By John Stallings
Why did the writers have to put this story in the Bible?
It would have been so easy to leave it out. This is such an evil & appalling episode in a man’s life it could easily have been swept under the rug. Why tell everything?
Some writers & painters throughout history have reconstructed the scenes in this story to make the women a seductress, deliberately displaying her charms in front of the poor hapless man -making him a victim. They would have us believe the man in the story was lured into the relationship.
But the Bible makes it clear. The woman in this story wasn’t responsible for what happened to her. She was simply going through the ritual of taking a bath.
I’ve been sickened at times hearing preachers [few, thankfully] depict this woman preening, styling & profiling & trying to get the man’s eye. That never happened. The Bible says not one word, not one suggestion, nary even a hint that this woman has any agenda of her own nor any part to play- beyond being the object of a powerful man’s lust & greed. Sad to say the woman was “collateral damage.”
Women who live in countries where God is honored & the gospel is preached, should get down on their knees in praise & honor to a Savior that has raised their gender above the level of beasts of burden. One only has to fly mere minutes by jet from the United States to see that multitudes of women in our world are still treated as nothing more than chattel. Where the gospel goes, women are released & elevated.
WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A ROYAL POWER-TRIP
Of course I speak of King David & Bathsheba. David was anointed king behind Saul’s back, even while Saul was still king. David was brave, strong, clever & handsome. The kind of guy legends are based on. He made Israel a nation to be reckoned with, a secure land in which to live. David was a king anointed by a prophet of God. I thought about it & I can’t think of a man alive today or for that matter- a man I’ve read about in recent history that, considering all his gifts could stand in David’s shadow. However, if David were alive today we might raise our eyebrow at his warlike tendencies & we’d definitely raise them at the story we’re considering now.
Having risen from his siesta one afternoon, David noticed Bathsheba, the wife of one of his most devoted men, Uriah. He called for her & seduced her. On discovering that she was pregnant he made arrangements to get the husband brought home on leave so it would look as if he was the father.
But it didn’t work & David ended up having Uriah murdered, bringing Bathsheba into his harem, as if he didn’t have enough wives already. Power had finally gotten to David’s head. He had come to see himself as someone who could use power to get whatever he wanted. One brave soul, the prophet Nathan dared to criticize him & to his credit David accepted the criticism & repented.
But the consequences of David’s abuse of power were horrific for all concerned. Bathsheba lost not only her husband but also her child & was obliged to marry the killer of her husband & her seducer. All she could do was bow to David’s power, the oppressor & the oppressed inexorably bound together.
In this one act, an act that more than qualifies as a terrible sin plus a hideous crime, David sets himself up as a paradigm of the abuse of power. If there ever was a power grab this was it & Bathsheba fell victim to it. It all happened very quickly. There is nothing I can find in the story that says David is interested in anything more than a one night, or afternoon stand with Bathsheba. No love or affection is mentioned & no lasting relationship is desired. David is done with her until she sends him the message, “I’m pregnant.” That changes everything. This thing isn’t over.
Just a few words about sexual sins; in today’s culture, people seem to think sexual sins are just about like all the others. We even say-in the eyes of God; sexual sin is a sin alright but so is lying & stealing. However, we’d do well not to be so blasé on this subject. Sexual sin has many consequences other sins don’t have, such as feelings of guilt, self-condemnation, anxiety, damaged self-esteem, hypocrisy, emptiness, anger, depression, dishonesty, wasted time, diminished effectiveness, regret, abortion, crime, punishment, disease & death. Sexual sin harms our testimony & our usefulness to God.
But, there’s good news. We have a God who will forgive us of every sin & remove it from us as far as the east is from the west. However, it’s always good to keep the aforementioned things in mind less like David; we are tricked into thinking that our actions won’t have any negative repercussions. As we’ve shown, all sin is sin but sexual sins have a different stigma & the long term effect can certainly be more devastating.
It seems to be difficult if not impossible, outside the grace of God for a human being with power to maintain their integrity. If we look closely at Abuse of Power it takes on the attributes of a plague, a rampant- infectious disease. It takes extraordinary integrity, insight, & strength of character to have power & not abuse it.
People in power somehow have always felt above the law. Social mores & legal codes that the rest of us follow to maintain order in our society don’t apply to them. They assume that respecting others & their rights no longer applies. They feel that to show their power, maintain it & accomplish their agendas they can break all the rules, thinking that the end justifies the means.
Here’s something interesting.
In 2 Samuel 11, we are given the details of David’s sin with Bathsheba. Earlier in this piece when I questioned why the writers of the Bible would include David’s awful sin, maybe you thought, “Stallings, the writers didn’t have any choice. God saw to it that this sin was to be exposed.”
If this was your thought, I would then direct you to 1 Chronicles 20 where the same story is again told but told a little differently. Chronologically this passage of scripture speaks of the exact time in David’s life but the entire disastrous episode with Bathsheba & Uriah is left out. The whole catastrophic story in David’s life & career is glossed over. Thankfully in 2 Samuel 11the story is preserved in detail. In this passage we get a complete picture of David as a human being.
In the interest of full disclosure, it very well might be the writer of first Chronicles felt it best not to commit overkill on the subject of David’s sin with Bathsheba. It’s possible that leaving it out in this passage was saying-we already know that part so why obsess over it? Anyway, the point remains that all this could have been hushed-up but God saw fit to let the world know about it.
Keep in mind this is David we’re talking about. David the anointed one, -whose linage will produce the Messiah. In getting a full & complete picture of David’s life we are allowed the chance to find ourselves in him. We’re allowed to see what it means to fail, what the consequences are & how God relates to us in the midst of our failings, working to redeem us & the damage we’ve done.
Again, women in David’s time were considered property, first of their fathers, & later their husbands. Which may explain why the narrative says nothing about Bathsheba’s reaction to any of this, or why she goes so calmly to David afterward to tell him she’s pregnant, or why after the mourning for her husband is over, following his death in battle, there’s no mention of resistance on her part to becoming a part of David’s harem.
A CLOSER LOOK AT POWER
Have you ever considered how much frustration & anger manifests because we feel powerless in a situation? Power is a dynamic in every relationship. Power exists in national & international relationships as well as on a smaller scale of relationships within our families, our colleagues or employees & our friends. In each of these relationships we are faced with a choice between using that power to serve our own needs & wants & using it to meet the needs of others. We can empower each other or try to overpower each other.
YOU AND I MAY NOT BE COMPLETELY INNOCENT HERE
We’ll get back to David but we may need to do a “mirror check” right about now. We all have power of some sort. Maybe it’s parental power, the power of a caregiver, pastoral power, chairman of a committee or company, a therapist’s power or the power of an attorney or banker. We all have power of some kind & none of us are immune to the temptations to abuse it.
Maybe that’s the reason the Bible writers preserved this horrendous chapter of David’s life. God, ever the great storyteller, must have felt this true story would be a warning to us all.
Fear of losing power is scary to many people because there’s a myth that somehow there isn’t enough power to go around, so you & I both can’t have it. This is crazy on its face. If I have power that doesn’t mean you can’t have it. Like oxygen, there’s enough power to go around. The real issue is how we’ll use that power.
The Bible trumpets & teaches us emphatically that the abuse of power is almost as common as breathing in the human family. In that respect --“all have sinned & come short of the glory of God.”
NABOTH’S VINEYARD
In the book of 1 Kings there’s the story of a little guy named Naboth. It’s not a pleasant story. It’s a story of the abuse of power. King Ahab wants Naboth’s little vineyard because it’s so close to his palace. Ahab’s wife Jezebel schemes to get it for him by having Naboth falsely accused & killed. Once Naboth is dead, Ahab takes possession of the little plot of land but soon Elijah finds out about it & pronounces God’s judgment on him for it.
Naboth refused to sell his land because he got it as a result of an inheritance. As a matter of fact, he tells Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give you my ancestral inheritance.” There are many places to “hang our theological hats” in this story.
We have here a henpecked husband & a conniving, manipulative wife. Although Ahab repented, & acknowledged his sin he still didn’t’ escape the consequences of his deeds. Elijah told Jezebel that soon dogs would lick her blood from the street & that indeed was the case in short order. This is just another example of God looking with disdain on the powerful throwing their weight around & it will always culminate in judgment.
SARAH, ABRAHAM AND HAGAR
What can these three teach us about abuse of power? The story is in Genesis 16. Our matriarch feels powerless to bear children so she suggests her husband & Hagar, their servant girl produce a child. Isn’t this the most harebrained idea that ever came down the pike?
This is never going to work. When Hagar has the child Sarah feels she’s been lowered in Hagar’s eyes. After all, Hagar is pregnant with Abraham’s seed. She becomes furious & asked her husband to intercede & old Abe doesn’t use his power right. As a matter of fact he gives his power away to his wife -& Sarah, in her pitiful jealous rage deals harshly with the servant girl.
Now on the Lam, Hagar runs into the desert & she is soon sitting & crying because her son is near death. God intervenes for Hagar & sends an angel to save them. God is the only one in this story who uses His power for good.
IMHO THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ABUSES POWER
Some things about the president haven’t shocked me. I knew he’d never so much as ran a candy store .
However, I’ll have to admit that even I have been shocked by president Obama’s clueless ness about the mood of Americans & what they want. The man who smashed the Clinton machine, almost from the time he walked into the Oval office has been disjointed & alienated from the people who put him there.
The recent"shellacking" handed to president Obama, by giving the Senate to his opponents, IMHO, was such a shock to his system that he immediately confirmed the old saying that "Denial is more than a river in Egypt."
