Praise to God for deliverance. (1-5) Others encouraged by his example. (6-12)
Commentary on Psalm 30:1-5.
(Read Psalm 30:1-5.)
The great things the Lord has done for us, both by his providence and by his grace, bind us in gratitude to do all we can to advance his kingdom among men, though the most we can do is but little. God's saints in heaven sing to him; why should not those on earth do the same? Not one of all God's perfections carries in it more terror to the wicked, or more comfort to the godly, than his holiness. It is a good sign that we are in some measure partakers of his holiness, if we can heartily rejoice at the remembrance of it. Our happiness is bound up in the Divine favour; if we have that, we have enough, whatever else we want; but as long as God's anger continues, so long the saints' weeping continues.
Commentary on Psalm 30:6-12
(Read Psalm 30:6-12)
When things are well with us, we are very apt to think that they will always be so. When we see our mistake, it becomes us to think with shame upon our carnal security as our folly. If God hide his face, a good man is troubled, though no other calamity befal him. But if God, in wisdom and justice, turn from us, it will be the greatest folly if we turn from him. No; let us learn to pray in the dark. The sanctified spirit, which returns to God, shall praise him, shall be still praising him; but the services of God's house cannot be performed by the dust; it cannot praise him; there is none of that device or working in the grave, for it is the land of silence. We ask aright for life, when we do so that we may live to praise him. In due time God delivered the psalmist out of his troubles. Our tongue is our glory, and never more so than when employed in praising God. He would persevere to the end in praise, hoping that he should shortly be where this would be the everlasting work. But let all beware of carnal security. Neither outward prosperity, nor inward peace, here, are sure and lasting. The Lord, in his favour, has fixed the believer's safety firm as the deep-rooted mountains, but he must expect to meet with temptations and afflictions. When we grow careless, we fall into sin, the Lord hides his face, our comforts droop, and troubles assail us.
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Walk Strong in The Spirit
It was the Fulfillment of the Divine Promise.
First, of the Father himself. During the Old Testament dispensation, he declared, again and again, that he would pour out the Spirit upon his people (see Prov. 1:23; Isa. 32:15; Joel 2:28, etc.); and now these gracious declarations were accomplished.
Second, of John the Baptist. When he was stirring the hearts of the multitudes by his call to repentance and his demand of baptism, many thought he must be the long expected Messiah, but he declared unto them, "I indeed baptize you with water, but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Luke 3:15, 16). Accordingly he did so on the day of Pentecost, as Acts 2:32, 33 plainly shows.
Third, of Christ. Seven times over the Lord Jesus avowed that he would give or send the Holy Spirit: Luke 24:49; John 7:37-39; 14:16-19; 14:26; 15:26; 16:7; Acts 1:5, 8. From these we may particularly notice, "When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father... he shall testify of me" (John 15:26): "It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you" (John 16:7). That which took place in John 20:22 and in Acts 2 was the fulfillment of those promises. In them we behold the faith of the Mediator: he had appropriated the promise which the Father had given him, "Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear" (Acts 2:33)—it was by faith’s anticipation the Lord spoke as he did in the above passage.
The Holy Spirit was God’s ascension gift to Christ, that he might be bestowed by Christ, as his ascension gift to the church. Hence Christ had said, "Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you." This was the promised gift of the Father to the Son, and the Saviour" s promised gift to his believing people. How easy now to reconcile the apparent contradiction of Christ’s earlier and later words: "I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter"; and then, afterward, "If I depart, I will send him unto you." The Spirit was the Father’s answer to the prayer of the Son; and so the gift was transferred by him to the mystical body of which he is the head (A. T. Pierson in The Acts of the Holy Spirit).
First, of the Father himself. During the Old Testament dispensation, he declared, again and again, that he would pour out the Spirit upon his people (see Prov. 1:23; Isa. 32:15; Joel 2:28, etc.); and now these gracious declarations were accomplished.
Second, of John the Baptist. When he was stirring the hearts of the multitudes by his call to repentance and his demand of baptism, many thought he must be the long expected Messiah, but he declared unto them, "I indeed baptize you with water, but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Luke 3:15, 16). Accordingly he did so on the day of Pentecost, as Acts 2:32, 33 plainly shows.
Third, of Christ. Seven times over the Lord Jesus avowed that he would give or send the Holy Spirit: Luke 24:49; John 7:37-39; 14:16-19; 14:26; 15:26; 16:7; Acts 1:5, 8. From these we may particularly notice, "When the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father... he shall testify of me" (John 15:26): "It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you" (John 16:7). That which took place in John 20:22 and in Acts 2 was the fulfillment of those promises. In them we behold the faith of the Mediator: he had appropriated the promise which the Father had given him, "Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear" (Acts 2:33)—it was by faith’s anticipation the Lord spoke as he did in the above passage.
The Holy Spirit was God’s ascension gift to Christ, that he might be bestowed by Christ, as his ascension gift to the church. Hence Christ had said, "Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you." This was the promised gift of the Father to the Son, and the Saviour" s promised gift to his believing people. How easy now to reconcile the apparent contradiction of Christ’s earlier and later words: "I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter"; and then, afterward, "If I depart, I will send him unto you." The Spirit was the Father’s answer to the prayer of the Son; and so the gift was transferred by him to the mystical body of which he is the head (A. T. Pierson in The Acts of the Holy Spirit).
Friday, January 28, 2011
Faith Works
"After I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints" (Eph. 1:15). Faith and love are the best evidences of a genuine conversion, for they are the fruits brought forth by the two principal graces communicated to us at the new birth. Faith is known by what it effects and produces. It was not the Ephesians’ first believing in Christ that the apostle alluded to, for he had witnessed that for himself, but rather the working and constancy of their faith of which he had heard—the influence it had on their daily walk. The faith of God’s elect is active in purifying the heart (Acts 15:9) by engaging it with holy objects. The faith of God’s elect brings forth good works (James 2:14-22), such as those described in Hebrews 11. This faith "overcometh the world" (1 John 5:4), enabling its possessor to resist the world’s seduction, scorn its principles and policy, and be "not of it" in his affections and ways.
Another mark of the faith of God’s elect is that it "worketh by love" (Gal. 5:6): love for the truth, for Christ, and for His redeemed. Faith is but an empty name if it does not fructify in love. Faith in Christ is only a delusion if it issues not in love for those who are His. Scripture is too plain on this point to admit any uncertainty: "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" (1 John 4:20). Saving faith in Christ and spiritual love for all whom He loves are inseparably connected (see Col. 1:4; Philem. 5; 1 John 3:23). "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren" (1 John 3:14). If we love one saint as a "saint"—for what we see of Christ in him—we shall love all saints. Faith in Christ and love for His people are inseparable, and as one waxes or wanes so does the other. If my love for Christians is cooling (if I pray less for them and am less active in seeking to promote their highest good), my faith in Christ is increasing.
Another mark of the faith of God’s elect is that it "worketh by love" (Gal. 5:6): love for the truth, for Christ, and for His redeemed. Faith is but an empty name if it does not fructify in love. Faith in Christ is only a delusion if it issues not in love for those who are His. Scripture is too plain on this point to admit any uncertainty: "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" (1 John 4:20). Saving faith in Christ and spiritual love for all whom He loves are inseparably connected (see Col. 1:4; Philem. 5; 1 John 3:23). "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren" (1 John 3:14). If we love one saint as a "saint"—for what we see of Christ in him—we shall love all saints. Faith in Christ and love for His people are inseparable, and as one waxes or wanes so does the other. If my love for Christians is cooling (if I pray less for them and am less active in seeking to promote their highest good), my faith in Christ is increasing.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Bible Study in Faith
Arthur W. Pink
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him" - Hebrews 11 :6
"But the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in that heard it," - Hebrews 4:2
The linking together of these verses shows us the worthlessness of all religious activities where faith be lacking. The outward exercise may be performed diligently and correctly, but unless faith be in operation God is not honored and the soul is not profited. Faith draws out the heart unto God, and faith it is which receives from God; not a mere intellectual assent to what is revealed in Holy Writ, but a supernatural principle of grace which lives upon the God of Scripture. This, the natural man, no matter how religious or orthodox he be, has not; and no labours of his, no act of his will, can acquire it. It is the sovereign gift of God.
Faith must be operative in all the exercises of the Christian if God is to he glorified and he is to be edified. First, in the reading of the Word: "But these are written, that ye might believe" (John 20:31). Second, in listening to the preaching of God’s servants: "The hearing of faith" (Gal. 3:2). Third, in praying: "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering" (Jas. 1:6). Fourth, in our daily life: "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7); "the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God" (Gal. 2:20). Fifth, in our exit from this world: "These all died in faith" (Heb. 11:13). What the breath is to the body, faith is to the soul; for one who is destitute of faith to seek to perform spiritual actions, is like putting a spring within a wooden dummy and making it go through mechanical motions.
Now an unregenerate professor may read the Scriptures and yet have no spiritual faith. Just as the devout Hindu peruses the Upanishads and the Mohammedan his Koran, so many "Christian" countries take up the study of the Bible, and yet have no more of the life of God in their souls than have their heathen brethren. Thousands in this land read the Bible, believe in its Divine authorship, and become more or less familiar with its contents. A mere professor may read several chapters every day, and yet never appropriate a single verse. But faith applies God’s Word: it applies his fearful threatenings, and trembles before them; it applies His solemn warnings, and seeks to heed them; it applies His precepts, and cries unto Him for grace to walk in them.
It is the same in listening to the Word preached. A carnal professor will boast of having attended this conference and that, of having heard this famous teacher and that renowned preacher, and be no better off in his soul than if he had never heard any of them. He may listen to two sermons every Sunday, and fifty years hence be as dead spiritually as he is today. But the regenerated soul appropriates the message and measures himself by what he hears. He is often convicted of his sins and made to mourn over them. He tests himself by God’s standard, and feels that he comes so far short of what he ought to be, that he sincerely doubts the honesty of his own profession. The Word pierces him, like a two-edged sword, and causes him to cry, "O wretched man that I am!"
So in prayer. The mere professor often makes the humble Christian feel ashamed of himself. The carnal religionist who has "the gift of the gab" is never at a loss for words: sentences flow from his lips as readily as do the waters of a babbling brook; verses of Scripture seem to run through his mind as freely as flour passes though a sieve. Whereas the poor burdened child of God is often unable to do any more than cry "God be merciful to me a sinner." Ah, my friends, we need to distinguish sharply between a natural aptitude for "making" nice prayers and the spirit of true supplication: the one consists merely of words, the other of "groanings which cannot be uttered"; the one is acquired by religious education, the other is wrought in the soul by the Holy Spirit.
