we call you to join us in the joy of Jesus Christ. It is not a call to be “religious” but it is to be reconciled to God by faith in Jesus Christ. We call people to repent and confess their sins and invite Jesus into their lives, believing that He died and rose again to reconcile them to almighty God. Fourth, to be reconciled to God is to be atoned. It is interesting that the same Greek word that is translated as reconciliation is also translated as atonement in this verse. As far as I know, the King James Version is the only Bible to translate this verse as atonement. Look at the word this way: “at-one.” Through Jesus we can be at one with God. That is one of the basic meanings of reconciliation, which explains why the KJV translators rendered the word as atonement. It is better to be at one with God, than to be separated from Him. I imagine that you agree! Well, this is my feeble effort to deal with the word “reconciliation.” I hope that it makes sense to you and that I have shown it to be an essential word in the Bible. Bro. Joe “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16. In the same way let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven.”
Do you consciously think of yourself as “the light of the world”? I have omitted some of the more obvious answers about what it means for us to be lights in the world that I have dealt with ad infinitum in CouchPotato articles.(In fact a lot of what I wrote yesterday on being “salt” could apply.) My aim in this article is make you think about what it means to be a light in the world. This is an expectation of Jesus. He is aware of how we live our lives, and it is serious to Him how we live our lives. Look at the wording in the text: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven.” Jesus did not say, “It would be nice…..” He said “let your light so shine….” This should be our own expectation. We should be disappointed in ourselves when we are not shining for Jesus. I’m not attempting to make you feel guilty about your life. My point is that shining as lights in the dark world should be important to you, because Jesus was serious about it. This is an expectation of the world. I don’t think that we need to live just to make a good impression on people, or to try to please everyone. However, on this point we need to consider what people think of us. An illustration of this is the failure of some high profile Christians who have been “dim bulbs.” They made headlines, because they did not live up to what they preached or taught. None of us will be perfect lights, but we should certainly be real careful how we live. On a smaller scale, not of less importance, is the impression that some churches have made on their communities because they did not shine as lights for Christ. Without really knowing why, I think that the world is disappointed because they expected better of us. Jesus expressed the ultimate expectation of our lights shining: “….that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father Who is in heaven.” The idea is that when we let our lights shine; people should see beyond us and give glory to God. Unlike the Pharisees in the New Testament, we need to shine for God and not just to make an impression on people. I am certainly not assuming that you are a “dim bulb.” That’s for you to decide. Think about it. Bro. Joe “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”
We sometimes refer to people that we think a lot of as “the salt of the earth.” Here Jesus called us “the salt of the earth.” We just need to act like it, or we will become useless and fruitless. This is not a statement of whether or not we are saved; rather it is a statement of our usefulness in His work. So, the question is, are you salty? Let me show you what I mean. Do you make the most of your fellowship in your church? Do you love your fellow church members – really love them!? Do you seriously get along with them, to loosely quote Paul, do you “bear with them”? Do you pray for them? (Really, do you pray for them?) Do you make the most of your relationships in your family? Do you really love them? Do you pray for them? Do you accept them as they are? (Jesus doesn’t make allowance for personality differences. Just saying!) Do you make the most of your relationships with people who are involved in your daily life? How are your relationships with people where you work, where you shop, where you play, etc.? Do they realize that you are a Christian, not by what you say but by the way you act, by the way that you treat them? When the opportunity arises do you share your faith with them? Keep in mind that you have already shown them what it means to be a Christian by the way you act, and by what you say? Again, do you love them? What I have shared with you here are some of the familiar things that we struggle with in “being salty.” I think that you will agree that what I have shared here is important. We need to give some serious thought and prayer to these things. Bro. Joe “As you have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all (people), especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
This verse is preceded by a reminder not to “be weary in well-doing: for in due season you shall reap if you faint not.” Remember that Paul was adamant that salvation is by the grace of God by faith in Jesus Christ, and not of works. But he also wrote that when we are saved we are to do the works that God has appointed us to do. (Read Ephesians 2:8-10.) It has always been God’s will that His people do good. The very fact of the Spirit of God in our lives demands that we “do good.” Notice that Paul wrote that as the Galatians had “opportunity” they should “do good to all people.” We are to be aware of the opportunities to do good that arise in a day. When we encounter some situations, we should be attuned to whether or not they are God-given opportunities . There have been times when I have been casually talking to someone and they would say something that would awaken me to an opportunity to do good. That might have been to witness to them about Jesus, or just listen to what they have to say. Sometimes the best that we can do is to just be quiet and listen. When I was in clinical training years ago, which was training in counseling, we were told to do more listening than we did talking. I found that for the most part this is true technique. Sometimes what a person needs at that moment with you is to have your undivided attention and your friendship. Just be aware of the opportunities that God puts in your way on a daily basis. Paul wrote that we are to “do good unto all people…” This means that we are to look for opportunities to do good to people who are not Christians, or not part of our church. Often, doing good for a non-Christian will be the best witness that we can give. At least we know that people will listen to us if they know that we care for them. We are to do good for them even if they do not respond positively to the Gospel. We can’t make a person go into the kingdom, but we can give them a positive view of what a Christian is. We might say that this would make us a little like Jesus. Don’t misunderstand me, I wish that everyone that I witnessed to accepted Jesus, but that just does not happen, and because it doesn’t, doesn’t mean that I should then act unchristian. Paul also wrote that we are to “do good….especially unto them which are of the household of faith.” If you have had any experience with church, you know the importance of this advice. Sometimes we Christians can be awfully unchristian towards each other. People who are not Christians, or Christian people looking for a church, cannot be impressed with ill-treatment of fellow church members. Go out there and "do good." Selah Bro. Joe “(God) has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, by whom He also made the worlds.”