To me it seems like he doesn’t care that huge chunks of the country have given up on him. When a large percentage of the country are saying they don’t want ObamaCare, nor do they approve of the way He's bypassing Congress in the illegal alien situation , can we categorize Obama’s uncaring attitude to what the country wants as anything other than abuse of power, when he persists in ramming things down the throats of the people-all in the name of, “I don’t give up?”
What do you call it when voters by a large margin have said for months they don’t want his brand of healthcare so he pushes it even harder? I call it abuse of power. People thought he & his Chicago buddies would deliver bipartisanship bur he insists on giving his hard-left allies the keys to the kingdom.
Obama supporters worry about terrorism so he wants to close Gitmo & move the worst of the worst to the homeland. His approval ratings drop like a rock & over 60% say the country is on the wrong track & he responds by giving himself a “good solid B-plus” for his first years. Each & every day new voices in his own party are saying-“he just doesn’t get it.”
The story we’re considering about ancient king David is obviously a story from the distant past. But when you look at some of its salient points & compare them with our current president, it seems shockingly similar, especially as regards abuse of power. To be fair, I must say Obama isn't the first to do this & probably won't be the last.
When something goes wrong, it’s not Obama’s fault. - “greedy” insurance companies, doctors who cut off limbs just for the money, special interests, the media—have all taken their turns being blamed for what he hasn’t fixed. One thing for sure—the buck doesn’t stop at Obama’s desk.
BACK TO DAVID
It seems that being God’s anointed isn’t enough to save David from his own nature. When David hears Bathsheba is pregnant, he must now go into damage-control mode. He sends word to Joab his general & asks him to send Uriah back from the battlefield for consultations with the king.
You have to admit David has come up with a rather simple plan to take care of his problem.
THINGS GET OUT OF CONTROL
Up to now David has been in control of his life, but watch how that control slips away from him. Now everything is basically in the hands of others.
Understand that I don’t take a super-spiritual attitude about sexual temptations. I’ve always been as red-blooded as other normal men & certainly know what temptation is. But I’ve never really understood how a preacher could commit adultery & think he’s going to walk away from it as if it never happened. Doesn’t he know anything about human nature? Better yet, doesn’t he understand women any better than that?
I’ve often said, “If I ever, God forbid, commit adultery, I hope I’d have a better excuse than—“I thought she’d keep the secret, I thought she wouldn’t tell.” What does an individual whose committed adultery do when the phone rings late at night or a mysterious knock comes at their door? There are many warnings given in God’s word about sexual sins, but if that wasn’t the case, if the Bible was silent about it, to me one of the reasons not to do it, other than concerns about your own character, & your love for your spouse, would be-you have to put your life & reputation in another person’s hands, & like David, your life isn’t your own anymore.
Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband came back from battle & David did everything he could to get the boy to go home but noooooo—he wasn’t going home. He turns out to have more integrity than the king. He’s a straight-up kind of guy. Since he couldn’t get Uriah to go home, David’s cover story starts to fall apart. His scheme didn’t work. Isn’t this about as repulsive a story as you’ve ever heard?
DAVID’S FINAL, UGLY ACT OF POWER ABUSE
David orders Uriah into one of the sharpest areas of battle & gets him killed. David has solved his problem or so he thinks. At last he can breathe freely again. His neck is out of the noose. Or is it? God is still going to face him with his sin by sending Nathan. The sword will never depart from David’s house.
So the last word hasn’t been spoken yet in David’s tangled web. David feels a relief but a relief that won’t last.
That human beings will abuse power seems to be a given. A fact of life. Let’s be honest... David’s actions were appalling but hardly stand out from what the leaders of our day do routinely.
Though we pray we’ll never do anything on the scale of what David did, we can find ourselves in this story; coveting what isn’t rightly ours; forgetting who we are & whose we are, hurting or stepping on others to get what we want; taking great measures to cover up what we’ve done; using others who seem nameless & inconsequential like Bathsheba for our own gain.
How we or anyone uses their power is a choice we make. The choice can only be truly made by staying in touch with the real power through prayer & communion with God.
David & his family paid a heavy price for his abusive moment of self-indulgence but God wasn't finished with him just as He isn't finished with us. He's in this project called humanity for the long haul. I think it no accident that hundreds of years after David passed; Matthew began his gospel with a list of ancestors of Jesus. He did something rarely if ever done in Jewish genealogies; he named a number of women among Jesus’ ancestors & one of them is Bathsheba.
Matthew understood that no abuse can ever thwart God’s power to redeem & create new beginnings.
That should give us hope that even the destructive consequences of our own abuses of power may be forgiven & redeemed as well.
Blessings,
John
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Praise report about John Stallings' song..."Love grew where the blood fell"
By
Paul Davis
Music
is a powerful avenue for bringing about change in the lives of men. In the
Bible we see examples of how the children of Israel
We
also see that David was able to set King Saul free from being tormented by
devils as he played his harp. The prophet Elisha called for a minstrel to come
when he was asked to bring the Word of the Lord in the
midst
of a situation.
When Jesus and His disciples finished the Last
Supper, they sang a hymn together before they left their gathering before Christ’s
trials.
Today
we have the testimony of a song in our midst that worked to bring about a great
blessing in a gathering of believers.
Recently
the brethren in Africa
were gathered for a conference in a large meeting hall in Abuja , Nigeria
Suddenly, a brother stepped forward to the
microphone and
started to sing the verses of the song, which were not well known by
the congregation. Immediately, the power of the Holy Ghost
began to flood into the auditorium.
All
those gathered
came under the influence of the Holy Spirit and under the
anointing of the words that were being sung. The
whole strength of the meetings was sealed in that
Instant,
because the song about His shed Blood was sung
with the anointing of the Spirit of the living God.
May
this song be a blessing to you and all in your house.
The Benson Company inNashville Tennessee
The Benson Company in
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Characteristics Of People Making Progress
by John Stallings
But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ . . .
2 Peter 3:18
Have you ever seen the birth of a calf or a foal?
It usually doesn’t happen in a house or hospital. Painkillers, doctors, nurses, and delivery tables aren’t part of the process. It’s a raw, wild event, and no one is there to help the little animal make its entrance into the world.
When I’ve seen this process, the little creatures are practically born on their feet, and they don’t have to wait a year to learn to walk. It takes place within minutes, and then no one teaches the animal where to go. It knows instinctively where to go to get its first meal. No one tells it where the meal is located. The mother simply stands there calmly waiting for the little one to find its food.
No human being is born knowing that much within minutes of its birth. The baby may someday be an astronaut or brain surgeon, but, at the moment of birth, it knows nothing. Though the baby will someday be a thinking person with possibly a genius IQ, in infancy it must be taught everything, because it’s not equipped with instincts like animals. Yet the baby has something special the animal doesn’t have, and that’s a little mind.
Animals can’t appreciate a fine painting or a Beethoven concerto. Dogs may howl in response to the music, but they don’t understand what they’re hearing. Animals can’t read, though they’ve tried to get some of the primates to do so. Animals can’t acquire scientific knowledge, make decisions, render judgments, and display discipline. They can’t gain access to God, enjoy an actual relationship with Him, and be enlightened by His Spirit. That’s reserved for you and me.
SPIRITUAL GROWTH ISN’T AUTOMATIC.
Human beings grow and develop physically, and it’s hoped they will grow spiritually and emotionally, but it’s not automatic. Many people never grow beyond a certain point emotionally and spiritually, yet this development is the only way to have a full, happy, and productive life.
The writer of Hebrews 5:12-13 says, You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others. Instead you need someone to teach you again the basic things a beginner must learn about the scriptures. You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food. And a person who is living on milk isn’t far along in the Christian life and doesn’t know much about doing what is right.
“Growing in grace” sounds like an oxymoron. How can you grow in something you’ve been given? It sounds like other oxymorons; i.e., act naturally, definite maybe, unbiased opinion, military intelligence—(oops!) or temporary tax cut.
God intends for us to grow in grace; it’s a command in 2 Peter 3:18, when Peter tells us to Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Did you notice these were Peter’s last words to us? The last words a man speaks are usually considered important. When William Wallace of Braveheart fame, the thirteenth century Scottish patriot died, his final word was “freedom.” Peter was crucified upside down shortly after writing these words and his dying wish was to see Christians growing.
In fact, it’s easy to understand why Peter might have this concern. He had let the Lord down and had a cussing fit, denying he ever knew Jesus. Peter knew what the consequences of immaturity were and was eager that others be spared the pain it brought him.
We aren’t meant to remain spiritual babies (Ephesians 4:14). I have been privileged to raise three beautiful girls from babyhood to adults, and as you know, babies are all incredibly cute. A baby who crawls and drools is cute, but an eighteen year old who crawls and drools is a different story. Just as parents live to see their child grow up, God also wants to see His children grow up.
Christian maturity is of utmost importance because it’s “proof of life.” A painting or photograph doesn’t grow. The stake that holds a young sapling doesn’t grow, but the sapling is expected to grow. Lack of growth in the Christian life warns of false profession, backsliding, and hypocrisy.
HERE ARE SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE MAKING PROGRESS.
Spiritually- and emotionally-mature people can love and respect others without having to change them or becoming critical and judgmental. They don’t expect anyone to be perfect in meeting their needs whether it is their spouse, boss, friend, or parent. They love and respect people for who they are – not what they can give them or how they behave. They take responsibility for their own thoughts, decisions, opinions, goals, and actions, regardless of the approval or disapproval of others.
