Faith is the Evidence - FTE Blog

Faith is the Evidence

What God Wants Us to Hear the Most

1/12/2022

Editor's Note: The following is from the YouVersion Reading Plan "Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God" taken from the book of the same name written by Mark Batterson.

You aren’t the mistakes you’ve made. You aren’t the labels that have been put on you. And you aren’t the lies the Enemy has tried to sell you. You are who God says you are.

You are a child of God.

You are the apple of God’s eye.

You are sought after.

You are more than a conqueror.

You are a new creation in Christ.

You are the righteousness of Christ.

All our identity issues are fundamental misunderstandings of who God is. Guilt issues are a misunderstanding of God’s grace. Control issues are a misunderstanding of God’s sovereignty. Anger issues are a misunderstanding of God’s mercy. Pride issues are a misunderstanding of God’s greatness. Trust issues are a misunderstanding of God’s goodness. If you struggle with any of those issues, it’s time to let God be the loudest voice in your life!

God doesn’t love us because of who we are. God loves us because of who He is.

When we succeed, God says, “I love you.”

When we fail, God says, “I love you.”

When we have faith, God says, “I love you.”

When we doubt, God says, “I love you.”

Love is His answer to everything. Why? Because He is love. There is nothing you can do to make Him love you any more or any less. God loves you perfectly. He loves you eternally.

God wants us to hear what He’s saying, and we must heed His voice. But much more than that, He wants us to hear His heart. So He whispers softer and softer so that we have to get closer and closer. And when we finally get close enough, He envelops us in His arms and tells us that He loves us.

We’ve been deafened by the voice of conformity, the voice of criticism, and the voice of condemnation, and the side effects include loneliness, shame, and anxiety.

The good news? You not only bear God’s image but you know His voice. It’s His voice that knit you together in your mother’s womb. It’s His voice that ordained all your days before one of them came to be. It’s His voice that began a good work and His voice that will carry it to completion.

What Would It Look Like If We Saw Everybody As Christ Sees Them?

1/7/2022

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everybody saw others as Christ sees them? What would this world be like if we saw things from God’s perspective instead of ours? Our human perspective on everything is stuck in time and space, while God’s perspective is eternal. We worry and pray about what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, next year or even the next ten years. We see the obstacles that we must overcome to accomplish what we believe, or know is our purpose, and we sometimes doubt because they seem unsurmountable.

God knows the end from the beginning so we should pray that God will allow us to see our purpose from His perspective. He may not show or tell us all the intricate details because some of them may discourage us, but if we ask Him He will assure us that He will be with us for the entire journey.

Deuteronomy 31:6,8 (HCSB)6 Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you.” 8 The LORD is the One who will go before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”

God works out all the rough places in the journey.

Romans 8:28-30 (HCSB)28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.29 For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.30 And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified.

God’s thoughts are always for our best.

Jeremiah 29:11 (HCSB)11 For I know the plans I have for you”—⌊this is⌋ the LORD’s declaration—“plans for ⌊your⌋ welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

God’s perspective is the long view while ours is limited by what we can see or imagine.

New what if we could see everybody we run into as Christ sees them instead of how we see them. If we could see people, all people, from the perspective of Christ. We would not see color, or size, or national origin, or age or sexual orientation. We would see them through the the eyes as Christ and that’s through the eyes of love.

In his book The Remarkable Ordinary, Frank Buechner says that “He sees us because He loves us; He loves us because He sees us. That’s the way that we should see each other. We should ask Jesus to show us how to see each other from His perspective.

Stop, Look, and Listen for God: Love Each Other

Excerpted with permission from The Remarkable Ordinary by Frederick Buechner, copyright Frederick Buechner Literary Assets, LLC. Published by Zondervan.

To look with the imagination as well as with the eyes. To look with empathy and compassion. To see each other as Rembrandt saw the old woman, as Holden Caulfield and Seymour Glass with X-ray eyes, which, of course, Jesus supremely has. The most precious words from His lips — and to me I think the most precious of all — are,

Come unto Me all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.

Those words are addressed not only to the people who are obviously laboring and heavy laden — the people in nursing homes, the poor, the dispossessed, the starving — they are addressed to everybody. They are addressed to the beautiful girl on her wedding day. They are addressed to the man who just made a million dollars. They are addressed to the young graduate of whatever it is, who is heading off into the great big world. Jesus sees that all of us labor and are heavy laden and are in need of rest or are in need of Him or in need of peace.

So we are to see each other like that, as Jesus sees us, framed as if each one of our faces is seen by Him. And the frame He sees us in, if you have to give it a word, is the frame of love.

He sees us because He loves us; He loves us because He sees us.

Imagine yourself in a big city in a crowd of people. What it would be like to see all the people in the crowd like Jesus does — an anonymous crowd with old ones and young ones, fat ones and thin ones, attractive ones and ugly ones — think what it would be like to love them. If our faith is true, if there is a God, and if God loves, He loves each one of those. Try to see them as loved. And then try to see them, these faces, as loved by you. What would it be like to love these people, to love these faces — the lovable faces, the kind faces, gentle, compassionate faces? That’s not so hard. But there are lots of other faces — disagreeable faces, frightening faces, frightened faces, cruel faces, closed faces. I find if you think of them as your family, it helps. You can do it, and it’s an exercise worth trying.

What it would be like to love each one of these faces, to see the face and to love the face for what lies there, to meet the face that is finally — as that minister said in answer to C. S. Lewis’s question “What did Hitler look like?” — “Like Christ.”

Ah, they are all peculiar treasures. I used that as a title of a book — it’s from Exodus where God said to Israel, “You shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people.” God meant it for all of us. And when I think of God treasuring us, I often think of another art that I haven’t talked about yet — about television.

I think of television as an art — abused and used for all the wrong purposes, and corny and dreadful in lots of ways, but in some cases enormously powerful. Like that old sitcom All in the Family, for instance — Archie Bunker and Meathead and Gloria and all that. It makes you laugh a lot, but it’s also moving, rather like Garrison Keillor who has the same great gift for being very funny and at the same time very moving. I remember one scene in particular where Meathead, Archie’s son-in-law, and Gloria, Archie’s daughter, were leaving for the West Coast, and this was the good-bye scene.

