The "Christmas Story" is one of the most remembered and by far the most
told of any other story in human history. Not only does this story
reveal the birth of Christ the Lord, but a closer look reveals the
movement of creation itself in bringing forth the Savior. It is the
Gospel according to Matthew and Luke that uncover the events of the
"Christmas Story." So as we look at these events, we will see the
infinite wisdom and love of God at work in human history for only one
reason, "to open their (humanity) eyes, in order to turn them
from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they
may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are
sanctified by faith in Me.' (Acts 26:18)
In Luke 1:5-25 we see a priest named Zacharias chosen to minister before
the Lord in the temple in the form of burning incenses. His wife's name
was Elizabeth and they were both descendants of Aaron, Moses' brother
and first Priest chosen by God along with his sons. (Exodus 4:14, 28:1)
Zacharias was a praying man and his prayers were heard. The angel of
the Lord, Gabriel was sent to give him the good news concerning what was
about to break forth into human history. However, we see that Zacharias
first response was doubt. Like Zacharias, we too can get so caught up
in doing our regimented Christians duties or building our own personal
kingdoms, that we miss what God is about to do. Then when God reveals to
us His plan we again like Zacharias do not believe. I believe that most
Christians today struggle with a lack of faith for
the very same reason. They pray, look for God, but when He reveals
Himself doubt enters and they forget the very things that they were
praying for. Most often, God revealed Himself His way not their way.
Although, Zacharias doubted God's Word, what the angel had spoken still
came to pass.
Next, Luke 1:26-38 records another miraculous event happening. The same
angel, Gabriel appears to a virgin woman whose name is Mary who was
betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph. He reveals that she is “highly favored" by God and "blessed among women"
and that it would be Mary who would be used by God to bring forth the
One who would be the Deliverer. Mary questions Gabriel, but his answer
should cause believers to see God for who He really is, "For with God nothing will be impossible." This is an important key to having prayer answered as well as living a victorious life. Jesus says it this way, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." (Mark 9:23) Not only are all things possible with God but He makes all thing possible to all believers who exercises faith. It is very apparent that Mary believed Gabriel's report, "Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her."
Although we see Mary exercising faith for the impossible, we see a
different picture with Joseph, her betrothed. Again, we see doubt take
the place of faith. (Matthew 1:19) However, we do see an angel of the
Lord appear to Joseph in a dream explaining the situation to him, which
caused Joseph to respond to what the angel had spoken. (Matthew 1:20-25)
You may be thinking, "Well getting the news that your wife is with
child and you have had nothing to do with it certainly would cause one
to doubt." This may be somewhat true, but remember Zacharias had a
visitation of an angel of the Lord but he still doubted. Also, Matthew
records that Joseph was a "just man' which means, "justly, righteously,
in accordance with what is right."So we have to assume that for Joseph
to have this type of character, that he attended synagogue and or was
versed in the the scriptures. If so he had available to him what was
spoken by Isaiah the prophet, "Therefore the Lord Himself will give
you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall
call His name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14) But isn't that the problem
that the children of God have struggled with then and still struggle
with today? For most believers, although we have the Word of God
recorded in what we call the Bible, many still chose to look at the
circumstances in the natural like Zacharias and Joseph and entertain
doubt rather than faith in a faithful God, "that what He has promised He is also able to perform." (Romans
4:21) Although it appears that Joseph had some doubts, he still
responded to the command of the angel to take Mary as his wife.
The incredible events continue to unfold. Luke 2:1-7 records that not
even Caesar Augustus the top official of the human government at that
time could do nothing more than to bring the prophetic Word of God
spoken 700 years prior through Micah to pass, "But you, Bethlehem
Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out
of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose
goings forth are from of old, from everlasting." (Micah 5:2) Joseph
following the orders of the government, made his way with Mary to the
very town where Christ was to be born, Bethlehem.
