"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4. Who comforts us in all our tribulation (trouble), that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."
"Comfort" is a wonderful word. I think that it is the aim of most people to be comfortable. We work and earn money in order to have a comfortable life. But the comfort that Paul writes about here is much more than just having a comfortable life. "Comfort" is defined as "a state of well-being." This is what Jesus brings into our lives. He gives us a sense of, not just physical well-being, but a sense of spiritual well-being as well. In Jesus we have security, consolation and peace in our souls. It is not a shallow comfort that lasts for only a moment. It is a deep comfort that gives us peace and tranquility everyday of our lives. This doesn't mean that because of Jesus, we live a life of ease, with no cares whatsoever. What it does mean is that because of Jesus' comfort, we are enabled to meet the inevitable problems of life with a sense of security and well-being, knowing that Jesus is with us. Jesus doesn't just give us comfort: He is our comfort. It is interesting that when Jesus told His disciples about His death, resurrection and ascension, He promised to send them a "Comforter." He was talking about the Holy Spirit. When we accept Christ as our Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit, Who comforts us with the comfort of Jesus. Praise God! We have received God's comfort. But this is not where His comfort ends. We do not just receive His comfort and sit back and enjoy it all to ourselves. Look at verse 4 of 2 Corinthians 1: "(God) comforts us in all our trouble, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." This means that we do not receive God's comfort to keep to ourselves. He expects us to share it with other people. It should be important to us that, if God can bring such comfort into our lives, He can also bring it into the lives of others. We should be concerned that people all around us who are faced with all kinds troubles without the benefit of spiritual guidance, should receive the same comfort that we have. We certainly cannot force this complete comfort on other people. I have had people get downright sore at me for trying to introduce them to the One who could give them this comfort. Some have even accused me of "judging" them because I wanted to do them a favor. This doesn't mean, however, that I would be justified to just stop trying to share this great comfort. Let's get this down good: What we have in Jesus is not just ours to keep, rather, it is ours to share. Every "good and perfect gift" that He brought into our lives is given to us to share with others. It is important that we be about the business of sharing the comfort that we have in Jesus with others. Bro. Joe
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"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord."
First, we must answer the question, what is a "good" man or woman? It is certainly not a perfect person. Only one person who walked this earth has been perfect, and that was Jesus Christ. Romans 3:23 tells us that: "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." A "good" person is one who has surrendered his or her to Christ and is living by faith in Him. Unlike the Pharisees in the New Testament, this person does not flaunt his or her own religiosity, rather, he or she humbly serves the Lord in a spirit of humility and love. This does not mean that he or she approves everything that the world tries to convince us of. It does mean that he or she lives his or her life based on faith in Christ and on belief in the tenets of the Bible as set forth by Jesus. This doesn't leave room for self-righteousness, nor does it leave room for self-denigration. Second, what does it mean to have one's steps "ordered by the Lord"? How can a person know what it is that God wants him or her to do? One thing that this person does is pray. For example, as I have tried to have my steps ordered by the Lord, I have prayed for His guidance, and in His wisdom, God has helped me make right decisions for my life. I would be lying if I tried to convince you that I have done this perfectly, but it has sure worked well for me many times in my life. I can also relate to you that when I have not prayed and have not listened in my mind and heart for the Lord's guidance, I have made big messes. Another thing that this person does is to try to live his or her life in line with the Bible. I have read where people who make fun of the Bible, take horrible examples of people in the Bible to prove that the Bible has a mixed message. These horrible examples are there to remind us that when we get away from God's guidance in our lives, we make a mess. There are a lot of people out there whose lives are big messes. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know right from wrong. Just a cursory glance at the Ten Commandments will offer great guidance on how to live a good life. Third, what are the advantages of having one's steps "ordered by the Lord"? It will give direction to our lives. The best modern example that I can think of is my own life. When I turned the direction of my life over to God in 1959, things began to fall into place in my mixed-up life. I wish that I could tell you that I have done it perfectly, but you would know that I was lying. Following His direction, however, I knew where I needed to go and went that way. Looking back on my life, now, it is amazing to me how God has ordered my steps. The best Biblical example that I can think of is the great apostle Paul. His life was headed in a direction of destruction. He was following his anger and his prejudices, and trying to destroy God's work in the world through Jesus. When he met Jesus on the Damascus Road, his life took a dramatic turn and he went in a new, more constructive direction. He ended up writing a third of the New Testament. Having our steps ordered by the Lord will give us guidance that we really, really need. Many of you might disagree with me and say that you can make your own decisions and that you know what is best for your life. I wouldn't argue with you about that; I would just suggest that you will understand this concept only when you turn your life over to Jesus, live by faith, study the Bible and develop a prayer life. You need divine guidance in your life. You can fight it, but if you will seek it, your life will be better. Take the psalmists' word for it: "A good (persons) steps are ordered by the Lord." Watch your step. Bro. Joe "Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity."