Thus it is too in conversing about the things of God. The frothy professor can talk glibly and often orthodoxly of "doctrines," yes, and of worldly things, too: according to his mood, or according to his audience, so is his theme. But the child of God, while being swift to hear that which is unto edification, is "slow to speak." Ah, my reader, beware of talkative people; a drum makes a lot of noise but it is hollow inside! "Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness; but a faithful man who can find?" (Prov. 20:6). When a saint of God does open his lips about spiritual matters, it is to tell of what the Lord, in His infinite mercy, has done for him; but the carnal religionist is anxious for others to know what he is "doing for the Lord."
The difference is just as real between the genuine Christian and the nominal Christian in connection with their daily lives: while the latter may appear outwardly righteous, yet within they are "full of hypocrisy and iniquity" (Matthew 23:28). They will put on the skin of a real sheep, but in reality they are "wolves in sheeps’ clothing." But God’s children have the nature of sheep, and learn of Him who is "meek and lowly in heart," and, as the elect of God, they put on "mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering" (Col. 3:12). They are in private what they appear in public. They worship God in spirit and in truth, and have been made to know wisdom in the hidden parts of the heart.
So it is on their passing out of this world. An empty professor may die as easily and as quietly as he lived deserted by the Holy Spirit, undisturbed by the Devil; as the psalmist says, "there are no bands in their death" (73:4). But this is very different from the end of one whose deeply ploughed and consciously-defiled conscience has been "sprinkled" with the precious blood of Christ: "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace" (Ps. 37:37) yes, a peace which "passeth all understanding": Having lived the life of the righteous, he dies "the death of the righteous" (Num. 23:10).
And what is it which distinguishes the one character from the other, wherein lies the difference between the genuine Christian and he who is one in name only? This: a God-given, Spirit-wrought faith in the heart. Not a mere head-knowledge and intellectual assent to the Truth, but a living, spiritual, vital principle in the heart—a faith which "purifies the heart" (Acts 15:9), which "worketh by love" (Gal. 5:6), which "overcometh the world" (1 John 5:4). Yes, a faith which is Divinely sustained amidst trials within and opposition without; a faith which exclaims "though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him" (Job 13:15).
True, this faith is not always in exercise, nor is it equally strong at all times. The favored possessor of it must be taught by painful experience that as he did not originate it neither can he command it; therefore does he turn unto its Author, and say, "Lord I believe, help Thou mine unbelief." And then it is that, when reading the Word he is enabled to lay hold of its precious promises; that when bowing before the Throne of Grace, he is enabled to cast his burden upon the Lord; that when he rises to go about his temporal duties, he is enabled to lean upon the everlasting arms; and that when he is called upon to pass through the valley of the shadow of death, he triumphantly cries "I will fear no evil for Thou art with me." "Lord, increase our faith.
"But without faith it is impossible to please Him" - Hebrews 11 :6
"But the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in that heard it," - Hebrews 4:2
The linking together of these verses shows us the worthlessness of all religious activities where faith be lacking. The outward exercise may be performed diligently and correctly, but unless faith be in operation God is not honored and the soul is not profited. Faith draws out the heart unto God, and faith it is which receives from God; not a mere intellectual assent to what is revealed in Holy Writ, but a supernatural principle of grace which lives upon the God of Scripture. This, the natural man, no matter how religious or orthodox he be, has not; and no labours of his, no act of his will, can acquire it. It is the sovereign gift of God.
Faith must be operative in all the exercises of the Christian if God is to he glorified and he is to be edified. First, in the reading of the Word: "But these are written, that ye might believe" (John 20:31). Second, in listening to the preaching of God’s servants: "The hearing of faith" (Gal. 3:2). Third, in praying: "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering" (Jas. 1:6). Fourth, in our daily life: "For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7); "the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God" (Gal. 2:20). Fifth, in our exit from this world: "These all died in faith" (Heb. 11:13). What the breath is to the body, faith is to the soul; for one who is destitute of faith to seek to perform spiritual actions, is like putting a spring within a wooden dummy and making it go through mechanical motions.
Now an unregenerate professor may read the Scriptures and yet have no spiritual faith. Just as the devout Hindu peruses the Upanishads and the Mohammedan his Koran, so many "Christian" countries take up the study of the Bible, and yet have no more of the life of God in their souls than have their heathen brethren. Thousands in this land read the Bible, believe in its Divine authorship, and become more or less familiar with its contents. A mere professor may read several chapters every day, and yet never appropriate a single verse. But faith applies God’s Word: it applies his fearful threatenings, and trembles before them; it applies His solemn warnings, and seeks to heed them; it applies His precepts, and cries unto Him for grace to walk in them.
It is the same in listening to the Word preached. A carnal professor will boast of having attended this conference and that, of having heard this famous teacher and that renowned preacher, and be no better off in his soul than if he had never heard any of them. He may listen to two sermons every Sunday, and fifty years hence be as dead spiritually as he is today. But the regenerated soul appropriates the message and measures himself by what he hears. He is often convicted of his sins and made to mourn over them. He tests himself by God’s standard, and feels that he comes so far short of what he ought to be, that he sincerely doubts the honesty of his own profession. The Word pierces him, like a two-edged sword, and causes him to cry, "O wretched man that I am!"
So in prayer. The mere professor often makes the humble Christian feel ashamed of himself. The carnal religionist who has "the gift of the gab" is never at a loss for words: sentences flow from his lips as readily as do the waters of a babbling brook; verses of Scripture seem to run through his mind as freely as flour passes though a sieve. Whereas the poor burdened child of God is often unable to do any more than cry "God be merciful to me a sinner." Ah, my friends, we need to distinguish sharply between a natural aptitude for "making" nice prayers and the spirit of true supplication: the one consists merely of words, the other of "groanings which cannot be uttered"; the one is acquired by religious education, the other is wrought in the soul by the Holy Spirit.
Thus it is too in conversing about the things of God. The frothy professor can talk glibly and often orthodoxly of "doctrines," yes, and of worldly things, too: according to his mood, or according to his audience, so is his theme. But the child of God, while being swift to hear that which is unto edification, is "slow to speak." Ah, my reader, beware of talkative people; a drum makes a lot of noise but it is hollow inside! "Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness; but a faithful man who can find?" (Prov. 20:6). When a saint of God does open his lips about spiritual matters, it is to tell of what the Lord, in His infinite mercy, has done for him; but the carnal religionist is anxious for others to know what he is "doing for the Lord."
The difference is just as real between the genuine Christian and the nominal Christian in connection with their daily lives: while the latter may appear outwardly righteous, yet within they are "full of hypocrisy and iniquity" (Matthew 23:28). They will put on the skin of a real sheep, but in reality they are "wolves in sheeps’ clothing." But God’s children have the nature of sheep, and learn of Him who is "meek and lowly in heart," and, as the elect of God, they put on "mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering" (Col. 3:12). They are in private what they appear in public. They worship God in spirit and in truth, and have been made to know wisdom in the hidden parts of the heart.
So it is on their passing out of this world. An empty professor may die as easily and as quietly as he lived deserted by the Holy Spirit, undisturbed by the Devil; as the psalmist says, "there are no bands in their death" (73:4). But this is very different from the end of one whose deeply ploughed and consciously-defiled conscience has been "sprinkled" with the precious blood of Christ: "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace" (Ps. 37:37) yes, a peace which "passeth all understanding": Having lived the life of the righteous, he dies "the death of the righteous" (Num. 23:10).
And what is it which distinguishes the one character from the other, wherein lies the difference between the genuine Christian and he who is one in name only? This: a God-given, Spirit-wrought faith in the heart. Not a mere head-knowledge and intellectual assent to the Truth, but a living, spiritual, vital principle in the heart—a faith which "purifies the heart" (Acts 15:9), which "worketh by love" (Gal. 5:6), which "overcometh the world" (1 John 5:4). Yes, a faith which is Divinely sustained amidst trials within and opposition without; a faith which exclaims "though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him" (Job 13:15).
True, this faith is not always in exercise, nor is it equally strong at all times. The favored possessor of it must be taught by painful experience that as he did not originate it neither can he command it; therefore does he turn unto its Author, and say, "Lord I believe, help Thou mine unbelief." And then it is that, when reading the Word he is enabled to lay hold of its precious promises; that when bowing before the Throne of Grace, he is enabled to cast his burden upon the Lord; that when he rises to go about his temporal duties, he is enabled to lean upon the everlasting arms; and that when he is called upon to pass through the valley of the shadow of death, he triumphantly cries "I will fear no evil for Thou art with me." "Lord, increase our faith.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Pray for Healing Today
Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret: Matthew 14:34-36
34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; 36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
Commentary
Whithersoever Christ went, he was doing good. They brought unto him all that were diseased. They came humbly beseeching him to help them. The experiences of others may direct and encourage us in seeking for Christ. As many as touched, were made perfectly whole. Those whom Christ heals, he heals perfectly. Were men more acquainted with Christ, and with the diseased state of their souls, they would flock to receive his healing influences. The healing virtue was not in the finger, but in their faith; or rather, it was in Christ, whom their faith took hold upon.
We Pray for Healing Today in Jesus Name...
34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; 36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
Commentary
Whithersoever Christ went, he was doing good. They brought unto him all that were diseased. They came humbly beseeching him to help them. The experiences of others may direct and encourage us in seeking for Christ. As many as touched, were made perfectly whole. Those whom Christ heals, he heals perfectly. Were men more acquainted with Christ, and with the diseased state of their souls, they would flock to receive his healing influences. The healing virtue was not in the finger, but in their faith; or rather, it was in Christ, whom their faith took hold upon.
We Pray for Healing Today in Jesus Name...
Friday, January 21, 2011
Let Us Praise God Today
Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see what the LORD has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields[d] with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see what the LORD has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields[d] with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The Joy of Jesus is Goodness of God
The Goodness of God is One of His Attributes
1 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting (Psalms 107:1).
19 How great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast stored up for those who fear Thee, which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee, before the sons of men! (Psalms 31:19).
5 Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days (Hosea 3:5).
The Importance of the Goodness of God
The goodness of God is not only an attribute of God but a foundational truth every Christian should embrace. Consider some of the reasons God’s goodness is important to us.
(1) The “goodness” of God is prominent in the opening chapters of the Bible. Repeatedly, God pronounced everything which He created “good” (see Genesis 1:4, 10, 18; 1 Timothy 4:4). In chapter 2, God saw that it was “not good” for Adam to be alone, and so He created a wife for him (2:18-25). In the garden of Eden, where God had placed Adam and Eve, there was “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” From the fruit of this one tree, the man and woman were forbidden to eat. We shall return to this matter of “goodness” in the garden, for it is a vitally important truth. Suffice to say the issues of “goodness” and “evil” are prominent at the beginning of the Bible.
(2) The goodness of God appears to be the sum total of all of God’s attributes. The goodness of God may thus be viewed as one facet of His glorious nature and character and also the overall summation of His nature and character.
19 Then Moses said, “I pray Thee, show me Thy glory!” And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion” (Exodus 33:19; see also Exodus 34:5-7).