Archie and Meathead were standing out on the front stoop of that little house where they lived and where Archie and Meathead had fought all those years. Archie is an arch-bigot, a racist, a sexist, and more, while Meathead is a fire-breathing liberal, and they’ve been tangling for years and years and years. Now here they were about to say good-bye to each other and speechless. Neither could think of a thing to say. All of a sudden, Meathead threw his arms around Archie Bunker and said, “You thought I hated you, but all the time I loved you.” An incandescent moment. And Archie’s face sort of folded in, like it was just punched with a fist. He had no words to say, but it was as if he spoke those words too — you thought I hated you, you thought I was indifferent to you, you thought I wasn’t around, you thought I didn’t exist… but all the time, I loved you.

Love each other like that. Love each other knowing that you are loved. Love yourself knowing that I love you.

10 Good Things Social Media Can Never Offer Us

1/5/2022

Hello, my name is Donald, and I had a social media addiction. I know that I am not alone. Some of my closest Christian and non-Christian friends are social media addicts. Like most additions like alcohol, drugs, shopping, sex, etc., social media addiction seeks up on me like the abrupt discovery of a fast-moving cancer. Plus, it is has a socially acceptable nature. You don't think you have a problem, until it becomes undeniable. With a social media addiction, we carry the objects of our addictions wherever we go with our laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. We are sign in, post and then check, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapshot, YouTube, etc, with a tap or swipe.

Adam Alter, a New York University professor said, “…when you get a like on social media, all of those experiences produce dopamine, which is a chemical associated with pleasure.” Consequently, we are not up against our own willpower, but a chemical change in our brains. For some of us it will take professional help to be delivered from a social media addiction. In a few cases it may require medication. However even with medication we must eventually come to the realization that God is the only remedy strong enough to free us from technologies’ trappings.

10 Things Social Media Can Never Offer

1. Social media can never offer the full truth.

We live in an age of relativism, where truth, morality, and knowledge are dependent on the individual’s experiences, there are no absolutes. That is very apparent than on the internet. Social media has become a confused mixture of differing philosophies on everything from sexuality to politics. So, if we look to social media to determine what the truth is, at best we will be confused. To know truth we must know God through Jesus Christ.

John 14:6‭-‬7 NIV Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

2. Social media cannot offer us worth.

Here are some of the thoughts of a cyber junkie; I need to update my status, post a pic, and comment on that photo. Don’t forget the hashtags. Did I get any comments today? Who liked my pictures? How many shares?

Like a drug addiction social media will become your go to when you have free time, down-time, or no time. The notification sound like Pavlov’s dog salivating at the sound of a bell keeps luring you back. Depending on the response to our post or comment there is the potential to become puffed up with our social media status. If you are honest, likes on social media are a confidence booster, but a negative, nasty comment and few or heaven forbid, no likes shatter us. Basing our worth on the inconsistent feedback of our social media relationships will only leave us perpetually stuck in a performance trap.

God’s security, on the contrary, is not based on anything we do. It is abundantly available to us, with no strings attached.

Matthew 10:29‭-‬31 NIV Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

3. Social media cannot love us.

The true meaning of love is given in scripture as inspired by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 13:4‭-‬8 TPT Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up. Love never stops loving. It extends beyond the gift of prophecy, which eventually fades away. It is more enduring than tongues, which will one day fall silent. Love remains long after words of knowledge are forgotten.

If we turn to social media and the emojis and gifs to feel loved, eventually we will find our love lacking the love we desire. If we are going to truly know love we must look to the word of God and not our phones, and tablets. God will love us if we never post another picture, update our status, hashtag, or tweet.

4. Social media takes away precious time.

Although social media can make our world smaller, enabling us to connect with distant friends and loved ones, it can also drive a wedge in our relationships. If we allow it to, social media can deceive us into believing that the information on our phones is more important than the person we are spending time with. Whether we are with our kids, our spouse, girlfriends, or our Father in heaven, we must value that time as special and deserving of uninterrupted attention.

Some ways we can do this are by imposing no-device zones in our homes, having device-free dinner times, and simply turning our phones off. We must be intentional to prioritize the time we have with those we love the most.

Psalms 90:12 NIV Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

5. Social media can’t fill us with hope.

In recent years we’ve weathered the tumultuous changes in our world on social media. We’ve shared our hurts and thoughts and openly grappled with our whys? on social media. In some cases, we have vented and found emotional support and encouragement. There is nothing wrong with finding encouragement through our social media channels, but we cannot place our hope in people, whether face-to-face or online. God is our source of hope, not people, though, He can use them to encourage and uplift. Hope is found in God.

Isaiah 40:28‭-‬31 NIV Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:30‭-‬31 NIV Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

6. Social media can’t offer us the wisdom we need.

Social Media has also become a great way to readily access information. If you are looking for a great restaurant, ask a question on Facebook. If you need a new hairstylist, look on Instagram. We can even find new careers on social media.
The information found on these platforms also delves into deeper topics like, faith, race, and morality. We can find information on whatever we desire to know more about. And whereas this is a useful tool, we must remember that knowledge “puffs-up,” but wisdom, which is the application of knowledge, comes from God.

Proverbs 2:6‭-‬8 NIV For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

7. Social media can’t offer us Christ-like character.

When it comes to character, James gives a vivid description of just how it is cultivated in our lives.

James 1:2‭-‬4 NIV “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Since social media most often entails the highlight reels of our lives, maintaining our platforms doesn’t afford us an opportunity to grow in Christ-like character. On the contrary, character is developed in the unseen parts our lives. It is in the countless prayers we plead over our loved ones, the service we give without thanks, and the forgiveness we offer when it is undeserved. This is the character that social media cannot give to us.

8. Social media can’t offer us (the right) identity.

Social media allows us to present only the best parts of our lives. Consequently, we post pictures of our homes when they are clean, share our food when it is delicious, and upload selfies when we are fabulous. Rarely do we see updates of people at their worst. But our identity is not rooted in a perfect presentation. Our identity is found in God alone.
To relegate our identity to a perfect public persona is to be confined to a box. God’s idea of us is far greater and it encompasses everything about who we are.

9. Social media can’t offer us contentment.

It is amazing how we usually see the things we are longing for on social media. The dream vacation, the wonderful man or woman and 2.5 kids, and the perfect job all is happening for someone else, not us. We used to peek over the fence to envy our neighbor’s grass; we now have a front row seat to all their life updates by way of social media.

This is not leading us one step closer to contentment. On the contrary, it is pushing us further and further away from it. If we are going to know contentment, it may require us to take periodic breaks from social media to live lives of gratitude.

