Your Last Day (II Peter 3:9)
II Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” A calendar is something we all use to keep tract of important dates; plans we have and help us to manage our time. One thing it is very important that we understand is that God has His own calendar, and everything will be fulfilled on His calendar in His time. God has no sense of obligation for my calendar as His fulfills His perfect plan and mine only my personal desires. Unfortunately, my personal desires are not always in the perfect will of God so they cannot be counted on as 100% accurate. God is not impressed with my calendar, and He never worries about its fulfilment. What He is looking for is Christians who will trust Him, walk by faith. It is important that we keep our eyes focused on Jesus and the Scriptures and never vary from that. 1.God's Promise The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; The word slack means to "hesitate, linger, delay." It carries the idea of loitering or loafing. God is not unfaithful concerning His promises. God keeps all His promises. God will fulfill His promise, it is a guarantee. He is not loafing around with nothing to do. Some of the scoffers apparently were saying the delay in Christ’s return was evidence that God made a promise He can’t keep. Peter rebuts by suggesting that instead of the delay being evidence of God’s unfaithfulness, it’s evidence of His mercy. 2.God's Patience …but is longsuffering to us-ward, Longsuffering means to suffer long. In contrast to God’s being slow to keep His promise, Peter asserts that He’s actually “patient with you.” However, God’s patience isn’t without redemptive motive. We see that God has great patience and is longsuffering. He is patient. God loves and cares for us despite our sin and rebellion, and rejection. This is the very reason He sent Christ to save us. He loves and cares for us, He’s “not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.” 3.God’s Purpose …not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. To perish means to be utterly lost, to be spiritually destitute, and destroyed; to be in a state of suffering forever and ever apart from God. It means to lose eternal life and to be cut off from life forever and ever. It means to suffer the judgment, condemnation, and punishment of separation from God forever and ever. God's desire is to save all. The text makes it clear that Jesus wants everyone to be saved and that He wants no one to go to hell. Sinners do not deserve time to repent. But God is "not willing that any should perish" so extends patience to the perishing. Today is the last day of 2023. 2023 is soon to be ousted while 2024 is appointed. There will be celebrations all around the world. Beneath all the hype there is an important lesson that we can learn. Think for a minute. What if this really was your last day. Not of the month. Not of the year. What if this was the last day of your life? Each day for Christ ought to be lived as if it were our last. Jesus has told us that He will come as a "thief in the night." We might know the season, but we do not know the exact day. It could be tomorrow at the dawn of a brand-new year or it could be years from now. The time that Jesus comes isn't as important though, as the condition of our hearts when He comes. Many Christians aren't at all ready for the Rapture to take place. They have too many loose ends to tie up. They're waiting to serve God at a later date. Sadly, they will live away from God their whole life. Others, who haven't trusted Christ as their Saviour, are putting off their decision. Sadly, these people will be left behind. God will fulfill His promise literally as He has said, it is a guarantee. This truth has been greatly attacked and mocked in our day, but that will not keep it from happening exactly as the Bible teaches. We see that God has great patience and is longsuffering. It conveys the idea of being patient in bearing the offences and injuries of others. It is wonderful to know how patient God is with us and how much He loves us. Jesus took every opportunity to speak to people one on one and also to great multitudes so that they might hear the truth. We need to have the same heartbeat for people as we seek to get the Gospel to everyone that we know. We also need to be involved through our local church to reach as many people as possible. The time is short, and we must make an all-out effort to reach people with the Gospel message before it is too late. Points to Ponder: God is longsuffering, but there is a limit to His patience. There will come a time in your life when it’s too late. Don’t test God’s patience. Question to Consider: I ask you this question today: What if this were your last day? Would you be ready? How would you want to be remembered? Prayer: Heavenly Father, my heart is stirred today to pray for my unsaved friends, family, and acquaintances. The Bible has long foretold that a day of judgment is coming, but I’ve never thought about it so deeply as I’ve thought about it today. Father, I want to be open and available for You to use me to share the witness of Jesus with those who are unsaved. I pray this in Jesus’ name! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com
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NO Greater Love! (John 3:16)
John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” A gem dealer was strolling the aisles at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show when he noticed a blue-violet stone the size and shape of a potato. He looked it over, then, as calmly as possible, asked the vendor, "You want $15 for this?" The seller, realizing the rock wasn't as pretty as others in the bin, lowered the price to $10. The stone has since been certified as a 1,905-carat natural star sapphire, about 800 carats larger than the largest stone of its kind. It was appraised at $2.28 million. It took a lover of stones to recognize the sapphire's worth. It took the Lover of Souls, the Lord Jesus Christ, to recognize the true value of ordinary-looking people like us. The love that God has for us is summarized in a nutshell in this well-known verse of the Bible. If there was one verse that summarized the heart of the Bible, this would probably be the verse. All of the highways of divine truth meet in this metropolis. John 3:16 is the hub of revealed truth. For this reason it is one of the first verses translated into other languages of the Bible.