(3) We cannot separate what is good from God. You cannot have goodness without God, just as you cannot have God without goodness. God alone is good:
2 I said to the LORD, “Thou art my Lord; I have no good besides Thee” (Psalms 16:2).
16 And behold, one came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” 17 And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is [only] One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:16-17).
1 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting (Psalms 107:1).
19 How great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast stored up for those who fear Thee, which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee, before the sons of men! (Psalms 31:19).
5 Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days (Hosea 3:5).
The Importance of the Goodness of God
The goodness of God is not only an attribute of God but a foundational truth every Christian should embrace. Consider some of the reasons God’s goodness is important to us.
(1) The “goodness” of God is prominent in the opening chapters of the Bible. Repeatedly, God pronounced everything which He created “good” (see Genesis 1:4, 10, 18; 1 Timothy 4:4). In chapter 2, God saw that it was “not good” for Adam to be alone, and so He created a wife for him (2:18-25). In the garden of Eden, where God had placed Adam and Eve, there was “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” From the fruit of this one tree, the man and woman were forbidden to eat. We shall return to this matter of “goodness” in the garden, for it is a vitally important truth. Suffice to say the issues of “goodness” and “evil” are prominent at the beginning of the Bible.
(2) The goodness of God appears to be the sum total of all of God’s attributes. The goodness of God may thus be viewed as one facet of His glorious nature and character and also the overall summation of His nature and character.
19 Then Moses said, “I pray Thee, show me Thy glory!” And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion” (Exodus 33:19; see also Exodus 34:5-7).
(3) We cannot separate what is good from God. You cannot have goodness without God, just as you cannot have God without goodness. God alone is good:
2 I said to the LORD, “Thou art my Lord; I have no good besides Thee” (Psalms 16:2).
16 And behold, one came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” 17 And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is [only] One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:16-17).
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
The Joy of Jesus is in The Spirit
Galatians 5:22-23 (New International Version, ©2010)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Love
If I had to rank all of the above fruits in their order of possible importance, the quality of love would have to be #1. And this is why it may have been listed as #1 fruit in the above Scripture verse.
Due to the extreme importance of just this one quality, I am going to do another article on this quality and title it “The Power of Love.” This article will also be listed in the Sanctification Section of our site. There are some very powerful and profound verses from the Bible on just this one quality alone and it needs to have its own article to do it proper justice.
Here are some of the different definitions on what love is from the different Bible dictionaries and commentaries:
Unselfish, benevolent concern for another; brotherly concern; the object of brotherly concern or affection
The self-denying, self-sacrificing, Christ-like love which is the foundation of all other graces
Unselfish, loyal and benevolent concern for the well being of another
The high esteem which God has for His human children and the high regard which they, in turn, should have for Him and other people
To love, to have affection for someone; to like; to be a friend; the love of brothers for each other
One of the main messages that comes through loud and clear from studying our Bible is the extreme importance that God the Father is placing on that everyone learn how to love Him, love ourselves, love one another, and to even go as far as to be able to love our enemies and those who will try and hurt us.
However, our abilities as fallen humans to love one another is very limited. This is why it is so important for each and every Christian to work very closely with the Holy Spirit to get this fruit worked up into the core of our personalities. It is only when the love of the Holy Spirit starts to flow and enter into our personalities can we even begin to love God, love ourselves, and love one another to the degree and to the intensity that God would like to see from each one of us.
To those of you who will be entering into this sanctification process with the Lord – this quality should be listed as the #1 quality you should really attempt to put on into the core of your soul and personality. The Holy Spirit will be moving on you very early and very quickly to get this quality imparted into your mind, soul and emotions due to the extreme importance of it in your walk with the Lord.
You can be the greatest man of God and have some of the greatest gifts of God flowing through you – but if you are not walking with all of this in the spirit of love and humility, it will have all been for naught. More on this in the next article.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Love
If I had to rank all of the above fruits in their order of possible importance, the quality of love would have to be #1. And this is why it may have been listed as #1 fruit in the above Scripture verse.
Due to the extreme importance of just this one quality, I am going to do another article on this quality and title it “The Power of Love.” This article will also be listed in the Sanctification Section of our site. There are some very powerful and profound verses from the Bible on just this one quality alone and it needs to have its own article to do it proper justice.
Here are some of the different definitions on what love is from the different Bible dictionaries and commentaries:
Unselfish, benevolent concern for another; brotherly concern; the object of brotherly concern or affection
The self-denying, self-sacrificing, Christ-like love which is the foundation of all other graces
Unselfish, loyal and benevolent concern for the well being of another
The high esteem which God has for His human children and the high regard which they, in turn, should have for Him and other people
To love, to have affection for someone; to like; to be a friend; the love of brothers for each other
One of the main messages that comes through loud and clear from studying our Bible is the extreme importance that God the Father is placing on that everyone learn how to love Him, love ourselves, love one another, and to even go as far as to be able to love our enemies and those who will try and hurt us.
However, our abilities as fallen humans to love one another is very limited. This is why it is so important for each and every Christian to work very closely with the Holy Spirit to get this fruit worked up into the core of our personalities. It is only when the love of the Holy Spirit starts to flow and enter into our personalities can we even begin to love God, love ourselves, and love one another to the degree and to the intensity that God would like to see from each one of us.
To those of you who will be entering into this sanctification process with the Lord – this quality should be listed as the #1 quality you should really attempt to put on into the core of your soul and personality. The Holy Spirit will be moving on you very early and very quickly to get this quality imparted into your mind, soul and emotions due to the extreme importance of it in your walk with the Lord.
You can be the greatest man of God and have some of the greatest gifts of God flowing through you – but if you are not walking with all of this in the spirit of love and humility, it will have all been for naught. More on this in the next article.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
The Joy of Jesus is Faith in God
Faithfulness of God, The
Is part of His character.
Isaiah 49:7 Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.
1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
DECLARED TO BE
Great.
Lamentations 3:23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Established.
Psalms 89:2 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
Incomparable.
Psalms 89:8 O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
Unfailing.
Psalms 89:33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
2 Timothy 2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
Infinite.
Psalms 36:5 Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
Everlasting.
Psalms 119:90 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.
Psalms 146:6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
Should be pleaded in prayer.
Psalms 143:1 Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
Should be proclaimed.
Psalms 40:10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
Psalms 89:1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
MANIFESTED
In His counsels.
Isaiah 25:1 O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
In afflicting His saints.
Psalms 119:75 I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.
In fulfilling His promises.
1 Kings 8:20 And the LORD hath performed his word that he spake, and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.
Psalms 132:11 The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.
Micah 7:20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
In keeping His covenant.
Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
Psalms 111:5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.
In executing His judgments.
Jeremiah 23:20 The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.
Jeremiah 51:29 And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant.
In forgiving sins.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
To His saints.
Psalms 89:24 But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
Saints encouraged to depend on.
1 Peter 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
Should be magnified.
Psalms 89:5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.
Psalms 92:2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,
.
Is part of His character.
Isaiah 49:7 Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.
1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
DECLARED TO BE
Great.
Lamentations 3:23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Established.
Psalms 89:2 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
Incomparable.
Psalms 89:8 O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee?
Unfailing.
Psalms 89:33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
2 Timothy 2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
Infinite.
Psalms 36:5 Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
Everlasting.
Psalms 119:90 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.
Psalms 146:6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
Should be pleaded in prayer.
Psalms 143:1 Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
Should be proclaimed.
Psalms 40:10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
Psalms 89:1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
MANIFESTED
In His counsels.
Isaiah 25:1 O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
In afflicting His saints.
Psalms 119:75 I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.
In fulfilling His promises.
1 Kings 8:20 And the LORD hath performed his word that he spake, and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.
Psalms 132:11 The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.
Micah 7:20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
In keeping His covenant.
Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
Psalms 111:5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.
In executing His judgments.
Jeremiah 23:20 The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.
Jeremiah 51:29 And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant.
In forgiving sins.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
To His saints.
Psalms 89:24 But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
Saints encouraged to depend on.
1 Peter 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
Should be magnified.
Psalms 89:5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.
Psalms 92:2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,
.
Monday, November 22, 2010
The Joy of Jesus and It's Blessing
Faith: Holy assurance delivers from those doubts and fears which rob many a Christian of his legitimate joy in the Lord. This is clear from the contrast presented in Romans 8:15, "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father." Suspense is bad enough in any of our concerns, but most of all in connection with our eternal interests. But true assurance sets us free from the painful bondage of uncertainty, and even robs death of its terrors. It enables the soul to say, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation" (Isa. 61:10).
Holy assurance produces patience in tribulation: "And took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance" (Heb. 10:34). Where the heart is anchored in God, basking in the sunshine of His countenance, the Christian will not be afraid of evil tidings, remains calm under bereavements, is unmoved by persecutions. "When I live in a settled and steadfast assurance about the state of my soul, methinks I am as bold as a lion. I can laugh at all tribulation: no afflictions daunt me. But when I am eclipsed in my comforts, I am of so fearful a spirit that I can run into a very mouse-hole" (Latimer to Ridley, 1551).
Holy assurance results in a joy in God, which causes its possessor to despise those vaporous pleasures after which the worldling so much dotes. "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yd I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (Hab.. 3:17, 18). "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure . . . for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly (both now and in the future) into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 1:10, 11).
Holy assurance produces patience in tribulation: "And took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance" (Heb. 10:34). Where the heart is anchored in God, basking in the sunshine of His countenance, the Christian will not be afraid of evil tidings, remains calm under bereavements, is unmoved by persecutions. "When I live in a settled and steadfast assurance about the state of my soul, methinks I am as bold as a lion. I can laugh at all tribulation: no afflictions daunt me. But when I am eclipsed in my comforts, I am of so fearful a spirit that I can run into a very mouse-hole" (Latimer to Ridley, 1551).
Holy assurance results in a joy in God, which causes its possessor to despise those vaporous pleasures after which the worldling so much dotes. "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yd I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (Hab.. 3:17, 18). "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure . . . for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly (both now and in the future) into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. 1:10, 11).
Saturday, October 30, 2010
The Joy of Jesus is Faith
Grace Preparing for glory
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:11-13).
The opening "For" looks back to verse 10. In the immediate context the apostle had exhorted servants to walk amiably and faithfully, so that they "adorned the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things". It is deeply important that we should be sound in doctrine, for error acts upon the soul the same as poison does upon the body. Yes, it is very necessary that we be sound in the Faith, for it is dishonoring to God and injurious to ourselves to believe the Devil’s lies, for that is what false doctrine is. Then let us not despise doctrinal preaching, for "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine" (2 Tim. 3:16).
But there is something else which is equally important as being sound in doctrine, namely, that we adorn it by our conduct. The sounder I am in doctrine, the more loudly I advertise my orthodox views, the more do I bring that doctrine into reproach if my life be worldly and my walk carnal. How earnestly we need to pray for Divine enablement that we may "adorn the doctrine in all things". We need the doctrine of Scripture written upon our hearts, moulding our character, regulating our ways, influencing our conduct. We "adorn" the doctrine when we "walk in newness of life", when we live each hour as those who must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. And we are to "adorn the doctrine in all things": in every sphere we occupy, every relation we sustain, every circle God’s providence brings us into.