Philippians 4:11‭-‬13 NIV I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

A10. Social media can’t offer us God

If we truly had a revelation of who God is, it is possible we would have no desire for social media at all. Scripture describes Him as light, living water, hope, peace, truth, a provider, a wonderful counselor, omniscient, omnipotent, merciful, just, loving, and so much more. If we had an awareness of all that He is, we would be lacking nothing.

Somehow this truth has been lost, leaving many to believe the lie that social media is something we cannot live without. If this is a reality for us, the only way to view God as greater than the temptation of social media is to spend time in His presence. Through prayer, Bible reading, and meditation on scripture; we realize there are several good things God gives that social media cannot. Time, we spend with God is always time well spent.

Jeremiah 29:11‭-‬13 NIV For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

God Will See You Through In 2022

1/3/2022

This was my first post of 2017. It was so powerful that I’m going to make it one of my first posts every year for as long as I write this blog.

Matthew 5:14 (NLT)14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

In my devotion time New Year’s Eve I read something written by Kris Valloton from Destined to Win. I was blown away by its truth, encouragement, and challenge to Christians for the New Year.

This is the complete devotion;

Greatness and fame are terms often confused or even used inter-changeably. Fame is usually the result of some popular act: a ball is caught, a song is sung, a book is written, or a character is played. But greatness cannot be reduced to an action or an event. Kingdom greatness is measured long after the crowds have dispersed, the applause has silenced, and the stage lights have cooled, because true greatness lies deep in the heart of every person. In fact, genuine greatness is most often exposed in the dark times, in the secret places, and in the alone hours of a believer’s existence. It is in these desert seasons that the seedbeds of God’s greatness, the attributes we need to cultivate, are conceived. It is later — often much later — that the results are revealed to the world.

Humility and greatness walk hand-in hand. That’s right, true humility is fully connected to being rewarded. Most of us know Matthew 23:12 says that,

Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.

So, the act of humility is the very pathway to promotion! Greatness is planted in the seedbed of humility, it’s watered by the deeds of servant hood and it’s cultivated by the hands of perseverance until it finally yields the harvest of royalty.

Being a World Changer

The Scriptures describe men and women of God who cultivated these qualities and took hold of their positions of divine influence to shift the destinies of nations. Their prominence was not for their own benefit, but for the purpose of shaping society toward God’s original intent. They created catalytic cultures that maximized the godly influence of their constituents on the rest of creation. Believers throughout the book of Acts are great examples of noble people who catalyzed culture. They had such deep impacts on their societies that when Paul and his friends arrived in Thessalonica, the people said,

These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. — Acts 17:6 NKJV

The world is crying out for people like Paul, Esther, Deborah and Joseph who will become fathers and mothers to the pharaohs of the world (see Genesis 45) and see whole nations fall into the hands of the Lord. God is summoning the Daniels of the earth who can stand as he did in the courts of four worldly kings and bring the most powerful nations into the Kingdom. God is gathering the Nehemiahs of our day to rebuild our ruined cities and restore hope to the planet. He is awakening the Davids of our generation and commissioning them to defeat the giants of racism, crime, immorality, and corruption that seem to roam the earth wreaking havoc on our children.

Positioned for Success

This is our moment, our time, our Jordan River crossing, and our season for epic transition. We are God’s X factor, His secret weapon, His ace in the hole, His divine strategy for global reformation. That’s right. We are the “salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13). We preserve the planet and are vital to life in the Kingdom. We are the light rising in the darkness that is longing for a new day to dawn. It’s you and me, and it’s people like us all over the world who are taking hold of this mandate to stand firm in our stations at the height of every city and shine against the back-drop of doom. Together we are the “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14), illuminating breathtaking solutions to people in desperate, despairing, and destructive circumstances

22 for 2022

12/27/2021

Editor's Note: For the New Year of 2018 I started an annual post of scriptures totaling the last two numbers of the coming year. This is my post to bring in 2022. 

As we near the end of this crazy year of 2021, here’s quote from the book Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maude Montgomery, “Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” There may be chaos, confusion, a pandemic, racial inequality, political division, a President that is unwilling to accept defeat but there are no mistakes yet in the new day. All these mistakes and problems are in the past there will be no new ones at midnight January 1, 2021. That’s enough to make you shout. The year 2022 will start with excitement and anticipation for an end to COVID-19, a new direction for the country and hope for movement for racial and gender equity and there are no mistakes in it yet at one second after midnight. To prepare us for that let’s get ready with twenty-two inspirational scriptures. I pray that 2022 will be your best year yet.

Start the New Year off right by meditating on God’s Word:

1. Ecclesiastes 3:1 (BBE) For everything there is a fixed time, and a time for every business under the sun.

2. Proverbs 16:3 (BBE) Put your works into the hands of the Lord, and your purposes will be made certain.

3. Psalm 90:12 (BBE) So give us knowledge of the number of our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom.

4. Jeremiah 29:11 (BBE) For I am conscious of my thoughts about you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you hope at the end.

5. Proverbs 16:9 (BBE) A man may make designs for his way, but the Lord is the guide of his steps.

6. Philippians 3:13-14 (BBE)13 Brothers, it is clear to me that I have not come to that knowledge; but one thing I do, letting go those things which are past, and stretching out to the things which are before,14 I go forward to the mark, even the reward of the high purpose of God in Christ Jesus.

7. Psalm 65:11 (BBE) The year is crowned with the good you give; life-giving rain is dropping from your footsteps,

8. Philippians 4:6-7 (BBE)6 Have no cares; but in everything with prayer and praise put your requests before God.7 And the peace of God, which is deeper than all knowledge, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

9. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (BBE) So if any man is in Christ, he is in a new world: the old things have come to an end; they have truly become new.

10. 1 Peter 1:3 (BBE) Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who through his great mercy has given us a new birth and a living hope by the coming again of Jesus Christ from the dead,

11. Proverbs 3:5-6 (BBE)5 Put all your hope in God, not looking to your reason for support.6 In all your ways give ear to him, and he will make straight your footsteps.

12. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)31 But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness.

13. Lamentations 3:22-24 (BBE)22 It is through the Lord's love that we have not come to destruction, because his mercies have no limit.23 They are new every morning; great is your good faith.24 I said to myself, The Lord is my heritage; and because of this I will have hope in him.

14. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (BBE) He has made everything right in its time; but he has made their hearts without knowledge, so that man is unable to see the works of God, from the first to the last.

15. Mark 12:28-31 (BBE)28 And one of the scribes came, and hearing their argument together, and seeing that he had given them a good answer, put the question to him, Which law is the first of all?29 Jesus said in answer, The first is, Give ear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord;30 And you are to have love for the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.31 The second is this, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself. There is no other law greater than these.

16. Matthew 6:25-26 (BBE)25 So I say to you, Take no thought for your life, about food or drink, or about clothing for your body. Is not life more than food, and the body more than its clothing?26 See the birds of heaven; they do not put seeds in the earth, they do not get in grain, or put it in store-houses; and your Father in heaven gives them food. Are you not of much more value than they?

17. Ezekiel 36:26-28 (BBE)26 And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you: I will take away the heart of stone from your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh.27 And I will put my spirit in you, causing you to be guided by my rules, and you will keep my orders and do them.28 So that you may go on living in the land which I gave to your fathers; and you will be to me a people, and I will be to you a God.

18. Psalm 96:1-3 (BBE)1 O make a new song to the Lord; let all the earth make melody to the Lord.2 Make songs to the Lord, blessing his name; give the good news of his salvation day by day.3 Make clear his glory to the nations, and his wonders to all the peoples.

19. James 1:17-18 (BBE)17 Every good and true thing is given to us from heaven, coming from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change or any shade made by turning.18 Of his purpose he gave us being, by his true word, so that we might be, in a sense, the first-fruits of all the things which he had made.

20. James 4:6,10 (BBE) 6 But he gives more grace. So that the Writings say, God is against the men of pride, but he gives grace to those who make themselves low before him. 10 Make yourselves low in the eyes of the Lord and you will be lifted up by him.

21. Isaiah 43:18-19 (BBE) 18 Give no thought to the things which are past; let the early times go out of your minds.19 See, I am doing a new thing; now it is starting; will you not take note of it? I will even make a way in the waste land, and rivers in the dry country.

22. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (BBE) 17 For our present trouble, which is only for a short time, is working out for us a much greater weight of glory; 18 While our minds are not on the things which are seen, but on the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are for a time; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Let’s make this the year where we see real life change, not only in ourselves but in the people around us because this will be the year, we decide to give it all up to the only one who is making all things new, Jesus Christ!

What Romans 8:28 Means

12/27/2021

Romans 8:28 NIV And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

The promise of Romans 8:28 that God works for our good “in all things” is reassuring. It means that, there are only two qualifiers for God to be working all things together for our good, no matter the circumstance.

First, if you love God, you can trust that He is working for your good.

Second, He works for “those who are called according to His purpose.” Following God requires that you submit to His purpose for you. You have been called by Him for a purpose that He holds for your life.

In fact, the wording of this verse suggests that these two qualifiers–loving God and experiencing His call–are actually one. Those who love God are called according to His purpose. And vice versa.

Being called according to God’s purpose also reminds us that “our good” is not for our comfort or what the world calls success. It’s the furthering of His purpose through us.
God never said that all things are good. He said everything that He created was good when He created it.

Genesis 1:31 NIV God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

But when Adam and Eve sinned all bets were off.

Genesis 2:15‭-‬17 NIV The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Their sin had also had a negative effect on the whole creation.

Romans 8:19‭-‬22 NIV For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

No matter how rose-colored our glasses are, there’s nothing good about cancer, sex trafficking, or death. Until Jesus returns and conquers Satan once and for all, sin will continue to drag its destructive path across our world, damaging and destroying everything in its wake.

The truth of Romans 8:28 reminds us that although sin and Satan are powerful, God is more powerful; He is able to redeem and restore anything for our good and his glory. All things may not be good, but God can and will use all things for good.

God allows everything into our lives for one of two purposes—either to bring us into a relationship with himself or, if we already know him, to make us more like his Son.

Romans 8:29 NIV For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

As long as we live in this world, people will try to make sense of God’s sovereignty with humanity’s suffering. Romans 8:28 assures us that no suffering is wasted, and God is always at work for our good and his glory. When we don’t understand why trials come and we struggle to imagine that anything good can come from them, we can rest in the security that God is always in control.

Father,

Sometimes I can’t understand how you and bring beauty for the ashes of my life. I struggle to trust you with the broken pieces. You say in your word that without faith it is impossible to please You, and I want to please You. I want to trust you. I want You to make me more like Jesus and use my trials for my good and your glory. Help me believe the promise that you will work everything the good, the bad, and the ugly for my good so that I look more like Jesus.

How to Identify Arrogance in a Spiritual Leader

12/23/2021

Arrogant - having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities.

Arrogance - an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions; an insulting way of thinking or behaving that comes from believing that you are better, smarter, or more important than other people

In the business, entertainment and sports world arrogance and leadership go together. Confident even cocky describe a successful leader. In the church most people say that they want a confident yet humble leader. Many Christian organizations and ministries position themselves to attract confident leaders but because they are largely results-driven rather than spirit let they created arrogant leaders.

The problem with that is that Christian ministries and organizations unintentionally move toward arrogant and proud leaders who may one day fall from the pedestals the ministries put them on. This often results in a scandalous, embarrassing position for the leader and the ministry or organization.

Proverbs 16:18‭-‬19 NIV Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.

How Can You Tell if Your Leaders are Arrogant or Humble? ( from 10 Signs of Arrogance in a Spiritual Leader by Sue Schlesman )

1. Bragging

Arrogant leaders talk about their accomplishments all the time, their relationships with important people, and their perfect families. They are not vulnerable or transparent. Instead, they name-drop, obsess over self-promotion, and put and/or use their families and position as something for people to admire and follow.

Psalms 94:4 NIV They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting.

2. Stubbornness

Arrogant leaders don’t lose a discussion, argument, or debate. They have the last word and the final say with limited reference or deference to scripture. They may ask for input or feedback, but they don’t use other people’s ideas or take critique seriously. They respond to disagreements with sharp responses instead of graceful discussion.

John 5:30 NIV By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

3. Critical

Arrogant leaders criticize and belittle other ministries, ministers, or laypeople. Through passive-aggressive behavior, sarcasm, or intellectualism, prideful leaders jab at anyone who threatens their reputations as successful and popular leaders. They feel competitive toward other leaders, so they feel the need to put down those leaders. They also withhold praise for their peers and their followers because nobody quite lives up to their expectations.