Gaylord Kambarami, the General Secretary of the Bible Society in Zimbabwe, tried to give a New Testament to a very belligerent man. The man insisted he would roll the pages and use them to make cigarettes. Mr. Kambarami said, "I understand that, but at least promise to read the page of the New Testament before you smoke it". The man agreed, and the two went their separate ways. Fifteen years later, the two men met at a convention in Zimbabwe. The scripture-smoking pagan had found Christ and was now a full-time evangelist. He told the audience, "I smoked Matthew, and I smoked Mark, and I smoked Luke. But when I got to John 3:16, I couldn't smoke anymore. My life was changed from that moment”. Aren't you glad God's book is more than just words on paper? A number of wonderful insights are revealed in this verse about the love of God. We find the greatest lover of all lovers here in this verse. It is God. The greatest degree of love is revealed. He SO loved us. "So loved" shows His magnitude of love for us. God is the lover and the giver. Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” In the December 4, 1989, issue of Newsweek magazine, there was an article about a little known mental disorder called erotomania. It is a mental illness in which a person has the delusion that he or she is the object of someone's love. Some imagine love affairs that continue for years, yet it all exists only in the imagination of the sufferer. The title of the article was "The Delusions of Love”. While romantic love may have many delusions, there is no delusion about God's love. He loves you. The Bible has much to say about the love of God. As a man expresses his love in a letter for the woman he loves, God has expressed much about His love for us in His Word. Bible Insights on God's Love 1. It is Universal in its offer..."He so loved the world”. 2. It is Unknown in its fullness. Ephesians 3:19, “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” 3. It is Unbroken in its ministry. Romans 8:35-39, “…Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 4. It is Unending in its character. Jeremiah 31:3, “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” 5. It is Unrivaled in its example and challenge to us. I John 3:16, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Prayer, Father in Heaven, thank You for loving all the world, not just some of the world. Help me to continue to grow in my love for You and for everyone else. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Joy of Justification (Romans 3:24)
Romans 3:24, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:” Two brothers were spending their Saturday doing their chores when the younger brother accidentally knocked over a can of paint, saturating most of the garage floor. When the older brother witnessed it, he told the younger brother he would not tell their father if the younger brother mowed the lawn from then on. The younger brother was at first reluctant, but agreed. After a week, the younger brother told his older brother that he would no longer mow the lawn. The older brother was quick to remind his younger brother of the agreement and that he would go to their father immediately. The younger brother said with joy, “Fine! I have already told dad, and he forgave me”. Justification is the redemptive act of Jesus Christ at Calvary, whereby He declares the repentant and believing sinner free of all guilt and entitled to all the blessings and responsibilities of the kingdom. Justification is that spiritual blessing whereby God removes the filthy garments of our own "good" works, pays the debt of our sins, and argues our case as defense attorney, with the resulting verdict—not guilty, entirely by the grace of Jesus Christ. If the judge acquits me, who can condemn me? If the highest court in the universe has pronounced me just, who shall lay anything to my charge? God has already announced the verdict; the person who has faith in Jesus stands acquitted. Now, we are declared righteous by the One to whom there is no further appeal (Romans 5). There are several reasons being justified brings a believer joy. Here are three:
The Canadian Ironman competition involves a 3.8 km swim, followed by an 180 km cycle, and ending with the traditional 42 km marathon run. The Ironman competition, however, is not just a physical fitness competition, but a battle of the mind. In the race, all of a racer's self-doubts and inner demons rise to the surface, especially if a competitor doesn't know his or her own strengths and weaknesses. Among the mental tricks that help competitors when the "babble" comes up is something known as "treeing". If a negative thought comes up, it is often hard to switch it to a positive. The competitors run up to trees, touch it, and thus, give the negative emotions to the tree. The "babble" settles down and they are able to continue on. When we become a Christian, we "tree" our sin. We touch the cross and the Saviour that hung there; giving Him our sin and guilt, and taking from Him His righteousness. God is a holy God. He hates sin with infinite hatred. He will not look upon the smallest sin with the least bit of allowance, but God is also a God of pardoning love. He stands ready to pardon the vilest sinner. He is always calling to men and women who have sinned, ‘Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7). There are those that think they have sinned too deeply to ever find pardon, but it is not so. There is no depth of sin to which a person can go, to where God in His loving mercy won’t abundantly pardon that person if they’ll acknowledge their guilt of sin and turn to the Lord by faith for forgiveness. Prayer: LORD, thank You for being the God that justifies. Thank You for Your gift of forgiveness of all my sins. Help me to live like someone who is truly clean and forgiven! In Jesus’ name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Comfort of the Scriptures (Romans 15:4)