The apostle now enforces what he had said in verse 10 by reminding us that "the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men". This is in blessed contrast from the law, which brings naught but "condemnation". But the grace of God bringeth salvation, and that in a twofold way: by what Christ has done for his people, and by what he works in them. "He shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21): save from the guilt and penalty of sin, and from the love or power of sin. This grace of God "hath appeared": it has broken forth like the light of the morning after a dark night. It has "appeared" both objectively and subjectively—in the gospel and in our hearts: "when it pleased God. . . to reveal his Son in me" (Gal. 1:16); "God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts" (2 Cor. 4:6).
The grace of God—his lovingkindness, his goodwill, his free favor—hath appeared "to all men". That expression is used in Scripture in two different senses: sometimes it means all without exception, as in "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God". In other passages it signifies all without distinction, as it does here—to the bondmen, as well as the free, to the servant as the master, to the Gentiles as to the Jews; to all kinds and conditions of men. But how may I know that the grace of God which bringeth salvation has appeared to me? A vitally important question is that, one which none who really values the eternal interests of his or her soul will treat lightly or take for granted. There are many who profess to be "saved" but they give no evidence of it in their lives. Now here is the inspired answer.
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:11-13).
The opening "For" looks back to verse 10. In the immediate context the apostle had exhorted servants to walk amiably and faithfully, so that they "adorned the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things". It is deeply important that we should be sound in doctrine, for error acts upon the soul the same as poison does upon the body. Yes, it is very necessary that we be sound in the Faith, for it is dishonoring to God and injurious to ourselves to believe the Devil’s lies, for that is what false doctrine is. Then let us not despise doctrinal preaching, for "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine" (2 Tim. 3:16).
But there is something else which is equally important as being sound in doctrine, namely, that we adorn it by our conduct. The sounder I am in doctrine, the more loudly I advertise my orthodox views, the more do I bring that doctrine into reproach if my life be worldly and my walk carnal. How earnestly we need to pray for Divine enablement that we may "adorn the doctrine in all things". We need the doctrine of Scripture written upon our hearts, moulding our character, regulating our ways, influencing our conduct. We "adorn" the doctrine when we "walk in newness of life", when we live each hour as those who must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. And we are to "adorn the doctrine in all things": in every sphere we occupy, every relation we sustain, every circle God’s providence brings us into.
The apostle now enforces what he had said in verse 10 by reminding us that "the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men". This is in blessed contrast from the law, which brings naught but "condemnation". But the grace of God bringeth salvation, and that in a twofold way: by what Christ has done for his people, and by what he works in them. "He shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21): save from the guilt and penalty of sin, and from the love or power of sin. This grace of God "hath appeared": it has broken forth like the light of the morning after a dark night. It has "appeared" both objectively and subjectively—in the gospel and in our hearts: "when it pleased God. . . to reveal his Son in me" (Gal. 1:16); "God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts" (2 Cor. 4:6).
The grace of God—his lovingkindness, his goodwill, his free favor—hath appeared "to all men". That expression is used in Scripture in two different senses: sometimes it means all without exception, as in "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God". In other passages it signifies all without distinction, as it does here—to the bondmen, as well as the free, to the servant as the master, to the Gentiles as to the Jews; to all kinds and conditions of men. But how may I know that the grace of God which bringeth salvation has appeared to me? A vitally important question is that, one which none who really values the eternal interests of his or her soul will treat lightly or take for granted. There are many who profess to be "saved" but they give no evidence of it in their lives. Now here is the inspired answer.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
The Joy of Jesus is Unbelievable Love
Prayer: Dear God in Heaven;
We love you so much in Christ Jesus.
We confess all inequities in the blood of Jesus.
We also forgive all in Jesus name.
We pray for all people to know the perfect love of God in Christ Jesus.
Lord we thank you for the gift of love.
We praise you for all things in Christ Jesus with all thanksgiving.
Glory to God all in Christ Jesus for the Joy in our hearts,minds and souls.
Song Jesus Loves Me
Yes Jesus loves me for the Bible tells me so
Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to him belong
They are weak but he is strong
Yes Jesus loves me
Oh, yes Jesus loves me
Yes Jesus loves me for the Bible tells me so
Pressing on the up away
Always guide me Lord I pray
Undeserving, and stubbornly never fail to love me still
Yes Jesus loves me
Oh yes Jesus loves me
Oh yes Jesus loves me, for the Bible tells me so
Yes Jesus loves me, love
Oh yes Jesus loves me for the Bible tells me so
For the Bible tells me so
(Feels so good to know) that I'm never alone
See, sometimes I'm lonely but never alone
For the Bible tells, for the Bible tells
For the Bible tells me so
See I know that he loves me
Whether I'm right, whether I'm wrong
Support: You can give to The Joy of Jesus by visiting our sponsors ,get a toolbar. and/or a direct donation. Truly it is a blessing to give.
We love you so much in Christ Jesus.
We confess all inequities in the blood of Jesus.
We also forgive all in Jesus name.
We pray for all people to know the perfect love of God in Christ Jesus.
Lord we thank you for the gift of love.
We praise you for all things in Christ Jesus with all thanksgiving.
Glory to God all in Christ Jesus for the Joy in our hearts,minds and souls.
Song Jesus Loves Me
Yes Jesus loves me for the Bible tells me so
Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to him belong
They are weak but he is strong
Yes Jesus loves me
Oh, yes Jesus loves me
Yes Jesus loves me for the Bible tells me so
Pressing on the up away
Always guide me Lord I pray
Undeserving, and stubbornly never fail to love me still
Yes Jesus loves me
Oh yes Jesus loves me
Oh yes Jesus loves me, for the Bible tells me so
Yes Jesus loves me, love
Oh yes Jesus loves me for the Bible tells me so
For the Bible tells me so
(Feels so good to know) that I'm never alone
See, sometimes I'm lonely but never alone
For the Bible tells, for the Bible tells
For the Bible tells me so
See I know that he loves me
Whether I'm right, whether I'm wrong
Support: You can give to The Joy of Jesus by visiting our sponsors ,get a toolbar. and/or a direct donation. Truly it is a blessing to give.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The Great and Powerful Secret
The Blood of Jesus is Powerful/ The Joy of Jesus is LOVE
Blood of Jesus - What does it mean?
The blood of Jesus is the foundation of redemption. Jesus Christ died on the cross, shedding His blood, (and was then resurrected) as the only acceptable payment for our sins. The disciple Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:18-19, “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” The Blood of Jesus Christ is absolutely the most precious thing God has offered us.
Every human born has sinned against God and fallen short of His standard (Romans 3:23). We do not and cannot earn salvation by keeping the Old Testament Law or by simply being a good person. We will fail every time; it is in our nature to sin. It is only through God sacrificing His Son Jesus in our place, that we can acquire complete forgiveness. We can all attain this by accepting Jesus as our Savior, and accepting that He shed His blood to atone for the sins of all who repent. The act of communion does not save us, but we honor this wonderful gift from God with communion as a way to remember His sacrifice.
Blood of Jesus - Why is this required?
In the Old Testament (after Adam’s original sin), God accepted the death of an animal as a substitute for the sinner. The animal’s shed blood was proof that that one life had to be given for another. Life is precious and God places great value on each one of His created beings. This agreement demonstrated that, while blood symbolized death, it also showed that a life was spared. However, this was a temporary covenant. This blood needed to be repeated daily and yearly.
God would later send His only Son providing a new covenant, or New Testament through Jesus Christ. Jesus would die in the place of all sinners. His sacrifice fulfilled completely what the Old Testament covenant meant to. His blood would remove the sins of the world for all who put their faith in Him. This sacrifice would never have to be repeated; it is an eternal covenant.
John the Baptist called Jesus the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29) The Lamb of course, referenced the unblemished animal sacrifice of old. There are many references to sacrificial offerings in the Old Testament. One that may be most familiar is the sprinkling of blood on the Hebrew doorposts when they were held in bondage by the Pharaoh of Egypt. This act provided God’s protection as His curse of the death angel passed through the streets. This curse was just one that God sent down on Pharaoh, moving him to release these Hebrew slaves.
The event was then commemorated in the Hebrew Feast of Passover. It is now recognized as a “type” or foreshadowing of the blood of Jesus. The blood is a powerful, freeing, and protecting provision from God. As one Christian hymn says, “There is power, power, wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb.” If you have asked Jesus to be Lord of your life, then you too have applied the blood of the Lamb on the doorposts of your heart. He is covering your heart, and your life with his protection and ever-lasting forgiveness of sin.
Blood of Jesus - How is this possible?
It is possible for everyone to have the protection and forgiveness that the blood of Jesus provides. Regardless of what sins and offenses we have committed against God, He offers this gift to each of us. John 3:17 tells us that Jesus didn’t come to condemn us but to save us.
It is not enough to say we believe in God or know about Him. We must want know Him personally and accept the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, to receive it. The Bible, God’s Holy Word, says that no one can enter heaven or get to the Father except through the Son (John 14:6) And in John 6:40, Jesus says that all who believe in Him will receive everlasting life -- with Him! We are only asked to believe (have faith), repent (turn from sin), receive (salvation through Jesus), confess Him, and transfer ownership of our lives to Him. If you have never asked Jesus into your life, won’t you ask Him now?
The Joy of Jesus needs you in Jesus name to share our love around the world. Do give love to The Joy of Jesus.....
Blood of Jesus - What does it mean?
The blood of Jesus is the foundation of redemption. Jesus Christ died on the cross, shedding His blood, (and was then resurrected) as the only acceptable payment for our sins. The disciple Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:18-19, “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” The Blood of Jesus Christ is absolutely the most precious thing God has offered us.
Every human born has sinned against God and fallen short of His standard (Romans 3:23). We do not and cannot earn salvation by keeping the Old Testament Law or by simply being a good person. We will fail every time; it is in our nature to sin. It is only through God sacrificing His Son Jesus in our place, that we can acquire complete forgiveness. We can all attain this by accepting Jesus as our Savior, and accepting that He shed His blood to atone for the sins of all who repent. The act of communion does not save us, but we honor this wonderful gift from God with communion as a way to remember His sacrifice.
Blood of Jesus - Why is this required?
In the Old Testament (after Adam’s original sin), God accepted the death of an animal as a substitute for the sinner. The animal’s shed blood was proof that that one life had to be given for another. Life is precious and God places great value on each one of His created beings. This agreement demonstrated that, while blood symbolized death, it also showed that a life was spared. However, this was a temporary covenant. This blood needed to be repeated daily and yearly.
God would later send His only Son providing a new covenant, or New Testament through Jesus Christ. Jesus would die in the place of all sinners. His sacrifice fulfilled completely what the Old Testament covenant meant to. His blood would remove the sins of the world for all who put their faith in Him. This sacrifice would never have to be repeated; it is an eternal covenant.
