“Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. 11. He had reigned forty years over Israel – seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 12. So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.” NIV
When I read these verses this morning, it occurred to me that all things, good and bad, come to an end. That’s how I decided on the title: “Nothing Lasts Forever.” The Bible gives us a full account of David’s activities. David was a great warrior, and a great king. He was anointed king by Samuel while still very young, and after years of running from King Saul, became the king himself. He wrote a good many of the psalms during his lifetime and had some great experiences with God. Another side of David is seen when he commits adultery with Bathsheba, has her husband killed and tries to lie about it, until confronted by Nathan the prophet. With all of the great things that he did and all of the unrighteous things that he did, David’s life came to an end and Solomon reigned in his place. What can we learn from this? We can learn that no matter what we accomplish in life, it will come to an end. David’s accomplishments made a great impact on Israel and the surrounding nations, but in the end he died and left it all. This does not mean that David’s accomplishments came to an end necessarily, but it does mean that his personal impact died on the day he died. He would have no more say about what went on in Israel. This is true of all humankind. For example, we still have the impact of the accomplishments of Thomas Edison, but there came a day when he left it all and went to his eternal destination. We can learn that we need to make our lives count for something beyond ourselves while we are still alive. With all of his faults, David did some great things in his life that can impact our lives today. Take for example, Psalm 23. This psalm has had a great impact on my life, both in preaching and in living. I go to Psalm 23 again and again to feed my soul when it needs feeding. Wouldn’t you hate to think that you lived your whole life and left nothing of value behind you? By “value” I do not mean valuable things, but valuable influences, valuable lessons, valuable memories and valuable morals. I have conducted funerals of all kinds of people over the fifty-three years that I have been in the ministry. The funerals of people who left great spiritual values behind often became celebrations of lives well-lived. However, I have conducted funerals for people whose lives counted only for themselves. They could be rich or poor, but there was always a lingering sadness with both family and friends. Do not make the mistake of thinking that I judged any of those people. Where they spend eternity will depend on whether or not they put their faith in Jesus, and it is not in my power to pronounce them saved or unsaved. I don’t know what took place between them and Jesus before they died. All I can speak about is the fruit that they left behind. "We can learn that we need to “make hay while the sun shines.” This means, of course, that we should do things each day to make our lives better, and to have a good influence on the people that we encounter in daily life. We need to heed the advice that Paul gave the Ephesians in Ephesians 5:15-16: “Be very careful then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise. 16. Making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (NIV) I can give no better advice than that. None of us will ever live fully up to this text, but we need to be aware that our lives are being observed by God and people. David lived and David died. We live and we will die. The question is what are we doing in the time that we have to draw closer to God, live a good life and leave a positive influence behind when we depart. Bro. Joe
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“And in the morning, rising up a good while before day, He went out and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”
Let’s look at the context of this verse first. In Mark 1:32-34, Jesus had healed a multitude of people and had cast demons out of others. Jesus' ministry had reached a point that multitudes of people were following Him everywhere He went. It would, no doubt, be the same today. Jesus already knew of human need, because He is God, but viewing it firsthand, the responsibility laid on Him was formidable. Remember that along with being all of God, Jesus was also all of man. He felt the suffering of humanity deeply. At this point, He went to a solitary place and prayed. I have some observations on this that I will share with you. If Jesus had a need to pray, then we certainly have a need to pray. If Jesus needed to seek the Father in the midst of His heavy responsibilities, so do we. I don’t know what your responsibilities are. You might be weighted down at work with responsibilities. The weight of your burden might be that of parenting. These are certainly challenging times to be a parent. Your burden might be dealing with troubles in your marriage. Your burden might be depression that just closes in on you and suffocates your spirit. It might just be that the animosity in the world between different groups of people weighs heavily on your mind. Could it be that you are having all kinds of doubts about the Bible. I don’t know what you are weighted down with today, but I do know that you need to “take it to the Lord in prayer.” You probably remember the hymn: “Are you weak and heavy-laden, burdened with a load of care? Precious Savior still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.” Another hymn that you might be familiar with is “Near to the Heart of God.” The first stanza and chorus reminds us of the need for a solitary place: “There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God, a place where sin cannot molest, near to the heart of God. O Jesus blest redeemer, Sent from the heart of God, Hold us who wait before you, near to the heart of God.” The question for you is: Where is your solitary place? I know that this can be difficult for some people because it is