“Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.”
Have you ever wondered what it means to "let your moderation be known unto all men"? I found that it can also be translated as "gentleness." According to the Analytical Greek Lexicon, the Greek word can be translated as fair, reasonable and patient. Following is my interpretation of what it means to live in moderation: To live in moderation is to be fair. Christians should be fair in their dealings with people. People who are fair in their dealings can be trusted. If we are not, people will wonder about our relationship with Jesus. After all, Jesus was fair in His dealings with people in the Bible, and in His dealings with us today. We should be concerned that Jesus knows that we are fair, and that we can be trusted. We should be as good as our word. Our effectiveness as Christian witnesses depends on our fairness. To live in moderation is to be reasonable. This does not mean that mean that we should be reasonable to just get along with people, or to take the line of least resistance. It does not mean that we should compromise our Christian morality. Among other things, it means that we will not be difficult in our relationships with people, and that we will not be argumentative just to prove a point. This is particularly true in our relationships with people in church. Let’s just say that we should act like Christians in our Christian fellowship. (I have found that sometimes the most reasonable thing to do is to keep my mouth shut – if you know what I mean.) We need to practice moderation in our dealings in the world. If you have ever participated in church league softball, you will understand what I mean. lol To live in moderation is to be patient. This means that we should be patient with people. People who serve as waiters and waitresses say that the most difficult people that they deal with are people who come in after church. I have read and heard about this on several occasions. (We are also not known to be great tippers.) I find that people get on my patience sometimes by their attitudes. One of my pet peeves is snarky telephone operators. I just have to remind myself that I am either going to ruin my witness, or I will practice patience. (I will add that I also encounter nice telephone operators who do not try my patience.) All of these points tell us that we should be gracious in our dealings with people. We are reminded to let “our moderation be known unto all people.” It says that “the Lord is at hand.” I know that this is open to other interpretations, but I will say that we should let our moderation be known to all people because the Lord is aware of our actions. (Whether that is the interpretation of the “Lord is at hand” or not it is nevertheless true.) Bro. Joe
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“But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly: that now at the last your care of me has flourished again: wherein you were also careful, but you lacked opportunity. 11. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”
Paul had received a love offering from the Philippian Church and offered his joy at receiving the gift. But he wanted them to know that his contentment was not derived from money and things. Paul was content no matter what his circumstances. This was not a curt reply to the Philippian Church; rather, it was a statement of faith. The dictionary definition of contentment is “sufficiency in oneself.” Paul turned that definition on its head, for his contentment was not in himself and his material well-being. His contentment was in his faith relationship with Christ. Based on Paul’s basis of contentment, I want to make the following reflections on Christian contentment. Christian contentment is not the result a problem-free life. Paul’s life is a good example, for he encountered all sorts of problems in his missionary encounters in Acts. In fact, in his first visit to Philippi, Paul was thrown in jail. (Read about it in Acts 16.) We need to be cognizant of our reactions to our own problems. Christian contentment depends on our faith in Jesus Christ. We garner strength from the faith that we have in Christ. This is what Paul pointed out in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” This is not just a slogan. It is a statement of fact in the Christian faith. Paul pointed out in Philippians 4::12 that he knew how to do with little and with a lot because he was strengthened through Christ. I know that this text made me stop and think about the source of my contentment. I had to stop and pray and ask Christ to strengthen my faith in Him in order that I may derive my strength and contentment from Him. We just need to stop and think about the strength of our faith in Christ. Christian contentment comes from the consciousness of Christ’s presence in our lives. Hebrews 13:5 reminds of this: “Let not your conduct be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for He has said, 'I will never leave you, nor forsake you'.” We are never without His presence in all of the circumstances of our lives. The writer of Hebrews added in 13:6: “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” We could also add that the Lord is our helper in whatever circumstances we might face. Make your own contentment a matter of prayer! Do it! Bro. Joe “There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, Who rides upon the heaven in thy help, and in His excellency on the sky.”