"Fellowship" is not really an Old Testament word, but this Old Testament text defines it well for us. The Greek word in the New Testament that is translated "fellowship" has the root meaning of "partnership." A partnership is a welding together of people for a common purpose, and that is certainly what Chritian fellowship is. We have come to think of fellowship as a get-together. We call it "having a fellowship." Those of you who know me, know that I am not opposed to "having a fellowship," especially if fried chicken is involved, but that does not get to the heart of what Christian fellowship is. I want to share with you what I think Christian fellowship is and what it means to me. First, I think of Christian fellowship as uplifting. During my recent protracted illness, I discovered that this is really true. For one thing, Mary and I were not able to go to church for a few months. While there is some good preaching on television, it cannot take the place of being with the people of God. (We listened to four or five sermons every Sunday.) Christian people are like all other groups of people. There are some who are outwardly loving and caring, and some do not appear to be loving and caring. But when it really matters, they rise to the occasion and share Christ's love. Second, I think of Christian fellowship as enlightening,i.e., we learn from each other through study together and by example. Young people should see examples of Christian loving and caring, but often they do not experience this. We should be careful to show them what Christian fellowship really means. I entered the ministry at the ripe old age of 21. At that age, I thought that there was not much that I did not know. In retrospect, I realize that the people in my first church taught me more than I taught them. In fact, as I look back, I realize that they showed great tolerance toward a young fellow who had a lot to learn. Third, I think of Christian fellowship as encouraging. The author of Hebrews described it well: "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is; but exhorting (encouraging) one another: and so much the more as you see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:24-25) During my aforementioned illness, I discovered the value of this encouragement. Let's just say that during this time I was glad to be a Chrisitian in fellowship with other Christians. Of course, I have a personal relationship with Jesus, but my relationships with hundreds of Christian friends was a big help too. This fellowship helped me to go through that trying period without feeling sorry for myself; therefore, I learned a lot from the experience. I'm sure that some of you reading this have had a negative experience with church, and you might have just given up on it. In a way, I understand, because there have been times that I have really wanted to "scrub some heads," so to speak. But I'm sure that there were times when my fellow Christians have wanted to "scrub my head" because of my density. Everything considered, I treasure the fellowship of Christian people, and highly recommend it - warts and all. Bro. Joe "Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. 15. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light to all that are in the house. 16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
When I get up in the morning and look in the mirror for the first time, my first thought is not that I am the light of the world. You probably have the same thought. It is difficult to realize that we are the light of the world, except that this is what Jesus called us. Before we get too proud of ourselves, however, we need to read John 8:12: "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Putting these two texts together, we can see that we are the light of the world because Jesus is the light of the world. It is not our light that people see, rather, it is the light of Jesus shining through us. Our light is like moonlight. The moon has no luminary qualities, for it's light is relfected sunlight. In the same way, our light is reflected "Sonlight." We are not to boast, "I am the light of the world." We are to remember that because we have Jesus in our lives, we are supposed to be reflecting His light to the world. How can we do that? First, we can live the Christian life. I do not mean that we become religious and speak in stilted "stained glass tones." I mean that we live moral lives that reflect the values of Jesus. We will never do it perfectly as He did, but we can do the best that we can with His help. A lot of Bible study and public and private worship can help to make this possible. Second, we can love people like Jesus did. Jesus said: "This is my commandment, that ye love another, as I have loved you." Jesus also said: "By this shall all (people) know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." We begin by loving each other, then we love all people as Jesus did. Does the world see Christ's love through what goes on in your life and at your church? We really need to think about this, and act on it, if we want to be genuine lights for Christ in this world. Do people see Christ's love through how we act in our daily lives? Third, we can minister to people in the name of Jesus. Ministry is helping people anyway that we can, from a smile to actual acts of service. We encounter all kinds of people in our daily lives. God loves everyone of them. We might find them lonely, suffering from sickness, steeped in the ways of the world, dirty, down and out, up and out, or just plain mean, but they all need the love of Jesus. Jesus died for everyone of them! We can minister the light of Christ to them by loving and helping them as Jesus did. They might not really want your help, but if Christ's light is shining through you, you can get through to them. Finally, in this text Jesus said: "Let your light so shine before (people), that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." They will probably appreciate your efforts, but, ultimately, if what they see is the light of Christ, they will glorify God. If you belong to Jesus, you are the light of the world. Go out there and shine!!!! Bro. Joe "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time."