Finally, Luke 2:8-20 shows us the culmination of the events of the birth
of Christ. Again, an angel of the Lord appears. This time to "shepherds living out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night." It is recorded that the"angel stood before them and the glory of the Lord shown around them" and the angel reported the most incredible event to date in the history of humanity, "For
there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe
wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." Once the angel gave this report "suddenly
there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God
and saying, glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill
toward men!" Not only were the people of the earth moved to be
participants in the ingenious plan of God (whether they knew it or not)
but even the angels of God rejoiced. Think about that. The angels of God
who are spirit beings were excited for humanity that now the plan of
God was manifested for the salvation of humanity. Deity and humanity has
now come together as Jesus Christ the Lord.
We all should see Christmas as a time for great rejoicing. A is new
birth. A new birth in our love towards God and toward one another. A new
birth in dedicating our lives to His service. Christmas not New Years
should be a catalyst for change, hope and increased faith.
A great expectation of what God can and will do through those who
believe. For some, maybe we need to see Christmas through the eyes of
three wealthy wise men who left their nation and traveled a great
distance to behold an infant King. Three men who apparently exercised
faith having only the knowledge of ancient writings and a star that
guided their way. Christmas is not just about a baby in a manger, it's
about the complete redemption of humanity. We should celebrate Christmas
as one of the two greatest moves of God in human history. That baby,
the Christ, had come into the world to save humanity from Satan's power,
to reconcile God to man and man to God for us to have "life and to have it more abundantly." So, as the song goes, "JOY to the world, the LORD is come!" Have a wonderful and very "MERRY CHRISTMAS."
Monday, December 20, 2021
Unto Us A Savior is Born
Monday, December 13, 2021
Choose Wisely
One of the greatest acts of deliverance recorded in the Bible is
Israel's exodus from Egypt. There are several estimations of how many
people left in the exodus. We are not given any exact number until the
first census of Israel was taken "...on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt." (Numbers 1:1) However, this census was limited to, "...all
the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their
fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male
individually, from twenty years old and above, all who are able to go to
war in Israel. You and Aaron shall number them by their armies." (Numbers 1:2-3) This total came to "All who were numbered were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty."(Numbers 1:46) Keep in mind that the census was taken fourteen months after the exodus and was limited to men "twenty years old and above, all who are able to go to war." Notice
that the men chosen were all who were able to go to war. Some have
suggested that there were some men unfit for war due to some sort of
aliment. This is a wrong assumption. "He (God) also brought them out with silver and gold, and there was none feeble among His tribes."
(Psalms 105:37) This tells us there was not one person who lacked in
physical or mental strength. They were not frail or weak in any way.
Many have used formulas to calculate the total number of people that God
delivered from the bondage of Egypt but we do not know the exact
number. Based on most researchers the average number comes to
approximately two million people. Although God Himself was leading
Israel, He chose Moses and set him over this multitude of people to lead
them on a journey to the "Promised Land." During Israel's journey
through the wilderness there were faced with various trails. Although
they witnessed their miraculous deliverance and Gods provision in the
wilderness unbelief ran rampant among the people, even the great man
Moses had his doubts. One of these happened at the Red Sea.
Israel had come to the Red Sea with impassable mountains on their left
and right and the army of Pharaoh behind them. It seemed as though there
was no place to go, there was no escape.In the natural it looked quite
disastrous, but what God spoke to Moses is a key to living a victorious
life. "And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still,
and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you
today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more
forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." Exodus 14:13-14) At first glance it appears that Moses is trying to calm the people by
assuring them that God would save them, but look what God says to Moses.
"And the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea."
(Exodus 14:15-16) God is actually rebuking Moses for unbelief. Look
carefully at these verse again and note that which is highlighted. The
Bible record numerous times that God used Moses' rod to perform
miracles, and still Moses was unsure.God did not say to Moses, stretch
forth your hand and I will divide the sea. No, God said, "stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it." God was calling Moses to exercise his faith.
Jesus' disciples were faced with a similar situation. "Now it
happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples.
And He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."
And they launched out. But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a
windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and
were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master,
Master, we are perishing!" Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the
raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said
to them, "Where is your faith?" (Luke 8:22-25).