When stressed, they don’t fall into a victim mentality or blame others. They can state their own beliefs and values to those who don’t agree with them without being adversarial. They can accurately assess their strengths and weaknesses and have no problem discussing them with others. Deeply in tune with their own feelings, they can move into the emotional worlds of others, meeting them at the place of their feelings, needs, and concerns. They are convinced that they are absolutely and unconditionally loved by God and consequently have nothing to prove. They can have equal relationships with others as opposed to “one-up-one-down” relationships.
THERE’S A DIFFERENCE IN GROWING UP AND GETTING OLDER.
We may be tempted to think because we’ve been around a long time this gives us automatic entitlement to maturity. Not necessarily! You can have a tree you think looks mature in your garden, but when the winds come, you discover its roots are not very deep at all, and it blows down. It will be in the fires of testing that our maturity, or lack of it, will be revealed.
A school teacher was hoping to be promoted to the job of vice principal, but when she was passed over for the post she complained that she had the most seniority and experience. “I’ve been teaching for 20 years,” she told the school board chairman. With gentleness and wisdom he replied, “You haven’t been teaching 20 years; you’ve taught one year 20 times.”
One sign of spiritual maturity is the ability to properly process emotions. Many who should be mature are constantly ruled by anger, sadness, or hurt. They whine, complain, distance themselves, blame others, and use sarcasm like children when they don’t get their way. They are highly defensive to criticism or differences of opinion, and they expect to be taken care of while using other people as objects.
Emotional volatility is a dead giveaway to immaturity. This is evidenced by temper tantrums, explosive behavior, low frustration tolerance, over-sensitivity, unreasonable jealousy, inability to forgive, and mood swings. Not to be ruled by emotions doesn’t mean we don’t have them, but as we mature, we learn how, when, and where to express them and the proper degree of expression.
Mature people can deal constructively with reality, the need for change, and find more satisfaction in giving than receiving. Mature people have learned to relate well to others and enjoy them and can have satisfying relationships. An outgoing personality is another dead giveaway to maturity. Maturity is practically a prerequisite for a happy, fulfilling life.
Spiritually- and emotionally-mature people know the best way to deal with a problem is to deal head on. A person’s level of maturity can be related to the degree to which they face their problems or avoid them. Maturity confronts – immaturity avoids. A mature person’s sense of security permits him to consider the needs of others while immaturity thinks mainly of self.
An immature person curses the rain, but the mature person views life as a learning experience, and when things don’t go well; he looks for the soft spot in the problem that will allow him to succeed anyway. When frustrated, the immature person looks for someone to blame, while the mature person looks for solutions. Immature people attack people, while mature people attack problems. A mature person’s approach to life is to believe he can do all God asks of him and will succeed if he is consistent.
JESUS IS OUR MATURITY ROLE MODEL.
Luke 2:52 says, And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
Let’s look at Jesus’ example as he looks at Jerusalem and laments in Matthew 23:37.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.
Notice the maturity in the way Jesus handled this. Would you or I have done this? Or would we have just zapped them because they weren’t learning and had gone so wrong? If it were our creation, how would we have reacted? Jesus showed some feelings here, but He still reacted in a measured and restrained way. Jesus had divine power, and He could have gathered the people up and forced them to see it His way, but He didn’t. He is satisfied to let mankind come to its own decisions. Jesus has emotions here, but has them under control.
In Luke 22:43-44 we read about another time when Jesus was under deep stress. He went off and prayed.
Then an angel from heaven appeared unto Him strengthening Him. And being in agony, he prayed the more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
You see, it’s okay to feel deeply about things like Christ did. That’s a natural response – to hurt and have feelings, but the feelings didn’t divert Him from His mission to die for mankind on the cross.
LET’S LOOK AT PAUL’S VISION OF CHRISTIAN MATURITY.
In 1 Corinthians 13:11 Paul says,
When I was a child I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish things.
Paul is telling us there’s a time to grow up.
Verse 12 - For now we see through a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.Verse 13 - And now abideth faith, hope, and love these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Paul is telling us how important it is for us to grow and mature in God so that we might be love motivated. A child is a little “black hole” of selfishness. A child doesn’t yet know what’s out there in the big world and thinks everything revolves around him. Gradually and incrementally the child’s world opens up. The very nature of maturity is moving outside of self into the larger world of others. Paul is using this analogy with the Corinthians saying you can’t always be a child. What a child must do physically, we must do spiritually.
When you look at Paul’s life, he’s a good example of growing in grace. Watch the progression of his growth. As he ages and grows, he starts to talk about his sense of unworthiness. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:9 and calls himself the “least of all the apostles.” Later he writes in Ephesians 3:8 calling himself “the least of all God’s people.” At the end of his life he writes in 1Timothy 1:15 that he is “the worst of sinners.” The closer Paul gets to God, the smaller he is in his own sight.
LET’S LOOK AT PETER’S VISION OF MATURITY.
2 Peter 1:5-8
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness; to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love; for if these are yours and abound, you will neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 9 - For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed for his old sins.
Verses 10 and 11- Therefore brethren, be ever more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.
For so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
So Peter says here, I want you to grow and develop in these areas. Now all this seems like a lot of work, and it is, but God isn’t rushing us. Spiritual maturity doesn’t come easily, and it doesn’t come overnight. You wonder if it’s worth it. It depends on what you want out of life and where you’re headed in life. Some people shy away from going deeper with God out of fear it will be too much sacrifice and too hard on the flesh. Their attitude is “There Be Dragons.” But as the scriptures tell us, the benefits more than compensate for the effort experienced.
IN ROMAN 12, THERE ARE 20 MARKS OF THE MATURING CHRISTIAN.
1. YOUR MIND IS BECOMING RENEWED SO YOU CAN EMPATHIZE WITH OTHERS. (Verse 1)
2. YOU ARE WILLING TO SEE THE BODY OF CHRIST GROW AND RECOGNIZE ALL HAVE A PLACE. (Verses 4-7)
3. YOU MORE AND MORE HATE EVIL AND CLING TO THAT WHICH IS GOOD. (Verse 9)
4. RELATIONSHIPS ARE STARTING TO MEAN MORE TO YOU THAN THINGS. (Verse 10)
5. YOU’RE BECOMING MORE PATIENT AND LESS PANICKY. (Verse 12)
6. YOU ARE HELPING OTHERS MORE. (Verse 13)
7. YOU’RE MORE ABLE TO BLESS THEM THAT CURSE YOU. (Verse 14)
8. YOUR TONGUE IS UNDER CONTROL. (JAMES 3:1-2)
9. YOU ARE STARTING TO FEEL HOW OTHERS FEEL – NOT THE WAY THEY FEEL, BUT HOW THEY FEEL. (Verses 14-15)
10. YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSOCIATE WITH LOWLY PEOPLE. (Verse 16)
11. YOU AREN’T CONCEITED ANYMORE. (Verse 16)
12. YOU HAVE A “NO-PAY-BACK” MENTALITY. (Verse 17)
13. HARMONY BECOMES THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR LIFE. (Verse 16)
14. MORE AND MORE YOU HATE CONFUSION. (Verses 18-19)
15. YOU BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND OTHERS’ DIFFERENCES; YOU STOP SAYING, “WHY CAN’T THEY BE MORE LIKE ME?” (Verse 18)
16. YOU ARE EXTENDING YOURSELF MORE – SHARING YOURSELF MORE. (Verse 1)
17. YOU’RE EXAMINING YOURSELF MORE. (Verse 3)
18. YOU’RE EDUCATING YOURSELF MORE. (Verse 3)
19. YOU’RE SEEING YOUR GIFT, NOT AS CHRISTMAS GIFTS ALL WRAPPED UP, BUT A GIFT FOR YOU TO HELP OTHERS. (Verses 5-8)
20. YOU’RE ENJOYING LIFE MORE. (Galatians 5:22 … Fruit of the Spirit is JOY)
SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS NOT ALL OUR HARD WORK.
I’ve had the occasion when flying in past years to be able to go to the front of the airplane and look in the cockpit where the pilots were. (I don’t think that’s allowed these days.) I had pictured the pilot with both hands on the wheel looking intensely into the windshield. I was shocked to see the pilots relaxing, talking, hands off the controls, not even looking where the plane was going. The pilot took off and landed the plane, but other than that, he really didn’t do much. Of course I was always glad the pilots were there. Most of the time, the pilot isn’t flying the plane hands-on; the automatic pilot takes over that job.
Though we’ve said that growth isn’t automatic, this process is similar to what God does in us when he reprograms our minds and transforms the way we think. We used to do things our way, but as God renews us, we start doing things in ways that please Him. A sinner doesn’t have to wear a note on his sleeve reminding him to curse and tell off-color jokes; he just does it naturally. It’s the same way with the Christian. Once His mind and nature is changed, he doesn’t have to “try to do the right thing.” He does the right thing automatically as he walks with God. The pilot can always override the automatic pilot and take the plane into his own hands. Likewise, we must choose daily if we’ll yield ourselves to God and let Him “do the driving.” That’s what Romans 12:1-2 is all about.
I found a television show I really liked once, and I found myself organizing my week around seeing it. I would race home to be sure not to miss the show, and often I’d tape it so I could watch it later if I couldn’t be there when it aired. One day it dawned on me that I was being programmed, and my life was being arranged by people who didn’t exist in a plot that really wasn’t that good and that didn’t honor God. I was spending more time thinking about the fictional people on that stupid show than I was my own life. The Holy Spirit so convicted me that, though I still enjoy watching some television, I’ve never allowed myself to get that caught up again.