Psalms 101:5 NIV Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate.

4. Un-coachable

Arrogant leaders aren’t coachable. They don’t use mentors, counselors, books, or conferences to help them grow personally; instead, they absorb information for themselves and learn about what’s wrong in the world and who’s to blame for it. They like to lead change or point out problems from the sidelines, but they struggle to take responsibility when things go wrong on their watch. Instead of building their ministries through their own work arrogant leaders prefer to attach themselves to popular people for a quicker rise to the top.

Proverbs 13:10 NIV Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

5. Singular Perspective

Since arrogant leaders believe that their perspective is always right, they fail to see alternatives. They don’t like considering other viewpoints or hearing input from a variety of sources. They want to be left alone to do things their way. Balancing and honoring multiple perspectives and thus sharing the glory is avoided. .

Psalms 131:1 NIV My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.

6. Hoarding Power

Self-absorbed leaders have difficulty empowering their followers to carry out God’s vision. They hoard or micro-manage tasks because it’s easier to transfer blame than it is to transfer ownership or risk the success of an important task. Arrogant leaders hoard power and dole out useless titles and responsibilities. They build a close group of loyal peers to champion their causes and manipulate group approval. They struggle to transition out of their roles because transitioning roles means giving up control.

2 Timothy 3:2‭-‬5 NIV People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

7. Loves Attention

Arrogant leaders can be introverts or extroverts. Regardless of personality, people love attention because it makes them feel more loved and secure. Attention-seeking is a dangerous goal for a minister of the gospel, as it will interfere with the ability to stand for truth, implement mission, and love the unlovely. Excessive platform-building, social media obsession, and flattery are all signs that spiritual leaders want attention for themselves.

Galatians 4:17 NIV Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them.

8. Prideful

Even though arrogant leaders might use committees or consensus to generate and implement goals, arrogant leaders stick to their own ideas most of the time. They often take credit for their people’s work but do not take responsibility for their people’s failures. They are unable to admit when they feel overwhelmed, unqualified, or failing. Under the title of strong leadership, they keep all their plates spinning because they can always blame someone else if they drop one. But God promises that the proud will eventually bear the disgrace of their actions.

Proverbs 11:2 NIV When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

9. Irreplaceable

Arrogant ministers center their ministries around themselves: around their personality, personal goals, and fears. While it’s true that every church structure adapts to the strengths and weaknesses of its leader, if a ministry revolves entirely around one or two central leaders, then everyone ministering there will worry about how their work is seen by the leaders instead of serving as an offering to God. The ministry will become dysfunctional, cultish, and idolatrous. When leaders are not encouraging and mentoring individuals to grow the ministry according to their own gifting and calling, those leaders will view themselves as irreplaceable. As the example of a perfect servant leader, Jesus modeled spiritual leadership better than anyone else in Scripture. And he transferred his position and ministry to flawed humans to grow and mess up as they willed.

2 Timothy 2:1‭-‬2 NIV You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

10. Unaccountable

Arrogant leaders struggle to maintain personal boundaries. They feel entitled to privileges and exceptions; they cite respect, rights, and spiritual authority as the primary reasons for their protection from personal, spiritual, moral, or ethical accountability measures. They feel they have earned the right to set their own rules for themselves. Leaders without boundaries attach loyalty and trust to privilege, which hampers accountability and opens them up to spiritual attack and moral failure.

1 Timothy 3:2‭-‬3 NIV Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

Arrogant leaders fear public opinion instead of fearing the Lord

Their pride and insecurity cause them to focus their attention and energy on themselves, on the outward perception of their worth instead of the inward condition of their character. Be careful about following arrogant leaders.

Proverbs 8:13 NIV To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.

Praise God As You Begin and End Each Day

12/17/2021

Every Friday morning, by phone I join two ladies from LIFE (Love Intervening For Every) Ministries to pray for whatever is in our hearts. This morning praise and thanksgiving was on my heart. As I do every morning, including my Friday morning prayer time with these ladies, I start my prayer with "This is the day that the Lord has made we shall rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).

After our prayer time I read this, and I want to share it with you and encourage you to start and end every day engaging God in praise (from His Name is to be Praises by Vance K. Jackson)

From The Rising Of The Sun.

“From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised.” Psalms‬ ‭113:3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

From the rising of the sun, His name is to be praised. Engage God at the beginning. Start your day by engaging Christ. At the beginning of your circumstance, choose to praise His name. Engage God at the beginning and seek Him for wisdom. Seek His counsel. Seek God for guidance. Seek His heart.

Engage God at the beginning of your ministry. Engage God at the beginning of your marriage. Engage God at the beginning of your business. Engage God at the beginning of your career. Choose to let God lead your life and engage Him in every aspect of your life.

From the going down of the same, His name is to be praised. It’s never too late to praise Him. It’s never too late to engage God. Engage Him in all seasons, His name is to be praised. Choose to praise Him before the storm forms. Engage Him in every area of your life, His name is to be praised.

Psalm‬ ‭113:3‬ ‭AMPC‬‬ declares, “From the rising of the sun to the going down of it and from east to west, the name of the Lord is to be praised!” No matter where you are on your journey — choose to praise the Lord. No matter where you are, choose to praise the Lord. No matter how high you soar on the corporate ladder of success — choose to praise the Lord.

Let your life become a living declaration of His goodness. Let your life reflect His faithfulness. Surrender your life over to Christ. Surrender your career over to Him. Surrender your family over to Him. Surrender your business over to Him. Surrender your ministry over to Him. Surrender your thoughts over to Him. Surrender your dreams over to Him. Surrender your plans over to Him. Surrender every area of your life over to Christ — for He is worthy to be praised.

Names of Jesus for Advent

12/11/2021

We are well into Advent which in 2021 began on Sunday November 28th and ends on Christmas Eve Friday, December 24th.

The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” which is a translation of the Greek word parousia. Scholars believe that during the 4th and 5th centuries in Spain and Gaul, Advent was a season of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Epiphany, the celebration of God’s incarnation represented by the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus, his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist , and his first miracle at Cana. During this season of preparation, Christians would spend 40 days in penance, prayer, and fasting to prepare for this celebration; originally, there was little connection between Advent and Christmas.