In both situation the same thing happened. God expected Moses and the disciples of Jesus to exercise their faith,
but their unbelief put the responsibility of the situation on God
(Jesus). This happens to many in the church today. God has given the
church His Word, His promises, the Name of Jesus, authority and the Holy
Spirit, yet, when a tough situation appears, many believers cry out to
God to do something, when in fact, He has given the church these five
wonderful gifts to use against any of life's circumstances. This has
nothing to do with petitioning God in prayer. All believers are to
constantly pray. It simply means that believers are to step up as
children of God and uphold and enforce what God has already given to the
church. For instance, Jesus said, "And these signs will follow those
who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with
new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything
deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick,
and they will recover." (Mark 16:17-18)
Based on what Jesus said, believers do not have to ask God to cast out a
demon for us or to heal the sick for us. We simply follow the Lords
command and do these things in the Name of Jesus. In the Name of Jesus,
demon come out. In the Name of Jesus, be healed. This is the place where
Moses and the disciples failed as seen in the previously two passages
above. It is also the place where most believers fail. Instead of
believing and acting on God's Word, many let unbelief have the
ascendancy in their life and then wonder why things do not seem to
happen they way they had hoped. Jesus tells us, "Have faith in God.
For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed
and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes
that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe
that you receive them, and you will have them." (Mark 11:22-24)
Now your faith may not be at the level to believe God in this way, but as you feed on God's Word your faith will grow. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
(Romans 10:17) So don't be discouraged, don't quit and don't speak a
negative confessions. Know that your faith can grow and you will be used
of God to do what seems to be impossible. "Jesus said, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." (Mark 9:23)
Monday, December 6, 2021
Standing on Top of the Mountains
King David was what could be called a warring king. He, like everyone
else was not free from the struggles of life. However, one thing he did
know that many believers fail to take advantage of, he knew where to
turn to be strengthened and encouraged. He knew the source for
overcoming the struggles of life. "I will love You, O Lord my
strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God,
my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my
salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be
praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies." (Psalms 18:1-3) No
matter what David faced, he knew that the Lord was always with him and
would never leave him to fend for himself. Many of the Psalms that David
wrote reflected his struggles, yet he still knew where his source of
life came from.
On one occasion, at a young age, David face what we might consider a
mountain in his life. This mountain had a name, Goliath. Goliath was a
champion warrior of the Philistines who was of great stature. The Bible
shows us that he was almost ten feet tall. He wore a helmet and his body
armor weighed one hundred twenty five pounds. He also carried a spear
with a iron spearhead that weighed fifteen pounds. The sight of Goliath
and the threats that he made were enough to cause the army of Israel
under King Saul to become dismayed and greatly afraid. David's father
Jesse called for David to take some provisions to his others son's who
were with the army. David met with his brothers, saw Goliath and took
courage in the Lord. He was not about to sit by and allow Goliath bring
reproach upon God's people. With five smooth stones in his shepherds bag
and a sling he faced Goliath.
David was not facing Goliath alone, no, the Lord was with him. "Then
David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, with a
spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of
hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day
the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take
your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp
of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the
earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then
all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and
spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our
hands." (1 Samuel 17:45-47)
Every believer one time or another will face a situation that looks like
a Goliath. The key to overcoming the Goliath is not to let worry,
anxiety or fear have place because they compound the situation. Jesus
tells us, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will
worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:34) We are not to worry because "...our heavenly Father knows that we have need..." (Matthew 6:32) The Apostle Paul tells us,
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace
of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7) Paul also tells us, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)
Although David lived one thousand years before Christ appeared on earth and was under the Mosaic Law, he still exercised faith
in God for everything. The conclusion of David's encounter with Goliath
shows us that David did not wait for the battle to come to him but, "when
the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David
hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. Then David put
his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the
Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead,
and he fell on his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the
Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and
killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David
ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of
its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it." (1 Samuel 17:48-51)
Faith in God's ability is what put David over. The writer of Hebrews records, "But
without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God
must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who
diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6) Without unwavering confidence
in God, His Word, His wisdom, His ability and His promises it is
impossible to please Him. The other way that we can say this is, God is
not pleased with the person who has no confidence in Him; who doubts His
Word, His ability and promises or does not believe that his ways are
right. Solomon tells us to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge
Him, and He shall direct your paths." ( Proverbs 3:5-6) The Apostle Peter says it this way, "Casting
the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your
concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately
and cares about you watchfully." (1 Peter 5:7 AMP)
For many, faith seems to be somewhat obscure, unattainable and or
limited to only a few believers. However, faith is quite simple. Also
know that God has given it to every believer, "...God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." (Romans 12:3) That problem that most believers seem to experience, is they do not constantly feed on God's Word so their faith can grow. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans
10:17) For most, we feed our body multiple times each day for strength
and nourishment but our recreated spirit is neglected because most
believers do not feed on God's Word. This is one reason why so many
believers have weak faith. Another problem is believers having a double
confession. One confession is upon the absolute truth of God's Word and
then when things do not immediately change, the confession turns the
opposite way, refuting God's Word.
