“Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.”
I don’t know what else the scribes and Pharisees needed to see from Jesus. If we take a look back at some of the things that Jesus did before they asked for a sign, we will see why their request was needless. Jesus had healed people, and had even raised a young girl from the dead. (To get a good picture of what I mean, read chapters 8-10 of Matthew.) They weren’t satisfied with what Jesus had done; they wanted to see something else. In the ensuing verses in Matthew 12 Jesus told them that the only sign he would give them was the “sign of the prophet Jonah.” This was a reference to the three days that Jonah spent in the belly of the “great fish,” which was a reference to Jesus’ resurrection when he was in the grave and rose again after three days.. I think that we are as guilty today as the Scribes and Pharisees were then. Before we will commit ourselves to Jesus, we want Him to prove Himself to us – to do something else. Good lands! What else does He need to do? God has already given us His magnificent creation. Psalm 19:1-3 deals with this: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament (sky, space, stars, etc.) shows forth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night shows knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” We can look around us and see the handiwork of God both day and night. I know that there are people who look at what God has created and all they see is a “natural world.” To them this world started with a big bang and everything else just happened by chance. People see what they want to see, but as I look at the order of the universe and the beauty of the earth, I see what God has done and rejoice in it. God has already given us His Word – the Bible. Let’s return to Psalm 19 and see what it tells us about this. In verse 7 the psalmist wrote: “The law (which is the part of the Bible that he had) of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” All the way from Genesis to Revelation, God is revealing Himself through His word. I know that a lot of people read the Bible and cannot see the word of God in it. They give many reasons why they take this view, but we who believe have this dynamic record of God’s work through creation and redemption as solace for our souls. I know that I am glad that I have God’s word to study each day. There are times when I want to see God do something else, but then He reminds me that if I can’t find Him in what He has already revealed, then I won’t find Him. God has already given us His Son. Hebrews 1:1-3 speaks eloquently to this: “God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; 3. Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high.” I’m not saying that God no longer acts in this world, of course He does, I’m just saying that He doesn’t need to give us anything else to help us believe, because He has done enough already by sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins. Understand that God does not have to do anything else to prove Himself to you. Yes, He can, and will, do marvelous things in your life, but that is to bless you, not prove Himself to you. If what God has already done doesn’t suffice to help you believe, I doubt that “something else” will suffice either. Remember, faith is believing without seeing. Bro. Joe
0 Comments
“But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”
This text states what God did in order for us to be able to become His children. He sent His Son into the world to save us from sin. Jesus was Immanuel – “God with us.” This act of God changed the world and brought on the three great acts of God that would, indeed, change the world- though the world does not always agree. The Manger When God sent forth His Son, He did not send Him forth as a king, but as a baby. The amazing thing is that when this occurred, it didn’t happen in a palace or some ritzy Roman resort of its day. It happened in a stable and His crib was a manger – a feed trough. On top of that, He was born into a carpenter’s family. Carpentry was a noble line of work, but it was not a job of the elite. It is also noteworthy that when Jesus was born the announcement was not made to Herod, or any other important Jewish dignitary. The announcement was made to shepherds. Shepherds were important to the economy of that day, but it was considered to be a lowly job. It was to shepherds that the angels made the big announcement, and it was these shepherds who were the first to see the Savior of the world, “wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” The manger reminds us that Jesus came to live a perfect life and to die for all people. In Luke 2:10, the shepherds were told: “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.” This baby lying in a manger in Bethlehem was destined to change the world. He left great teachings that we have in the four gospels. He left a great example of what it means to live a good life, but what He mainly did was to give His life so that we could be saved, which brings us to the second great act of God: The Cross I don’t mean to diminish the life of Christ, for we can learn a lot from His sojourn on earth, but His main task took place on a cruel Roman cross. Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. 2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Something took place at the moment of Jesus’ death on the cross that changed the world’s access to God. When Jesus died, the veil of the temple that separated the presence of God from people was torn in two, which meant that at His death, Jesus opened up full access to God. The Empty Tomb The manger and the cross would have been all for nothing except for the empty tomb. Three days after He was crucified, Jesus arose from the grave. He taught His disciples for forty days, and then ascended to the Father. He is alive forever, and still has input in the world that He created. There is a lot of scriptural evidence for this, but I think that Hebrews 7:24-25 sums it up for us: “But this man, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25. Wherefore He is able to save them to the uttermost that come to Him, seeing that He ever lives to make intercession for them.” The resurrection of Christ changed the world forever. I think that you will agree that these three acts of God did, indeed, change the world forever. The birth of Jesus, which we celebrate at Christmas, and His resurrection, which we celebrate at Easter, make all of the difference in the world in our salvation. Without these the world would be doomed forever. I know that a lot of people do not believe this and scoff at it, but it is nevertheless true. If you are reading this, it is almost certain that you are not scoffing, but rejoicing. Bro. Joe "Stand fast in the faith..."
