Prepared

On September 4, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Acts 1: 4

And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” he said, “you heard of from Me . . ..”

Before Jesus sent the disciples out to teach and preach the good news of the Messiah arisen and alive, he prepared them. Part of that preparation was for the disciples to receive the promise from the Father which Jesus said that he had spoken to them about. What was this long awaited promise? Jesus tells them in the very next phrase. Acts 1: 5 reads, “for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with (in) the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” In other words, Jesus told them that they were to await the promised Holy Spirit that the Father had been promising for some time. They were to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit before they left Jerusalem and started out in their ministries.

When God gives you a ministry or a job to do, He always prepares you first and gives you all of the gifts and assistance you need in order to accomplish that which He has directed you to do. It is His job to train you and to equip you with all that you need to succeed. The chief gift is the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “…you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth,” (Acts 1: 8).

We are still completing this mission that Jesus gave to the disciples on that day. We are still going into all the world spreading the good news about Jesus. And we, like the disciples of old, need God’s power working in our lives so that we may accomplish all that He has set us to. And what God has promised He is more than able to deliver.

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Spirit of Promise

On September 3, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Luke 24: 49

And behold, I am sending forth the promise of my Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.

Jesus made this statement during the forty-day period between his resurrection and ascension. He was preparing his disciples for the ministry ahead of them. Shortly they would form the new church and would have to carry out all the administration and teaching of a brand new religion. He had to minister to them to get them from their deep sorrow to the dynamic profession of the faith. For all they knew, the whole mission died with Jesus. They were expecting a very different kind of victory out of Jesus and they were expecting him to establish the new kingdom. That did not happen though. And even though they were taught the scriptures, they just could not reason out this apparent defeat.

So Jesus visited them during this period. He lifted their spirits and he instructed them. The disciples saw, with their own eyes, the living Jesus. They heard his voice and dined with him. They went from defeated people who were probably wondering what to do, to world changing believers. They were then able to go out and proclaim the victory of Jesus with strong conviction.

But before Jesus released them on the world, he told them to await the promise of the Father. He told them that the reception of the promise would cloth them with power. They might have thought themselves ready to go proclaim the gospel of Jesus’ when they saw him. Certainly, their sorrow turned to joy and they must have wanted to run out to the streets and spread the good news. But Jesus told them to wait so that they could receive what the Father had promised. This was part of the preparation for the gospel.

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Labor of Love

On September 2, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

 

Colossians 3: 23 – 24

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

A strong society requires a strong labor force.  It is an honor to labor in the name of the Lord Jesus.  As we celebrate the role of labor in building this country, we should remember that generations of hard working Americans are to be credited for the luxuries we enjoy today.  There is joy in doing a job well so let’s keep up the good work America!

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Delight Yourself in the Lord

On August 30, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 37: 4

Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Let us look at this verse a little differently today. Let’s drop off the end of it and think about the first part, “Delight yourself in the Lord.” What do you think it means to delight yourself in the Lord? It sounds like we are supposed to make ourselves a delight to the Lord. That is not what it means, though. The language is odd but the Passion Translation clarifies this statement for us, “Make God the utmost delight and pleasure of your life.” The God’s Word translation reads, “Be happy with the Lord.”

This verse actually means that we are supposed to be pleased with the Lord rather than trying to get Him to be pleased with us. It is just the opposite of what many people think. The writer wants you to love the Lord with all your heart. He wants you to be enamored with God. Allow me to show you a practical example of this.

I have been thinking, and writing, about how my relationship with God has changed over the years. This verse came to my mind this week while I was praying. Let me give you a little glimpse into my prayer life, not that it is the ideal, just the example I have to offer. I no longer pray about my needs very often. Truly, I haven’t for several years. I might talk to Him about what I think I need but that is not the bulk of my prayers. Instead, I usually pray about what I am supposed to do with my time. Most of my prayer time is spent seeking God’s wisdom and counsel. Well, a strange thing happened this week. I began to talk with God about what He wants me to do. What are the tasks and priorities for today? What is the vision for tomorrow? Do you want me to do this? What about that? Blah, blah, blah. I didn’t get five words out of my mouth before I stopped and said, “You know what, I am bored with this prayer. Jesus, what do you want to do? What can I do for you today? How can I cause you to smile?” Immediately I knew our relationship had just undergone another change. No longer was he just a vending machine to me, a place where I go to get what I want or need.

I have heard other ministers talk about how they commune with Jesus and it isn’t much like the formal, seminary style prayers we think about. They chat with Jesus as a best friend the key point being, it’s not all about us. These pastors that I have admired in their relationship with Jesus talk about more than their personal issues, dreams and goals. Ultimately, I think we each need to come to the place in our relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit where our conversations become just that, a conversation. I know I got bored asking about my perceived needs. I can only imagine how bored Jesus was. Thank God, literally, that he is such a gentleman. None the less, I bet he enjoys when our relationship transcends our needs.

The more time you spend with Jesus and the Father, the less inclined you find yourself to always talk about yourself and your needs. Even asking Him for His wisdom and advice all the time, while encouraged, becomes self-centered. If you want to know what God wants you to do with your life or what vision He has for you, begin asking Him what He wants. Find out what His dreams and goals are and you will find your way to help Him. You will have found your destiny and will be sublimely happy. Make Him the delight of your life by spending more time with Him and getting to know Him. Then all the pieces will fall together for you and you may find you don’t feel the need to pray about yourself all the time.

