“Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord. 12. Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.”
We are told in verse 11 to fervently serve the Lord. In verse 12, we are reminded that fervency alone will not result in effective service. This verse will give some direction to our fervent service. “Rejoicing in hope” – Let’s just say that we are to be hopefully joyful. The word for hope here does not mean that there is any doubt as we serve the Lord. We can serve joyfully, because we know that the Lord will be with us in our service, and that He will help us serve effectively. The Greek word for hope, “elpidis” carries the meaning of expectancy. We can serve the Lord in a spirit of joyful anticipation, because we know that the Lord will be with us in what He has called us to do. That is why that I say when I preach that the Lord is going to use His word to touch somebody’s life. That doesn’t mean that I will have to know about it, but I can anticipate God’s word “will not return to Him void.” (As promised in Isaiah 55:11.). Does this describe your attitude in your service? “Patient in tribulation” – The word that is translated “patient” here means to be willing to wait. When we serve the Lord, the world being as it is, we are bound to encounter trouble along the way. Jesus never promised us that our service for Him would be trouble free. We cannot let the troubles that we might encounter cause us to grow discouraged and give up. This happens all too often in churches. We can begin to see things moving in the right direction and Satan will throw all kinds of troubles in the way. If we give up, he wins a victory, and keeps the work from going forward. That is why we are told to have patience, and trust in the Lord’s timing. His timing is perfect, ours is not perfect. “Continuing instant in prayer” – This can be translated, “stay faithful in prayer.” Another translation that I like is to be “constant in prayer.” Nothing is ever accomplished in our service to the Lord without prayer. It is constant, faithful prayer that causes us to rejoice in hope and to be patient in trouble. Dwight L. Moody wrote that “every great movement of God began by a man on his knees.” Too often we try to bring revival to our churches by a program. Programs work well only when they are bathed with the faithful prayers of God’s people. Think about your own service for the Lord. Are these three qualities involved in your service? It is at least worth thought isn’t it! Bro. Joe
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"And His name shall be called wonderful, counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father...."
“But now, O lord, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” We need to be reminded that God is always present. There is no such as being “God forsaken.” We might think sometimes that we have been forsaken by God, but we have constant reminders in the Bible that He is ever-present. Jesus promised in Matthew 28:20b: “And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Jesus made a promise about this in John 14:16-17: “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another comforter that He may abide with you forever. 17. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knoweth Him: but you know Him; for He dwells in you, and shall be in you.” This is certainly not everything that could be written about the presence of the Lord, but it should give us assurance that God is always present. We need to be reminded that God is always aware. We cannot run and hide from Him and keep our sins a secret from Him, because He is aware of everything that we do or say. I am not writing this to alarm you, but to remind you that God loves you and it is good that He is aware. If people could hide from God, there is no telling what we would do. Our triune God is not surprised by our shenanigans, nor is He surprised when we do something good. When we sin He is aware of it, but He is always aware when we go to Him and sincerely ask for forgiveness. There is a gospel song that reminds us “that when He (Jesus) was on the cross, I was on His mind.” Jesus was eternally aware of our need for a Savior, and He died on the cross to make it real. Our text reminds us of the sovereignty of God: “But now, O Lord, thou art our Father, we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we are all the work of thy hand.” We cannot diminish this truth by cynicism and doubt. Those who cynically dismiss God as unreal, or irrelevant, are crying against eternal reality. It is like standing in front of a powerful tornado, and trying to dismiss its power by declaring it unreal. Or it is like dismissing the great truth about God’s sovereignty and missing out on the blessings that He could bring into their lives. I hope, and trust, that these reminders about God, our Everlasting Father, from Isaiah 9:6, and Isaiah 64:8, will assure you of His reality and of His love for you, and of His interest in your life. Bro. Joe "He will be named Wonderful, counselor, Mighty God...."