What is "the faith"? As far as we are concerned it is faith in Jesus Christ and all that He stands for. We are reminded in Hebrews 11:6 that "without faith it is impossible to please Him (God)." Basically, faith is unquestioning loyalty. That is what Jesus wants of us. For example, Peter, Andrew, James and John were called by Jesus from their workplace to follow Him. They followed Him out of unquestioning loyalty, trusting that it was the right thing to do. Like all of us, they had their moments of doubt, but each of them stayed true until the end of their lives. Therefore, when we are told to stand fast in the faith, we know that it means to maintain an unquestioning loyalty to Jesus Christ. There are some who might read this and say, "That's ridiculous, I'm not giving my unquestioning loyalty to anything or anyone." Oh really! Take, for example. an atheist. He or she has given unquestioning loyalty to the proposition that there is no God. They Look at the universe and say that it all came about by accident. They look at the human body, which is a miracle within itself, and say that this just happened all by itself - by accident. When they hear about someone being healed when there is no explanation for it, they give credit to the strength of the human body to heal itself. All that I have mentioned here is unquestioning loyalty to a proposition. Think of this: you are giving unquestioning loyalty to something or someone. What, or who, are you putting your faith in? Are you putting your faith in Jesus or in some religion? Are you putting faith in Jesus or in science? I have no quarrel with science. I believe that science is a wonderful thing, but I am not going to give unquestioning loyalty to it, because it will change on me, and I will be left with an error. Maybe you are putting your faith in politics. From what I read on both sides of the aisle, there are a lot of people who have given unquestioning loyalty to a political idea. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a political philosophy and that I can bore you to death for hours discussing it. However, I do not give unquestioning loyalty to even my most deeply felt political convictions. Everything comes and goes, ebbs and flows: science, religion, politics, whatever, but Jesus stays the same. When I put my faith in Him, I am not left "holding the bag," so to speak. He will not let me go or let me down. I enjoy God's creation, but I do not worship it. I see the necessity of government, but it can't save me. As for me, I will put my ultimate trust in Jesus and give Him unquestioning loyalty. I write this humbly, not self-righteously, for I know that it comes by the grace of God through faith in Jesus. Give your unquestioning loyalty to Jesus, not because you agree with me, but because He is the only means of salvation and spiritual security. Bro. Joe “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. 10. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all (people), especially unto them that are of the household of faith.”