difficult to find a solitary place in the midst of the activities of life. I know that we can pray any time at any place, twenty-four hours a day, but I think that we need a special place to get “near to the heart of God.” Again, I know the difficulty of this. Anywhere that you can be alone with God will be fine. I have read of people who get alone with God in the woods. Their altar might be a tree stump, which would serve well as an altar. It might be that you are a person who can get alone in your own mind. What I mean by this is that you can isolate yourself mentally and silently reach out to God. Some people have found their solitary place in bed before they go to sleep at night. I don’t know where your solitary place could be in your situation, but you need to find one. You need such a place to read the Bible and pray. I can only give you my experience. My solitary place is in our den in my easy chair at 5:30 a.m. That’s right; you might have to get up early in order to find your solitary place. Think about how important it is for you to get alone with God in any way that you can. It is in this solitary place that you are most likely to get in touch with the heart of God. It is in this place that you can unload your burdens on the Lord in the quietness of the hour. It is in this place that you discover what the will of God is for your life. Perhaps, it is in this place that you can discover a way to forgive those who have “trespassed against you.” I’m not suggesting that you are less of a Christian if you haven’t discovered your solitary place, but I am suggesting that such a time and such a place can make a difference in your life. Bro, Joe Note: This is a post that I put on Weebly last year. If you have already read it, I invite you to read it again. If you are new to CouchPotatoRedux, I hope that you will enjoy it and be challenged by it.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given…" Here we are in the midst of another Christmas season. I remember that when I was a youngster it seemed like it took forever for Christmas to get here, but now it comes so quickly that I hardly have time to celebrate it before it is gone. But that is enough of my complaining. The purpose of this article is to share with you the meaning of Christmas. First, it means that the time was right on God’s timetable for the Messiah to come into the world. Galatians 4:4-5 reveals to us that “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.” Those two verses are loaded with meaning and to fully explain them would take more space than I can take just now. Suffice it to say that Jesus was born into this world at just the right time. Why? Because God said that the time was right. At that time all of the Old Testament prophecies about Christ and types of Christ were fulfilled. Our text from Isaiah 9 is a good example of what I mean. Revelation 13:8 refers to Jesus as “the lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” In 1 Peter 1:20 Peter wrote: "He (Christ) was chosen before the foundation of the world..." This means that it had been God’s plan even before time began that the “Lamb” would be slain for us. As always, I will confess that I cannot explain why it had to be this way. If that is the way God wanted to save our souls, we need to just thank Him. Second it means what I have alluded to above, that Christmas means that because Jesus came into the world, we can be saved from our sins. Romans 3:23 declares, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Sin is pervasive in this world, and we are defenseless against it except for Jesus. Romans 3:24 completes the thought that was begun in Romans 3:23: “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” “Redemption” is a word from ancient law courts that meant that a slave had been bought out of slavery. Because of Jesus we no longer have to be slaves of sin. We can be forgiven because Jesus came into this world, lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, was resurrected and lives forever to intercede for us and to save us. Because of this we can come to Jesus for forgiveness of our sins and we will receive it. At least that’s what 1 John 1:9 tells us: “If we confess our sins (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Jesus is “faithful and just” to forgive us for our sins.“Faithful” means that He will always forgive us, and “just” means that He, and He alone, is qualified to forgive us for our sins. Third, Christmas means that we can live better lives. We do not have to wallow in sin. Look around you at the devastation that sin has caused in this world and be grateful that God provided the means for us to not be ruled by it. We will always have to deal with sin as long as we are on this earth, but we do not have to be ruled by it. Sin promises all kinds of pleasures, but it only ends up bringing destruction into people’s lives. Thank God that in His infinite wisdom, He has provided a way for us to escape the prison that sin creates. Because of Jesus we can cease to do those things which are detrimental to our spiritual, mental and physical well-being. Because of Jesus we can begin to do those things that will bring real satisfaction in life. I have tried it both ways in my life, and I have found that the Jesus way is better. Obviously,Christmas means more than what I have written here, but what I have written should be sufficient to help you have a merry Christmas. Do not worry, as some have, that December 25 is not the real birthday of Jesus. We are celebrating the fact that He was born, not when He was born. Just celebrate that, “Unto us a child is born..." Bro. Joe One of John‘s main purposes was to reveal the deity of Jesus. (Of course another great purpose was to show that Jesus came in the flesh – God incarnate, all of God and all of man.) John states his purpose immediately in the first five verses of his gospel. He refers to Jesus as “the word.” Jesus is God’s ultimate revelation, or word, about himself. (See Hebrews 1:1-3.) John reveals Jesus as what I will refer as “Wonderful Jesus,” Son of God and Son of man.