"Likewise you younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resists the proud, and give grace to the humble. 6. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. 7. Casting all your care upon; for He cares for you.” This message that Peter gave to the young men follows with the thinking in Isaiah 9:6. Peter encouraged the recipient among the recipients of his letter to remember that they served under "the mighty hand of God." This is a message that we should all heed. I want us to think about what it means to humble ourselves “under the mighty hand" of our "mighty God.” God’s hand is a hand of power. The power of God is far beyond any earthly power. History has shown that when people think they have great power, it can be taken from them at any time. We have been promised the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to live and to witness. It is power that is available to us as believers in Jesus Christ. Imagine yourself being cupped in the “mighty hand of God” when you encounter life’s inevitable troubles. Peter knew of this hand of power when he attempted to walk on the sea to go to Jesus. When he took his eyes off of Jesus and began to sink, he called out for the Lord to save him and he was grasped in the mighty hand of the Lord and was saved. God’s hand is a hand of purpose. God invites us to take His hand for leadership in our lives. I know that when I have been led by the hand of God, I have seen great things happen that were beyond my imagination. I can also remember not being led by His hand and making “a mess of things.” Peter also discovered this when he confidently boasted that he would protect Jesus from the authorities. As you remember, he caved in and denied even knowing the Lord. When He realized what he had done, he went out and wept bitterly. After that, he humbled himself and took the hand of God and realized God’s great purpose for his life. God has a purpose, or purposes, for your life. Take His hand and let Him lead you. His hand is only a prayer away. I want you to think about what a difference it would make in your life if you reached out to God for His power and for His purpose in your life. When you just simply put your faith in Him, God will provide His power and purpose for your life. His hand is available to you now. Take it! Bro. Joe “….His name shall be called wonderful, counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
I mentioned in yesterday’s article that in some translations “wonderful” and “counselor” are translated as “wonderful counselor.” I chose to separate the two, but of course Jesus is a “wonderful counselor.” The Hebrew word that is translated “counselor” can also be translated “advisor.” However we might translate the word, it means that Jesus knows more than we do and can counsel, or advise us, about our lives. I want to show three ways that Christ’s counsel is not only good for us, but is necessary for us to live as we should. His counsel is always wise. I pointed out yesterday about Jesus’ perfection. His counsel is also perfect. It is so important that we follow His counsel that Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to lead and guide our decisions. . We might say that Jesus has us covered with wise counsel if we will just pay attention to His leadership. All of us could give examples how we messed up when we failed to follow His counsel. Which leads me to: His counsel will make us better people. For example, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told us that we should love our enemies. I think that we can agree that to do this would make us better people. He told us that the world will know we belong to Him if we love one another. (John 13:35) Loving one another will make us better human beings. We should strive to be better human beings, not to make us self-righteous, but to make us better witnesses. The world needs for us to follow the counsel of Jesus…period. His counsel will lead us to righteousness. In Psalm 23:3b, David wrote: “He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” This is the path that Jesus wants us to take. The path of righteousness is not always easy, and sometimes we just plain fail, but it is a path that we need to follow.. Jesus is, or can be, your counselor. Surrender your life to His leadership. Bro. Joe “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called wonderful, counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6 is perhaps the most often quoted prophecy about the Messiah. I will share with you the description that the prophecy gives us of Jesus. The first description that we will consider is "Wonderful." (I am aware that other translations of this text translate this as "wonderful counselor." He is that, but the description of wonderful also stands alone in describing Jesus.) Jesus is wonderful in His person. In Luke 2:52 Luke described Jesus as He grew from childhood to adulthood: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Jesus acquitted Himself well in his dealings with people. We do not know much about His childhood, but we can assume from Luke’s description that He was a winsome person. As to His wisdom, in Luke 2:41ff, we are told that He impressed learned Jewish scholars in the temple in Jerusalem. In verse 47, we are told that “they were amazed at His understanding and answers.” Jesus is wonderful in His perfection. We read about Him in Hebrews 4:15 that: “For we have not an high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (I added the italics.) Jesus did what no other human being has ever done; He lived without sinning. The Bible tells us