If we aren’t careful, we will give up in the struggles of life. It is definitely a possibility for Christians today. There are so many objections to our faith and we are experiencing hostility as we have never experienced it. But we need to remember who wrote our text – the apostle Paul. He experienced negativity the likes of which we will probably never experience. I do not mean that our challenges are not real because they are not as fierce as Paul’s, but I am referring to how Paul faced the challenges that he faced. He did not give up, sit down and stop serving the Lord. What would Paul tell us to do? He would tell us not to be “weary in well doing.” Another translation of this text is that we not be “weary in doing good.” Doing good is part of our Christian calling. We just have to remember how Jesus lived. He never stopped doing good, though He was confronted time after time by those who opposed Him. Jesus was even accused of using the power of Satan when He healed people. He was given a false trial, given a beating across His back, and nailed to a cross, yet Jesus went on to the cross and did the good thing that would result in our salvation. We should be extremely thankful that Jesus did not grow weary in doing good. Throughout the New Testament we see those who trusted Jesus as their savior doing good and not returning evil for evil. We do good because it is the will of God for us to do good as a witness to the world, and as decent human beings. We can grow weary of good works when it seems that we are getting no credit for it and because people do not seem to appreciate what we do. The cliché, that “it is not about us, but it is about Jesus," comes to mind. We cannot lose heart to the point that we cease doing what God has called us to do in ministering and witnessing to a lost world. He would tell us that we will “reap if we faint not (do not lose heart).” Paul reminds us to not grow weary in well doing, because if we do we will not reap the fruit that Jesus intends for us. What does “reap” mean in this context. I think that it means that we should not stop witnessing to people about Jesus, even though we are rebuffed time and time again. I think that it means that we should not cease doing works of ministry to people who are in need. We can be sure that some people will take advantage of our good nature. Some people are downright professional about it. But we can’t stop doing good in that respect. We cannot lose heart because people to whom we witness and minister do not seem to be thankful. We keep on doing because it is what Jesus would have us do. He would tell us to do good to all people. That would mean that we should do good to people who do not agree with us and might even be hostile to our faith. He also told us to do good,“especially to those that are of the household of faith.” This means that we should also do good to fellow Christians. Putting the two together, this means that we would do good at work, for example, at play, at clubs, and at the church. It would be great if all Christians lived like this. Can you imagine the difference that it would make in our communities and in our churches? Do not lose heart, because this is what Satan would have you do. Don’t grow weary of good works, because if you do you cannot reap a harvest for Jesus. Do be good to all people at work and at church. Bro. Joe “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10. For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:8-10 is one of those texts that I return to again and again. Like John 3:16, this passage is what we could call “the gospel in a nutshell.” It tells us that it is because of the grace of God that we can be saved in the first place. In other words, God will save us in spite of ourselves. It tells us that we are saved when we put our faith in Christ Jesus. Furthermore it tells us that we have not been saved by our works, but that we have been saved to work for the Lord. Nothing that we do can save us, but when we are saved God has work for us to do. Notice that the text tells us that we are God’s workmanship. What this means is that by God’s grace, when we put our faith in Christ we are saved. In other places in scripture we are told that when we are saved we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit begins a work in us to do the works that God has called us to do. Our salvation is not “worked in;” rather it is "worked out" through the Holy Spirit within us. Notice also that the works that we are to do have been “before ordained.” The NIV translates it: “which God has prepared in advance for us to do.” The idea is that when we are saved, God has plans for us. We are led by the Holy Spirit to do the things that God planned out in eternity for us to do. These works take many forms. Many of these works are carried out in the churches that we attend. There are many ways that God can use our gifts in the church. There is always work to be done at the church, from teaching a Sunday School class to singing in the choir. God prepared in advance that we would do these works that keep the church going and carrying out its mission for the Lord. But God also has prepared in advance works for us to do in our daily lives. I think that we forget that and think that it is only at the church that God can use us. I don’t know what it is that God might want you to do in your community, but you should follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and do the works there that He would have you do. The world needs for us to do God’s work outside of the walls of the church. I don’t know what work God has called you to do, but I know that if you are a Christian, He has work for you to do. We should be aware that God is working in us to work for Him in daily life. The KJV translates it: “that God has before ordained that we should walk in them.” In this context “walk” means what we do in our daily lives. The point is that we are God’s workmanship every day of our lives and that God can use us in many ways as we live out our lives in the world. We are God’s workmanship whether we are in church, at work, on vacation, attending a sports event –whatever. Doing God’s work is not just event oriented; rather it is part of our lifestyles. I don’t want to be trite here, or seem to belittle the work that God wants us to do, but there are times that this work can be to smile and say a good word to someone who is in bad need of encouragement. If the Holy Spirit can lead a lost soul to Christ through us, He can surely use us to be an encouragement to discouraged people. The point of this article is to make you aware that God wants to use you at your church and in your community. You are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that (you) should do.” Bro. Joe .“Be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