Romans 15:4, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” The Old Testament Scriptures are of great importance to a Christian’s spiritual life. They are full of personal examples of men and women who lived sacrificially, to the glory of God. It is full of examples of the spiritual victories and failures that can help us as we strive to follow God and avoid evil. Noah, who preached for 120 years as he built the ark, had one convert. Yet, he persevered in the face of ridicule and opposition to carry out the task that God had given him; Joseph suffered for righteousness sake; Moses denied himself the riches and glory of Egypt so that he could please God; David suffered at the hand of Saul and others; Daniel suffered for putting God first; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego denied themselves and suffered the vengeance of the king. The Christian life is one of self-denial, putting others first. Everything that I have read in the Bible and been taught by the Holy Spirit is wonderful. Every doctrinal truth and every principle of Holy Scripture is willfully accepted and submitted to by faith. Yet, there are some truths which yield special comfort to my soul. These verses stress the importance of the Word of God in our lives. If we are going to stay revived and minister to others, the Bible must play an important part in our lives. We need to know the Word. Here are three soul-comforting truths of the Scriptures. 1. Patience. Patience is a virtue of great value and none of us have enough of it. But we can learn it from the Scriptures. The more we get into the Scriptures in earnest study, the better we will learn about patience. 2. Comfort. We live in a very discomforting world. It can get pretty rocky and bumpy at times, and often we hit these rough areas of life without any notice. But the Scriptures will give us the comfort we need for the rough places of life. 3. Hope. The world does not give us any hope. Rather, it gives us a lot of hopelessness. But the Bible gives a lot of hope. It will give us hope in the midst of the worst circumstances and trails. It will give us hope for the future. If you want hope in your life, go to the Bible. It gives the best hope. The Lord our God is absolutely sovereign. In creation, in providence and in salvation, God has His way and accomplishes His will. Nothing ever comes to pass in God’s creation except that which He has purposed. We can safely trust a sovereign God. The God of heaven is a God who does what He will, has mercy on whom He will and graciously accomplishes the eternal salvation of His covenant people by His own right arm. Redemption is accomplished by the finished work of Christ, the sinner's Substitute. When our Lord Jesus Christ cried, “It is finished!”, redemption’s work was done. Nothing is left to be completed by us. Peace, pardon, justification, reconciliation, the forgiveness of sin, and acceptance with God were all perfectly accomplished for God’s people at Calvary. He did not leave so much as one thread for us to sew into the robe of righteousness, by which we are clothed. He did not leave so much as one ounce of suffering for us to pay to the offended justice of God. He did it all! Accomplished redemption is good news for hell-bound sinners! “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” There are no exceptions, no qualifications, no limitations. The invitation is as free as the salvation it proclaims. Anyone in the whole wide world who will call upon Christ as Lord will be saved - even you, even me! God's Word tells us that He is holy. Because we are sinners, our sin separates us from Him. Our Heavenly Father loved us so much He sent His only begotten Son to die for us "…that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). After we have been restored to Him, He tells us how we should live. Through this knowledge of God's Word, we can have hope. Scripture tells us that we will spend eternity with God if we have accepted the free gift of salvation through His Son. His Word gives us promises that we can cling to. We can be confident that the things God has said will come to pass. If we go through this life waiting for God to do what He said He would do, we can be confident no matter what we face. We have the hope that we will be in Heaven with Him. We have the hope that all things work together for good to them that love God. We have the hope that He will never leave us nor forsake us. These truths from God's Word should be a comfort to us. No matter what we may face, God has promised His help and presence, His protection and guidance, and His love and mercy. We know this because He has given us His Word. Take some time today to thank God for the comfort of the Scriptures and the hope we have through them. PRAYER: Father in Heaven, thank You for faithfully guiding me through times of uncertainty. For giving me strength when I was weak. For giving me peace through the storms. For saving my soul and for never forsaking me. In Jesus name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Jesus Christ…Our Peace (Ephesians 2:14)