that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) The amazing thing was that our wonderful Savior “was tempted in all points like as we are…” There is no temptation that we have not faced that Jesus did not face - “yet without sin…” Jesus is wonderful in His purpose. He came in the flesh and lived through the temptations and trials of life not just to prove that He could do it. He did it in order to save us. Here is what Paul wrote about Him in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For (God) has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” It is still His purpose to save all who come to Him in faith. All who have trusted Jesus as thier Savior over the last two thousand years have experienced Him as "Wonderful." It is my prayer that you know Him as your Wonderful Savior. Bro. Joe “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 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 since 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 means that a slave has 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 pleasure, 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. Christmas means more than this, 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 “And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
This post on Christmas surprisingly is not from Matthew or Luke, but from John. John does not record the pageantry of Christmas like Matthew and Luke, but he does give us the Christmas narrative in just one verse. What John does is give us the theological significance of the coming of Christ into the world. I will illustrate what I mean in the post. John points out that the “word was made flesh.” This, of course, is about the incarnation, or the infleshment, of the Son of God.” The Good News Bible, which had some success in the late sixties and early seventies, translated this as “the word was made a human being.” While I was not exactly carried away with that particular Bible, I thought that this translation made a vivid point about the word becoming flesh. He was made flesh through the virgin birth, as predicted in Isaiah 7:14. It also stands out that when the word was made flesh, His crib was a manger – a feed trough. The miracle was that God came down to man – period. John points out that He “dwelt among us.” This is a reference to the fact that Jesus lived a normal human existence in a family. The family that Jesus came to was a common family, a carpenter’s family. He lived a common life among common people. This is good news for all common people, for Jesus indentified with us in His coming. Jesus experienced life in every way, except for sin. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are , yet without sin.” It has to be comfort to us that our Savior understands our struggles. In a parenthetical statement, John informs us that “we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.” Of course, we can refer to the great miracles that Jesus performed, such as, walking on water, turning water into wine, healing the infirm, stilling a storm, etc. John, however, along with Peter and James, beheld His glory at the transfiguration. This was not seen by anyone but those three disciples, but it had to be a life-changing experience for them. Thank God that it was recorded in the Gospels for us. What happened there was indescribable, but it did show forth the great glory of Jesus. It is my opinion that what they got a glimpse of was a heavenly vision of the Son of God. No one else has seen Jesus like this, but one day all believers will. John shared with us that Jesus was “full of grace and truth.” In John 14:6, Jesus referred to Himself as “the way, the truth, and the life.” He revealed the truth about God in His teachings that are recorded in the New Testament for us. He revealed the grace of God by His treatment of people, which is also recorded in the New Testament for us. The New Testament makes it plain that Jesus treated all people the same, the rich and the poor. Jesus healed poor people, like Bartimaeus; He healed rich people like Jairus’ daughter, which He actually raised from death. He walked among the poor and the rich. One of His most famous conversions was Zacchaeus, who was a wealthy tax collector. Indeed, Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, was “full of grace and truth.” I understand that we usually think of the Christmas story in terms of shepherds and Wise Men, which Matthew and Luke wrote about, but John, in his usual fashion, got right to the point of who and what the incarnate Son of God was and is. Bro. Joe (I picked this article up from 2015. It is worth a reread for many of you, and, perhaps a first read for many of you.)
“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 three 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.There was no 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 world's lowest and with the world's 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 told 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 and 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. 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 and 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 “Now it came to pass on a certain day that (Jesus) went into a ship with His disciples: and He said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. 23. But as they sailed, He fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. 24. And they came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, Master, Master, we perish. Then He arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased and there was calm.”