How do we transform our minds? Simple! We read and study God’s word. Remember Peter said to grow in grace and in THE KNOWLEDGE of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If we really want to grow in God, we must get to know The Book and live according to it. The Bible speaks to every situation you and I will ever face. As we get to know Jesus and His word better, His divine Holy Spirit gives us all we’ll need to live a holy life and grow in Him.
Let me reiterate: Growing spiritually isn’t automatic. You can’t drift into being a stronger Christian; it takes work. It won’t just happen by itself, and much of your success will depend on how much you love Jesus. God was so pleased with His Son Jesus; His desire is to “bring many sons to glory.” It’s His plan to grow you and me until we think, act, and feel just like He does.
If a person has studied classical music for 30 years yet never sits down and plays the masters’ compositions but only plays Chopsticks, wouldn’t that be odd? Pro musicians associate with other pros. They show they are pros by their love for music and the time they put into it. They work on their craft constantly and spend hours practicing, trying to improve. That’s love! That’s devotion!
CAN WE, AS DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST, DO LESS?
ASK YOURSELF WHAT STEPS YOU NEED TO TAKE TODAY TO GROW IN GOD.
Blessings,
John
But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ . . .
2 Peter 3:18
Have you ever seen the birth of a calf or a foal?
It usually doesn’t happen in a house or hospital. Painkillers, doctors, nurses, and delivery tables aren’t part of the process. It’s a raw, wild event, and no one is there to help the little animal make its entrance into the world.
When I’ve seen this process, the little creatures are practically born on their feet, and they don’t have to wait a year to learn to walk. It takes place within minutes, and then no one teaches the animal where to go. It knows instinctively where to go to get its first meal. No one tells it where the meal is located. The mother simply stands there calmly waiting for the little one to find its food.
No human being is born knowing that much within minutes of its birth. The baby may someday be an astronaut or brain surgeon, but, at the moment of birth, it knows nothing. Though the baby will someday be a thinking person with possibly a genius IQ, in infancy it must be taught everything, because it’s not equipped with instincts like animals. Yet the baby has something special the animal doesn’t have, and that’s a little mind.
Animals can’t appreciate a fine painting or a Beethoven concerto. Dogs may howl in response to the music, but they don’t understand what they’re hearing. Animals can’t read, though they’ve tried to get some of the primates to do so. Animals can’t acquire scientific knowledge, make decisions, render judgments, and display discipline. They can’t gain access to God, enjoy an actual relationship with Him, and be enlightened by His Spirit. That’s reserved for you and me.
SPIRITUAL GROWTH ISN’T AUTOMATIC.
Human beings grow and develop physically, and it’s hoped they will grow spiritually and emotionally, but it’s not automatic. Many people never grow beyond a certain point emotionally and spiritually, yet this development is the only way to have a full, happy, and productive life.
The writer of Hebrews 5:12-13 says, You have been Christians a long time now, and you ought to be teaching others. Instead you need someone to teach you again the basic things a beginner must learn about the scriptures. You are like babies who drink only milk and cannot eat solid food. And a person who is living on milk isn’t far along in the Christian life and doesn’t know much about doing what is right.
“Growing in grace” sounds like an oxymoron. How can you grow in something you’ve been given? It sounds like other oxymorons; i.e., act naturally, definite maybe, unbiased opinion, military intelligence—(oops!) or temporary tax cut.
God intends for us to grow in grace; it’s a command in 2 Peter 3:18, when Peter tells us to Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Did you notice these were Peter’s last words to us? The last words a man speaks are usually considered important. When William Wallace of Braveheart fame, the thirteenth century Scottish patriot died, his final word was “freedom.” Peter was crucified upside down shortly after writing these words and his dying wish was to see Christians growing.
In fact, it’s easy to understand why Peter might have this concern. He had let the Lord down and had a cussing fit, denying he ever knew Jesus. Peter knew what the consequences of immaturity were and was eager that others be spared the pain it brought him.
We aren’t meant to remain spiritual babies (Ephesians 4:14). I have been privileged to raise three beautiful girls from babyhood to adults, and as you know, babies are all incredibly cute. A baby who crawls and drools is cute, but an eighteen year old who crawls and drools is a different story. Just as parents live to see their child grow up, God also wants to see His children grow up.
Christian maturity is of utmost importance because it’s “proof of life.” A painting or photograph doesn’t grow. The stake that holds a young sapling doesn’t grow, but the sapling is expected to grow. Lack of growth in the Christian life warns of false profession, backsliding, and hypocrisy.
HERE ARE SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE MAKING PROGRESS.
Spiritually- and emotionally-mature people can love and respect others without having to change them or becoming critical and judgmental. They don’t expect anyone to be perfect in meeting their needs whether it is their spouse, boss, friend, or parent. They love and respect people for who they are – not what they can give them or how they behave. They take responsibility for their own thoughts, decisions, opinions, goals, and actions, regardless of the approval or disapproval of others.
When stressed, they don’t fall into a victim mentality or blame others. They can state their own beliefs and values to those who don’t agree with them without being adversarial. They can accurately assess their strengths and weaknesses and have no problem discussing them with others. Deeply in tune with their own feelings, they can move into the emotional worlds of others, meeting them at the place of their feelings, needs, and concerns. They are convinced that they are absolutely and unconditionally loved by God and consequently have nothing to prove. They can have equal relationships with others as opposed to “one-up-one-down” relationships.
THERE’S A DIFFERENCE IN GROWING UP AND GETTING OLDER.
We may be tempted to think because we’ve been around a long time this gives us automatic entitlement to maturity. Not necessarily! You can have a tree you think looks mature in your garden, but when the winds come, you discover its roots are not very deep at all, and it blows down. It will be in the fires of testing that our maturity, or lack of it, will be revealed.
A school teacher was hoping to be promoted to the job of vice principal, but when she was passed over for the post she complained that she had the most seniority and experience. “I’ve been teaching for 20 years,” she told the school board chairman. With gentleness and wisdom he replied, “You haven’t been teaching 20 years; you’ve taught one year 20 times.”
One sign of spiritual maturity is the ability to properly process emotions. Many who should be mature are constantly ruled by anger, sadness, or hurt. They whine, complain, distance themselves, blame others, and use sarcasm like children when they don’t get their way. They are highly defensive to criticism or differences of opinion, and they expect to be taken care of while using other people as objects.
Emotional volatility is a dead giveaway to immaturity. This is evidenced by temper tantrums, explosive behavior, low frustration tolerance, over-sensitivity, unreasonable jealousy, inability to forgive, and mood swings. Not to be ruled by emotions doesn’t mean we don’t have them, but as we mature, we learn how, when, and where to express them and the proper degree of expression.
Mature people can deal constructively with reality, the need for change, and find more satisfaction in giving than receiving. Mature people have learned to relate well to others and enjoy them and can have satisfying relationships. An outgoing personality is another dead giveaway to maturity. Maturity is practically a prerequisite for a happy, fulfilling life.
Spiritually- and emotionally-mature people know the best way to deal with a problem is to deal head on. A person’s level of maturity can be related to the degree to which they face their problems or avoid them. Maturity confronts – immaturity avoids. A mature person’s sense of security permits him to consider the needs of others while immaturity thinks mainly of self.
An immature person curses the rain, but the mature person views life as a learning experience, and when things don’t go well; he looks for the soft spot in the problem that will allow him to succeed anyway. When frustrated, the immature person looks for someone to blame, while the mature person looks for solutions. Immature people attack people, while mature people attack problems. A mature person’s approach to life is to believe he can do all God asks of him and will succeed if he is consistent.
JESUS IS OUR MATURITY ROLE MODEL.
Luke 2:52 says, And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
Let’s look at Jesus’ example as he looks at Jerusalem and laments in Matthew 23:37.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.
Notice the maturity in the way Jesus handled this. Would you or I have done this? Or would we have just zapped them because they weren’t learning and had gone so wrong? If it were our creation, how would we have reacted? Jesus showed some feelings here, but He still reacted in a measured and restrained way. Jesus had divine power, and He could have gathered the people up and forced them to see it His way, but He didn’t. He is satisfied to let mankind come to its own decisions. Jesus has emotions here, but has them under control.
In Luke 22:43-44 we read about another time when Jesus was under deep stress. He went off and prayed.
Then an angel from heaven appeared unto Him strengthening Him. And being in agony, he prayed the more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
You see, it’s okay to feel deeply about things like Christ did. That’s a natural response – to hurt and have feelings, but the feelings didn’t divert Him from His mission to die for mankind on the cross.
LET’S LOOK AT PAUL’S VISION OF CHRISTIAN MATURITY.
In 1 Corinthians 13:11 Paul says,
When I was a child I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish things.
Paul is telling us there’s a time to grow up.
Verse 12 - For now we see through a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.Verse 13 - And now abideth faith, hope, and love these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Paul is telling us how important it is for us to grow and mature in God so that we might be love motivated. A child is a little “black hole” of selfishness. A child doesn’t yet know what’s out there in the big world and thinks everything revolves around him. Gradually and incrementally the child’s world opens up. The very nature of maturity is moving outside of self into the larger world of others. Paul is using this analogy with the Corinthians saying you can’t always be a child. What a child must do physically, we must do spiritually.
When you look at Paul’s life, he’s a good example of growing in grace. Watch the progression of his growth. As he ages and grows, he starts to talk about his sense of unworthiness. He wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:9 and calls himself the “least of all the apostles.” Later he writes in Ephesians 3:8 calling himself “the least of all God’s people.” At the end of his life he writes in 1Timothy 1:15 that he is “the worst of sinners.” The closer Paul gets to God, the smaller he is in his own sight.