Ephesians 2:14, “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;” Two painters were in a contest where each said they could paint a picture of peace. One painter painted this sunset with the sun going down over the calm water. It all looked very nice and the picture had a very calming effect. The other painter painted a picture of a fierce storm. In it, the sky was dark and there was lightning, thunder, and dark clouds rolling overhead. The picture showed the waves crashing against the rocks. Things looked fairly chaotic. But in the corner of the painting, at the bottom, were two big stones with a bird in the middle of them. The bird was singing. Now that's peace. Peace is where God's calm and God's tranquility overrule your concerns. He has not only made peace and proclaimed peace, but Christ is our peace. A wall in the Jerusalem temple prevented Gentiles from entering, but the cross removes such barriers, granting Jews and Gentiles equal access to God. Jesus Christ is the reconciler between Jew and Gentile. He has “broken down the middle wall of partition between us”. In the Temple at Jerusalem, there was a wall in the Temple court partitioning off the area in which gentiles were allowed. Christ has eliminated the barrier between Jew and Gentile in the church. The law shut up everyone under sin. It is impossible for sinners to earn a righteous standing before God through keeping of the Law (Galatians 3:19-24). God’s holy law created a barrier between sinners and God. Jesus Christ broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, which created enmity between the Jews and the Gentiles. The wall of separation has been removed between Jewish and Gentile believers through Jesus Christ. Jesus removed these barriers by fulfilling the requirements of the Law. Christians are no longer living under the Law, they are living under grace. God's standard of holiness is still revealed in the Law, but Christ fulfilled this standard. In Him, we have salvation and are declared righteous. This verse takes our minds back to the veil of the Temple that separated man from the holy of holies where God dwelt. This veil was torn in two the very moment that Christ died (Matthew 27:50-51). Christ not only made peace, but He is our peace. Peace can be found only in one place, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, because He alone can deal with our inherent sin problem. If you are in Christ and I am in Christ, then He Himself becomes the source of peace between us. Without justification it is impossible to have real peace. Conscience forbids it. Sin is a mountain between a man and God, and must be taken away. The sense of guilt lies heavy on the heart and must be removed. Unpardoned sin will murder peace. The true Christian knows all this well. His peace arises from a consciousness of his sins being forgiven, and his guilt being put away... He has peace with God, because he is justified.—J.C. Ryle Christ is our peace with God. There was a wall of partition separating us from God: our sin and guilt. But Christ came in human flesh to reconcile a holy God and His sinful people. In order to do so, He established righteousness for us, such as God’s law required, and satisfied the justice of God against us by pouring out His own life’s blood unto death as our Substitute. By His great atonement the Son of God has taken away the sin which separated God and His chosen people. By the power of His Spirit, through the preaching of the gospel, the Lord Jesus Christ has persuaded us who believe to be reconciled to God. He is our peace, because He has reconciled God to us by His blood and reconciled us to God by his grace. Christ is our peace with one another. He has made all believers one in Himself. Coming to Christ in faith, we are united in heart and purpose with all other believers. Faith in Christ destroys all those distinctions of the flesh which alienate sinful men: race, social standing, education, etc. In the kingdom of grace there is neither black nor white, male nor female, rich nor poor: but Christ is all, and in all. He is our peace because we are one in Him. Christ is our peace within ourselves. When Christ rules in a man’s heart, He causes that heart to be at peace. It is written, ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isaiah 26:3). “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (II Timothy 1:7). He is our peace because He brings peace to the heart. PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for the Prince of Peace and all the ways He brings peace to my life. Thank You first for establishing peace with me by allowing Your Son to settle all the debts and offenses that would have prevented me from ever knowing You. Thank You for the peace of Your presence and power in my life that overcomes all obstacles and draws me to You. In Jesus Name, AMEN! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Finding Confident Hope (Psalm 42:5)
Psalm 42:5, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.” It has been said that man can live forty days without food, three days without water, and eight minutes without air, but only one second without hope. A scientific experiment by Duke University proved this to be true. A group of behavioral scientists put some rats in a tank of water and observed them to see how long they would survive before drowning. The average time was 17 minutes. The scientists repeated the experiment; but this time they rescued the rats just before the point of drowning, dried them off, and returned them to their cages. Then they fed the creatures, let them play for a few days, and repeated the drowning experiment. This time, the average survival time for these rats increased from 17 minutes to 36 hours. The scientists explained this by saying the second time around, the rats had hope. They believed that they could survive this hardship because they had done so before. It is very difficult to remain hopeful when you are depressed and everything you do seems doomed to fail. You can, however, overcome this situation with the Word of God.