John the Baptist called Jesus the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29) The Lamb of course, referenced the unblemished animal sacrifice of old. There are many references to sacrificial offerings in the Old Testament. One that may be most familiar is the sprinkling of blood on the Hebrew doorposts when they were held in bondage by the Pharaoh of Egypt. This act provided God’s protection as His curse of the death angel passed through the streets. This curse was just one that God sent down on Pharaoh, moving him to release these Hebrew slaves.
The event was then commemorated in the Hebrew Feast of Passover. It is now recognized as a “type” or foreshadowing of the blood of Jesus. The blood is a powerful, freeing, and protecting provision from God. As one Christian hymn says, “There is power, power, wonder-working power in the precious blood of the Lamb.” If you have asked Jesus to be Lord of your life, then you too have applied the blood of the Lamb on the doorposts of your heart. He is covering your heart, and your life with his protection and ever-lasting forgiveness of sin.
Blood of Jesus - How is this possible?
It is possible for everyone to have the protection and forgiveness that the blood of Jesus provides. Regardless of what sins and offenses we have committed against God, He offers this gift to each of us. John 3:17 tells us that Jesus didn’t come to condemn us but to save us.
It is not enough to say we believe in God or know about Him. We must want know Him personally and accept the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, to receive it. The Bible, God’s Holy Word, says that no one can enter heaven or get to the Father except through the Son (John 14:6) And in John 6:40, Jesus says that all who believe in Him will receive everlasting life -- with Him! We are only asked to believe (have faith), repent (turn from sin), receive (salvation through Jesus), confess Him, and transfer ownership of our lives to Him. If you have never asked Jesus into your life, won’t you ask Him now?
The Joy of Jesus needs you in Jesus name to share our love around the world. Do give love to The Joy of Jesus.....
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Bible Study: The Rich Young Ruler
Commentary: Dr. James A. Lee;
We are facing some rather difficult choices today in terms of how to handle there social-economic times. Our only true resource is The Bible. We pray for you and ask in the name of Jesus that you accept our lessons with an open mind. We pray that you share our joy with your contacts as well. The Joy of Jesus does indeed Love you and God bless you for your visit.
Lesson: The Rich Young Ruler (Luke 18:18-23)
Luke 18:18-23 (with the context of vss. 24-30 also)
[18] A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
[19] "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good -- except God alone. [20] You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'"
[21] "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
[22] When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
[23] When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.
[24] Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! [25] Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
[26] Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
[27] Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
[28] Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!"
[29] "I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God [30] will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."
Exposition
This passage is a troubling one. It was troubling for the disciples, for the wealthy young ruler, and for us. It seems too radical, too abrupt, too ... well, too immoderate to suit our tastes. But it's easy to miss the truth when it is delivered in moderation. The truth, however, can be unmistakable when delivered unvarnished, undiluted. And that kind of powerful truth-telling Jesus is known for.
Luke places this event in the midst of a series of incidents and parables designed to indicate the character of discipleship. All the Gospel-writers place it near the end of Jesus' public ministry, and Mark supplies a bit of the context: "As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him" (Mark 10:17a).
Jesus is about to leave the town. It is the man's last chance to ask his question, to meet Jesus face-to-face. And so he runs up to him and falls on his knees before him. It is a picture of urgency and earnestness and humility.
Profile of the Rich Young Ruler (18:1
"A certain ruler asked him, 'Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' " (18:18)
The word translated "ruler" is Greek archon, "generally, one who has administrative authority, 'leader, official.' " It is used of various Jewish leaders, including those in charge of a synagogue and members of the Sanhedrin.[1]
Matthew's account (19:22) adds another detail and refers to the ruler as a "young man," Greek neaniskos, "a relatively young man, 'youth, young man' (from about the 24th to the 40th year)."[2] Luke 18:23 tells us "he was a man of great wealth." "Wealth" is Greek plousios, "pertaining to having an abundance of earthly possessions that exceeds normal experience, 'rich, wealthy.' "[3] The adjective "great" translates Greek sphodra, "a very high point on a scale of extent, 'very (much), extremely, greatly.' "[4]
And so we have an earnest young man, wealthy -- very wealthy, indeed -- and probably because of his wealth and earnestness about spiritual matters, a person entrusted with governance in the synagogue, a ruler, a respected person in the community.
And in his fine robes, immaculately groomed, he is kneeling in the dirt of the roadside at the edge of town, with a burning question on his heart.
Inheriting Eternal Life (18:18b)
"A certain ruler asked him, 'Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' " (18:18)
Most of the wealthy, religious people who asked Jesus public questions were trying to trick him into some imprudent statement -- "Should we pay taxes to Caesar?" (Luke 20:22). "Why do your disciples pluck grain on the Sabbath?" (Luke 6:2). "This lady was caught in the very act of adultery. Shouldn't we stone her as Moses directed?" (John 8:4). But this man's question was no trick. It was a sincere question to which he needed to know the answer -- how to inherit eternal life.
The word translated "inherit" is Greek kleronomeo, "acquire, obtain, come into possession of something, 'inherit.' "[5]
The question tells us several things about the young man:
1. He must be feeling inadequate in his spiritual preparation somehow or he probably wouldn't ask the question.
2. He sides with the Pharisees rather than the Sadducees (another religious party in First Century Judaism) because the Sadducees didn't believe in life after death, and this question clearly implies that he does.
3. He believes that eternal life is something that one earns or merits by what he does.
Ask the common man or woman in your community and you'll probably come up with a similar belief. You go to heaven if you do good. You go to hell if you do bad things. Well, only VERY bad things. Eternal life is a reward for what you do on earth. That's what people tell you.
The young man's question betrays both his superficial understanding of inheriting eternal life, and his superficial understanding of a person's ability to do good deeds that are pure, unmixed by ulterior motives. The Prophet Isaiah scathing words 750 years before -- "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6) -- have somehow escaped the young man. :
Notice that in the brief scope of a few verses salvation is spoken of in various terms and figures: "eternal life" (18:18, 30), "treasure in heaven" (18:22), "entering the Kingdom of God" (18:24, 29), and "being saved" (18:26).
No One Is Good -- Except God Alone (18:19)
And so, in this sincere young man's superficial way, he addresses Jesus as "good teacher," a somewhat improper way to address a Rabbi. We don't see this expression elsewhere in Rabbinical literature until the Fourth Century. The word "good" in both verses 18 and 19 is Greek agathos, "pertaining to meeting a high standard of worth and merit, 'good.' "[6]
Jesus rebukes the young man concerning his careless address:
" 'Why do you call me good?' Jesus answered. 'No one is good -- except God alone.' " (18:19)
The young man can't understand anything else Jesus will tell him unless he grasps that our relative standards of goodness are much, much different than God's absolute goodness and God's standards of righteousness.
Some have felt that, by these words, Jesus is somehow denying his divinity. If Jesus had meant to do so he would have replied simply that he was a sinner. But Jesus' divinity isn't the issue. Jesus is calling the young man to reflect on his words. Jesus is trying to teach him. Perhaps Jesus is trying to prompt him to refelect on who Jesus is, too. As Jesus said to the woman at the well of Sychar, "If you knew ... who it is that asks you for a drink...." (John 4:10). But the man can't see, can't understand.
Comparisons to Jesus' Interview with Nicodemus
I can't help but recall another conversation Jesus has with an earnest Jewish ruler, Nicodemus, related for us in John's Gospel:
"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, 'Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.'
"In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.' " (John 3:1-3)
I notice three points of comparison:
1. The ruler greets Jesus with gracious praise.
2. Jesus' response is not the expected gracious reply, but seemingly off-the-wall, jarring, and unanticipated.
3. Lack of spiritual understanding.
Jesus doesn't exchange pleasantries with these men. He comes right to the point, he teaches, but in a completely unexpected way. In both cases these rulers are hungry for spiritual guidance. But they need to abandon some dangerous presuppositions about their state before God before they are able to understand any further truth.
Keeping the Commandments (18:20-21)
After pointing out the young man's inadequate understanding of "goodness," Jesus proceeds to inquire more of this man's -- and his culture's -- measure of righteousness.
"You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'
'All these I have kept since I was a boy,' he said." (18:20-21)
The verb "kept" is Greek phulasso, "to continue to keep a law or commandment from being broken, 'observe, follow.' "[7] The commandments Jesus mentions all relate to the man's relationships with other people. Jesus will approach in another manner commandments that relate to God.
The young man's response is immediate: "All these I have kept since I was a boy" (18:21), and his answer should not surprise us. The rabbis held that the law could indeed be kept in its entirety. This might be true if you were defining the commandments as the Pharisees did, but we know from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:17-48) that Jesus' view of keeping these commandments goes far beyond the legalistic interpretations of his time. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus relates murder to its root in anger and adultery to its root in lust.
Sell Everything, Give to the Poor (18:22a)
The young man has kept all the commandments, but still senses a lack, an incompleteness, or else he wouldn't have come to Jesus in the first place. Now Jesus speaks to the young man's point of need:
"When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' " (18:22)
Jesus affirms the young man's sense of need. The word translated "lack" is Greek leipo, "to be deficient in something that ought to be present for whatever reason, 'lack.' "[8]
But Jesus' prescription is unpalatable -- to the young man and to us. "Sell everything" and give the proceeds to the poor. The word translated "give" is Greek diadidomi, "apportion among various parties, 'distribute, give.' "[9]
If the man does this, Jesus assures him, he will have treasure in heaven. "Treasure" is Greek thesauros, "that which is stored up, 'treasure.' "[10] It is an ironic exchange that Jesus proposes -- exchanging fabulous wealth here on earth for fabulous wealth in the Kingdom of God. Many in history have tried to buy their way into God's good graces -- many of the world's beautiful cathedrals, temples, and mosques are inscribed with the names of generous benefactors. But Jesus is not proposing buying anything or doing anything glorious. He isn't proposing a massive contribution to the Jesus Christ Evangelistic Association that will spread the Gospel in perpetuity.
Jesus proposes the man selling all his property and giving the proceeds to those who are least able to reciprocate -- the poor. St. James is right when he characterizes true religion: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (James 1:27).
How Money Corrupts
The truth is that money itself has a way of polluting us, that is, tempting us to compromise our values in order to gain and retain it. "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" (1 Timothy 6:10).
Recently, Jesus has taught his disciples about the importance of faithfulness with regard to money: "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money" (Luke 16:13). Now his disciples have an object lesson to learn from -- an actual rich man, fabulously wealthy. Can he -- will he -- become a disciple?
Money, however, isn't the only thing that Jesus asks the young man to give up:
* Possessions, what money will buy, the accouterments of wealth. A new car, a nice house, a membership in the country club, and fashionable clothing.
* Status and influence that wealth affords. People make way for the wealthy, hoping that some of that wealth might rub off on them. At the very least, people kowtow to the wealthy to keep from becoming their enemies.