Verses 1-2 reveal Jesus as eternal: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” The Word was there in the beginning; in other words He has always existed. That’s why Jesus could say in John 8:58: “Before Abraham was I am.” Jesus meant exactly what He said, as incredible as it sounded then, and now. In verse 2, we have one of the most startling and controversial declarations: “And the Word was God…” Jesus was not only with God; He was/is God. How could John have made it clearer? What is there to argue about? Jesus is eternal because He is God. We do not have to understand it, nor do we need to explain it, but we need to believe it and live it. Observe in verse 3, that Jesus was the creator: “All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made…” Paul wrote basically the same thing in Colossians 1:18: “For by Him (Jesus) were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth…” Again, what could be clearer? Our eternal, wonderful, Savior is also our creator. In verse 4a, we discover that Jesus is life: “In Him was life and the life was the light of men.” In John 14:6, Jesus declared: “I am the way and the truth and the life…” He did not say “I know all about life," although He does. He said “I am the life.” What does this mean? One thing that it means is that Jesus is the giver of life. As creator, Jesus made life possible in the first place. Another thing that it means is that Jesus gives us real, abundant life – eternal life that begins here and ends in eternity with Him. It means that Jesus gives meaning and purpose to life. Jesus did not just create life and step away. He became involved in our lives and sustains us in all of life. In Colossians 1:17, Paul wrote: “And (Jesus) is before all things, and by Him all things consist.” This means that Jesus holds all things together, and that includes our lives. In verses 4b-5, we discover that Jesus is light: “….and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness and the darkness does not comprehend it.” In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” Jesus came to shed God’s light on all the world, to shed light on who God is and on the loving nature of God. People who prefer darkness do not understand light; therefore, they reject it. This is a shame, for the light is available to all who will put their faith and trust in Him. Matthew 5:14a and 16 shows us what our responsibility is in sharing this light:“You are the light of the world…Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Jesus gives His light to us and we are to reflect it to the world by how we live, speak, serve and witness. John packed a lot in five verses, didn’t he? If people would just believe these verses and internalize them, their lives would drastically change. If Christian people would really believe these verses, and let them guide their lives, they would live victoriously for Jesus. Believe these things about Jesus. Rejoice in them. Jesus is eternal! He is our creator! He is life! He is light! Rejoice! Bro. Joe Psalm 19:1:“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament (sky) shows His handiwork.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17. That the man (or woman) of God may be perfect (complete, mature), thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” Hebrews 1:1-2: “God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners (many different ways) spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets. 2. Has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds.” God has not made Himself physically visible to us, because we must come to Him by faith. He has, however, revealed Himself in at least three ways that are given to us in scripture. The knowledge that we have of God is what the theologians call “revealed knowledge.” This is the opposite of head knowledge. The three scriptures listed above illustrate God’s revelation of Himself to us. God has revealed Himself, and continues to reveal Himself through nature. Psalm 19:1 tells us: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and that the sky shows His handiwork.” This is called “natural revelation” by biblical scholars. Paul thought that this revelation should have been enough to convince people of God’s reality. He wrote in Romans 1:19-20: “…Because that which may be known of God is manifest (revealed) unto them. 20. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead: so that they are without excuse.” We can see the “invisible things” of God, because of what He has shown us in nature. (There is so much more that could be written about this, but space does not allow a full discussion of God’s natural revelation.) We can see God in the clouds, the stars, the galaxies – in all of nature. Nature reveals God, but it does not reveal the total nature of God, which means that He has at least two more ways that He reveals Himself. God has revealed Himself through scripture – His written word. Paul informed Timothy that “all scripture was given by inspiration of God.” “Inspiration” means that the Bible, God’s word, is “God-breathed.” In the Bible, God reveals His plans for His people. The Old Testament reveals God’s