Who is “Jeshurun”? This is another name for God’s chosen people, the people of Israel. The word means “upright.” The people of Israel were sometimes referred to as “dear upright people.” But the focus of this verse is not on Israel but on their God. What does it tell us about “the God of Jeshurun”? It is about the uniqueness of God: “There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun.” The Bible tells us that Israel did not always recognize the uniqueness of their God, but that said more about Israel than it did about God. We see the uniqueness of God in His Son, Jesus Christ. The text tells us that we need to put our focus on God instead of ourselves. It is about the care of God: “Who rides upon the heaven in thy help.” God is higher than His people, but He still cares about us. He is interested in our lives to the extent that He sent His Son to offer Himself as the sacrifice for our sins. He who “rides upon the heaven” is far above our ability to understand. We are reminded of this in Isaiah 55:8: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.” But this text reminds us that this God is “thy help.” He cares about our lives. Jesus illustrated this love and care of God throughout His earthly ministry. He cared for all people, the rich and the poor. He made no distinction between them. He healed the blind beggar, Bartimaeus, and He ministered to and changed the rich tax collector, Zacchaeus. He cares about you! It is about the excellence, or majesty, of God, “who rides on the heavens.” I’ll let the Bible explain this to you, because it can do a better job of it than I can – duh. Psalm 68:33-35: “To Him that rides upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old: lo, He sends out His voice, and that a mighty voice. 34. Ascribe ye strength unto God: His excellency is over Israel, and His strength in the clouds. 35. O God, thou art terrible out the holy places: the God if Israel is He that gives strength and power unto His people. Blessed be God.” What I understood about this is that God is sovereign over the world. He is above us, but at the same time He loves us and is with us. This is the God who sent His Son to die on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. The “God of Jeshurun” is also our God. In His majestic sovereignty, He loves us and is interested in our lives. He is interested in your life. Bro. Joe “But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep you from evil.”
This text is in the middle of Paul’s prayer request to the Thessalonians. His prayer request was that they would pray for him to be delivered from “unreasonable and wicked men.” (vs. 2) In our text verse, he showed them that they could depend on the Lord to answer their prayers. In this verse, Paul gives us a succinct description of the God we serve. Let’s see what the text reveals about our God. First, we see that “the Lord is faithful.” This tells us that the Lord is faithful to answer our prayers. We might think that our little “mullie grubbing” lives are beneath His notice. But that is not true. We can depend on the Lord to love us. We can depend on the Lord to forgive us. We can also depend on the Lord to discipline us to remind us to be faithful. When you pray, remember that the Lord is faithful to intervene in your life, and in the lives for those for whom you intercede. Second, we see that the Lord “will establish” us. The Greek word here can be translated as “He will strengthen you, confirm you and solidly set you in place” in His will and way. I love the KJV translation of this word as “establish.” This is reminiscent of David’s prayer in Psalm 40:1-2: “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2. He brought me up out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, set my feet upon a rock and established my goings…” We can trust the Lord give us secure footing in our walk with Him. As we pray for others, we need to pray for God to give them secure footing. The promise of this text is that we do not have to “slip and slide” in our commitment to the Lord. Third, we see that our faithful, strengthening God will “keep (us) from the evil one.” If we want to have deliverance from Satan, we need to depend on the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only person who went through His life without sinning, and He is the One who through the Holy Spirit, will enable us to walk securely in His will. Isn’t it good to know that we are not alone in this battle of life!! Firmly plant this text in your heart and mind. Bro. Joe “Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.”
This statement of Jesus followed the first prediction of His death and resurrection. Peter declared that this would not happen, meaning that he would protect Jesus. Peter had not yet learned that as a disciple, he was to proclaim Jesus, not protect Him. Jesus told Peter that his mind was not on the things of God, but on the things of men. Jesus’ death and resurrection were God’s will, and Peter could not stop God’s will. Jesus’ message to Peter, and to us, was that true discipleship will not diminish the spirit of sacrifice inherent in the Christian faith. Verse 24 explains what real discipleship is. The question: "Are you a real disciple?" should humble you as it does me. Jesus said, “If any man (anyone) would come after me…” Real discipleship is not open only to an elite corps of religious people. The Bible clearly teaches that “Whosoever will may come.” The people who come to Jesus in real faith will become His real disciples. Jesus has called you to be His disciple. Your past sins cannot exclude you, for in Jesus you are a new creation. A real disciple is one who has been saved whose life has been changed, and