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The Golden Rule

On August 29, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Matthew 7: 12

Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

I have a couple of observations about this verse today. First, I don’t hear this proverb bantered about these days like I used to. Is it still in vogue? I think Jesus would say it is still applicable.

Another observation, Jesus said that this one principle satisfies the entire law as well as all the instruction from the prophets. In other words, today’s verse, when we live it, fulfills everything that was written in the Old Testament, all the Mosaic law and all the books of the Prophets. That’s big. Follow this one maxim and you have fulfilled the law. That is amazing. It also shows the Father’s heart. If it fulfills the law then the core of His message.

The most interesting part of this verse, though, is that it begins with the word, therefore. “Therefore,” announces the conclusion of what has gone before. In this case, before this verse Jesus was talking about prayer. From verse seven through eleven, Jesus is giving encouragement to pray saying, everyone who asks receives, etc. So, what does today’s verse have to do with prayer and receiving answers to prayer? In verses one – six Jesus was preaching about judgment telling us that we should not judge others. So, this chapter looks like this: don’t judge; ask, seek and knock, treat others as you would like to be treated. There is his message. If you want to be happy follow Jesus’ outline. Treat others well, don’t judge and expect the goodness of God to manifest in your life.

Ask God for what you want. Expect Him to give it to you but don’t fail to recognize that the asking, seeking and knocking is sandwiched between non-judgment and kindness towards others. Give and it shall be given to you (Luke 6: 38). Be kind and you shall reap the kindness of God.

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Benevolent

On August 28, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Ezekiel 23: 30

And I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

Perhaps you have heard this verse before. It is usually taught as a lament that God could find no one to pray for the land. There were no faithful people anywhere; no one who was willing to dedicate themselves to prayer. There is another aspect to this verse worth considering for there is another player involved, i.e. Yahweh Himself.

What was going on in God’s heart here? Take a moment and consider. Did God wish to destroy the land? Answer: no. He explicitly did not, which is why He went in search of a man to pray. There is consequence to sin. Sin destroys. However, God’s intent is never for destruction. His desire is to build, to create.

Compassion was ruling in God’s heart. The people of the land had nurtured a destructive pattern. They had sown the seeds of their own destruction, yet God was searching for a way to save them from themselves. His remedy was to seek out someone who would agree with Him in prayer for the salvation of the land. He wanted to intervene so as to interrupt the natural consequences of the people’s actions. Their seed was about to produce a crop so God hastened to arrest the process before that crop could manifest. However, to His chagrin, He could find no one willing to stand for the land and pray.

What I am attempting to point out is that God’s heart was operating in compassion rather than destruction. Some people read this verse and see a destructive, angry God. They could not be more wrong. Their hearts are tainted. The situation is that God was trying to prevent the destruction that was on its way. He is a loving, caring God who intercedes in our lives to prevent unwanted consequences. He encounters an issue to this day as He did at the writing of this verse. He can’t find anyone who will pray. We’re so obsessed with the bad things in life that we fail to listen to the voice which is attempting to lead us from the path of destruction or is importuning us to pray for someone else.

Let’s not be the people of this verse. Let’s see if we can learn from it. Let us turn our hearts and ears to the benevolent God of the Bible and follow where He leads. He is leading us beside still waters where we can commune with Him and receive His instruction. Expect God to be good because He always is, and He is looking for some partners who will help Him usher His goodness into the environment.

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Shake Up

On August 27, 2019   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Matthew 27: 50 – 53

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two form the top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split, and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.

Try to wrap your mind around all of this for a moment. We generally accept that Jesus arose from the grave and appeared, in the flesh, to his disciples. Sometimes I think we don’t make enough out of that truth but at least there is general recognition of it. How about the rest of the manifestations? Don’t they boggle your mind just a little? How is it that when Jesus gave up his spirit, the earth reacted so violently?

I know, the unbelievers will chalk a great deal of this story up to a natural earthquake. I have no doubt the earth quaked. That’s kind of the point. Why, though, did it shudder? The answer, I think, is because the life force which had sustained it ever since it was created was yielded, released. For a brief time, Jesus was not the life (John 14: 6) and the earth trembled in response. The life, for a brief time, went out of it.

What about the veil in the temple? That is such a poignant fact. The veil separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple, and indeed, the rest of the world. Symbolically, this represents the reality that no longer is God hidden behind a veil from the ordinary person. The veil has been pierced, rended and ultimately abolished. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, God is available to every person without the need of an intermediary. Was it coincidental that the veil in the temple was torn in two when Jesus gave up his spirit? I wouldn’t agree that damage of that sort is a likely result of an earthquake.

But lastly, surely no seismologist would argue that bodies coming back to life and arising from their graves is an expected consequence of an earthquake. These people entered the city and appeared to many people. It is surprising to me that we don’t make more of this amazing consequence of the life of Jesus. He is resurrection life and those saints are the proof of it.

The world shook when Jesus gave up his breath. Never before in the history of the earth had there been a moment without “the life.” Jesus’ release of his spirit shook the earth to its foundation, literally to its core. Many who did not previously believe, including the soldiers who participated in the crucifixion, were instantaneously converted. Of course, the news of this Jesus spread throughout Asia. This was a big deal.

I think we forget how big this event was. It is so far away from us in time and experience that we have lost the measure of its importance. Jesus’ death, quite literally, shook the world. But hold on to your hat because he isn’t done. He is coming back and he is going shake up the world again. Many, so called, unbelievers will recognize the truth of his deity and will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

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