plan through Abraham and the Jews. Through the written word, we can understand that God is not a body, but that He is a person. Unlike idols that are mentioned throughout the Bible, God can see, hear, speak and feel. He also reacts to people both positively and negatively. The Bible reveals the majesty of God, and it reveals that He should be worshipped. God has revealed Himself through Jesus, who came as the Savior of the lost people of the earth. Hebrews 1 tells us that God revealed Himself, and His Son, through the prophets, but that now He has revealed Himself through His Son. Through Jesus, He reveals that He is the God who is interested in the lives of people, and wants what is best for them. Jesus reveals to us that God loves us. There is no need for me to write John 3:16 down for you, because you probably already know it, but this verse tells us of God’s great love and concern for us. Jesus showed that concern by healing the sick and doing good for people. The Bible reveals that Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins on the cross. It also reveals that Jesus is still alive and saves those who come to Him by faith. He revealed the power of the Father by doing such things as stilling stormy waters, walking on water, turning water into wine and raising the dead. Jesus is God’s ultimate revelation of Jesus, and there will not be another to do for mankind what Jesus did. If anyone has a real desire in his or her heart to have a personal knowledge of God, everything that I have written about here is available to them. Pause here and thank God for making Himself known to us. Bro. Joe “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; 11.Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12. Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; 13.Distributing to the necessity of the saints; given to hospitality.”
“Slothful” is not a word that we use every day. If we used it in public someone would likely say, “la-ti-da,” or “I don’t know what you mean.” It is an old word, but it is a word that we practice every day if we are not careful. The New Webster’s Dictionary defines it as: “lethargy, indolence, inactive, sluggish and lazy.” If you are like me, you might think that this could describe you on some days. Being slothful is bound to happen to us occasionally, but if it becomes a lifestyle it is tragic. Let’s take a look at not being slothful in spirit, and being fervent in spirit. Slothfulness usually denotes indifference. From the Christian standpoint, a slothful person is one who is indifferent to what is going on around him, and could care less whether people are Christians or not. It is certain that slothful people are not a dependable people. Even if they decide to do a Christian service, they do it so sluggishly that it does not get done. There is an alternative to slothfulness. What is the alternative to slothfulness? Paul wrote that the alternative would be to be “fervent in spirit.” Let’s see what Webster’s says about fervent: “glowing, ardent, zealous, intensity of devotion, intense.” I know the picture that forms in most people’s minds when they hear of a fervent Christian is a negative one. They get the picture of a self-righteous, legalistic, unloving, hate spewing person. That might describe some people who think they are fervent Christians, but I don’t think that is the kind of person that Paul had in mind. Some even think that a conservative Christian who really believes the Bible is overly fervent. Well, if I was given the choice between being a slothful, indifferent Christian, and an overly fervent Christian, I would choose the latter. The only way that a Christian can be “overly fervent” is to try to push his will on people and consider that his personal opinions are straight out of heaven. A fervent Christian is a loving Christian. Look what Paul wrote: “Be kindly affectioned to one another with brotherly love.” If we love the Lord fervently, we will love people fervently. We can’t love either one or the other, we must love both. 1John 4:20 relates to us: “If a man (or woman) says, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen.” We are not allowed to hate people, but we are allowed to hate sin, because it has caused, and is causing, the ruin of humankind. If a fervent Christian speaks to you about sin, he is not telling you that he hates you but is concerned about you. Fervency in love is important. It is recorded in 1 Peter 4:8: “And above all things have fervent charity (love) among yourselves: for charity (love) shall cover the multitude of sins.” A fervent Christian is a humble person. Notice the next line: “in honor preferring one another.” This means to put others first. A fervent Christian is a praying Christian. I don’t believe that a Christian can be fervent without prayer. A fervent Christian acts on his or her faith: “distributing to the necessity of the saints.” This means to look out for the physical needs of fellow Christians, and, for that matter, our fellowman. A fervent Christian is “given to hospitality.” This means that fervent Christians welcome other people into their lives and into their fellowship. Someone once asked me who would I keep out of the church? My answer was that I would stand at the door and turn away everybody that Jesus would turn away. That kind of settles it – doesn’t it? Based on this text, are you a fervent Christian? I haven’t dealt with everything that has to do with fervency, but this has given us enough to chew on – hasn’t it? Bro. Joe “And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