I can understand the disciple’s fear. I rode out a hurricane on an aircraft carrier, the USS Hornet. The big carrier was tossed to and fro and from side to side by the powerful waves. I can imagine what it was like for them on a fishing boat. In this case all the difference was made because Jesus was in the boat. There is a great lesson in this passage for us. The stormy sea is typical of some of our own “voyages” in life. All of us experience storms of some sort at various times in our lives. As this passage reveals, when Jesus is in the “ship” He makes all of the difference. First, let’s take a look at the stormy sea. We experience many storms on the sea of life. Think about the storms of temptation that we face on a daily basis. Then there are the storms of adverse circumstances and great difficulties in our lives. Also, there are storms of doubt and fear. We face storms that are related to physical illness, and we wonder where Jesus is. It is interesting to note that Jesus did not steer His disciples around the storm but brought them through it. It should have comforted the disciples to remember that Jesus said, “Let us go to the other side of the lake.” His word assured them that they would reach the other side. Those of us who believe in Him should have faith that Jesus will carry us to the other side of the storm. Second, let’s take a look at the sleeping Savior. Sometimes it seems that Jesus is asleep when we go through our various storms. It seems that He is unconcerned about what we are going through. Jesus could sleep because He knew everything would be alright. The all-knowing Savior already knew the outcome of the voyage. Of course, the disciples did not see it that way, and quite often, neither do we. The power of Jesus did not wane because He slept. He has more power asleep than anyone else has awake. He was Messiah whether asleep or awake. We have great assurance that our Savior does not sleep today, though sometimes we might think so. What He expects of us is to wait and to trust until His will is done in our lives. Third, let’s take a look at the stilling of the storm. Jesus could have prevented the storm, or He could have delayed their sailing until the storm had passed. He could have told His disciples to stay on the other side because a dangerous storm was coming up. Instead, they sailed directly into the storm. Why? Think of what the disciples would have missed if they had not taken the voyage into the stormy sea. They would have missed, not just a great miracle and a display of Christ’s power, but they would have missed the lesson that Jesus had the power to still storms. If He could do that to the Sea of Galilee, He could do it in the circumstances of their lives. Think of what we miss if we do not learn to trust Jesus through the storms of life. They saw Jesus do what only Jesus could do, and can, do. Could it be that when we go through the storms of our lives that Jesus is saying: “Be still and see what I can do”? Get this down: Jesus is Lord of your stormy seas too. Trust your life and your well-being to Him. Bro. Joe “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.”
“Bless the Lord,” means “praise the Lord.” Praising the Lord is one of the greatest benefits and privileges that we have, and Psalm 103:2 gives us a good definition of praise. It tells us that it is praise to the Lord. It is the Lord who gives life and sustains it. Paul reminded the Athenians in Acts 17:28 that it is in the Lord that “we live and move and have our being.” The Lord created us. The Lord loves us. The Lord cares for us to the point that even the hairs of our heads are numbered. He is aware of everything that goes on in our lives and is always concerned for our lives. James wrote that the Lord gives us “every good and perfect gift.” Indeed, the Lord is worthy of our praise, but do we really praise Him? When we sing in church are we really and truly praising the Lord? When we read the Bible, or hear it read, do we really and truly praise the Lord for His word? Better yet, when we drop our tithes and offerings into the collection plate, are we really and truly praising the Lord? Do we praise the Lord on a daily basis? For example, when we get up in the morning do we praise the Lord? When we go to bed at night, do we praise the Lord? Understand that praise is not the noise we make. We can make a lot of noise in church, or in private worship, but that doesn’t mean that we are really praising the Lord. The text also tells us that praise is from the soul: “Bless the Lord, O my soul…” Our souls are who we are in our hearts. Our souls are the deepest part of ourselves, where real worship and praise take place. This kind of praise comes from all of the faculties and powers of our being. To praise the Lord from the soul is to praise Him with all that we have and all that we are. Psalm 103:1 actually describes what takes place when we praise the Lord from our souls: “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me bless His holy name.” The best way that I can describe this worship and praise is that when we worship from our souls, we worship the Lord with all of the positives and negatives within us. We pour it all out in praise of Him! In other words, praise from the soul is honest. The text further tells us that we praise the Lord for His benefits: “Forget not all His benefits.” How do we remember all of the benefits of the Lord in our lives? We remember through praise. It is possible that the reason many people are not grateful for the Lord’s benefits is because they do not praise Him as they should, or as often as they should. How can we not praise Him, for example, for the benefit of salvation? After all salvation is a gift of God. We could never have earned salvation. We are saved because of God’s grace and love for us. How could we not praise Him for the benefit of the indwelling Holy Spirit? There are many more benefits that we have from the Lord than we do not have room for here. Suffice it to say that we need to praise the Lord for all of His benefits. Praise the Lord from your soul, and do not forget all that He has done for and will continue to do for you. Remember your utter dependence on Him and you will have no problem praising Him. Decide today that you are going to make it a practice to praise the Lord wherever you are. You do not have to do it with words; you can just praise Him from your heart. Do it! Bro. Joe |
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