I’ve been thinking particularly this morning about Jesus. I don’t mean that there are times that I forget about Him, I felt strongly impressed this morning that Jesus wanted me to relate some things about Him to you by the means that I have to relate Him to you. The word that kept recurring in my mind was “best.” I’m going to share with you about what I think about Jesus in reference to the best. (I hope that you made sense of that sentence. I understood it, and maybe this article will make clear what I mean.) The first thing that I want to share is that Jesus is the best that has ever happened in the world. I know that a lot of people do not agree with me, and with all Christians, about this, but their agnosticism does not make it untrue. According to our text, we are living in the last days, and that being true, The Father gave us the best that He had to offer – His Son. The New Testament gives us a perfect picture of Who and What He is, beginning with Matthew through Revelation. These books tell us the “old, old story,” that is ever new. Please open your Bible and turn to the first chapter of the gospel of John, and read carefully and prayerfully, of what that chapter tells you about Jesus. I’m so full of what I want to say, I might not be as clear as I want to be, but test the Word and see if it is not true. The second thing that I want to share with you is that Jesus wants the best for you. One of the familiar parables in the New Testament describes this for you. It is found in Luke 15, and is called the parable of the Prodigal Son. It would appear that this boy was lost forever because of the mistake that he made, but when he “came to himself” and returned home, his father forgave and accepted Him. (If you are not familiar with this parable, it is found in Luke 15:11-32.) This son did not deserve what he got, but he got the best lamb and the best clothing. Jesus wants us to come to ourselves, admit, confess, and repent of our sins, and come to Him. Doing that, we will realize that He truly wants the best for us. Jesus is not against you; rather, He is for you. Just receive His love for you! The third thing that I want to share with you is that Jesus wants the best from you. When you come to Jesus and receive the salvation that He gives, He changes your life. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:17 about this: “Therefore if any man (or woman) be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things are passed away and all things have become new.” This doesn’t mean that you magically become perfect; rather, it means that you are aware that you can do better and want to give Him your best. He wants you to live a life that witnesses for Him before you can tell others about Him. When you sin, He will forgive you. Don’t misunderstand this: Jesus does not think our sin is funny. Because He loves us so much Jesus will discipline us. Hebrews 12:6 reminds us of this: “For whom the Lord loves He chastens (disciplines), and scourges (reproves) every son whom He receives.” The writer further reminds us that if we are not disciplined, we do not belong to Him. I know about His discipline, and it has made me love Him more and more - and has really caught my attention - if you get my drift. I hope that I have made it clear to you that Jesus is the best, wants the best for us, and wants the best from us. Believe in Jesus. Love Jesus. Serve Jesus. Bro. Joe (I added parentheses in biblical quotations.) “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in you. 4. Trust in the Lord forever: for the Lord, Jehovah is everlasting strength.”
Our text gives us a promise that is made throughout the Bible: We can trust God. The question is do you trust Him? Do you trust that it is true that God “will keep him/her in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on (God/Jesus)”? God works primarily from within our minds, and when our minds are on Him we can have peace. The problem is that too often we ignore God until we need Him. You can trust Him to give you peace, but you must put your mind Him. Jesus made a great promise of peace in John 16:31: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will tribulation (trouble) but take heart; I have overcome the world.” If you believe in Jesus, you can trust that you will have peace in the midst of the world’s troubles. Do you trust that you can “trust in the Lord forever”? .In this line in verse 4 is hidden the dynamic of the peace that He will give us. “Forever” means that there will never be a time when we can’t trust in the Lord. He is the “Forever God.” Your trust in Him is not something that is here today and gone tomorrow. The old saying is true: “You don’t know what the future holds, but you know who holds the future.” Every day and every tomorrow, we are in the hand of God. Put your trust in the eternal God. He will always be there for you. Do you trust that is in “Jehovah is everlasting strength”? The NIV translates this: “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the rock of strength.” You can trust that the eternal God, revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ, is a rock on which you can stand through all that life throws at you. Jesus is the “Rock of Ages” that we sing about. Another great hymn tells us: “On Christ the Solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” You can take your stand on, and depend on, the eternal strength of the Savior. Thinking of all that is written above, do you trust that when you put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ that you will be saved for all eternity? This is the main thrust of the Bible. Jesus is the One prophesied by the prophets in the Old Testament, and revealed in the flesh in the New Testament. He is the one who can save you from sin, self, and Satan. If Jesus is your Savior, REJOCE! If He is not, repent, and confess that you are a sinner and in need of a Savior and invite Him into your life. He will give you a better quality of life. (Continued tomorrow) Bro. Joe “Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.”