A paradox is a seeming contradiction. It is something that is true, yet defies human reason. Christmas certainly presents us with paradoxes, for the Son of God coming to earth to live as a human being defies human reason. Take a look at some of these Christmas paradoxes. Sanctuary in a Stable If the Son of God should come to earth, surely He would be born in a mansion or a palace. After all, there should be nothing but the best offered to the Lord of the universe. This was not what happened. His parents could not find a room in the inn; therefore, He was born in a stable. The stable became a sanctuary for the “word made flesh.” This is a paradox, but it should not seem strange to those of us who read and believe the Bible and serve God daily. Haven’t you discovered that God is full of surprises? What is the significance of this “sanctuary in a stable”? Christ became flesh for all people. In His birth, Christ identified with the worlds lowest as well as with the worlds highest. His birth in a stable tells us that no one is beneath, or beyond, His saving grace. The modest family to which Christ was born tells us the same thing, as did the modest lifestyle that He lived as an adult. Christ identifies with all people, not just the rich and famous. No level of society is beneath, or beyond, His reach or His love. You have heard that “the ground is level at the foot of the cross.” We can add to that “the ground is level at the foot of the manger.” Majesty in a Manger A manger is an animal’s feeding trough. God incarnate had a feeding tough for a cradle. Jesus hallowed a simple feeding trough. The King of kings was “wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.” This is really what we call a paradox. What is the significance of “majesty in a manger”? The King of kings does not rule in human majesty and power; He rules in love and humility and represents God's majesty and power. This was illustrated for us in John 13. The King of kings, who was “laid in a manger,” washed His disciple’s feet. This really surprised them. In fact, Peter did not want Jesus to wash his feet, but Jesus told Peter that if He did not wash his feet, he would have no part with Him. What was true of the King of kings is also supposed to be true of His subjects. In John 13:13-14, Jesus told His disciples: “You call me master and Lord: and you say well; for so I am. If I then your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” The disciples had visions of ruling and reigning with the Messiah, but He told them to “wash one another’s feet.” They, and all believers, will one day rule with the King of kings, but all of us must go by way of “majesty in a manger,” not by way of worldly power, fame and fortune. The Consequences of the Child’s Birth This child, born in such lowly circumstances, is the Savior of the world. Joseph was told in Matthew 1:21: “Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” This tiny baby would one day break the bonds of sin and death and save all of those who would come to Him by faith. This is what we call a paradox. The significance of this paradox is that as a consequence of Christ’s lowly birth, humble life, excruciating crucifixion and magnificent resurrection, all who come to Him by faith are saved and enabled to live the abundant life here to live with Him in heaven forever. God’s paradox is our hope. As you celebrate Christmas, thank Jesus for His “sanctuary in a stable,” His “majesty in a manger” and for the consequences of His birth. Bro. Joe “The (gray) head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.” KJV
“Gray hair is a crown of splendor, it is attained by a righteous life.” NIV Can you guess which of these translations I like best? The NIV translation is my story and I’m sticking with it. I have been young and I have been old and have found that there is good and bad in both. Looking back to my younger days, I can truthfully agree with something I read one time: “Youth is wasted on the young.” Man, would I love to have the energy of youth and wisdom of age. (Some of you might argue with “wisdom” associated with my name, but I’ll let that be your problem. lol) As I sat here in my “retirement chair” (formerly known as "Mr. Green.") thinking about the possibility of getting old,(lol) my mind turned to the Bible and what it has to say about age. One of my favorite verses is the one written above. I want to share some things with you about the contributions of the aged in the Bible. I first think of Abraham. It seemed that he was old when he had just gotten started. When he was seventy-five years old, Abraham was called out of Ur of the Chaldees to go to the land that God had picked out for him. When he was one-hundred and Sarah was ninety, their