Prayer: Father, I thank You for Your patience with me. I so easily close my ears to Your voice and listen to the voice of my circumstances, others who are not your children, and the voice of the Accuser. When I do this, I put my soul in turmoil. From the moment I wake until the moment I lay my head down to rest, may I place all of my hope in You alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Keeping Christ in CHRISTmas – Day #25 - Christmas Morning (Luke 1:26-39)
Christmas Morning (Luke 1:26-39) Luke 1:26-39, “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;” When we study and investigate the lives of some of those involved in the Christmas story, we see that Mary was the favored one; Jospeh was the faithful one; the shepherds were the following ones; but most important, Jesus was the forever One. We find the name of Jesus. His name is a delightful name, a delivering name, a dazzling name, a dear name, a dominating name, and a durable name. We find the claim of Jesus. Though He began His physical, earthly existence, it was not His beginning. John 8:58, “Before Abraham was, I am.” We find the aim of Jesus. It is no wonder that His birth was announced by the angels, wondered after by man, witnessed of by stars, and influential in changing human lives. He was Deity surrounded and enclosed by human flesh. We find the fame of Jesus. Jesus is the dominating and most outstanding character of Christmas. He is the Word (John 1:1-3, 14); He is the Light (John 1:4-13); He is the Son of God (John 1:15-18); He is the Christ (John 1:19-28); He is the Lamb of God (John 1:29); He is the King of Israel (John 1:43-49); He is the Son of Man (John 1:50-51); He is the revealer and reconciler between heaven and earth, revealing and reconciling God to men and taking men to God. 1. His Reality. John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word.” A. His Destination. Revelation 1:18, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” His Omnipresence. He said “which was”. Was before what? Before anything else. No one but God can be before time and after time and in time at the same time. B. His Durability. John 8:58, “Before Abraham was, I am.” He was before Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, or anyone else, but He is also after them. His Omnipotence. Jesus has no Birth Certificate. A birth certificate is proof you were born. Jesus has nothing to prove. Everyone else has to prove where they came from. Since Jesus came from no one, He has nothing to prove. Since He was before everything, He came from none of them. C. His Declaration. John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word.” His Omniscience. “Word” is from “logos” which means to speak a message or words. Words reveal our mind and heart, so Jesus reveals the heart and mind of the Eternal and Almighty God to man. A word is made of letters. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, everything from the first letter of the Greek Alphabet to the last one. 2. His Relationship. John 1:1, “...and the Word was with God…” A. His Company. The word “with” means “in company with”. Notice, nowhere in the Bible does it describe a characteristic of God before God Himself. The Bible does not say “light is God”, but “God is light”, “Love is God”, but rather “God is love.” It does not say “spirit” is God, but “God is spirit”. It does not say “God is Word”, but “the Word was God”. This is an important Doctrine. Why? Because many cults and liberals teach that Jesus became God at His baptism and ceased to be God at His death. But before we ever saw the “Light”, experienced the “Love”, received the “Spirit”, or heard the “Word”, He was God. A person is judged by the kind of company he keeps. Jesus was “by the side of God” in eternity past. B. His Cooperation. John 8:29, “...for I do always those things that please him.” John 1:18, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” God was defining Himself in the Person, the Body of the Lord Jesus, and at the same time, Jesus was “in the bosom of the Father”. How can this be? Deity is the only explanation. Only God can be in two places at the same time. Fully Deity and fully declaration. Fully in Heaven and fully on Earth. I’m speaking about Jesus Christ. 3. His Revelation. John 1:1, “And the Word was God.” The Jehovah Witnesses in their New World Translation translates this verse incorrectly as “And the Word was a god”. The King James reads, “And the Word was God”. A. The Prophets Predicted Him as God. Isaiah 9:6, “Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” B. The Epistles Interpreted Him as God. I Timothy 3:16, “And without controversy is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” “Without controversy”. It will never be disputed, debated, or sued in court with a losing case. There is more than enough evidence to prove that He’s God. C. The Believers Experience Him as God (II Corinthians 5:17). The change He has made in our lives proves He is God. John 1:3, “All things were made by him.” When you purchase nearly any item, you’ll notice labels reading, “made in Japan”, “made in China”, “made in U.S.A”. When you look around in this world, everything has His label on it. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Keeping Christ in CHRISTmas – Day #24 – Joy to the World (Luke 2:1-7) PART 2