I want to encourage you that as we have seen, every believer has been given faith from God. (Romans 12:3) Do not let discouragement try to over take you in the midst
of what seems to be an insurmountable circumstance, instead, "...hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23) PTL
Monday, November 29, 2021
The Power of Words
Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, Jesus was
hungry. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if
perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found
nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response
Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again. And His
disciples heard it." (Mark 11:12-14)
Further into this situation as recorded in Mark 11:21, Peter says, "...Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away." The
word "cursed," here does not imply that Jesus was angry or
disappointment or that He spoke with malice. It means, devoting to
destruction; causing to wither away. It has been commonly thought that
Jesus spoke these words in reference to the destruction or the sudden
withering away of the Jewish people. To the eye the fig tree full of
leaves looked good. In a similar way, the Jews, especially the religious
leaders, looked good on the outside but, as Jesus said, "Woe to you,
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs
which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead
men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear
righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and
lawlessness.." (Matthew 23:27-28) Both the fig tree and the Jews were equally barren and as the fig tree
was destroyed or withered, so would the Jewish people be. Although this
is a good illustration of the destruction of the Jewish people, and
Jerusalem did fall in 70 AD, there is no evidence that Jesus intended it
to be so. Without scriptural evidence of meaning such, it becomes just a
good illustration.
As we continue looking at this incident we see the heart of the matter, "Now
in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from
the roots. And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig
tree which You cursed has withered away. So Jesus answered and said to
them, "Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to
this mountain, be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt
in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he
will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you
ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have
them." (Mark 11:20-24) The lesson that we should take away from this is not only a lesson on faith, but also the power of our words.
The words that we speak have greater affect than what we believe. Many times we have neutralized our faith due to our words. "You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth." (Proverbs 6:2) When we look closely at the ministry of Jesus we will discover why He had such great faith. It's because He only spoke that which He heard the Father say. "For
I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave
Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that
His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as
the Father has told Me, so I speak." (John 12:49-50)
Jesus only spoke the Father's Words. When He did, it caused faith to well up and be released. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." ( Romans 10:17) Notice that this says, "faith comes by hearing" not reading the Word of God quietly. God told Joshua, "This
Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall
meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to
all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous,
and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:8-9) Notice the specifics of God's Word to Joshua, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night." In other words, "Keep saying my Word and as you hear, meditate on it. This also was to be a continuous event, "day and night."
Although Jesus tells us, "...the words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life"
(John 6:63) does not means that people believe or understand what He
is saying. What we need to be certain of is, it is impossible to get faith
from God's Word if we do not have faith in God's Word. As Paul tells
us, faith comes by hearing God's Word. As we audibly speak God's Word,
it is absorbed by our recreated spirit and in turn renews our mind.
Notice what Jesus tells us in Mark 11:23. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be
removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but
believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever
he says. The words "say" or "says" appears three time and the word believe only once. This again points out the importance of our words.