By the 6th century, however, Roman Christians had tied Advent to the coming of Christ. But the “coming” they had in mind was not Christ’s first coming in the manger in Bethlehem, but his second coming in the clouds as the judge of the world. It was not until the Middle Ages that the Advent season was explicitly linked to Christ’s first coming at Christmas.

Advent is a time of expectation and hope and it prompts us to pause each day in December and remember why Jesus came and why we celebrate Christmas

Advent starts the Christian year like January starts the beginning of the calendar year.

Today, the Advent season lasts for four Sundays leading up to Christmas. In Advent, we’re reminded of how much we ourselves also need a Savior, and we look forward to our Savior’s second coming even as we prepare to celebrate his first coming at Christmas.

For indeed, not only do we commemorate his first coming on December 25th, but we also know that he will come again.

The themes most often used for the four weeks of Advent are Hope, Peace, Joy and Love

Hope is the feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. Advent teaches us to not only to expect hope for eternity, but we can expect hope for today.

Next is peace. This peace that is not just a psychological state of mind; this peace is spiritual peace. This is the peace of people whose sins are forgiven

Joy is the next these This is s joy that rises above circumstances. This joy is not produced by something external that makes me feel happy. It is the supernatural result of a life filled with the Holy Spirit of the living God.

And finally love. This this love is a gift that originates with God and is Undeserving, Unlimited, and often Unclaimed.

The Bible attributes many different names and titles to Jesus. All of the 200 or so names and titles give us insight into His character and Who He really is. Jesus has so many titles because He fulfills all our needs. Wherever you are in life, whatever you need, He’s got it covered.

In this Advent blog I will reflect on 14 names of Jesus, various titles he is given and ways He is described. I will draw from both Old Testament prophecy and the Gospels accounts of His life just who Jesus is through these names. Also read the posts in my blog category “Who is Jesus”. The link is at the right side of this post.

Alpha and Omega

Isaiah 44:6 CEV I am the Lord All-Powerful, the first and the last, the one and only God. Israel, I have rescued you! I am your King.

Jesus proclaimed himself to be the Alpha and Omega on a number of occasions in the book of Revelation. This is a significant way to describe himself. Being the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet, Jewish Rabbi’s would often use Alpha and Omega to create a sense of wholeness, or fulfilment. When Jesus described himself in this way, we believe it to be a further confirmation of His being at the beginning of all things, and that He will be there at the end of time.

For us as Christians, we see Jesus as the fulfilment of the promises of the Old Testament, and God’s plan for restoration and reconciliation for all of mankind.

Revelation 22:12‭-‬13 CEV Then I was told: I am coming soon! And when I come, I will reward everyone for what they have done. I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

Lamb of God

Exodus 12:3‭-‬7‭, ‬13 CEV Tell the people of Israel that on the tenth day of this month the head of each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for his family to eat. If any family is too small to eat the whole animal, they must share it with their next-door neighbors. Choose either a sheep or a goat, but it must be a one-year-old male that has nothing wrong with it. And it must be large enough for everyone to have some of the meat. Each family must take care of its animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, when the animals are to be killed. Some of the blood must be put on the two doorposts and above the door of each house where the animals are to be eaten. The blood on the houses will show me where you live, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. Then you won't be bothered by the terrible disasters I will bring on Egypt.

When we consider Jesus as the Lamb of God, we understand the deep symbolism of sacrifice. In the Old Testament, a sacrifice was made in order to please God, to make things right with Him. This was a significant act of worship to God. In the story of the Exodus, the lamb played a crucial part in God saving His people through their sacrificing a lamb and painting the lamb (or goat’s) blood on the doorpost of their house. This would save them. A lamb without blemish. When we look to Christ, we see Him as the ultimate fulfilment of sacrifice. A lamb without blemish and free from accusation, Jesus took upon Himself the punishment that belongs to us. Jesus is the ultimate end to God’s plan for the salvation of the world.

John 1:29 CEV The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said: Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Light of the World

Exodus 13:21‭-‬22 CEV During the day the Lord went ahead of his people in a thick cloud, and during the night he went ahead of them in a flaming fire. That way the Lord could lead them at all times, whether day or night.

Isaiah 49:6 CEV Now the Lord says to me, “It isn't enough for you to be merely my servant. You must do more than lead back survivors from the tribes of Israel. I have placed you here as a light for other nations; you must take my saving power to everyone on earth.”

There are few things more glorious than a beautiful sunrise or dazzling sunset. Light in the Old Testament was seen as a sign of God’s power (burning bush, bright clouds, pillar of fire etc.).

It was clear that light stood for the glory of God. The ultimate glory of God is found in the person of Christ Jesus, who came into a world darkened by sin and shed the light of life and truth through His work and His words. Those who trust in Him have their eyes opened by Him and walk in the light. When Jesus is described as the light of the world, we see the fullness of God in human form, for all to see His glory.

John 8:12 CEV Once again Jesus spoke to the people. This time he said, “I am the light for the world! Follow me, and you won't be walking in the dark. You will have the light that gives life.”

Savior

Isaiah 19:20 CEV These will remind the Egyptians that the Lord All-Powerful is with them. And when they are in trouble and ask for help, he will send someone to rescue them from their enemies.

In Jesus we find our ultimate savior. Jesus rescued us from ultimate separation from God for eternity. Jesus saves His people by dying to redeem them, by giving the Holy Spirit to renew them by His power, by enabling them to overcome their spiritual enemies, by sustaining them in trials and in death, and by raising them up at the last day. In His kindness, God sent His own Son to live the perfect life, and to die to save us from eternal separation from Him.

Luke 2:11 CEV This very day in King David's hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord.

The Word

Genesis 1:3‭, ‬6‭, ‬9‭, ‬11‭, ‬14‭, ‬20‭, ‬24‭, ‬26‭, ‬31 CEV God said, “I command light to shine!” And light started shining. God said, “I command a dome to separate the water above it from the water below it.” God said, “I command the water under the sky to come together in one place, so there will be dry ground.” And that's what happened. God said, “I command the earth to produce all kinds of plants, including fruit trees and grain.” And that's what happened. God said, “I command lights to appear in the sky and to separate day from night and to show the time for seasons, special days, and years. God said, “I command the ocean to be full of living creatures, and I command birds to fly above the earth.” God said, “I command the earth to give life to all kinds of tame animals, wild animals, and reptiles.” And that's what happened. God said, “Now we will make humans, and they will be like us. We will let them rule the fish, the birds, and all other living creatures.” God looked at what he had done. All of it was very good! Evening came, then morning—that was the sixth day.