Joy to the World (Luke 2:1-7) This is Part 2 of a 2 Part devotion. You can visit yesterday’s post for Part 1. Luke 2:6-7, “And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” God could have given us anything, but He knew what we needed most. And so, on a long-prophesied night in a stable in the town of Bethlehem, He gave us His presence. The story is told of a Persian king, a wise and good man, who loved his people and wanted to know them more personally. He wanted to know how they lived, to see their hardships and hear about their struggles. So he dressed in the clothes of a working man and began visiting the homes of the poorest people in his kingdom, careful not to reveal his identity as their ruler. On one visit, the king met a very poor man who lived in a cellar. The king asked if he might spend the evening with the man and the man agreed, sharing his meager dinner and making pleasant conversation. The king later returned to visit the man again and disclosed his true identity, half believing the poor man would ask for some gift or favor to elevate his station in life. But instead, the man thanked his king for taking the time to visit him. “You left your big palace to spend time with me in this dark, dreary place, and that brought gladness to my heart”, said the poor man. “To others you may give rich gifts, but to me you gave yourself.” Remember that God had foretold, not only the time, but also the place of Jesus’ birth. Micah had prophesied Jesus would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), and that is how it came to pass. It is tradition in many cultures to celebrate the birth of a baby by showering a family with food and gifts. Hospital gift shops are full of items such as balloons and stuffed animals visitors may buy when being introduced to the new baby. But Mary had none of that. She went into labor and delivered Jesus in a stable—not a clean and sterile hospital room—and afterward she wrapped Him in swaddling cloths. This gauzy-type substance was not something most mothers would want to wrap their newborns in. Swaddling clothes were typically used as burial wrappings. The significance here is that Jesus Christ was born to die for us. I John 4:9, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” After wrapping Him, Mary laid Christ in a manger. We typically think of a manger as a wooden contraption with hay spilling out of it and of a stable as a barn-like building that was somehow cozy and inviting. The reality, however, is that stables more closely resembled cold, damp, dark caves, and mangers were hewn-out stones that served as feeding troughs for animals. What a humble scene for the birth of a King. The eternal Son of God was born in a cave and laid in a manger surrounded by animals because there was no other place for them to go. “…there was no room for them in the inn” (v. 7b). Some people today still have a “no room” attitude when it comes to Christ. They don’t mind decorating their homes with bright lights, putting up Christmas trees, and spending money on Christmas gifts, but they don’t want to personally receive Jesus as their Saviour or submit to His leadership in any ways that would change their homes or affect the way they live their lives. In short, people have “no room” for Jesus. The material man has no room. For some people, life is all about how much they can get, how much stuff they can accrue in the shortest time possible. People like this would be wise to remember why Christ came in the first place: to bring eternal security, not to our investment accounts, but to our souls. Mark 8:36, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” The intellectual man has no room. Some people claim they are too smart to buy into Christianity. They pity Christians, believing we must need the crutch of religion to get through life. But these who have become so smart that they reject the Babe in the manger as the Son of God are in reality fools headed for destruction. I Corinthians 1:18–19, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” The religious man has no room. Many put their trust in a religious system and may believe Jesus is part of the equation for eternal life, but many refuse to believe He is the complete answer. They will make room in their lives for a set of rules that make them feel righteous, but they don’t want Jesus to intrude on their closely-held traditions. The truth is, salvation has nothing to do with following a particular religion or adhering to a specific set of beliefs: it’s about receiving Christ as Saviour and trusting Him alone for forgiveness of sins. John 1:10–12, “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” Many material, intellectual, and religious people are filled with sadness and gloom despite their best efforts to buy or earn joy. No matter how much money they spend to make a good life for themselves, and no matter how they try to reason away the existence of God or blindly follow a church’s set of rules to be a good person, they are never sure if they’ve done enough to be able to make it into Heaven. There’s only one way to Heaven, and that way is Jesus. John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” We who know Jesus as our personal Saviour can have continual joy in His presence. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Keeping Christ in CHRISTmas – Day #23 – Joy to the World (Luke 2:1-7) PART 1