Some people worry continually which causes them to think wrong things
which in turn cause them to speak wrong things. They constantly think
and talk doubt and unbelief. You will never build up your faith doing this. The more you talk about the problems, the bigger the problem seems to be. The Apostle Paul tells us, "Finally,
brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever
things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely,
whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there
is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things." (Philippians
4:8-9) So if things are not true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good
report, virtuous or praiseworthy, then you shouldn't be thinking about
it, because sooner or later the wrong things will come forth from your
mouth. Instead, let us take seriously the words that Solomon spoke, "My
son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not
let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart;
For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their
flesh." (Proverbs 4:20-22)
Monday, November 22, 2021
Truly Thankful to You Lord
Thanksgiving Day, in the United States, is a holiday celebrated on the
fourth Thursday in November. Thanksgiving was celebrated nationally in
1789, after a proclamation by George Washington. It has been celebrated
as a federal holiday every year since 1863, when, during the Civil War,
President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of "Thanksgiving and
Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." As a
federal and public holiday in the United States, Thanksgiving is one of
the major holidays of the year. The event that Americans commonly call
the "First Thanksgiving" was celebrated by the Pilgrims after their
first harvest in the New World at the Plymouth Plantation in 1621.
According to historic accounts, this feast lasted three days, and it was
attended by 90 Native Americans. It was first and foremost celebrated
as a religious observance of the blessings of God upon the early
settlers.
Although the colonist
did not call the celebration Thanksgiving, it was the
first corn harvest proved successful by the new colonists. After being plagued with sickness
and death, there was definitely something to be thankful to God for.
So, Governor William Bradford organized a celebratory feast and
invited a group of the fledgling colony’s Native American allies,
including the Wampanoag chief Massasoit. While no record
exists of the historic banquet’s exact menu, the Pilgrim chronicler
Edward Winslow wrote in his journal that Governor Bradford sent four men
on a “fowling” mission in preparation for the event, and that the
Wampanoag guests arrived bearing five deer. Historians have suggested
that many of the dishes were likely prepared using traditional Native
American spices and cooking methods. The
meal, most likely, did not feature pies, cakes or other desserts, which have become a
hallmark of contemporary celebrations. Today, in the United States, Thanksgiving is the most traveled holiday of the year.
In many American households, the Thanksgiving
celebration has lost much of its original religious significance.
Instead, it now centers on cooking and sharing a bountiful meal with
family and friends. Although turkey has become all but synonymous with
the holiday, it may or may not have been on the menu of this inaugural
feast in 1621. According to the National Turkey Federation, today,
nearly 90 percent of Americans eat some type of foul, whether roasted,
baked or deep-fried, on Thanksgiving Day. Other traditional foods
include stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, a variety of
vegetables and pumpkin pie. Volunteering is also a common Thanksgiving
Day activity. Communities, especially churches, often hold food drives
and host free dinners for the less fortunate. Parades have also become
an integral part of the holiday in cities and towns across the United
States. Although these things may have some redeeming qualities, there
is one thing that has certainly corrupted Thanksgiving Day which began
Thanksgiving Day 2014. Unfortunately, most department stores and
retailers have
permitted greed to erode this day of giving thanks to become a day of
making a profit.
Although there has been a departure in the United States of the true
meaning and reason for celebrating Thanksgiving, and although there may
be some who disagree that Thanksgiving was a religious event, believers
should never let any sector of society deprive us of celebrating Thanksgiving from its original roots, celebrating the wonderful works of God. The Apostle Paul tells us, "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1
Thessalonians 5:18) Believers are to maintain an attitude of gratitude.
We should always remember what the Lord Jesus Christ did for humanity.
The fact that He left the glory of heaven to take on the form of a man
(Philippians 2:5-8), becoming sin with our sin and sick with our
sicknesses (Isaiah 53:4-6, 10), should cause every believe to be
extremely thankful and to greatly rejoice. To rejoice is a spontaneous, unsustainable feeling of jubilance; a feeling so strong that it
finds expression in some external act, clapping, dancing, shouting. It means to be exceedingly joyful.
Even in our prayer time believers are to be thankful, "Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let
your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6) "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men."
(1 Timothy 2:1) So, during this festive holiday, let us truly offer the
Lord the fruit of our lips from hearts of thanksgiving, how great and
wonderful He is. Let us give Him thanks for the wonderful blessings
that He has given and continues to give. May the grace of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ fill you with thanksgiving everyday...
Monday, November 15, 2021
Set Your Mind on Things Above
God has created man as a triune being. The Apostle Paul reveals this to us, "Now
may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your
whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23) The spirit is the
faculty that relates to the spiritual realm. It is who we really are.