LET’S LOOK AT PETER’S VISION OF MATURITY.
2 Peter 1:5-8
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness; to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love; for if these are yours and abound, you will neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 9 - For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed for his old sins.
Verses 10 and 11- Therefore brethren, be ever more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.
For so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
So Peter says here, I want you to grow and develop in these areas. Now all this seems like a lot of work, and it is, but God isn’t rushing us. Spiritual maturity doesn’t come easily, and it doesn’t come overnight. You wonder if it’s worth it. It depends on what you want out of life and where you’re headed in life. Some people shy away from going deeper with God out of fear it will be too much sacrifice and too hard on the flesh. Their attitude is “There Be Dragons.” But as the scriptures tell us, the benefits more than compensate for the effort experienced.
IN ROMAN 12, THERE ARE 20 MARKS OF THE MATURING CHRISTIAN.
1. YOUR MIND IS BECOMING RENEWED SO YOU CAN EMPATHIZE WITH OTHERS. (Verse 1)
2. YOU ARE WILLING TO SEE THE BODY OF CHRIST GROW AND RECOGNIZE ALL HAVE A PLACE. (Verses 4-7)
3. YOU MORE AND MORE HATE EVIL AND CLING TO THAT WHICH IS GOOD. (Verse 9)
4. RELATIONSHIPS ARE STARTING TO MEAN MORE TO YOU THAN THINGS. (Verse 10)
5. YOU’RE BECOMING MORE PATIENT AND LESS PANICKY. (Verse 12)
6. YOU ARE HELPING OTHERS MORE. (Verse 13)
7. YOU’RE MORE ABLE TO BLESS THEM THAT CURSE YOU. (Verse 14)
8. YOUR TONGUE IS UNDER CONTROL. (JAMES 3:1-2)
9. YOU ARE STARTING TO FEEL HOW OTHERS FEEL – NOT THE WAY THEY FEEL, BUT HOW THEY FEEL. (Verses 14-15)
10. YOU ARE WILLING TO ASSOCIATE WITH LOWLY PEOPLE. (Verse 16)
11. YOU AREN’T CONCEITED ANYMORE. (Verse 16)
12. YOU HAVE A “NO-PAY-BACK” MENTALITY. (Verse 17)
13. HARMONY BECOMES THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR LIFE. (Verse 16)
14. MORE AND MORE YOU HATE CONFUSION. (Verses 18-19)
15. YOU BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND OTHERS’ DIFFERENCES; YOU STOP SAYING, “WHY CAN’T THEY BE MORE LIKE ME?” (Verse 18)
16. YOU ARE EXTENDING YOURSELF MORE – SHARING YOURSELF MORE. (Verse 1)
17. YOU’RE EXAMINING YOURSELF MORE. (Verse 3)
18. YOU’RE EDUCATING YOURSELF MORE. (Verse 3)
19. YOU’RE SEEING YOUR GIFT, NOT AS CHRISTMAS GIFTS ALL WRAPPED UP, BUT A GIFT FOR YOU TO HELP OTHERS. (Verses 5-8)
20. YOU’RE ENJOYING LIFE MORE. (Galatians 5:22 … Fruit of the Spirit is JOY)
SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS NOT ALL OUR HARD WORK.
I’ve had the occasion when flying in past years to be able to go to the front of the airplane and look in the cockpit where the pilots were. (I don’t think that’s allowed these days.) I had pictured the pilot with both hands on the wheel looking intensely into the windshield. I was shocked to see the pilots relaxing, talking, hands off the controls, not even looking where the plane was going. The pilot took off and landed the plane, but other than that, he really didn’t do much. Of course I was always glad the pilots were there. Most of the time, the pilot isn’t flying the plane hands-on; the automatic pilot takes over that job.
Though we’ve said that growth isn’t automatic, this process is similar to what God does in us when he reprograms our minds and transforms the way we think. We used to do things our way, but as God renews us, we start doing things in ways that please Him. A sinner doesn’t have to wear a note on his sleeve reminding him to curse and tell off-color jokes; he just does it naturally. It’s the same way with the Christian. Once His mind and nature is changed, he doesn’t have to “try to do the right thing.” He does the right thing automatically as he walks with God. The pilot can always override the automatic pilot and take the plane into his own hands. Likewise, we must choose daily if we’ll yield ourselves to God and let Him “do the driving.” That’s what Romans 12:1-2 is all about.
I found a television show I really liked once, and I found myself organizing my week around seeing it. I would race home to be sure not to miss the show, and often I’d tape it so I could watch it later if I couldn’t be there when it aired. One day it dawned on me that I was being programmed, and my life was being arranged by people who didn’t exist in a plot that really wasn’t that good and that didn’t honor God. I was spending more time thinking about the fictional people on that stupid show than I was my own life. The Holy Spirit so convicted me that, though I still enjoy watching some television, I’ve never allowed myself to get that caught up again.
How do we transform our minds? Simple! We read and study God’s word. Remember Peter said to grow in grace and in THE KNOWLEDGE of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If we really want to grow in God, we must get to know The Book and live according to it. The Bible speaks to every situation you and I will ever face. As we get to know Jesus and His word better, His divine Holy Spirit gives us all we’ll need to live a holy life and grow in Him.
Let me reiterate: Growing spiritually isn’t automatic. You can’t drift into being a stronger Christian; it takes work. It won’t just happen by itself, and much of your success will depend on how much you love Jesus. God was so pleased with His Son Jesus; His desire is to “bring many sons to glory.” It’s His plan to grow you and me until we think, act, and feel just like He does.
If a person has studied classical music for 30 years yet never sits down and plays the masters’ compositions but only plays Chopsticks, wouldn’t that be odd? Pro musicians associate with other pros. They show they are pros by their love for music and the time they put into it. They work on their craft constantly and spend hours practicing, trying to improve. That’s love! That’s devotion!
CAN WE, AS DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST, DO LESS?
ASK YOURSELF WHAT STEPS YOU NEED TO TAKE TODAY TO GROW IN GOD.
Blessings,
John
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Where Would You Like To Be One Year From Today?
By John Stallings
Elisha said to her, “This time next year you’re going to be nursing an infant son….. 2Kings 4: 16-- The Message
Because we’re created for eternity, all of us have dreams.
A little girl dreams of someday becoming a ballerina. A little boy wants to grow up & be a fireman.A young woman dreams of becoming a lawyer. A stay- at- home mom dreams of running her own business. A single mom dreams of someday being able to stay at home & take care of her kids. A business man dreams of one day owning his own business.Some want a new truck or a piece of land.Still others dream of “making it” in singing, acting or sports.Some want to raise kids to be successful in life.
Each of us has the desire for more of life, to do more, to accomplish more & get more out of our lives.One thing we all have in common; everyone has & needs dreams. Someone has said, “If you have no dream, how you will ever have a dream come true?” Dreams deliver us to a new reality. We need to follow our dreams, and never stop dreaming, though we reach 100 years of age. What dreams languish in your heart today? W.H Murray said, “Whatever your dream began it, for boldness has magic in it.” How true. We are drawn by our dreams.
DREAMS CAN SOMETIMES BE TRICKY
There seems to be a principle about dreams that they are born, die and then surprisingly they come to life again. Every song and sermon I’ve ever written has gone through a cycle; the birth, - attacks of doubt about its validity, --death, --and resurrection. I write the song, get excited about it, and sleep on it for awhile, and then excitement starts to wane. Then, sometimes almost immediately, sometimes weeks or months later, the feeling I had about the song reignites. The danger of this is that in the cooling period, a lot of worthwhile writing can drop through the cracks and be lost. None the less, this is the way it works with me, and I would guess others.
In the book of Second Kings the fourth chapter there is a great story with just such a dynamic; the birth, death & resurrection of a dream. The story unfolds among four characters; Elisha, God’s prophet, Gehazi, his assistant, the Shunammite woman, a noble, wealthy & pious woman, and her miracle son. Each of these characters has modern day counterparts which makes the story more intriguing & allows it to be instructive for Christian living.Elisha, God’s servant, who was Elijah’s successor, is presented in an extremely positive light in the biblical record & it’s almost impossible to find a word of negativity spoken of him or his actions.
Gehazi, Elisha’s assistant on the other hand seems to be pretty much a hireling. We find his name popping up often & in the next chapter he takes money from Namaan the leper, money Elisha refuses to take as payment for the Syrian commanders healing. For this, God struck Gehazi & his descendants with Namaan’s leprosy. He’s a perfect type of a minister who’s in it for the money.The Shunammite woman is described as “great” or “notable”, a Hebrew word that can speak of wealth, piety, renown or all the above. Elisha periodically passed by her home as he traveled the countryside. As she became acquainted with him she perceived him to be a great man of God so she and her husband built a room or prophet’s chamber in their home for him.
This woman to me is a type of the church.Because of her hitherto childlessness, this woman could have become bitter but she was still reaching out to people & loving them. Because of her lack of children she could have blamed God for it & felt she wanted no man of God to stay in her home. She definitely had the right attitude & there must have been an atmosphere of faith & godliness in her house.
Though the Shunammite woman might not be very familiar today, she served as an important symbol in the 19th & early 20th centuries. There weren’t enough clergy for every town to have their own minister so frontier preachers maintained a circuit & served several communities which meant they were traveling all the time. My grandfather was one of these circuit riding preachers & served Tennessee & Georgia as an evangelist for the Presbyterian Church. He had only one eye, he played the violin & was later a piano teacher.In those days, numerous homes along the preacher’s way were known as “Shunammite Households” because they would maintain a “prophet’s chamber” available on a moments notice to provide food & lodging to those doing the Lord’s work.