Creation was brought into existence by the word. Jesus was in the beginning with God the Father, and was God, and by Him all things were created (John 1:14, John 1:9-18). Jesus not only spoke words that lead to eternal life, but according to this verse He is the very words of life, referring to the eternal life of joy and fulfilment which He provides.

Putting this all together for the Jews of Jesus’ time, The Word was more than just language and communication. The Word meant life, power, and was personally involved with them. Jesus as the Word of God means perfect relationship with God, and with us. We can approach the throne of God with confidence knowing that Jesus, as the Word of God, has done it all.

John 1:1‭-‬2 CEV In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God. From the very beginning the Word was with God.

John 1:14 CEV The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him the complete gifts of undeserved grace and truth have come down to us.

Immanuel

Isaiah 7:14 CEV But the Lord will still give you proof. A virgin is pregnant; she will have a son and will name him Immanuel.

The title Immanuel literally means “God with us.” To know Christ is to know God. The faithful people of God in the Old Testament looked forward to the Son of God, and we have seen the fulfilment of God in Christ who lived a perfect life and went to the cross to save us.

Matthew 1:22‭-‬23 CEV So the Lord's promise came true, just as the prophet had said, “A virgin will have a baby boy, and he will be called Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.”

Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace

Isaiah 9:6‭-‬7 NKJV For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

“Wonderful” depicts a God who is out of the ordinary, and can do amazing things. “Counsellor” indicates a wisdom beyond what we have in ourselves. When we consider Jesus as Mighty God, we are reminded of His protection and provision. He is strong when we aren’t. He will protect us when we need to be defended. He is our strength. When we consider Jesus as the Prince of Peace, we are reminded that we serve a God of peace, who came to bring ultimate peace to the world. That was His mission and ministry, and without Him, there is no peace. Jesus came not to bring peace to the world as in the absence of war, but peace between God and man who were separated by sin. He died to reconcile sinners to a holy God.

Mark 1:21‭-‬22 NKJV Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Hebrews 4:14‭-‬15 NKJV Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Colossians 2:1‭-‬3 NKJV For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.(emphasis mine).

Matthew 28:18 CEV Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth!

Matthew 28:18 CEV Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth!

Ephesians 2:14 CEV Christ has made peace between Jews and Gentiles, and he has united us by breaking down the wall of hatred that separated us. Christ gave his own body

Philippians 4:7 CEV Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.

The Good Shepherd

Ezekiel 34:12‭-‬16 CEV just as a shepherd looks for lost sheep. My sheep have been lost since that dark and miserable day when they were scattered throughout the nations. But I will rescue them and bring them back from the foreign nations where they now live. I will be their shepherd and will let them graze on Israel's mountains and in the valleys and fertile fields. They will be safe as they feed on grassy meadows and green hills. I promise to take care of them and keep them safe, to look for those that are lost and bring back the ones that wander off, to bandage those that are hurt and protect the ones that are weak. I will also slaughter those that are fat and strong, because I always do right.

The role of a shepherd was well understood during the time of Jesus’ ministry. A shepherd’s job was to take care of the sheep. When Jesus described Himself as the good shepherd, He was describing His character as unique.

As a good shepherd, Jesus is describing His character, His righteousness and beauty. Sheep are known to be some of the most vulnerable of animals. When described as a shepherd, Jesus is also telling us something about ourselves and our need for Him. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, not only takes care of His sheep, but He also paid the redemption price to call them His own—those who have received eternal life through His blood.

John 10:10‭-‬11 CEV A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so everyone would have life, and have it fully. I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep.

Psalms 23:1 CEV You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need.

Messiah

Daniel 9:25‭-‬26 NKJV “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times. “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.

The Hebrew term “Messiah” is translated literally to the term “anointed”. To be anointed is to be consecrated, to be set apart for a task. The term Messiah, when given to Jesus, is a very significant declaration that Jesus would be the ultimate fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy. We know that prior to Jesus, the role of the high priest within the tabernacle was a role that involved spiritual cleansing rituals in order for the priest to enter the holy of holies and present an offering before God. The high priest was set apart for this task, and would enter this part of the tabernacle with a rope and a bell around his waist in the event that before God’s holiness he would be found unclean and struck dead. In Jesus we find the One set apart for the task, once for all time, so that we can present our requests to God in full confidence that we can go through Him and no longer through the high priest.

Mark 8:27‭-‬30 CEV Jesus and his disciples went to the villages near the town of Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, “What do people say about me?” The disciples answered, “Some say you are John the Baptist or maybe Elijah. Others say you are one of the prophets.” Then Jesus asked, “But who do you say I am?” “You are the Messiah!” Peter replied. Jesus warned the disciples not to tell anyone about him.

Son of God

Psalms 2:7 CEV I will tell the promise that the Lord made to me: “You are my son, because today I have become your father.

For those of us who have been Christians for a long time, the effect of the name of Jesus as the Son of God has probably been taken for granted.

When we see scripture that calls Jesus the Son of God we know this to mean that He is fully man but fully God. Being the Son of God, we know this to mean that Jesus is in the nature of God. And so we can have confidence that to know the Son is to know the Father!

Luke 1:34‭-‬35 CEV Mary asked the angel, “How can this happen? I am not even married!” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come down to you, and God's power will come over you. So your child will be called the holy Son of God.

Hebrews 1:5 CEV God has never said to any of the angels, “You are my Son, because today I have become your Father!” Neither has God said to any of them, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son!”

Servant

Isaiah 42:1‭-‬4 CEV Here is my servant! I have made him strong. He is my chosen one; I am pleased with him. I have given him my Spirit, and he will bring justice to the nations. He won't shout or yell or call out in the streets. He won't break off a bent reed or put out a dying flame, but he will make sure that justice is done. He won't quit or give up until he brings justice everywhere on earth, and people in foreign nations long for his teaching.

Isaiah 52:13‭-‬15 CEV The Lord says: My servant will succeed! He will be given great praise and the highest honors. Many were horrified at what happened to him. But everyone who saw him was even more horrified because he suffered until he no longer looked human. My servant will make nations worthy to worship me; kings will be silent as they bow in wonder. They will see and think about things they have never seen or thought about before.

When Jesus took on the role of a servant, this was a great challenge to the leadership model of the days in which He conducted His ministry. Jesus laid aside His majesty in order to show people the love of God and how we should live and serve one another. Jesus modelled this role of servanthood through His actions.