"Redeeming the time" is also translated, "taking advantage of every opportunity." I don't think that we realize that God puts opportunities to serve Him in front of us all of the time. There is no telling how many opportunities to serve God through witness or ministry we miss because we are preoccupied with ourselves - our problems and needs. I'm not trying to make you feel bad about yourself, I am trying to wake you (and me) up to the fact that God can use us to serve Him, and other people, in our daily lives. We do not have to have special programs to live the Christian life daily. Do you realize that most people who accept Christ, accept Him because of the influence of some friend? That friend probably verbally witnessed to the person, but beyond that, he or she influenced him or her by showing the love of Jesus in their daily lives. We might not realize it, but people notice us. They notice how we treat them and others. They notice how we talk to cashiers and waiters and waitresses. They notice how we conduct ourselves in the heat of the moment. Therefore, our lives are filled with opportunities to serve the Lord through witness and ministry. We just need to be aware of it. We do not know how much a timely smile, or a kind word affects the people that we encounter on a daily basis. (By that, I do not mean that we have to "smile all the time." A kind lady asked me one day if I smiled all the time. My answer was, "Heck no. If I smiled all the time, I would be lying some of the time.") The opportunities to serve the Lord come to us daily. Look at how Jesus treated people. For example, this is why children loved Jesus, because they realized that He loved them. How do people perceive us? Do they pick up on our interest in them, or do they perceive that we could care less? You have probably already guessed that what I am getting at is that our attitudes make a difference in our opportunities to serve God. If people think that we don't care about them, they don't want to hear us tell about how much Jesus loves them. They need to have Jesus in their lives before they can realize that. You see, it is true that we are the only "Jesus" that some people will see until they know Him as their Savior. Let me urge you to go out today with a caring attitude. You don't know how many lonely, hurting people that you might influence to take a look at your Savior. Remember this, if Jesus is not making a difference in your life, you won't make a difference in the lives of others. At least give this some thought today. Bro. Joe "My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him."