It is not a matter of whether or not you are setting an example, for you are. If you are indifferent about your faith it will show. If you are intent on doing what you want to do, regardless of the consequences, it will show. If you are setting a Christian example that will show. Max Lucado had it right when he wrote: “In our faith we follow in someone’s steps. In our faith we leave footprints to guide others. It’s the principle of discipleship.” We need to take to heart the words of an anonymous author: “Are you the kind of person whose life serves as a powerful example of righteousness? Are you a person whose behavior serves as a positive role model for young people? Are you the kind of Christian whose actions day in and day out, are based upon integrity, fidelity, and a love for the Lord? If so, you are not only blessed by God, you are also a powerful force for good in a world that desperately needs positive influences such as yours.” It would be good if all of us set this kind of example. 1 Timothy 4:12 tells us how we can be good examples: We need to be careful about our words. We not only need to be careful about what we say but also how we say it. When we use sarcastic and demeaning words, we are not setting the example that Jesus set. Words, like arrows, once said cannot be recalled. (There have been many times in my life when I have wished they could be.) We need to be careful about our conduct. (In the KJV the word is “conversation,” which in 1611 meant “conduct.”) It does matter what we do. We like to think that what we do is our own business, and to a certain extent this is true, but if what we do sets a bad example God will hold us responsible. The Bible mentions that we should not be “stumblingblocks” in what we do, even if we do not necessarily see wrong in what we are doing. As Christians, we cannot think only of ourselves, and this is certainly true in our conduct. We need to be careful about loving people. This is where we really set bad examples for the world. How can they take us seriously when we cannot love each other in Christ’s church? We need to stop and think about our example to the world when we want to fight each other. People need to see Christ’s love in us. We need to be careful about our spirit. I think that the word here means attitude. We need to work on having a positive attitude toward life. When we have sour attitudes, people are turned off by our witness. I know that it is difficult to maintain a positive attitude at times,but it is important if we want to be good examples. We need to be careful about our faith. When we have faith in Christ, we can face even the difficult times of life in a positive manner. We need to trust God at all times in our lives, whether the times are good or bad. People observe how we react to our own difficulties. If we become bitter that will certainly set a bad example. We need to be careful about purity. We need to live before others so that they can see Christ at work in us. We need to be careful that we do the right thing and say the right thing in front of people. This will be more certain if we do and say the right thing when we are not in front of people. I think that if you look over this list that was given in the text, you will see that all of these were portrayed in the life of Jesus. If we want to set a Christ like example, we will be careful about all of these things. My prayer is that you will give serious thought to your own example. Bro. Joe “Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”
As surely as we live there will be a “day of trouble.” This text gives us one solemn prospect and three solemn promises pertaining to the day of trouble. The Lord wants us to be aware of all of life’s exigencies and of His availability in them. Let’s see what the text promises. First, there is always the prospect of trouble. No one lives a trouble-free life. We are always going to face troubles of some kind. This is not a lovely prospect and seems negative in outlook, but is nevertheless true. There can be personal troubles that cause us to be depressed. There can be family troubles that can cause us great distress. There can be troubles at work that make our jobs more stressful. There can be troubling people who come in and out of our lives, causing us to have a problem loving them.. (You could probably name some right now. lol [maybe]) Someone has written that “life is alternate shade and sunshine.” This is true. It would be nice if trouble warned us before it came, but it seldom does. We could handle trouble better if we could always anticipate it. Alas, that cannot be done. We just need to be aware that we will have to face troubles of all kinds in this world. What can we do about these inevitable troubles? We usually try to handle them ourselves based on our own expertise. When we do this we usually get into deeper and deeper trouble. The Lord gives us the answer: Second, there is always the privilege of prayer. In the text written above, the Lord said “call upon me in the day of trouble.”Jesus said, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) When we belong to Jesus, He is never out of range for us. I once read that, “The Lord is in hearing distance all of the time.” This is true, though in the midst of trouble we sometimes forget it. The hymn is true that tells us: “O, what peace we often forfeit, O, what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” We need to pay attention to those words that we sing and really think about what they mean. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Paul reminded us to “pray without ceasing.” In Luke 18:1 we read: “And (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint.” No one can take the privilege of prayer from us. Third, there is always a promise of deliverance. The language here is definite: “Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee.” He did not say, “I might deliver thee.” His deliverance is certain. There are at least two ways that the Lord delivers us in the day of trouble: (1) He delivers us from the trouble. (2) He delivers us through the trouble. Either way we are delivered. Bro. Joe |
AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
All
Archives
September 2021
|