* Power. Wealth is power. It buys influence. It buys others who will now let the wealthy have their own way.
* Community leadership. The man isn't very likely to continue as a respected ruler without his wealth. If he gives up his wealth he will be misunderstood and resented by the other influential people in his community. No, he won't be a ruler for long.
* Family. The young man probably comes from a wealthy family. But if he disposes of a huge chunk of the family wealth, will his siblings understand and accept it? Will his wife and family? His father or mother if they are still living?
How often have you been tempted to do things that were wrong or unethical or self-serving because of the lure of money, even a little bit of money? Money must either be controlled or it will control us. It is a sad thing when our possessions begin to possess us!
Why Jesus' Words Upset Us
But Jesus' words don't just upset the rich young ruler. They also upset us. As a pastor I have heard many times the response to this passage: "That doesn't mean everyone should sell what they have, does it? If everyone did that it would result in chaos."
Obviously. But why are we even worried with the question? Do we, too, feel possessive of what we have? Do we fear that Jesus may require us to do something that would cost us too much? What are we afraid of? And why do we fear?
We fear because we sense that we are not fully surrendered, that's why. Jesus' words to the rich young ruler are quite consistent with what he has been saying to his disciples throughout his journeys:
"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters -- yes, even his own life -- he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26-27).
"In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:33)
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it" (Matthew 13:44-46).
"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it" (Luke 9:24).
"Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" (Luke 17:33)
Then Come, Follow Me (18:22b)
The story of the rich young ruler exposes a raw nerve in us that causes a reaction. But disposing of wealth was not all that Jesus asked the man to do.
"When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' " (18:22)
He concludes with two commands. "Come" is Greek deuro, an adverb functioning as an interjection, "here, (come) here, come!"[11] The word "follow" is the characteristic word of discipleship, Greek akoloutheo, "' follow,' figuratively, to follow someone as a disciple, 'be a disciple, follow.' "[12]
However, I don't think that the following Jesus invites this man to do is just figurative. Jesus looked at this man and loved him (Mark 10:21). I think he is inviting the rich young man to join him on his journeys, to become one of the disciples who enjoy the immense and unspeakable privilege of spending time with Jesus and learning from him on a day-by-day basis. What a wonderful invitation!
But the invitation implicit to us is no less wonderful. We, too, are invited to come to Jesus, and then to follow him on a spiritual life journey. To enjoy his company, his presence. To be taught along the way by his Word and Spirit. To become part of his great extended family, the Body of Christ throughout the world. And to be filled with hope in the closing days of our journey as we know his promises and feel his comfort with us.
"Come, follow me," is the invitation Jesus extends to you and me.
He Became Very Sad (18:23)
But this radical call to discipleship is too much for the rich young ruler.
"When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth." (18:23)
The word translated "sad" is Greek perilupos, "very sad, deeply grieved."[13] Matthew and Mark note that the man went away sorrowful. Jesus remains standing where he is, on the verge of continuing his journey. But the earnest and rich young ruler, his face stricken with grief ("the man's face fell," it says in Mark 10:22), rises from his knees. He averts his eyes from Jesus, as I see it, turns slowly, and moves away from the band of disciples.
He cannot go with them. He cannot go with Jesus, as much as he would love to. Because he loves one thing more, and he cannot leave that to serve God.
In a very real sense he has broken the first commandment: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). Nor can he obey the Shema which, as a devout Jew, he recites twice a day: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength" (Deuteronomy 6:4).
Jesus has pierced the man's naivete, and has proved to him, and those who were privy to this conversation, that you cannot serve God and Money! "Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (Luke 16:13). It is true. And for the young man, sadly true.
There is more -- Jesus comments on the rarity, the impossibility of the rich or anyone being saved. We'll examine that next week.
But the challenge for disciples remains. My dear friend, is there anything, any hindrance, that you are unwilling to give up to follow Jesus? You may not be wealthy, but if there is something you possess, or that possesses you, laying it down is a vital part of following the Master. He must have your all. And he calls gently to you: "Come, follow me."
Prayer
Dear Father, Jesus' words have a way of piercing our hearts and defenses we have built up against you and doing things your way. Make us tender-hearted. Gently expose the reservations of our hearts, as you did for that wealthy young man those many centuries ago. But give us grace to be able to obey you, the Great Physician, who alone can heal our corrupt and deceitful hearts, and make us whole. Forgive us, O Lord, for clinging to the remnants of a life independent of you, and make us wholly yours. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Key Verse
"You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Luke 18:22)
Questions
All lessons now compiled as a 1,025-page book. Get your copy for easy reference.
1. What does the scripture tell us about this man? What do we know about him from his words, his manner, and his actions? (Feel free to include parallels from Matthew and Mark in your profile of the man.)
2. What do we learn about Jesus from this encounter? What does this account tell us about him?
3. Why does Jesus challenge the man's seemingly innocent form of address: "Good teacher"? What is Jesus' point? Why does Jesus interrupt answering the man's question to make a big thing about something so small?
4. Why does Jesus tell him to sell all his possessions? Is this something Jesus requires of everyone? If not, why single out this man?
5. How are we to generalize about "selling all our possessions"? What application does this have to us?
6. Why did Jesus designate the poor to be the recipients of the man's wealth, do you think?
7. Could the man have followed Jesus without divesting himself of what he held dear? Can you? Can anyone?
The Joy of Jesus prays that God will touch your heart and bless you with The Love and Joy of Jesus in your life...
We are facing some rather difficult choices today in terms of how to handle there social-economic times. Our only true resource is The Bible. We pray for you and ask in the name of Jesus that you accept our lessons with an open mind. We pray that you share our joy with your contacts as well. The Joy of Jesus does indeed Love you and God bless you for your visit.
Lesson: The Rich Young Ruler (Luke 18:18-23)
Luke 18:18-23 (with the context of vss. 24-30 also)
[18] A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
[19] "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good -- except God alone. [20] You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'"
[21] "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
[22] When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
[23] When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.
[24] Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! [25] Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
[26] Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
[27] Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
[28] Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!"
[29] "I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God [30] will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."
Exposition
This passage is a troubling one. It was troubling for the disciples, for the wealthy young ruler, and for us. It seems too radical, too abrupt, too ... well, too immoderate to suit our tastes. But it's easy to miss the truth when it is delivered in moderation. The truth, however, can be unmistakable when delivered unvarnished, undiluted. And that kind of powerful truth-telling Jesus is known for.
Luke places this event in the midst of a series of incidents and parables designed to indicate the character of discipleship. All the Gospel-writers place it near the end of Jesus' public ministry, and Mark supplies a bit of the context: "As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him" (Mark 10:17a).
Jesus is about to leave the town. It is the man's last chance to ask his question, to meet Jesus face-to-face. And so he runs up to him and falls on his knees before him. It is a picture of urgency and earnestness and humility.
Profile of the Rich Young Ruler (18:1
"A certain ruler asked him, 'Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' " (18:18)
The word translated "ruler" is Greek archon, "generally, one who has administrative authority, 'leader, official.' " It is used of various Jewish leaders, including those in charge of a synagogue and members of the Sanhedrin.[1]
Matthew's account (19:22) adds another detail and refers to the ruler as a "young man," Greek neaniskos, "a relatively young man, 'youth, young man' (from about the 24th to the 40th year)."[2] Luke 18:23 tells us "he was a man of great wealth." "Wealth" is Greek plousios, "pertaining to having an abundance of earthly possessions that exceeds normal experience, 'rich, wealthy.' "[3] The adjective "great" translates Greek sphodra, "a very high point on a scale of extent, 'very (much), extremely, greatly.' "[4]
And so we have an earnest young man, wealthy -- very wealthy, indeed -- and probably because of his wealth and earnestness about spiritual matters, a person entrusted with governance in the synagogue, a ruler, a respected person in the community.
And in his fine robes, immaculately groomed, he is kneeling in the dirt of the roadside at the edge of town, with a burning question on his heart.
Inheriting Eternal Life (18:18b)
"A certain ruler asked him, 'Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?' " (18:18)
Most of the wealthy, religious people who asked Jesus public questions were trying to trick him into some imprudent statement -- "Should we pay taxes to Caesar?" (Luke 20:22). "Why do your disciples pluck grain on the Sabbath?" (Luke 6:2). "This lady was caught in the very act of adultery. Shouldn't we stone her as Moses directed?" (John 8:4). But this man's question was no trick. It was a sincere question to which he needed to know the answer -- how to inherit eternal life.
The word translated "inherit" is Greek kleronomeo, "acquire, obtain, come into possession of something, 'inherit.' "[5]
The question tells us several things about the young man:
1. He must be feeling inadequate in his spiritual preparation somehow or he probably wouldn't ask the question.
2. He sides with the Pharisees rather than the Sadducees (another religious party in First Century Judaism) because the Sadducees didn't believe in life after death, and this question clearly implies that he does.
3. He believes that eternal life is something that one earns or merits by what he does.
Ask the common man or woman in your community and you'll probably come up with a similar belief. You go to heaven if you do good. You go to hell if you do bad things. Well, only VERY bad things. Eternal life is a reward for what you do on earth. That's what people tell you.
The young man's question betrays both his superficial understanding of inheriting eternal life, and his superficial understanding of a person's ability to do good deeds that are pure, unmixed by ulterior motives. The Prophet Isaiah scathing words 750 years before -- "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6) -- have somehow escaped the young man. :
Notice that in the brief scope of a few verses salvation is spoken of in various terms and figures: "eternal life" (18:18, 30), "treasure in heaven" (18:22), "entering the Kingdom of God" (18:24, 29), and "being saved" (18:26).
No One Is Good -- Except God Alone (18:19)
And so, in this sincere young man's superficial way, he addresses Jesus as "good teacher," a somewhat improper way to address a Rabbi. We don't see this expression elsewhere in Rabbinical literature until the Fourth Century. The word "good" in both verses 18 and 19 is Greek agathos, "pertaining to meeting a high standard of worth and merit, 'good.' "[6]
Jesus rebukes the young man concerning his careless address:
" 'Why do you call me good?' Jesus answered. 'No one is good -- except God alone.' " (18:19)
The young man can't understand anything else Jesus will tell him unless he grasps that our relative standards of goodness are much, much different than God's absolute goodness and God's standards of righteousness.
Some have felt that, by these words, Jesus is somehow denying his divinity. If Jesus had meant to do so he would have replied simply that he was a sinner. But Jesus' divinity isn't the issue. Jesus is calling the young man to reflect on his words. Jesus is trying to teach him. Perhaps Jesus is trying to prompt him to refelect on who Jesus is, too. As Jesus said to the woman at the well of Sychar, "If you knew ... who it is that asks you for a drink...." (John 4:10). But the man can't see, can't understand.
Comparisons to Jesus' Interview with Nicodemus
I can't help but recall another conversation Jesus has with an earnest Jewish ruler, Nicodemus, related for us in John's Gospel:
"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, 'Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.'