My favorite time to worship God is in the quiet of early morning. This is before the traffic starts flowing by our house and the other noises of life come crashing in. It is at this time that I can really concentrate on the word of God and pray. It is at these times that God speaks to my heart and refreshes my faith. I worship God in silence. It is in these silent times that, as the psalmist wrote, "My expectation is from Him." It is at these times that all of the possibilities of what God can do in my life and in the world, come to life and stay with me all through the day. I think that I can tolerate the "noise" of life because of these moments of silence. Let's take this moment that we are presently experiencing in our country called "the political season" as an example. I must tell you that I really, really, really, get tired of all of the negative rhetoric and the daily posturing of politicians. I am definitely on one side of the political argument, but I grow weary of my side as well as the other side. It is just downright discouraging to me. But in the silence of worship, God assures me that "this too shall pass." (This little phrase has come to my rescue many times over the years.) It is in these moments that I realize that my "expectation" is really from Him and not from the events that are going on around me. God assures me in my heart that He will go into the future with me and that I will never be alone no matter what the circumstances. It is God's presence in my life that makes all of the difference. It was because of God's presence that David took on Goliath. It was because of God's presence that Paul kept on preaching Jesus, even though He was persecuted for it everywhere he went. It was because of God's presence that the early apostles did not give up when they were told not to preach Jesus anymore. In my quiet moments, God assures me that He is in control. It surely doesn't seem like it sometimes. I wish that I could tell you that I never concern myself with the negative things of life. I am probably just like you, I enjoy life more when things are going my way. But at the same time, I am fully aware that God is in the negative as well as the positive and that, with Him, I can survive and move on. I want you to know that your expectation is from God as well. Whether you worship Him in silence or in noise, all of the expectations of your life are bound up in Him. However you do it, worship God/Jesus on a daily basis and it will make a difference in your life. Bro. Joe "Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was come from God, and went to God; 4. He riseth from supper, and laid aside His garments; and took a towel, and girded himself (wrapped the towel around His waist). 5. After that He poured water into a basin, and began to wash His disciple's feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded (that He had wrapped around His waist)."
This is one of the most remarkable events in the Bible. First, we are told that Jesus knew that "the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He was come from God, and went to God." That was a heady moment in the life of our Savior. How did He react? He didn't use the moment as a time to feed His ego and to brag about Who and What He was/is. Second, we are told that in response to that moment of realization, He wrapped a towel around His waist, and began to wash His disciple's feet. Jesus did this as an example to His diciples and to us. If the Savior of the world, to whom "all things" belong, can do this humbling task then we should do it as well. In Fact, Jesus told His disciples in verse 14: "If I your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet." Did He literally mean that we should wash one another's feet? Some of our Christian brethren think so, because they have foot-washing services in their churches. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. It would do us all good to stoop and wash somebody else's feet. But I want to remind you that this is not all that it means. He did not do this to simply give us another ritual to perform in public worship. Please do not accuse me of making light of my "foot-washing" friends. Understand me to be saying that Jesus was not just washing feet, rather, He was revealing a lifestyle. As Christians we are to be humble, and be willing to serve God and our fellowpeople. It is almost impossible to wash someone's feet without stooping. We are never to be afraid to stoop to render a service to others in Jesus' Name. Paul wrote about the humility of Jesus in Philippians 2:5-8: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6. Who, being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7. But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." This is a call to the same kind of humilty that is willing to wash feet. Let's follow the example of Jesus and see ourselves as servants of God, willing to do even menial things to win others to Him. Try it. It won't hurt one bit! Bro. Joe Habakkuk 3:17-18: "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18. yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." (NIV)
When I read this passage this morning, I wrote in the margin of my Bible: "God is not held captive by our circumstances." How did Habakkuk come to this conclusion? It was not without some struggle and agonizing of soul that he came to this optimistic conclusion. The Book of Habakkuk is a kind of "running argument," or discussion between the prophet and God. Habakkuk wondered why God would use a cruel and idolatrous nation like Babylon to punish Judah. God's reasons for doing things escaped him. Let's be honest here, we often feel this way ourselves. We think that because we try to obey God in daily life, go to church and love people, we should have a trouble-free life. Get this down: There is no such thing as a trouble-free life! "Into every life some rain must fall." A close reading of the Bible will tell us that this is true. For example, when God called Paul to become the minister to the Gentiles, he was told, first, what he must suffer in this ministry. We get sick, have financial problems, suffer drought and pain just