Mark 10:45 CEV The Son of Man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue many people.

Luke 22:27 CEV For which is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am in the midst of you as he that serveth.

Son of David

2 Samuel 7:12‭-‬16 CEV I'll choose one of your sons to be king when you reach the end of your life and are buried in the tomb of your ancestors. I'll make him a strong ruler, and no one will be able to take his kingdom away from him. He will be the one to build a temple for me. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I'll see that he is corrected, just as children are corrected by their parents. But I will never put an end to my agreement with him, as I put an end to my agreement with Saul, who was king before you. I will make sure that one of your descendants will always be king.

The name of Jesus as the Son of David is a significant title that gives us, as His followers, great confidence not only in what Jesus has done for us, but who He is! In fact, on seventeen occasions in the New Testament, Jesus is described in this way. So why is this significant? At the start of Matthew’s gospel, a significant time is spent stating the genealogy from David to Jesus—some 1000 years. The significance of this line of genealogy is that Jesus was the fulfilment of the prophecy of the seed of David.

The promised Messiah would come from the line of David, and is spelled out in Matthew chaper 1 as the genealogical proof that Jesus was a descendant of Abraham and David through His earthly father Joseph. The genealogy in Luke 3 traces Jesus’ line through Mary, and so Jesus is a descendent through adoption through Joseph, and blood through Mary. The title “Son of David” is more than a statement of his physical genealogy. It is a title that indicates His Messianic standing. When people referred to Jesus as the Son of David, this was an indication that He would be the deliverer they had been waiting for–the ultimate fulfilment of the Old Testament prophecies.

Matthew 1:1 CEV Jesus Christ came from the family of King David and also from the family of Abraham. And this is a list of his ancestors.

Luke 3:23‭-‬38 CEV When Jesus began to preach, he was about 30 years old. Everyone thought he was the son of Joseph. But his family went back through Heli, Matthat, Levi, Melchi, Jannai, Joseph, Mattathias, Amos, Nahum, Esli, Naggai, Maath, Mattathias, Semein, Josech, Joda; Joanan, Rhesa, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel, Neri, Melchi, Addi, Cosam, Elmadam, Er, Joshua, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, Levi; Simeon, Judah, Joseph, Jonam, Eliakim, Melea, Menna, Mattatha, Nathan, David, Jesse, Obed, Boaz, Salmon, Nahshon; Amminadab, Admin, Arni, Hezron, Perez, Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, Terah, Nahor, Serug, Reu, Peleg, Eber, Shelah; Cainan, Arphaxad, Shem, Noah, Lamech, Methuselah, Enoch, Jared, Mahalaleel, Kenan, Enosh, and Seth. The family of Jesus went all the way back to Adam and then to God.

Matthew 20:30‭-‬34 CEV Two blind men were sitting beside the road. And when they heard that Jesus was coming their way, they shouted, “Lord and Son of David, have pity on us!” The crowd told them to be quiet, but they shouted even louder, “Lord and Son of David, have pity on us!” When Jesus heard them, he stopped and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” They answered, “Lord, we want to see!” Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. At once they could see, and they became his followers. (emphasis mine)

Friend

Isaiah 41:8 CEV Israel, you are my servant. I chose you, the family of my friend Abraham.

Jesus describes His followers as friends. Jesus reminds His friends to not be afraid – He can be trusted and depended upon. Jesus’ friends knew that they were loved, accepted forgiven and free.

John 15:13‭-‬15 CEV The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them. And you are my friends, if you obey me. Servants don't know what their master is doing, and so I don't speak to you as my servants. I speak to you as my friends, and I have told you everything my Father has told me.

Jesus

The name Jesus literally means “savior.” It is a modern day version of the Hebrew name Yeshua. This was the name Joseph and Mary were instructed to call their son, because He would become the savior of the world. This is a significant name and role. Jesus came to earth as a baby, but His calling was to save sinners from the guilt and shame of their sin, through shedding His blood on the cross for them – for us! More than that, He will save us from the consequences of sin, ensuring our right standing with God for eternity. This is great news for those of us weighed down by our sin. Jesus did not take on a higher title, one that He could have called upon Himself. Other leaders of that time described themselves as mighty, great and so on, but the Son of God called Himself savior, knowing that this title would take him to the sin and shame of the cross, for all of humankind. And so we can approach God with confidence, resting in the saving work of Christ Jesus. Indeed, Jesus is the sweetest name Savior,

Matthew 1:20‭-‬21 CEV While Joseph was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The angel said, “Joseph, the baby that Mary will have is from the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and marry her. Then after her baby is born, name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

The Battle is the Lord's So Let Him Fight It

12/9/2021

Photo credit: Life Church

We all face battles in this life. Some are big ones like serious illness, loss of employment, a monetary crisis, or broken relationships. Others are smaller battles like getting to work on time or a small disagreement with your spouse, or friend. Many of us also face daily battles within our mind for self-worth and value. The bottom line is that we will face battles in this life.

We can’t eliminate the battles but what we can learn and realize that the battles we face are the Lord’s to handle, not ours. We have the greatest Warrior of all time fighting on behalf of us. Here is what Jesus said about the battles we will face.

John 16:33 NIV “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (emphasis mine).

So, the next time that you face a battle instead of you fighting it step out of the way and let God step in and fight the battle through His strength.

2 Chronicles 20:15 NIV He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.

We have an Almighty God who already holds the victory. We don’t need to put our hands in the battle, we can step aside and let Him take full control.

Yes, let’s put on our armor and pick up our sword and then stand beside the One who holds the victory.

Ephesians 6:13‭-‬17 NIV Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

He is the greatest defender, the greatest leader, the greatest warrior. Just stand beside Him and watch Him lead the fight.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for choosing us to be a part of your army. We thank you that you sent your very own Son to die on the cross, so that we can become victors victorious and more than conquerors in the battles we face. Lord, we lift the battles we are facing today. You know all of them, the big ones, and the small ones. You know the battles we are facing in our minds. We surrender them to you.
Forgive us for fighting by ourselves and not putting our full faith and trust in You. Remind us at those times where we want to fight the battles with our own hands, to step out of the way so we don’t get in your way. We release the battles to you, Lord. We surrender them all to you. We thank you so much that we don’t have to face our battles here on earth alone. In Jesus’ name we pray Amen.

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