is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said of the one who would come after Him: “Let him deny himself and take up his cross.” Real discipleship makes demands on the lives of believers. It demands self-denial, which is not a major theme of American lifestyles. The act of being saved calls for denying self, for it demands a surrender of self to Jesus. According to Paul, we are no longer our own but have been bought with a price – the price of the blood of Jesus. This being true, it is no longer merely what we want for ourselves but what Jesus wants of our lives. Jesus said that “If anyone would follow me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Real discipleship means to follow Jesus. Real discipleship will be found where the real Presence of Jesus is, where the real work of Jesus is taking place. Real disciples do not chase after every fad, nor will the real disciple be “tossed about by every wind of doctrine.” Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27) Real disciples will follow Jesus regardless of their circumstances. Based on Matthew 16:24 are you a real disciple? As you think and pray through this, you will find it to be a humbling experience. I know it has been for me. In our affluent society it is not easy to think about sacrifice. We have so many comforts that the New Testament disciples did not have, but the demands of discipleship are still there and sometimes we just have to step out of our comfort zones and do what Jesus leads us to do. This is what real disciples do. Bro. Joe “And all of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
Grace is defined as “God’s unmerited favor.” This means that we don’t deserve it but God gives it to us. We have the gift of grace because the Lord wishes to give it. The word “grace” is not seen in the Old Testament, but we see it, for example, in the life of David. Grace was granted David after his adultery with Bathsheba. We see this grace at work every time we read a psalm written by David. It was by grace that his works have a place in God’s word. Grace is a gift that we can have in our lives if we will just realize our need for it and if we will realize our own sins and repent and ask God's forgiveness. God’s grace can make a difference in how we view Him. God’s grace can make a difference in how we view people. (You know what I mean!!) God’s grace can make a difference in how we live. Read what Paul wrote about the difference that grace made in his life in 1 Corinthians 15:10: “For by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” Grace is a gift that is personified in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. John alluded to this in John 1:17: “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” Jesus personified the grace of God by the way He lived His life, by the way He treated people and that He willingly gave His life on the cross for us. We can live in the reality of Christ’s grace every day that we live if have faith in Him. Grace is a gift that we can,and should, share with the world. People need to see God’s grace personified by us by the way we treat them. People need to see God’s grace personified in Christian churches. We need to remember what Jesus told His disciples in John 13:35: “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples; if you have love one to another.” It is a gift that we need to share – let’s do it! Bro. Joe “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
My wife, Mary, would not say the word “hell.” She would always spell it like I did in the title. It became a sort of private joke in our family. According to scripture hell is a real place. It was reserved for the devil and his angels, but it is also the abode of those who do not put their faith in God’s Son. It is sometimes referred to as “the lake of fire.” (Read Revelation 20:15.) I want to share three things about the power of hell. The text printed above gives an example of the power of hell. It refers to the “body and soul” being destroyed in hell. Hell is a place of eternal destruction. In Mark 9:46, Jesus referred to a place, “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” There is no need for anyone to go there, 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.” Reach out to Jesus, repent of and confess your sins and ask Him to come into your life. Yes, it’s that simple—if you really mean it. I want to give you an example of hell’s power at work in the church. For this, we turn to James 3:6: “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” Satan loves to get our tongues wagging in the church, because he knows that this can cause destruction. There are a lot of empty church buildings today because people could not stop talking. This is what “set on fire of hell” means. Before you say that negative word that you want to say, remember where it came from! I want to give an example of the powerlessness of hell. In Ephesians 2:19-20, Paul wrote this about the church: “Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. 20. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.” Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:18: “And I say unto you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Local congregations can fold, but he church universal will not be destroyed, even by the power of hell itself. Jesus did not give His church to Peter, the apostles and prophets, for He said “I will build My church…”The church, comprised of believers in Him, belongs to Jesus Christ, “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” This is what I wanted to tell you about h-e-double tooth picks. Bro. Joe “Jesus said unto (Thomas), I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man (person) comes unto the Father but by me.”