Lest we forget the Shunammite woman’s son, he was born as a result of an Abraham-Sarah-like miracle. To me he represents Everyman, a child of the church & the individual Christian.The father in this story seems basically to be only background or “white-noise,” & he plays a “bit part.”Elisha was grateful for the kindness shown him by this Shunammite woman & in turn he wanted to bless her. When He found she had no children & her husband was old, he spoke the blessing of a child into her life.
AT FIRST THIS WOMAN DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH FAITH TO BELIEVE GOD COULD GIVE HER A CHILD.
Elisha gave her a word of prophecy that one year from that time, she and her husband would have a son. She reacted by telling the prophet not to lie to her, showing that her faith was weak in this area. None- the- less, exactly at that time the next year the prophecy came true and she held a son in her arms. Isn’t it great that even when we don’t have enough faith, God is gracious to have mercy on us in spite of our doubts? However God expects our faith to grow so He’ll stretch us & test our faith just as He did in this woman’s case.So this Shunammite woman realized her dream & it came to fruition at the precise time Elisha told her it would happen, exactly one year from the time he prophesied it.
WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE ONE YEAR FROM NOW?
Why not take the long view and believe that one year from now you will be out of debt, greatly blessed, or maybe engaged to a great person, if you’re single, and on your way to a great future. Isn’t that better than believing that you’ve fallen into a black hole and things will never improve? There’s nothing wrong with a one year plan, because a lot can happen in one year. I’m not talking about a New Years resolution, but rather believing God for something great exactly one year from now.When this son was about 12 years old he was with his father in the field one day and suddenly the boy ran to his dad complaining of pains in his head. Though the details are scanty, most commentators believe in all probability he fell victim to a sunstroke because of direct exposure to the sun. Being a child he succumbed quickly because he probably wasn’t wearing any protective head-gear.
This is reminiscent of young Christians who expose themselves to the perils of this worlds system for long periods of time without making sure they're constantly protected by “The whole armor of God.”When the boy fell ill they took him to his mother to be comforted but within a short time he died in her arms. How many former Christian workers have we seen die in the arms of the church in the last two decades? The Shunammite woman knows her son is dead but she does a rather strange thing. She takes him up to Elisha’s room, lays him on the bed, & shuts the door. Then she goes out & shouts to her husband from a distance asking him to send her one of the servants with a donkey, she wants to go see the man of God.So now this woman has seen her dream come true, held the dream in her arms, and then sees the dream shattered & her son die right before her eyes.
THIS WOMAN STUBBORNLY REFUSED TO BECOME OFFENDED AT GOD.
This Shunammite woman doesn’t seem to accept that her child is really dead. She tells no one & in effect by putting the child in the prophet’s private room & shutting the door, she’s effectively hiding his condition from her husband, & to an extent, even from herself.Look at some of alternatives she now had: she could go into a rage, start panicking and screaming and cursing the God who had given her the gift and now so cruelly taken it from her. She could have had a melt-down & gone on a tirade saying, “Well I quit. If that’s what God does to you, I want no more to do with him.” Some people blame God when bad things happen to them. I’ve seen folk who never again darkened a church door after life dealt them a disappointment similar to this. But you don’t see those kinds of hysterics with this woman. Look what a paragon of faith she is. She doesn’t even cry or tell her husband what’s happened, probably because she knows he isn’t able to handle the situation spiritually or emotionally.
It would have been understandable if she’d gone into a rage & ranted against God & His man who’d built her up for a letdown. But this woman is a model of level-headedness. She wasn’t going to make a big scene; she was going to seek out the originator of the promise made to her. She wasn’t going to go public against the man of God & malign his character but rather she was going to him privately with her problem.She’s in mission mode now. Nothing would deter her. She climbs on the donkey & says, “Drive & go forward. Don’t slacken the pace unless I tell you to.” The servant is probably running beside her goading the little donkey with a stick. We’re not told how much trouble she had finding Elisha. It probably wasn’t all that easy because he was at Carmel about 15 miles away. But she found him and when she saw him she ran to him & fell at his feet to tell him what had happened. When some folk have trouble, they run from God. They stay out of church and hibernate, but this woman is going in the right direction; God is always the right direction.
Isaiah 55: 6-7 says, Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near……
LONG BEFORE THE MODERN CONFESSION TEACHING, THIS WOMAN HAS A STRONG POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
Elisha must have been eternally vigilant because he wasn’t in bed sleeping; he was outside & saw her coming. He asked her if things were well with her & back at home & she answered, “All is well.” Think about that. No matter how many times I read her words I get chills down my spine. This woman acts like she’s already read Romans 4:17 hundreds of years before Paul ever penned it, by “calling things which were not as if they were.”
It’s interesting that when the Shunammite woman fell at Elisha’s feet Gehazi attempts to push her away from the prophet. The bible has little good to say about Gehazi. Though he takes the commands of the prophet & obeys them well, there’s that sense of unbelief that hovers between the lines when he’s mentioned. We know one thing for sure; he had a greed for money which finally proved his undoing. It’s sad because Gehazi had all the time in the world to soak up righteous principles from his master Elisha but he doesn’t seem to hunger for that.
He’s emblematic of people who are exposed to the church but never internalize the truth for themselves. They [especially the professional hirelings] see the church only as a place to extract dollars.Elisha was so sensitive to her need that he immediately tells Gehazi to run ahead and place his staff on the child. Here again Gehazi shows his inadequacy & spiritual impotence. The narrative doesn’t mention him praying for the boy. Even laying Elisha’s mantle on him does no good.Gehazi simply didn’t have the spiritual goods to get the job done even with Elisha’s mantel. He tried & failed once, & he gave up. Evidently he’d never heard about, “try, try again.”To me this Gehazi fits the description of those Paul speaks of in 2nd Timothy 3:8,….. Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.
The boy is stone cold dead.In the bible the euphemism for death is sleep. “For this cause many are weak & sickly among you & many sleep.--1 Cor. 11:30 God’s people need to be awake & alert in these days when sin & darkness abounds. Paul says in Romans 13:11-12….it is high time to wake out of sleep…..When Elisha arrives at the Shunammites house things are still the same & the boy lies dead on his bed. The boy is now with the prophet but he’s still dead.
Many people are “in the church” on a weekly basis but they remain asleep. Parking a lawnmower in a garage doesn’t make it an automobile.Unlike Gehazi, Elisha throws himself into the task of reviving the child. First he shuts the door, putting everyone outside. This is a private matter. I don’t know about you but I think we’ve been remiss in airing the church’s dirty laundry & allowing our business to be put in the streets. We have “Christian Magazines” just for this purpose. However one reason for that is we haven’t had, as the body of Christ, the spiritual power to restore anyone.
Paul told us when a Christian slips,…Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself lest thou also be tempted. Gal.6:
Maybe I’m reading it wrong but it would seem to me if people aren’t restored, it must be because there’s no one around spiritual enough to restore them. We can criticize, we can publicize but we can’t restore. It becomes much easier to just cut the fallen ones loose.Elisha knows he’s the only one that can get the job done & that any hope of life for the boy depends on his relationship with God.
Notice how hard Elisha works to get this boy healed. He stretches himself out on the child eye to eye, mouth to mouth, & hand to hand. We’ll never win the world from behind the four walls of a church. We must “press the flesh” so to speak to ever see the lost won to Christ. There are only two types of institutions that I know of who have stained or clouded glass on their windows & that’s the church & bars.For too long the church has sat behind walls & been entertained with no connection to the lost & dying in our world. Consequently we’ve lost our “street cred.”
Elisha stretches himself out on the boy the second time & this time something happens. The boy sneezes. He not only sneezes, he sneezes seven times. Do you know what a sneeze is? The dictionary defines it as—“a sudden violent, spasmodic audible expiration of breath through the nose & mouth especially as a reflex act.”A sneeze occurs as a reaction to an irritant of some kind; dust, dander, allergen etc.I did some research on sneezing & found that in sneezing, the respiratory system convulses with a blast of air traveling at the speed of 240 mph in its attempt to dislodge and expel the offending particle.
The spiritual counterpart to sneezing is repentance.Listen to 2nd Cor. 7:10-11---For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you, yea what clearing of yourselves, yea what indignation, yea what fear, yea what vehement desire, yea what zeal, yea what revenge. In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
In the analogy of reviving a body to life, sneezing is a perfect picture of the individual Christian’s repentance.Why did the boy sneeze seven times? The number seven in the bible is the number of completion. The book of Revelation has seven churches, seven lampstands, seven spirits, seven eyes, seven seals, trumpets, plagues, bowls, thunders, heads, crowns, mountains, & kings. There are many other lists of seven in the bible.When the child sneezed seven times it was an example of complete repentance. One or two sneezes won’t get the job done; he must sneeze until all the impediments are completely gone.
I WANT GOD TO WORK IN MY LIFE LIKE THAT--TO STRETCH OUT & BREATHE ALL OVER ME.
What a miraculous story. A story that would never have happened if the woman had not been a fighter. What if she had gotten so caught up in the finality of death that she collapsed in despair? She could have allowed a hundred things to divert her that day and her dream would have been over. She could have gotten mad at God for what seemed like a cruel joke played on her by granting her a son and then taking him away. She could have even been angry enough at the man of God that she would never want to see him again. She could have said, “Well, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away.” She could have said, “Well I’m too old now to see another miracle, that’s it for me, after all, God works in mysterious ways.”It's one thing to bow to Gods will, we haven’t much choice, but it’s another to give up when a little more fight may win the day. The violent take it by force!