only child, Isaac, was born. When his wife, Sarah, died, Abraham married a woman by the name of Keturah They had seven children. (You might say that they don’t make them like that anymore.) Through all of his years, Abraham remained a devoted servant of God. As it usually does with its famous people, the Bible tells us some dumb things that Abraham did, but he comes out pretty well because he had faith, and in spite of those dumb things, he was an effective servant of God. Abraham teaches us, also, that just because you’re old doesn’t mean that your life is over. Hey, it is over when it is over. Next I think of Moses. Moses escaped from Egypt when he was forty years old. He married Zipporah and they had two boys. This went on for forty more years until he was eighty. It was at this point, while he was tending his father in law’s sheep, that he was called by God to go back to Egypt and lead the Jews out of Egypt. Moses knew the situation there since he lived his first forty years there, probably in Pharaoh’s palace. He had to escape to MIdian because he killed an Egyptian who mistreated one of his Jewish brethren. It is interesting that out of all of the excuses that Moses made about why he shouldn’t be the one to lead the Jews out of Egypt, he did not use his age as an excuse. (You can read about his excuses in the fourth chapter of Exodus.) Though Moses was an old man of eighty when he began the task that God called him to, he stuck with it and led the people to the brink of the Promised Land. He is still considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest prophet in the Old Testament, and thinking of all of the prophets, that is a big compliment. Then I think of Caleb. We meet Caleb in the thirteenth chapter of Numbers. He was sent out with twelve other men, one of them being Joshua, to spy out the land that God had promised to Abraham. Only he and Joshua reported that they could take the land, while the other ten spies gave a bad report. He was over forty at that time. Forty-five years later, when the Jews, invaded the Promised Land, he was still ready to fight and take the land allotted to him though he was eighty-five years old. The Bible tells us that the old man took that land without a great deal of trouble. What is the common thread that runs through the accounts of Abraham, Moses and Caleb? They served God until the day that they died. We do not read of their complaining about their ages during that time. They should inspire us, whether young or old, to keep on keeping on in our service to God without making excuses and doing a whole lot of complaining. Bro. Joe “Therefore to him that knows to do good, and does it not, to him it is sin.”
We often hear testimonies of what people have given up since they were saved. It is important to give up sinful habits and sinful ways when we are saved, but that is not the end of the story. There is sin that is called “sin of omission.” James put it as succinctly as it could be put in the text: “If you know to do good and do not do it, it is sin.” (my paraphrase) It’s not just a question about what we have given up for Jesus that is important. The question is what we are now doing that we did not do before Jesus changed our lives? Let’s begin with what I call “sins of the tongue.” It might be that we gave up gossip when Jesus changed our lives. Knowing of the destruction of this sin, I would think that it would be a good thing to give up. It would be good if all people would stop gossiping. The important question here though is what good things are we saying about people instead of negative things. If it is a sin to say bad things about people, whether they are true or not, it is a sin to fail to say good things to and about people. I really don’t like to think of all the times that I have thought about something good that I should have said to someone and didn’t say it. I don’t think we realize how important it is for us to say good things to people. The Lord only knows that after all of the negative things that we hear, it is important that we hear good things as well. Think of all that would change in our churches if we decided that we would say good things about people whenever we felt the impulse to do so. There are times when negative things need to be said, but saying good things is equally important. I try to remember this when I am preaching. There are times when we preachers have to “step on toes,” but there are also times when we need to “touch their hearts.” I love it when people say good things to me. People have asked me if I get tired of people saying “enjoyed the sermon.”My answer is always, “Heavens no. Do I want them to tell me that they hated the sermon”? James wrote that it is a sin to know to do good and not do it. If we know that it is a good thing to do something nice for someone else, just for the sake of doing it, it is a sin if we don’t do it. For example, there might be a lonely person in our community who does not get along well with people. Our tendency is to leave these people to themselves, but that is not what Christians should do. It would be a good idea to visit this person and take him or