The body is the vehicle that allows us to relate with the world around
us. The soul is the part of man where we find the mind, will and
emotions. To put this together in perspective, man is a spirit, he has a
soul and they both dwell in a physical body. The soul is composed of
the reasoning faculties. The physical body possesses the five senses
which are the educators and teacher of the brain. The brain cannot
function without the senses which means the mind cannot function without
the senses. If a child is born without any of the five senses
functioning the mind will not function.
It makes no difference whether one is "Born Again'
or not, oft times people have many thoughts cruising back and forth
through their mind. The mind can become so powerful in a sense that it
will control a persons world whether in a good way or bad. Basically,
what a person thinks is what they will believe. What they believer will
manifest in their words, which in turn will be seen in their actions.
So, whatever is on your mind, will basically govern your life. The
Apostle Paul tells us, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is
that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2)
One of the things that we see here is how much the world system
influences the mind. It tries to conform people especially believers,
into its standard. However, we must always keep in mind that the world
has been completely corrupted by Satan. The Bible tells us that he is
the god of this world, "...whose minds the god of this age has blinded..." (2 Corinthians 4:4) and that he is the prince of the power of the air "in
which you once walked according to the course of this world, according
to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the
sons of disobedience." (Ephesians 2:2). The Apostle Paul also tells us, "and be renewed in the spirit of your mind."
(Ephesians 4:23) In other words, the entire old way of living was to be
abandoned; a new one to takes its place. The mind is to be renovated,
renewed not only in a general sense, but the very spirit of it. All of
its faculties and powers must be thoroughly and completely renewed.
When one is Born Again,
their spirit is recreated. For many believers their Christian
experience seems to rise and fall as time goes by. Let's be honest, your
mind has been fashioned after the things of this world. The world's
ideals probably have been yours. It stands to reason then, when
believers do not spend daily time in God's Word the recreated spirit in a
sense is starved. Unless ones spirit is cared for by feeding on God's
Word it becomes difficult at best for the mind to be renewed. We need to
understand that all the knowledge the mind had prior to being Born
Again, came from :he senses and the senses can never be renewed because
they are a part of the physical body. The next thing to be mindful of is
the soul also was not recreated, only the spirit. However, both can be
brought into subjection and they can be controlled so to speak, by the
recreated spirit through the Word of God. The mind slowly but surely as
it feeds on the Word, meditates in the Word, practices and lives the
Word, comes into the fellowship of the recreated spirit. This is the
place where all believers should have as a top priority in their life.
When the mind comes under subjection of the recreated spirit, then the
body will also follow.
The renewing of the mind with the Word of God has a direct correlation with the believers faith, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
(Romans 10:17) Therefore, a believer with small faith is almost
invariably a person whose mind has not yet been renewed. But we also
must keep in mind, that the mind can't be renewed by simply believing
the Bible. The Word of God must be acted upon. Many of our Bible
teachers have never seen this because their senses govern their mind,
meaning, their senses govern what they teach. Their recreated spirit has
a very small place in their lives.
God spoke to Joshua and gave him the same principle that Paul reveals to the believer, "This
Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall
meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to
all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous,
and then you will have good success." (Joshua 1:8) God tells Joshua to meditate on His Word day and night for a purpose, "For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." In other words as Joshua meditated on Gods Word his ways (acting upon the Word) would prosper and he would have success.
Paul also exhorts us with these words, "If then you were raised with
Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at
the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on
the earth." (Colossians 3:1-2) So, what is on your mind? The things
of God that bring peace and joy or the things of the world which steal
away these very things. As Paul says, "Finally, brethren, whatever
things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just,
whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things
are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything
praiseworthy, meditate on these things." (Philippians 4:8) So, let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly...
Monday, November 8, 2021
God Is Faithful
There are three enemies that believers constantly face, the kingdom of
darkness, the kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of self. Each one
if left unchecked works against the believer to deceive and distract
them from the Truth. When Jesus began His earthly ministry as the Son of
Man the Bible records that He was water Baptized, filled with the Holy
Spirit (Matthew 3:13-16) and then led by the Holy Spirit into the
wilderness where He was tempted by the devil for forty day (Luke 4:1-2).