I was thinking today about what it means to be blessed. Of course “being blessed” might mean different things to different people, but I think my thoughts here might mean something to you. At any rate, what follows are my thoughts on what it means to be blessed. Being blessed means to be in a right relationship with God. To me, this means to be aware of His presence in my life, knowing that I will not have to face anything without His presence. It means staying aware that He wants what is best for me, and that I need to follow his leadership to get what is best for me. I can’t ignore God and realize the best that He has for me. It will be the same in your life. Trust that Jesus died on the cross and rose again for you. Trust that He is at the right hand of the Father interceding for you. You will discover that He is not ignoring you, and that He is exceedingly interested in your life. Jesus really loves you, and He longs to bless you, even through the difficult things that you have to face. Being blessed means to be in right relationship with other people. To begin with, you need to be in a right relationship with your fellow Christians. Many people are not blessed because they are out of fellowship with fellow Christians. We just cannot be blessed if we are out of fellowship with fellow Christians. If you want to be blessed, make things right with your fellow Christians, and love them. If you really want to be blessed, just love people – period. This is what Jesus wants us to do. I am not saying that this is not always easy for me, or that I never fail to love as I should. What I am saying is that I am blessed when I am right with people and treat them with Christ’s love in me. Being blessed means that we are in the place that God would have us to be. The most difficult times in my life have been when I have stepped out of that place and went my own way. I know from experience that when I follow God’s leadership in my life I will be blessed. We are blessed when we follow God’s leadership, even when He leads us into difficult times. Throughout the Bible, we read about people who followed God’s leadership through some rough patches but were finally blessed. This will be true for you and me. The right place to be is where God wants us to be. The right circumstances are those that God leads us to, no matter how difficult the circumstances. These are my thoughts on what it means to be blessed. I hope that what I have written has been a blessing to you. Bro. Joe “He which testifies these things says, ‘Surely I come quickly. Amen.’ Even so come Lord Jesus. 21. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.”
Following is what I found in the Bible’s last words The Last Promise “Surely I come quickly.” This one of the most prominent promises in the New Testament. Jesus often spoke of His return to his disciples. Beyond the gospel accounts it is mentioned in Acts and in letters in the New Testament. JESUS IS COMING AGAIN! You might find some pause with the promise to return “quickly.” People have questioned that even before the writing of the New Testament. In fact, Peter dealt with that very subject in 2 Peter 3. He mentioned that scoffers would come in the last days. His answer to them is found in verses 8-9: “But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Case closed! The Last prayer “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” The closing prayer of the Bible is for Jesus to come. He will come in answer to this prayer and in answer to all of the prayers that have been prayed over the last two-thousand years. This prayer, and all prayers of this nature, will be answered when the Lord is ready. We can pray for the Lord’s coming, but we cannot predict or demand it. But we can still longingly pray for it to happen. The Last Proposition “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” The grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus, is proposed for “whosoever will may come.” At least, that is what John 3:16 proposes: “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.” Eternal life is promised to whoever will believe in Jesus. Believing in Jesus is not just to give intellectual assent to the fact of Jesus. Even the devils “believe and tremble” according to James. There are many people who believe that there was a man named Jesus who lived approximately two-thousand years ago. To believe “in” Jesus means to surrender one’s life to Him, and whose life has been changed by the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. It is a proposition that you have received or not, but it is for you. Bro. Joe “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.”
The answer to the title given in the title is: God is as far away as you make Him. Okay, I need to explain this answer. Well, here is the explanation: The first thing that we need to realize is that God does not move. I always tell myself that God is as near as He has always been, and when I feel that He is not near me, it is my fault, because He does not move. If you feel that God is far away from you, you moved!!!!!! The second thing that we need to realize is given in the text: “It is good for me to draw near to God.” Asaph, who wrote this psalm, reported that it was good for him to draw near to God. He realized, and what I am increasingly realizing, is that God is always only a prayer away. We can pray any time or anywhere, and God is present to hear our prayers and to answer our prayers. God is only a prayer away from you right now!!!!!!! The third thing that we need to realize is that in order to experience the closeness of God in prayer we need to trust Him. Asaph wrote, “I have put my trust in the Lord God.” The reason for your feeling that God is far away from you is because you do not trust Him. You are not taking Him at His word that He will never leave nor forsake you. This is the great promise that Jesus left us in Matthew 28:20b: “I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” The fourth thing that we need to realize is that we are not to keep God’s nearness to ourselves. Here is what Asaph wrote about it: “I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.” When you experience the nearness of God, when you trust Him and when He answers your prayers, you should declare it to others. When you declare what God has done in your life, you are not bragging on yourself, but you are bragging on God. The world needs to know what God can do in the life of a person who trusts in Him. God is only a prayer away from you. Take advantage of that, trust Him and “take it to the Lord in prayer.” Do it!!! Bro. Joe |
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