"In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.' " (John 3:1-3)
I notice three points of comparison:
1. The ruler greets Jesus with gracious praise.
2. Jesus' response is not the expected gracious reply, but seemingly off-the-wall, jarring, and unanticipated.
3. Lack of spiritual understanding.
Jesus doesn't exchange pleasantries with these men. He comes right to the point, he teaches, but in a completely unexpected way. In both cases these rulers are hungry for spiritual guidance. But they need to abandon some dangerous presuppositions about their state before God before they are able to understand any further truth.
Keeping the Commandments (18:20-21)
After pointing out the young man's inadequate understanding of "goodness," Jesus proceeds to inquire more of this man's -- and his culture's -- measure of righteousness.
"You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'
'All these I have kept since I was a boy,' he said." (18:20-21)
The verb "kept" is Greek phulasso, "to continue to keep a law or commandment from being broken, 'observe, follow.' "[7] The commandments Jesus mentions all relate to the man's relationships with other people. Jesus will approach in another manner commandments that relate to God.
The young man's response is immediate: "All these I have kept since I was a boy" (18:21), and his answer should not surprise us. The rabbis held that the law could indeed be kept in its entirety. This might be true if you were defining the commandments as the Pharisees did, but we know from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:17-48) that Jesus' view of keeping these commandments goes far beyond the legalistic interpretations of his time. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus relates murder to its root in anger and adultery to its root in lust.
Sell Everything, Give to the Poor (18:22a)
The young man has kept all the commandments, but still senses a lack, an incompleteness, or else he wouldn't have come to Jesus in the first place. Now Jesus speaks to the young man's point of need:
"When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' " (18:22)
Jesus affirms the young man's sense of need. The word translated "lack" is Greek leipo, "to be deficient in something that ought to be present for whatever reason, 'lack.' "[8]
But Jesus' prescription is unpalatable -- to the young man and to us. "Sell everything" and give the proceeds to the poor. The word translated "give" is Greek diadidomi, "apportion among various parties, 'distribute, give.' "[9]
If the man does this, Jesus assures him, he will have treasure in heaven. "Treasure" is Greek thesauros, "that which is stored up, 'treasure.' "[10] It is an ironic exchange that Jesus proposes -- exchanging fabulous wealth here on earth for fabulous wealth in the Kingdom of God. Many in history have tried to buy their way into God's good graces -- many of the world's beautiful cathedrals, temples, and mosques are inscribed with the names of generous benefactors. But Jesus is not proposing buying anything or doing anything glorious. He isn't proposing a massive contribution to the Jesus Christ Evangelistic Association that will spread the Gospel in perpetuity.
Jesus proposes the man selling all his property and giving the proceeds to those who are least able to reciprocate -- the poor. St. James is right when he characterizes true religion: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (James 1:27).
How Money Corrupts
The truth is that money itself has a way of polluting us, that is, tempting us to compromise our values in order to gain and retain it. "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" (1 Timothy 6:10).
Recently, Jesus has taught his disciples about the importance of faithfulness with regard to money: "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money" (Luke 16:13). Now his disciples have an object lesson to learn from -- an actual rich man, fabulously wealthy. Can he -- will he -- become a disciple?
Money, however, isn't the only thing that Jesus asks the young man to give up:
* Possessions, what money will buy, the accouterments of wealth. A new car, a nice house, a membership in the country club, and fashionable clothing.
* Status and influence that wealth affords. People make way for the wealthy, hoping that some of that wealth might rub off on them. At the very least, people kowtow to the wealthy to keep from becoming their enemies.
* Power. Wealth is power. It buys influence. It buys others who will now let the wealthy have their own way.
* Community leadership. The man isn't very likely to continue as a respected ruler without his wealth. If he gives up his wealth he will be misunderstood and resented by the other influential people in his community. No, he won't be a ruler for long.
* Family. The young man probably comes from a wealthy family. But if he disposes of a huge chunk of the family wealth, will his siblings understand and accept it? Will his wife and family? His father or mother if they are still living?
How often have you been tempted to do things that were wrong or unethical or self-serving because of the lure of money, even a little bit of money? Money must either be controlled or it will control us. It is a sad thing when our possessions begin to possess us!
Why Jesus' Words Upset Us
But Jesus' words don't just upset the rich young ruler. They also upset us. As a pastor I have heard many times the response to this passage: "That doesn't mean everyone should sell what they have, does it? If everyone did that it would result in chaos."
Obviously. But why are we even worried with the question? Do we, too, feel possessive of what we have? Do we fear that Jesus may require us to do something that would cost us too much? What are we afraid of? And why do we fear?
We fear because we sense that we are not fully surrendered, that's why. Jesus' words to the rich young ruler are quite consistent with what he has been saying to his disciples throughout his journeys:
"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters -- yes, even his own life -- he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26-27).
"In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:33)
"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it" (Matthew 13:44-46).
"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it" (Luke 9:24).
"Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" (Luke 17:33)
Then Come, Follow Me (18:22b)
The story of the rich young ruler exposes a raw nerve in us that causes a reaction. But disposing of wealth was not all that Jesus asked the man to do.
"When Jesus heard this, he said to him, 'You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' " (18:22)
He concludes with two commands. "Come" is Greek deuro, an adverb functioning as an interjection, "here, (come) here, come!"[11] The word "follow" is the characteristic word of discipleship, Greek akoloutheo, "' follow,' figuratively, to follow someone as a disciple, 'be a disciple, follow.' "[12]
However, I don't think that the following Jesus invites this man to do is just figurative. Jesus looked at this man and loved him (Mark 10:21). I think he is inviting the rich young man to join him on his journeys, to become one of the disciples who enjoy the immense and unspeakable privilege of spending time with Jesus and learning from him on a day-by-day basis. What a wonderful invitation!
But the invitation implicit to us is no less wonderful. We, too, are invited to come to Jesus, and then to follow him on a spiritual life journey. To enjoy his company, his presence. To be taught along the way by his Word and Spirit. To become part of his great extended family, the Body of Christ throughout the world. And to be filled with hope in the closing days of our journey as we know his promises and feel his comfort with us.
"Come, follow me," is the invitation Jesus extends to you and me.
He Became Very Sad (18:23)
But this radical call to discipleship is too much for the rich young ruler.
"When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth." (18:23)
The word translated "sad" is Greek perilupos, "very sad, deeply grieved."[13] Matthew and Mark note that the man went away sorrowful. Jesus remains standing where he is, on the verge of continuing his journey. But the earnest and rich young ruler, his face stricken with grief ("the man's face fell," it says in Mark 10:22), rises from his knees. He averts his eyes from Jesus, as I see it, turns slowly, and moves away from the band of disciples.
He cannot go with them. He cannot go with Jesus, as much as he would love to. Because he loves one thing more, and he cannot leave that to serve God.
In a very real sense he has broken the first commandment: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). Nor can he obey the Shema which, as a devout Jew, he recites twice a day: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength" (Deuteronomy 6:4).
Jesus has pierced the man's naivete, and has proved to him, and those who were privy to this conversation, that you cannot serve God and Money! "Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (Luke 16:13). It is true. And for the young man, sadly true.
There is more -- Jesus comments on the rarity, the impossibility of the rich or anyone being saved. We'll examine that next week.
But the challenge for disciples remains. My dear friend, is there anything, any hindrance, that you are unwilling to give up to follow Jesus? You may not be wealthy, but if there is something you possess, or that possesses you, laying it down is a vital part of following the Master. He must have your all. And he calls gently to you: "Come, follow me."
Prayer
Dear Father, Jesus' words have a way of piercing our hearts and defenses we have built up against you and doing things your way. Make us tender-hearted. Gently expose the reservations of our hearts, as you did for that wealthy young man those many centuries ago. But give us grace to be able to obey you, the Great Physician, who alone can heal our corrupt and deceitful hearts, and make us whole. Forgive us, O Lord, for clinging to the remnants of a life independent of you, and make us wholly yours. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Key Verse
"You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Luke 18:22)
Questions
All lessons now compiled as a 1,025-page book. Get your copy for easy reference.
1. What does the scripture tell us about this man? What do we know about him from his words, his manner, and his actions? (Feel free to include parallels from Matthew and Mark in your profile of the man.)
2. What do we learn about Jesus from this encounter? What does this account tell us about him?
3. Why does Jesus challenge the man's seemingly innocent form of address: "Good teacher"? What is Jesus' point? Why does Jesus interrupt answering the man's question to make a big thing about something so small?
4. Why does Jesus tell him to sell all his possessions? Is this something Jesus requires of everyone? If not, why single out this man?
5. How are we to generalize about "selling all our possessions"? What application does this have to us?
6. Why did Jesus designate the poor to be the recipients of the man's wealth, do you think?
7. Could the man have followed Jesus without divesting himself of what he held dear? Can you? Can anyone?
The Joy of Jesus prays that God will touch your heart and bless you with The Love and Joy of Jesus in your life...
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Jesus is Our Rock
Prayer: Almighty God,
We praise you all day,
Christ Jesus is son of all salvation,
and The Holy Spirit of God,
We praise the with all humility.
We thank Thee Lord for everything.
We Gory in Thy salvation. We
pray for all people with Holy hands lifted up to Thee.
Praise God in Jesus name A-men.
Sermon: Jesus is our rock today. We need His power of love to make it today and forever.
Jesus gave His life on the cross for our sins. God raised Jesus from the grave so that we may glory in His salvation. We thank God and praise God for all of His spiritual blessings in The Joy o Jesus. A-men.
Jesus is our Rock. Let us continue to pray
Song: Rock of Ages;
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.
2. Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law's commands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.
3. Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.
4. While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.
Do Give To The Joy of Jesus
We praise you all day,
Christ Jesus is son of all salvation,
and The Holy Spirit of God,
We praise the with all humility.
We thank Thee Lord for everything.
We Gory in Thy salvation. We
pray for all people with Holy hands lifted up to Thee.
Praise God in Jesus name A-men.
Sermon: Jesus is our rock today. We need His power of love to make it today and forever.
Jesus gave His life on the cross for our sins. God raised Jesus from the grave so that we may glory in His salvation. We thank God and praise God for all of His spiritual blessings in The Joy o Jesus. A-men.
Jesus is our Rock. Let us continue to pray
Song: Rock of Ages;
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.
2. Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law's commands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.
3. Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.
4. While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.
Do Give To The Joy of Jesus
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Sermon: Give unto The Joy of Jesus
Praise God today. We are so blessed by the word of God all in Christ Jesus and The Holy Spirit. Jesus gave His life on the cross for the sins of the world. God raised Jesus in the third day with all power and glory. Jesus will return to set all things right. We pray for the absolute blood and joy of Jesus to touch our souls in all that we do. Our prayer is that you give to the Joy of Jesus from your heart. In Jesus name we pray......
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
[By David.] The LORD is my light and my salvation. Who is there to fear? The LORD is my life's fortress. Who is there to be afraid of?
Bible in Basic English
The Lord is my light and my salvation; who is then a cause of fear to me? the Lord is the strength of my life; who is a danger to me?