If I’m lying on my deathbed I don’t want to hear people praying, “Lord, if it be thy will, heal Him.” I don’t want my wife to pray, “Take him on Jesus, I know heavens a lonely place & you need a few more roses to bloom in your flower garden.” I’ve told Juda [jokingly] if she ever prays for me like that I’ll come back & haunt her for the rest of her life. God didn’t kill this young man, the devil did. It’s my conviction that when someone is facing death, we shouldn’t pray, “if it be thy will, heal the person, but according to thy will heal them.”
Let’s look at this story and understand that just because a dream comes, doesn’t mean it can’t and won’t slip away. However, If it does, we need to fight with everything within us to see it resurrected. There may be something in your life today that you need to fight for. Let me ask you about your dream, how much do you want it? Are you going to give up without a fight? You may have laid your dream up on a shelf and it’s been there for years. It perhaps has grown dusty and parched with age but I want to encourage you to take that dream off the shelf today and allow God to breathe life back into it. Do believe it can happen? I know it can.
WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING IN 2015—ONE YEAR FROM NOW?
Friend, don’t settle for shallow living. Maybe you’ve seen some of the dreams you’ve had for yourself turn to nightmares so consequently you’ve began to dream dreams that are always safe & quiet requiring little risk, practically none in fact.But have you considered lately the dreams God has for you?
Listen to 1 Cor.2:9;
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has imagined what God has prepared for them who love Him.
In the great New Testament Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11:35, the Holy Spirit brings the Shunammite woman back to our remembrance; ---Women received their dead raised to life again.God made sure the story of this woman & her son lived on for a reason. If like her, your promise has died, follow her example & stretch it out before the living God & expect a miracle.Ask the Lord to revive the promise—your life----your ministry---your job. Ask God to remove everything in your path.
Dear friend, dream big with huge faith attached to it. Most of all make sure you’re dreaming never scheming. Know that any dream worth its salt will have some opposition.
If we, like this woman, will stay positive, will keep our eye on the one who placed the dream in us, refuse to quit or become offended, act in faith & keep our love-level high, our future also holds some miraculous surprises...
ONE YEAR FROM NOW!
Blessings,
John
Elisha said to her, “This time next year you’re going to be nursing an infant son….. 2Kings 4: 16-- The Message
Because we’re created for eternity, all of us have dreams.
A little girl dreams of someday becoming a ballerina. A little boy wants to grow up & be a fireman.A young woman dreams of becoming a lawyer. A stay- at- home mom dreams of running her own business. A single mom dreams of someday being able to stay at home & take care of her kids. A business man dreams of one day owning his own business.Some want a new truck or a piece of land.Still others dream of “making it” in singing, acting or sports.Some want to raise kids to be successful in life.
Each of us has the desire for more of life, to do more, to accomplish more & get more out of our lives.One thing we all have in common; everyone has & needs dreams. Someone has said, “If you have no dream, how you will ever have a dream come true?” Dreams deliver us to a new reality. We need to follow our dreams, and never stop dreaming, though we reach 100 years of age. What dreams languish in your heart today? W.H Murray said, “Whatever your dream began it, for boldness has magic in it.” How true. We are drawn by our dreams.
DREAMS CAN SOMETIMES BE TRICKY
There seems to be a principle about dreams that they are born, die and then surprisingly they come to life again. Every song and sermon I’ve ever written has gone through a cycle; the birth, - attacks of doubt about its validity, --death, --and resurrection. I write the song, get excited about it, and sleep on it for awhile, and then excitement starts to wane. Then, sometimes almost immediately, sometimes weeks or months later, the feeling I had about the song reignites. The danger of this is that in the cooling period, a lot of worthwhile writing can drop through the cracks and be lost. None the less, this is the way it works with me, and I would guess others.
In the book of Second Kings the fourth chapter there is a great story with just such a dynamic; the birth, death & resurrection of a dream. The story unfolds among four characters; Elisha, God’s prophet, Gehazi, his assistant, the Shunammite woman, a noble, wealthy & pious woman, and her miracle son. Each of these characters has modern day counterparts which makes the story more intriguing & allows it to be instructive for Christian living.Elisha, God’s servant, who was Elijah’s successor, is presented in an extremely positive light in the biblical record & it’s almost impossible to find a word of negativity spoken of him or his actions.
Gehazi, Elisha’s assistant on the other hand seems to be pretty much a hireling. We find his name popping up often & in the next chapter he takes money from Namaan the leper, money Elisha refuses to take as payment for the Syrian commanders healing. For this, God struck Gehazi & his descendants with Namaan’s leprosy. He’s a perfect type of a minister who’s in it for the money.The Shunammite woman is described as “great” or “notable”, a Hebrew word that can speak of wealth, piety, renown or all the above. Elisha periodically passed by her home as he traveled the countryside. As she became acquainted with him she perceived him to be a great man of God so she and her husband built a room or prophet’s chamber in their home for him.
This woman to me is a type of the church.Because of her hitherto childlessness, this woman could have become bitter but she was still reaching out to people & loving them. Because of her lack of children she could have blamed God for it & felt she wanted no man of God to stay in her home. She definitely had the right attitude & there must have been an atmosphere of faith & godliness in her house.
Though the Shunammite woman might not be very familiar today, she served as an important symbol in the 19th & early 20th centuries. There weren’t enough clergy for every town to have their own minister so frontier preachers maintained a circuit & served several communities which meant they were traveling all the time. My grandfather was one of these circuit riding preachers & served Tennessee & Georgia as an evangelist for the Presbyterian Church. He had only one eye, he played the violin & was later a piano teacher.In those days, numerous homes along the preacher’s way were known as “Shunammite Households” because they would maintain a “prophet’s chamber” available on a moments notice to provide food & lodging to those doing the Lord’s work.
Lest we forget the Shunammite woman’s son, he was born as a result of an Abraham-Sarah-like miracle. To me he represents Everyman, a child of the church & the individual Christian.The father in this story seems basically to be only background or “white-noise,” & he plays a “bit part.”Elisha was grateful for the kindness shown him by this Shunammite woman & in turn he wanted to bless her. When He found she had no children & her husband was old, he spoke the blessing of a child into her life.
AT FIRST THIS WOMAN DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH FAITH TO BELIEVE GOD COULD GIVE HER A CHILD.
Elisha gave her a word of prophecy that one year from that time, she and her husband would have a son. She reacted by telling the prophet not to lie to her, showing that her faith was weak in this area. None- the- less, exactly at that time the next year the prophecy came true and she held a son in her arms. Isn’t it great that even when we don’t have enough faith, God is gracious to have mercy on us in spite of our doubts? However God expects our faith to grow so He’ll stretch us & test our faith just as He did in this woman’s case.So this Shunammite woman realized her dream & it came to fruition at the precise time Elisha told her it would happen, exactly one year from the time he prophesied it.
WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE ONE YEAR FROM NOW?
Why not take the long view and believe that one year from now you will be out of debt, greatly blessed, or maybe engaged to a great person, if you’re single, and on your way to a great future. Isn’t that better than believing that you’ve fallen into a black hole and things will never improve? There’s nothing wrong with a one year plan, because a lot can happen in one year. I’m not talking about a New Years resolution, but rather believing God for something great exactly one year from now.When this son was about 12 years old he was with his father in the field one day and suddenly the boy ran to his dad complaining of pains in his head. Though the details are scanty, most commentators believe in all probability he fell victim to a sunstroke because of direct exposure to the sun. Being a child he succumbed quickly because he probably wasn’t wearing any protective head-gear.
This is reminiscent of young Christians who expose themselves to the perils of this worlds system for long periods of time without making sure they're constantly protected by “The whole armor of God.”When the boy fell ill they took him to his mother to be comforted but within a short time he died in her arms. How many former Christian workers have we seen die in the arms of the church in the last two decades? The Shunammite woman knows her son is dead but she does a rather strange thing. She takes him up to Elisha’s room, lays him on the bed, & shuts the door. Then she goes out & shouts to her husband from a distance asking him to send her one of the servants with a donkey, she wants to go see the man of God.So now this woman has seen her dream come true, held the dream in her arms, and then sees the dream shattered & her son die right before her eyes.
THIS WOMAN STUBBORNLY REFUSED TO BECOME OFFENDED AT GOD.
This Shunammite woman doesn’t seem to accept that her child is really dead. She tells no one & in effect by putting the child in the prophet’s private room & shutting the door, she’s effectively hiding his condition from her husband, & to an extent, even from herself.Look at some of alternatives she now had: she could go into a rage, start panicking and screaming and cursing the God who had given her the gift and now so cruelly taken it from her. She could have had a melt-down & gone on a tirade saying, “Well I quit. If that’s what God does to you, I want no more to do with him.” Some people blame God when bad things happen to them. I’ve seen folk who never again darkened a church door after life dealt them a disappointment similar to this. But you don’t see those kinds of hysterics with this woman. Look what a paragon of faith she is. She doesn’t even cry or tell her husband what’s happened, probably because she knows he isn’t able to handle the situation spiritually or emotionally.
It would have been understandable if she’d gone into a rage & ranted against God & His man who’d built her up for a letdown. But this woman is a model of level-headedness. She wasn’t going to make a big scene; she was going to seek out the originator of the promise made to her. She wasn’t going to go public against the man of God & malign his character but rather she was going to him privately with her problem.She’s in mission mode now. Nothing would deter her. She climbs on the donkey & says, “Drive & go forward. Don’t slacken the pace unless I tell you to.” The servant is probably running beside her goading the little donkey with a stick. We’re not told how much trouble she had finding Elisha. It probably wasn’t all that easy because he was at Carmel about 15 miles away. But she found him and when she saw him she ran to him & fell at his feet to tell him what had happened. When some folk have trouble, they run from God. They stay out of church and hibernate, but this woman is going in the right direction; God is always the right direction.