Joy to the World (Luke 2:1-7) Luke 2:1-7, “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” Christ’s arrival on earth at a dark time in history signified that God had not forgotten mankind; in fact, He had been orchestrating a plan to eliminate the burden of sin that separated us from God. At Christmas, perhaps like no other time, we are reminded that no matter what is going on in the world around us, and no matter what burdens we carry, there’s always joy in the presence of Jesus. Christmas is about declaring that there is joy to be found because Jesus—whose name Emmanuel means “God with us”—was sent to earth so we could eternally be with Him. Luke 2:1-3, “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.” “Those days” that are mentioned in Luke 2:1 were challenging days for the Jewish people. Rome, the greatest military power in the world, had conquered and was occupying Israel. And as if answering to a foreign power weren’t enough, the people had to obey Caesar’s edict of taxation. It was hardly a time for joy, especially considering that Joseph and Mary were forced to walk the 90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem to pay their taxes while Mary was about to give birth to Jesus. But even in these dark days, God’s providence, His timely preparation, is evident. Caesar may have been ruler, but God was in charge. Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” But God didn’t just prophesy the birth of His Son, He also made it all come to pass. I Timothy 3:16, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” I Peter 1:9–11, “Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” As theologian A.T. Pierson said, “History is His story”. President James Garfield said it this way, “History is the unrolled scroll of prophecy”. How wonderful that there was a script written by God long before we were ever born, and that all the events of this world, even those we don’t understand, are working according to His providential plan for the fulfillment of His will. Jeremiah 1:12, “Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.” Caesar Augustus was the most powerful ruler in the known world at that time. His empire was vast and he ruled it with an iron fist, using his great army to keep order and maintain the Roman roads, among other things. When Caesar issued the imperial order that the entire Roman world pay taxes, he no doubt did it partly to benefit the empire and partly to fill his own pockets. But as another ruler recorded in the Scriptures, God holds the king’s heart in His hand. Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” God used Caesar’s edict to fulfill His own plan. Though they did not understand it at the time, Joseph and Mary had to be in Bethlehem in order to fulfill a 700 year old prophecy about the birth of Jesus. Micah 5:2, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Nothing that happens in this world can override God’s pre-written timetable of Biblical prophesies. He is sovereign and in control of it all, even when we don’t see Him working. God’s sovereignty over history is not seen only in relation to political structures, we see it also in our personal problems. Think of that distance from Nazareth to Jerusalem and of Mary’s expectant condition. Why would God give them such a problem at an already difficult time in their lives? They were expecting their first child at any time, and they were not wealthy people who could afford to make the trip in comfort. Surely there would have been dangers on the road to consider as well. Why would God allow difficult situations into any of our lives at a time when we already have enough burdens? He does it to lead us where we need to be in order to fulfill His purpose in our lives. Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Things may have seemed difficult for Joseph and Mary, but God did not allow them to endure this challenge from a desire to see them suffer. Rather, He was allowing them to participate in His plan, leading them to the right place at exactly the right moment. And when we’re overwhelmed by trials in our lives, we must remember God has a plan and a purpose for everything we go through. When we see our trials through His perspective, we can find joy in His providence. Jesus Christ’s birth brought joy unspeakable to the world. An Army chaplain in World War II finally made it back to America on the first Christmas Eve after the war was over. He'd been overseas for nearly two years and hadn't seen his family in all that long time. He called his wife and told her that he was home, and if everything worked out, he would be in sometime late that night. That meant he would be home in time for Christmas. Mom was thrilled. The two of them decided though, not to tell the children just in case something happened, and also, so it would be a surprise on Christmas morning. The next morning, "Christmas morning", when the children were all gathered around the tree to open their presents, the white sheet on which the presents had been placed suddenly stirred. From among the packages arose the children's father, like a Christmas present that comes to life. The children celebrated with excitement. You can imagine the joy which that family experienced that Christmas. The children had only expected presents, but they found their father instead. Their father gave himself to them for Christmas, and that is the meaning of the birth of Christ in Bethlehem. God has come to us. Our Lord comes to us and bears our pain. He does not stand afar off from us when we are in distress. He comes to us and stands beside us. In our times of need, we are blessed and comforted by His presence. He comforts us. In fact, the Bible talks about His comfort and how to have it in your life. Please Visit Tomorrow For Part Two of This Devotion. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Keeping Christ in CHRISTmas – Day #22 - The Night Shepherds Became Missionaries (Luke 2:8–20) – Part 2
The Night Shepherds Became Missionaries (Luke 2:8–20) This is Part 2 of a 2 Part devotion. You can visit yesterday’s post for Part 1. Luke 2:15–16, “And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.” After hearing this wonderful news, the shepherds determined to discover for themselves if what God had told them through the angels was true. And they did not take their time about it; they made haste to the Bethlehem stable where Jesus lay. Although the town was ordinary, and the stable and manger were common for the day, there was nothing at all common or ordinary about the Person the shepherds saw lying in the manger. They saw the only begotten Son of God, the Saviour of the world. In an ecumenical era when society increasingly emphasizes a multitude of pathways to heaven and people are increasingly tolerant to all religions and gods, except for Jesus Christ, we cannot emphasize enough that Jesus Christ is the Son of the One true God, born of a virgin, and He lived a perfectly sinless life and died on Calvary’s tree for our sins. Matthew 1:22–23, “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Many religious celebrations of the Christmas holiday leave out this most important reason for joy in the season. They take offense at the truth that Jesus Christ is Emmanuel, “God with us”, but their feelings make it no less fact. “God with us” is what we celebrate; “God with us” is what Christmas is all about. Jesus is the Son of God, but He also came to be the Saviour the world needed. Matthew 1:20–21, “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Every man, woman, boy, and girl on the planet needs a Saviour because we all fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:10–12, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Being a shepherd was not a glorious life calling in those days. Some theologians have noted shepherds were considered ceremonially unclean and were not allowed into the temple. Further, their word was considered untrustworthy so that they were not allowed to serve as witnesses in legal matters. Whether or not this was commonly known, what would’ve been certain is that shepherds were lower class citizens. They were poor and dirty men with calloused hands and clothes that likely smelled of the sheep they spent their days and nights tending. Yet God chose them to proclaim to the world that His son had been born. Some of the greatest preachers of the gospel, and some of the most faithful Christians to share the Gospel have not been men or women born of especially high pedigree or who had a life or education the world would consider impressive. Instead, what set them apart is that they had hearts yielded to God. God will use any humble servant who is surrendered to Him and who will do whatever God asks. The willingness of these men is seen in their actions; as soon as they had seen Jesus, they quickly went out to tell others. When the shepherds realized what they’d seen they couldn’t help but to tell others. Luke 2:17–18, “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” When we truly realize what God has done for us through salvation, paying our sin debt and securing heaven as our eternal home, we should not be able to keep silent about it but be eager to share. Psalm 66:16, “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.” Knowing Jesus as Saviour is the greatest thing that can happen in a person’s life, and he or she should want to tell others about it. In fact, it is our obligation and great privilege to do so. The reason we know about secluded places like the Christmas Islands is because explorers encountered them in their travels and made these discoveries known to the world. God’s plan for telling the world about the One who came to be “with us” and bring peace on earth involves people like the shepherds who encountered Jesus personally and were willing to make known their discovery to all who would listen. There are a few more days left of the Christmas season. Use the time to pause for reflection on the Son of God who came to earth on that first Christmas. Then challenge yourself to be one who is unashamed to proclaim to others why He is the only reason for the season. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com |
AuthorDr. Blackman is passionate about helping others grow in the grace of the Lord. His devotions are centered on how to grow closer to the Lord through a personal relationship with Christ. Archives
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