like everybody else. Then, what is the advantage of being a Christian and serving God? The answer is in our title: "God Is not Held Captive by Our Circumstances." This is basically what Habakkuk wrote in the verses under consideration here. He knew, as we must come to know, that God's well-being is not wrapped up in our circumstances. He will still be God if everything falls down around us. That is where rejoicing comes from. We know that the One on Whom we lean is steadfast and sure. He is with us in our suffering and in our pain. In the familiar verse, Psalm 23:4, David wrote this: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." David knew that he must face dark days, just like everyone else. The difference was that he was aware of, and depending on, the presence of the Almighty God. When we are "down and out," the Lord is not. He is present with us in our suffering. When hard times come, we can still rejoice in the Lord, because we know that He is aware of what we are going through and is present with us giving us the strength to go on. Before Jesus ascended to the Father, He promised that He would be with His people always. He did not say, "You will have no problems." He said, "I will be with you." Rejoice in His presence and remember that "all things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are the called according to His purpose." ( Romans 8:28) Bro. Joe Paul and Barnabas were on a missionary journey in Asia Minor. They had run into persecution along the way, and at Lystra Paul was stoned and was believed to be dead. The trouble had been stirred up by Jews from Antioch and Iconium, two previous places where they shared the good news. Here is what the Bible says about the incident: "And there came certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe." (Acts 14:19-20) One would have thought that Paul would have told Barnabas: "Look, this missionary business has gotten rougher than I anticipated. I guess the people just don't appreciate all that I am trying to do for them. Let's just go back to Antioch (in Syria, not Asia Minor) and work out something to keep us from getting into so much trouble." As you just read, that is not what happened. Paul got up from the ground, and went on to Derbe, the next city, with Barnabas. As we read this, it seems like it was so easy for Paul to do this. It wasn't easy, it was just the way Paul was. He was so dedicated to Jesus that he would not give up what he had been led to do. Paul knew that this work was about Jesus and not about himself.
Haven't you ever felt that you wanted to just throw your hands up and quit? You might have felt this way about your work, about your church, or about the work that you were doing at the church. You felt that you were not appreciated, and that you would be better off to just quit and go your own way. You might be asking: "Preacher how do you know so much about this?" I know it because I have felt like quitting many times over the years, but I have never been able to. Why? Because God would not let me. You see, I had to be reminded that my life for Jesus, whether at the church or in secular society, is not about me and what I want. It is about Jesus and what He wants. If we quit outside of His will, we will eventually become useless to His work for us in this life. If you feel like quitting, just ask yourself if that is God's will for your life. If it is, by all means quit, but if it isn't, just get up like Paul and go on in your service to God. Don't quit! Bro. Joe "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." John 14:27
"And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that you be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." Matthew 24:6 You might be saying: "Wait a minute here: In one verse you cite peace and in the other verse you cite war. What gives?" Jesus was/is the promised "Prince of Peace," but He did not look at the world through "rose-colored glasses." He knew, and knows, what is in the hearts of people and He knows that real world peace will come at the end of the ages. Take a look at John 14:26: "But the comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things and bring to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you." The peace of Jesus comes in with the Holy Spirit. It is not peace "as the world gives," rather, it is peace that the Holy Spirit gives. If Jesus came to bring peace between nations, He failed in His mission. Even as I write this, there are "wars and rumors of wars" going on all around us. There is the Arab-Israeli conflict that has been going on for thousands of years - as least as far back as Ishmael. We have been at war in Afghanistan for the last ten years. There are probably wars going on in obscure nations at the present time that we know nothing, or little, about. There are what I will call "mini-wars" going on in corporations and families all of the time. Come on, let's admit it, we can't even get along in the church for whom Christ died. Then what kind of peace did Jesus promise? He promised personal peace to those who profess Him as Savior and receive the Holy Spirit. But, wait a minute preacher, there are people who are not Christians who have peace. I don't doubt that, but it is not the peace that Jesus gives, for that peace comes only from the Holy Spirit. There are even times when we Christians are not at peace within ourselves. Paul gave the remedy for that in Philippians 4:6-7: "Be careful for nothing (Do not be anxious about anything.); but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Prayer draws us closer to God and reminds us of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. I am sorely tempted to "tear into" a mini-sermon on the text just cited, but for the sake of brevity I will let Paul's inspired words stand on their own. If you want to have the kind of inner peace that only Jesus gives, then give your heart and life to Him and receive His Holy Spirit. Stay close to Him in prayer and you can pass your brief sojourn on this earth at peace within yourself, with your fellow Christians and with the world. Do it! Bro. Joe |
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