her a cake. This person might think you were crazy at first, and he or she might even refuse the cake, but you have done the right thing, and God would be pleased and look on that gesture with favor. I know that this seems like a silly thing, but doing the Christian thing seems to be silly to the world at times. One time when Jesus visited Jericho, he spoke to and went home with the most hated man in town – Zacchaeus. He was the local tax collector and had gotten rich at a lot of other people’s expense, but Jesus befriended him and changed his life for the better. We might not change a cantankerous person for the better like Jesus did, but it would be worth a try, and it would be the right thing to do. We are not expected to succeed in everything that we do in Jesus' name, but we are expected to try. I have heard testimonies about people giving up drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and numerous other things, and this is important, but I would like to hear a testimony where the person told about all of the good things that they are doing now that they didn’t do before. This would not be bragging it would be a declaration that we are not just saved from some things, but that we are saved to do some things as well. Let’s at least be aware that there is something called “sin of omission,” and stop omitting. Bro. Joe “And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”
People celebrate Christmas in many different ways. It is viewed by many as a time for family and friends to get together. It is celebrated by the giving and receiving of gifts. It is celebrated, if that is the right word, by joining the crowds at the shopping malls across the country. I am not being critical here, because I enjoy some of these secular activities surrounding Christmas as well. But the coming of Christ into the world is not a secular event that is to be celebrated during one season of the year. If you know Christ as your Savior, it is a daily celebration of what He has done for you. I don’t mean to imply that I am the only “expert” on knowing how to really celebrate the Christ event, but I hope that you will find my thoughts enlightening, and that they will enable you have a merrier Christmas. We should celebrate Christmas in a spirit of thanksgiving for what God has done for us in Jesus. The angel announced to Joseph concerning the birth of Jesus: “And she shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.” Saving us from sin is the stated purpose of Jesus’ coming into the world. Jesus did many mighty works that inform us about His deity, but these mighty works were not the main purpose of His coming. He came to “save His people from their sins.” Jesus’ saving us from our sins has to do, not just for this life, but for all eternity. Since the Garden of Eden, sin has been what has been wrong with the world, and the Bible plainly tells us the story of the devastation of sin. All we have to do is look around us to see the devastation of sin. We can point to our own battles in life that have to do with sin. When we realize the seriousness of sin in our own lives, we should celebrate all the more because Jesus saved us from it, and we should be thankful for it. We should celebrate Christmas in a true spirit of giving. Christmas is all about giving. John 3:16 tells us that, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” When the Magi visited the family of Jesus, we are told: “And when they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” My guess is that this is where the idea of exchanging gifts at Christmas came from. What is a true spirit of giving? It is not a spirit of “getting” – if you get my drift. We are reminded in Acts 10:35 about what a “true spirit” of giving is: “I (Paul) have shown unto you all things, how that so laboring you ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, it is more blessed to give than to receive.”I think that a “true spirit” of giving is a spirit of excitement over the opportunity to give rather than to receive. We should celebrate Christmas in a genuine spirit of worship, adoration and praise to our Lord Jesus Christ for what His coming has meant to the world, and what His coming has meant to us. Again, we should emulate the Magi, who when they went into the house and saw the child Jesus with His mother Mary, “they fell down and worshipped Him.” All they knew about Jesus was what they had read. We know much more about Jesus, which is why we should certainly follow the Magi’s example and worship Him. Hopefully, you know what it means to know Jesus as your Savior. Hopefully, you know what it means to have a hope in this life that transcends anything that the world can give. Hopefully, you know what it means to experience His love on a daily basis. There are countless reasons to worship Him. As you celebrate Christmas this year, thank Jesus for His coming to save us from sin, give in the true spirit of giving that it is “more blessed to give than to receive," and worship Him for who and what He is in your life. Bro. Joe |
AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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