Thomas wanted to know what Jesus meant when He said, “And where I go you know, and the way you know.” The text above is Jesus’ answer to Thomas and to us. What did Jesus mean that He was the way and no one could come to the “Father but by me”? Well…it means what it says. This seems awfully narrow, but I think it is a matter of perspective. It is the narrow way, but it is not the narrow-minded way. There is also a wideness that can be realized by those who have tried Him. Let me explain: The “Jesus way” is as wide as His love. Paul stated it succinctly in Ephesians 3:17-19: “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith: that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18. May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length and depth, and height. 19. And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with the fullness of God.” Then there is Romans 5:8: “But God commends His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” I hope you got my point! If not, here is the point: Jesus loves all people and "is not willing that any should perish…” (2 Peter 3:9) The “Jesus way” is as wide as His arms. What do I mean? Let’s turn to Matthew 11:28 and see what it says: “Come unto me, all you that labor: and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest…” The picture that this evokes in my mind is of Jesus standing on a hillside with His arms outstretched, inviting us to come to receive the rest and peace that only He can offer. It’s like Jesus is saying: “Come on in, there is room for you!!!” There were people in the Bible who found this to be true. There was Mary Magdalene who was possessed of seven demons, who was given His rest and peace. (Mark 16:9) There was the Gadarene demoniac, who referred to himself as “Legion” because he had so many demons in him, but was set free by Jesus. (Mark 5:1-19) Surely, we can find this rest promised in Matthew 11:28. The “Jesus way” is as wide as the willingness of Jesus. I have already alluded to 2 Peter 3:9: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise (of His coming), as some men count slackness: but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance…” This promise includes you no matter how many times you have let Him (and yourself) down, Jesus will still bring you to repentance and to salvation. If you come to Jesus by faith, you will not find Him unwilling to forgive you. Now, stop and praise Jesus for the width of His love, His arms, and His willingness. Do it! Bro. Joe “Hear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel: for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God.”
While I was reading in Hosea this morning, I thought that if one were looking for "feel good” theology, he/she was in the wrong book. In this verse, Hosea tells the Israelites that God has a “controversy with the inhabitants of the land.” It is not good news when a people are told that they have a controversy with God. Hosea listed three qualities that the “inhabitants” did not have that they needed: truth, mercy and knowledge of God. It occurred to me that these are three qualities that we need to have to be in good fellowship with God. The first thing that Hosea mentioned was “truth.” We already know what truth is without defining it, but the Hebrew word for truth has several shades of meaning. The best of these to me is “trustworthiness.” You have to agree that this is a quality that every Christian should have in order to be in good standing with God and people. Just as Hosea watched the lives of the Israelites and saw that they were not trustworthy, people are looking for that quality in our lives. Another word that comes to mind is “dependable.” Can people depend on us to keep our word or to be truthful in all of our dealings with them? The second quality that Hosea mentioned was “mercy.” There were also various meanings for the Hebrew word used here, but the main shade that I want to deal with is “kindness.” Mercy and kindness just seem to fit together. We will not be merciful in our dealings with people if we are not kind. Hosea saw that the quality of mercy was missing in the lives of the Israelites. It would seem to me that a church that carries the name “Christian” would be filled with merciful and kind people. This does not mean that we would have to compromise with sin in order to be merciful and kind. We should certainly be merciful and kind with each other. Would you say that you have this quality, and does the church of which you are a member have this quality? The third quality that Hosea mentioned was that there was no “knowledge of God in the land.” This means that the Israelite people did not acknowledge God in their daily lives. The problem was that their perception of God was of statues of wood, or perhaps statues of metal. How are you doing in your knowledge of God? I’m not asking whether or not you go to church. People can go to church every Sunday and still not acknowledge God, or have a deep understanding of Him. This takes some time in prayer, worship, and, yes, Bible reading. The Israelite people did not know that they were breaking God’s heart by their untrustworthiness or their unkindness. They didn’t remember that God loved them, and all that He had done in their history to deliver them. Take a few minutes today and consider the qualities of truth, mercy and knowledge of God in your life. Bro. Joe “Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8. And sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” ESV
In Titus 2:1-10, Paul gave advice for different age groups and genders. The advice in our text was for younger men, but when I read it I thought it can be good advice for every Christian. I think that when you read what I have written, you will agree. Our lives should be the epitome of integrity. Among a lot of other things, this means that we should be truthful and honest. Nothing will destroy the witness of a Christian any more than being dishonest and untruthful. Our lives should be lived with dignity. The KJV translates this as “seriousness.” People will know that we are serious about our faith by the way we behave. We should not be long-faced, always negative and judgmental, but we should certainly act with dignity. By this I mean that we will not be crude, have good manners, and show a good spirit that will make our witness winsome. Our speech should be sound. Among other things, this means that we should be careful about what we say to people and what we say about people when they are not present. This means that we should not be gossips. This means that unless we have something constructive to say we should keep our mouths shut.( By the way, we cannot give constructive criticism to people who are not present.) We should just be careful what we say – period. My guess is that it is in these areas that we are criticized the most by the world. This is why I decided to apply this to all of us, not just the younger men. If, however, you are a young man reading this, it is very good advice for you before you get “old and crabby.” lol Bro. Joe |
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