Next, the Bible records, "Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time." (Luke 4:13) We see that the devil, even after he was defeated by Jesus in open combat, sought opportunity to get at Jesus.
For believers it is no different. We get victory from an assault of the
devil and yet it seem that he looks for opportunity to come at us
again. We need to understand that the devil hates every human being
especially those who are "Born Again." His objective is to have as many
people as possible face the same fate that he is facing, unimaginable
eternal torment in the lake of fire and brimstone (Revelation 20:10)
However, for the believer, Jesus has conquered the devil and all his
demon spirits. It is through His meritorious work on Calvary's cross
that He has provided a way to be free from Satan's tyrannical reign over
them. It is the believers faith
in Jesus Christ that has set them free. Although the devil may still
try to come against the believer, we must always remember that he is a
defeated foe. Paul said it this way, "For sin or Satan shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace."
(Romans 6:14) I added Satan because he is the originator and
perpetrator of all sin into humanity. Sin and Satan are synonymous.
Next, the believer faces the kingdoms of this world. Unfortunately, most
believers do not realize just how dependent they have become on the
world. I am not saying this in a condemning way, but it is a reality.
For many believers, when things go wrong the first thing that they do,
is turn to the world, yet Jesus tells us, "If the world hates you,
you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world,
the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but
I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." (John
15:18-19) How does the world hate us? Look at how the world looks at
Christianity. Whether a supposedly free country or not, the world has a
growing hatred towards true Christians. I say true Christians because
many people attend a church service every Sunday an act no different
than the fallen world. They have fallen prey to "...all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life..." John finishes by saying these things "...are not of the Father but of the world."
(1 John 2:16) It is no wonder why so many people in the church suffer
or have broken hearts. For believers who look to the world for answers
and still struggle, you need to know that the world will always take
that which is good such as peace, joy, faith
and love and then gives worry, stress, disappointment and destruction.
The reason for this is due to the CEO of the world system. It is none
other than Satan himself.
Finally, the believer faces, the kingdom of self. This is equally destructive to the other two because all three neutralize faith
and lead believers away from the abundant life that Jesus brought to
earth (John 10:10). The kingdom of self is summed up in this, the love
of mammon or riches. In short, it says, "What is mine, is mine" but it
does not stop there. It is motivated by the kingdom of darkness and the
kingdoms of this world that drives people to get as much as they can. I
have seen this in the lives of wealthy people who could retire and live
in luxury for the rest of their lives, but are always striving for more.
Mammon causes people to waste their lives on things not realizing that
they are missing out on the true riches of this life. The kingdom of
self unfortunately is a problem among many believers. The best way to
see if you are under control of mammon is to examine yourself and see
how much you worry about finances especially if you are going to have
enough to retire.
So, now that we have taken a brief look at the three areas that
believers face, how can we separate ourselves from them to experience
the abundant life the Jesus brought? Paul tells us, "I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable
service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:1-2) Believers
should consecrate themselves to the Lord daily and use the Word of God
daily to transform their mind. This will help believers to find the true
riches such as peace, joy, faith and love. Now, I want us to look at another very important key that will help us to act upon the Romans 12:1-2 principle.
David the king was under attack not only by the Philistines but the very
king that he served, King Saul. Both wanted him dead which forced him
to be on the run and hide in caves. Yet in all of this he remembered who
the God he served truly was, "I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my
strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies." ( Psalms 18:1-3)
Look at David's confession, The Lord is my strength, my rock, my
fortress, my deliverer, my shield, my salvation, my stronghold. This is
who our God is. When believers truly come to know this about God, the
three forces that oppose them will have less and less hold. All
believers must come to realize that our heavenly Father is faithful.
What He says, He does or He would not have said it. When we find
ourselves in a conflict with, the kingdom of darkness, the kingdoms of
this world and or the kingdom of self it is not that we should not take a
stand against them but we must foremost remember who our God and Father
truly is. Confess these things, believe it in our heart and act upon
it. Doing this will help us build our faith
and when we find ourselves facing a seemingly indomitable task, don't
be surprised to hear His small still voice say to you, "I Got This."