Douay-Rheims Bible
The psalm of David before he was anointed. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?
(a) Because he was assured of good success in all his dangers and that his salvation was surely laid up in God, he did not fear the tyranny of his enemies.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
PSALM 27
Ps 27:1-14. With a general strain of confidence, hope, and joy, especially in God's worship, in the midst of dangers, the Psalmist introduces prayer for divine help and guidance.
1. light-is a common figure for comfort.
strength-or, "stronghold"-affording security against all violence. The interrogations give greater vividness to the negation implied.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
27:1-6 The Lord, who is the believer's light, is the strength of his life; not only by whom, but in whom he lives and moves. In God let us strengthen ourselves. The gracious presence of God, his power, his promise, his readiness to hear prayer, the witness of his Spirit in the hearts of his people; these are the secret of his tabernacle, and in these the saints find cause for that holy security and peace of mind in which they dwell at ease. The psalmist prays for constant communion with God in holy ordinances. All God's children desire to dwell in their Father's house. Not to sojourn there as a wayfaring man, to tarry but for a night; or to dwell there for a time only, as the servant that abides not in the house for ever; but to dwell there all the days of their life, as children with a father. Do we hope that the praising of God will be the blessedness of our eternity? Surely then we ought to make it the business of our time. This he had at heart more than any thing. Whatever the Christian is as to this life, he considers the favour and service of God as the one thing needful. This he desires, prays for and seeks after, and in it he rejoices.
Exodus 15:2 "The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will extol Him
We break the bread of life and drink the wine of the spirit of love in perfect communion with The Joy of Jesus , all to The Glory of God. In Jesus name we pray. A-men.
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
[By David.] The LORD is my light and my salvation. Who is there to fear? The LORD is my life's fortress. Who is there to be afraid of?
Bible in Basic English
Douay-Rheims Bible
The psalm of David before he was anointed. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?
(a) Because he was assured of good success in all his dangers and that his salvation was surely laid up in God, he did not fear the tyranny of his enemies.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
PSALM 27
Ps 27:1-14. With a general strain of confidence, hope, and joy, especially in God's worship, in the midst of dangers, the Psalmist introduces prayer for divine help and guidance.
1. light-is a common figure for comfort.
strength-or, "stronghold"-affording security against all violence. The interrogations give greater vividness to the negation implied.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
27:1-6 The Lord, who is the believer's light, is the strength of his life; not only by whom, but in whom he lives and moves. In God let us strengthen ourselves. The gracious presence of God, his power, his promise, his readiness to hear prayer, the witness of his Spirit in the hearts of his people; these are the secret of his tabernacle, and in these the saints find cause for that holy security and peace of mind in which they dwell at ease. The psalmist prays for constant communion with God in holy ordinances. All God's children desire to dwell in their Father's house. Not to sojourn there as a wayfaring man, to tarry but for a night; or to dwell there for a time only, as the servant that abides not in the house for ever; but to dwell there all the days of their life, as children with a father. Do we hope that the praising of God will be the blessedness of our eternity? Surely then we ought to make it the business of our time. This he had at heart more than any thing. Whatever the Christian is as to this life, he considers the favour and service of God as the one thing needful. This he desires, prays for and seeks after, and in it he rejoices.
Exodus 15:2 "The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will extol Him
We break the bread of life and drink the wine of the spirit of love in perfect communion with The Joy of Jesus , all to The Glory of God. In Jesus name we pray. A-men.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
God is Love That is all we need
The Spirit of God is the Spirit of love. He that does not love the image of God in his people, has no saving knowledge of God. For it is God's nature to be kind, and to give happiness. The law of God is love; and all would have been perfectly happy, had all obeyed it. The provision of the gospel, for the forgiveness of sin, and the salvation of sinners, consistently with God's glory and justice, shows that God is love. Mystery and darkness rest upon many things yet. God has so shown himself to be love, that we cannot come short of eternal happiness, unless through unbelief and impenitence, although strict justice would condemn us to hopeless misery, because we break our Creator's laws. None of our words or thoughts can do justice to the free, astonishing love of a holy God towards sinners, who could not profit or harm him, whom he might justly crush in a moment, and whose deserving of his vengeance was shown in the method by which they were saved, though he could by his almighty Word have created other worlds, with more perfect beings, if he had seen fit. Search we the whole universe for love in its most glorious displays? It is to be found in the person and the cross of Christ. Does love exist between God and sinners? Here was the origin, not that we loved God, but that he freely loved us. His love could not be designed to be fruitless upon us, and when its proper end and issue are gained and produced, it may be said to be perfected. So faith is perfected by its works. Thus it will appear that God dwells in us by his new-creating Spirit. A loving Christian is a perfect Christian; set him to any good duty, and he is perfect to it, he is expert at it. Love oils the wheels of his affections, and sets him on that which is helpful to his brethren. A man that goes about a business with ill will, always does it badly. That God dwells in us and we in him, were words too high for mortals to use, had not God put them before us. But how may it be known whether the testimony to this does proceed from the Holy Ghost? Those who are truly persuaded that they are the sons of God, cannot but call him Abba, Father. From love to him, they hate sin, and whatever disagrees with his will, and they have a sound and hearty desire to do his will. Such testimony is the testimony of the Holy Ghost.
Commentary on 1 John 4:14-21
Commentary on 1 John 4:14-21
Friday, July 30, 2010
A Message of Love - The Joy of Jesus
Convocation: Love is the power that we must focus our energies around today. There is a lack or absence of love in society. Business and economics are in such a disarray that love is being replaced by greed. People continue to suffer. War is killing young-people without a true reason. The Joy of Jesus wants to make clear the truth. Love is the power we need today. God is love. He gave us Jesus to die in the cross for the sins of the world. The power of God raised Him from the grave with all glory. Jesus will return to set all things right. This is our faith. That we will live forever in perfect peace and love. We have joy in this act of supreme love. In Jesus name. Give to The Joy of Jesus for a real blessing..
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
If I speak in the tongues of men and angels,
but have not love,
I have become sounding brass or a tinkling symbol.
And if I have prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains,
but have not love, I am nothing.
And if I dole out all my goods, and
if I deliver my body that I may boast
but have not love, nothing I am profited.
Love is long suffering,
love is kind,
it is not jealous,
love does not boast,
it is not inflated.
It is not discourteous,
it is not selfish,
it is not irritable,
it does not enumerate the evil.
It does not rejoice over the wrong, but rejoices in the truth
It covers all things,
it has faith for all things,
it hopes in all things,
it endures in all things.
Love never falls in ruins;
but whether prophecies, they will be abolished; or
tongues, they will cease; or
knowledge, it will be superseded.
For we know in part and we prophecy in part.
But when the perfect comes, the imperfect will be superseded.
When I was an infant,
I spoke as an infant,
I reckoned as an infant;
when I became [an adult],
I abolished the things of the infant.
For now we see through a mirror in an enigma, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know as also I was fully known.
But now remains
faith, hope, love,
these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
Submitted by
The Rev. Dr. James A. Lee
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
If I speak in the tongues of men and angels,
but have not love,
I have become sounding brass or a tinkling symbol.
And if I have prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains,
but have not love, I am nothing.
And if I dole out all my goods, and
if I deliver my body that I may boast
but have not love, nothing I am profited.
Love is long suffering,
love is kind,
it is not jealous,
love does not boast,
it is not inflated.
It is not discourteous,
it is not selfish,
it is not irritable,
it does not enumerate the evil.
It does not rejoice over the wrong, but rejoices in the truth
It covers all things,
it has faith for all things,
it hopes in all things,
it endures in all things.
Love never falls in ruins;
but whether prophecies, they will be abolished; or
tongues, they will cease; or
knowledge, it will be superseded.
For we know in part and we prophecy in part.
But when the perfect comes, the imperfect will be superseded.
When I was an infant,
I spoke as an infant,
I reckoned as an infant;
when I became [an adult],
I abolished the things of the infant.
For now we see through a mirror in an enigma, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know as also I was fully known.
But now remains
faith, hope, love,
these three;
but the greatest of these is love.
Submitted by
The Rev. Dr. James A. Lee
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Sermon Praise God and Thank God Today
Psalm 100
A Psalm of Thanksgiving.
1 Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;[a]
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the LORD is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations
Sermon: Thank God and Praise God for The Joy of Jesus.
Today our hearts and souls are filled with the glory of God. Why is this the case given all of the misfortune in the world? God is still on His throne. Jesus is alive in the spirit. The Holy Spirit is burning in our hearts to do the perfect will of God.
Whe Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world and shed His blood for our salvation, this is a time for complete joy. The joy of the Lord is our salvation.
We praise god and Thank god for spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. We pray for all people. We know that Jesus will return with all power, honor and glory. God raise Jesus from the grave so that we may join Him in paradise. glory to God in The Highest. We ask in Jesus name that you will share and bless this ministry from your heart. A-men
A Psalm of Thanksgiving.
1 Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;[a]
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the LORD is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations
Sermon: Thank God and Praise God for The Joy of Jesus.
Today our hearts and souls are filled with the glory of God. Why is this the case given all of the misfortune in the world? God is still on His throne. Jesus is alive in the spirit. The Holy Spirit is burning in our hearts to do the perfect will of God.
Whe Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world and shed His blood for our salvation, this is a time for complete joy. The joy of the Lord is our salvation.
We praise god and Thank god for spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. We pray for all people. We know that Jesus will return with all power, honor and glory. God raise Jesus from the grave so that we may join Him in paradise. glory to God in The Highest. We ask in Jesus name that you will share and bless this ministry from your heart. A-men
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Prayer for Love
Dear God of Heaven and Earth,
We love Thee in Christ Jesus Your Son
and The Holy Spirit.
We pray for Love today.
Jesus died for our sins as an act of love.
God raised Jesus from the grave with all
Power, Honor and Glory.
We need love so much today.
There is violence,poverty, and sickness all over the world.
We believe that your love can make all things right.
Lord we continue to pray for The Joy of Jesus. We pray that you will continue to bless us with need members.
We thank God for all of the blessings in Christ Jesus. We praise God for all of oue faithful members and pray that they are always blessed with Your love.
We pray for love in the name of Jesus for all of our situations. Glory to god in The Highest and Love for all people. In Jesus name we pray.
We love Thee in Christ Jesus Your Son
and The Holy Spirit.
We pray for Love today.
Jesus died for our sins as an act of love.
God raised Jesus from the grave with all
Power, Honor and Glory.
We need love so much today.
There is violence,poverty, and sickness all over the world.
We believe that your love can make all things right.
Lord we continue to pray for The Joy of Jesus. We pray that you will continue to bless us with need members.
We thank God for all of the blessings in Christ Jesus. We praise God for all of oue faithful members and pray that they are always blessed with Your love.
We pray for love in the name of Jesus for all of our situations. Glory to god in The Highest and Love for all people. In Jesus name we pray.
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