Isaiah 55: 6-7 says, Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near……
LONG BEFORE THE MODERN CONFESSION TEACHING, THIS WOMAN HAS A STRONG POSITIVE ATTITUDE.
Elisha must have been eternally vigilant because he wasn’t in bed sleeping; he was outside & saw her coming. He asked her if things were well with her & back at home & she answered, “All is well.” Think about that. No matter how many times I read her words I get chills down my spine. This woman acts like she’s already read Romans 4:17 hundreds of years before Paul ever penned it, by “calling things which were not as if they were.”
It’s interesting that when the Shunammite woman fell at Elisha’s feet Gehazi attempts to push her away from the prophet. The bible has little good to say about Gehazi. Though he takes the commands of the prophet & obeys them well, there’s that sense of unbelief that hovers between the lines when he’s mentioned. We know one thing for sure; he had a greed for money which finally proved his undoing. It’s sad because Gehazi had all the time in the world to soak up righteous principles from his master Elisha but he doesn’t seem to hunger for that.
He’s emblematic of people who are exposed to the church but never internalize the truth for themselves. They [especially the professional hirelings] see the church only as a place to extract dollars.Elisha was so sensitive to her need that he immediately tells Gehazi to run ahead and place his staff on the child. Here again Gehazi shows his inadequacy & spiritual impotence. The narrative doesn’t mention him praying for the boy. Even laying Elisha’s mantle on him does no good.Gehazi simply didn’t have the spiritual goods to get the job done even with Elisha’s mantel. He tried & failed once, & he gave up. Evidently he’d never heard about, “try, try again.”To me this Gehazi fits the description of those Paul speaks of in 2nd Timothy 3:8,….. Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.
The boy is stone cold dead.In the bible the euphemism for death is sleep. “For this cause many are weak & sickly among you & many sleep.--1 Cor. 11:30 God’s people need to be awake & alert in these days when sin & darkness abounds. Paul says in Romans 13:11-12….it is high time to wake out of sleep…..When Elisha arrives at the Shunammites house things are still the same & the boy lies dead on his bed. The boy is now with the prophet but he’s still dead.
Many people are “in the church” on a weekly basis but they remain asleep. Parking a lawnmower in a garage doesn’t make it an automobile.Unlike Gehazi, Elisha throws himself into the task of reviving the child. First he shuts the door, putting everyone outside. This is a private matter. I don’t know about you but I think we’ve been remiss in airing the church’s dirty laundry & allowing our business to be put in the streets. We have “Christian Magazines” just for this purpose. However one reason for that is we haven’t had, as the body of Christ, the spiritual power to restore anyone.
Paul told us when a Christian slips,…Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself lest thou also be tempted. Gal.6:
Maybe I’m reading it wrong but it would seem to me if people aren’t restored, it must be because there’s no one around spiritual enough to restore them. We can criticize, we can publicize but we can’t restore. It becomes much easier to just cut the fallen ones loose.Elisha knows he’s the only one that can get the job done & that any hope of life for the boy depends on his relationship with God.
Notice how hard Elisha works to get this boy healed. He stretches himself out on the child eye to eye, mouth to mouth, & hand to hand. We’ll never win the world from behind the four walls of a church. We must “press the flesh” so to speak to ever see the lost won to Christ. There are only two types of institutions that I know of who have stained or clouded glass on their windows & that’s the church & bars.For too long the church has sat behind walls & been entertained with no connection to the lost & dying in our world. Consequently we’ve lost our “street cred.”
Elisha stretches himself out on the boy the second time & this time something happens. The boy sneezes. He not only sneezes, he sneezes seven times. Do you know what a sneeze is? The dictionary defines it as—“a sudden violent, spasmodic audible expiration of breath through the nose & mouth especially as a reflex act.”A sneeze occurs as a reaction to an irritant of some kind; dust, dander, allergen etc.I did some research on sneezing & found that in sneezing, the respiratory system convulses with a blast of air traveling at the speed of 240 mph in its attempt to dislodge and expel the offending particle.
The spiritual counterpart to sneezing is repentance.Listen to 2nd Cor. 7:10-11---For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you, yea what clearing of yourselves, yea what indignation, yea what fear, yea what vehement desire, yea what zeal, yea what revenge. In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
In the analogy of reviving a body to life, sneezing is a perfect picture of the individual Christian’s repentance.Why did the boy sneeze seven times? The number seven in the bible is the number of completion. The book of Revelation has seven churches, seven lampstands, seven spirits, seven eyes, seven seals, trumpets, plagues, bowls, thunders, heads, crowns, mountains, & kings. There are many other lists of seven in the bible.When the child sneezed seven times it was an example of complete repentance. One or two sneezes won’t get the job done; he must sneeze until all the impediments are completely gone.
I WANT GOD TO WORK IN MY LIFE LIKE THAT--TO STRETCH OUT & BREATHE ALL OVER ME.
What a miraculous story. A story that would never have happened if the woman had not been a fighter. What if she had gotten so caught up in the finality of death that she collapsed in despair? She could have allowed a hundred things to divert her that day and her dream would have been over. She could have gotten mad at God for what seemed like a cruel joke played on her by granting her a son and then taking him away. She could have even been angry enough at the man of God that she would never want to see him again. She could have said, “Well, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away.” She could have said, “Well I’m too old now to see another miracle, that’s it for me, after all, God works in mysterious ways.”It's one thing to bow to Gods will, we haven’t much choice, but it’s another to give up when a little more fight may win the day. The violent take it by force!
If I’m lying on my deathbed I don’t want to hear people praying, “Lord, if it be thy will, heal Him.” I don’t want my wife to pray, “Take him on Jesus, I know heavens a lonely place & you need a few more roses to bloom in your flower garden.” I’ve told Juda [jokingly] if she ever prays for me like that I’ll come back & haunt her for the rest of her life. God didn’t kill this young man, the devil did. It’s my conviction that when someone is facing death, we shouldn’t pray, “if it be thy will, heal the person, but according to thy will heal them.”
Let’s look at this story and understand that just because a dream comes, doesn’t mean it can’t and won’t slip away. However, If it does, we need to fight with everything within us to see it resurrected. There may be something in your life today that you need to fight for. Let me ask you about your dream, how much do you want it? Are you going to give up without a fight? You may have laid your dream up on a shelf and it’s been there for years. It perhaps has grown dusty and parched with age but I want to encourage you to take that dream off the shelf today and allow God to breathe life back into it. Do believe it can happen? I know it can.
WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING IN 2015—ONE YEAR FROM NOW?
Friend, don’t settle for shallow living. Maybe you’ve seen some of the dreams you’ve had for yourself turn to nightmares so consequently you’ve began to dream dreams that are always safe & quiet requiring little risk, practically none in fact.But have you considered lately the dreams God has for you?
Listen to 1 Cor.2:9;
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has imagined what God has prepared for them who love Him.
In the great New Testament Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11:35, the Holy Spirit brings the Shunammite woman back to our remembrance; ---Women received their dead raised to life again.God made sure the story of this woman & her son lived on for a reason. If like her, your promise has died, follow her example & stretch it out before the living God & expect a miracle.Ask the Lord to revive the promise—your life----your ministry---your job. Ask God to remove everything in your path.
Dear friend, dream big with huge faith attached to it. Most of all make sure you’re dreaming never scheming. Know that any dream worth its salt will have some opposition.
If we, like this woman, will stay positive, will keep our eye on the one who placed the dream in us, refuse to quit or become offended, act in faith & keep our love-level high, our future also holds some miraculous surprises...
ONE YEAR FROM NOW!
Blessings,
John
Monday, October 20, 2014
A Thirty Minute Overview Of The Bible
By John Stallings
What can you do in 30 minutes? How much can you read? How much TV can you watch? How many projects can you start and finish? How many calls can you return?
Obviously I’m not suggesting that you let a quick-scan, “fly-over” approach take the place of in-depth Bible study-a thousand times no!
Suppose you had 30 minutes. Could you tell the story of the Bible in a half-hour? Most of us would have a hard time doing that.
After all, the Bible is a big book. The numbers are staggering.
66 books written by 40 authors in three languages over 1500 years.
Over 1100 chapters.
Over 31,000 verses.
Over 800,000 words.
Would it be possible to tell the story of the Bible in one message? That’s our goal. Buckle up because we’re going to start in Genesis and end in Revelation and see if we cover the whole book in one message. Here is the story of the Bible, told in six acts.
1. GOD CREATES EVERYTHING
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In 6 days God made everything. On the 7th day he rested.That’s Genesis 1.
Genesis 2 tells us about Adam and Eve.God created Adam out of the dust of the ground and placed him in the Garden.
Then he fashioned Eve from a rib taken from Adam’s side.He presented Eve to Adam who was very pleased indeed.The two became one flesh. They were naked and they were not ashamed.
2. MAN REBELS AGAINST GOD
The serpent appears to Eve and deceives her.She eats the fruit, gives it to Adam, and he eats.
Eve ate the fruit because she was deceived by the serpent.Adam was not deceived as Eve was. He knew it was wrong but ate the fruit anyway. Therefore God holds him accountable.
“Sin entered the world through one man" (Romans 5:12).
This was the decisive moment, the great turning point.Nothing will ever be the same. Suddenly they are ashamed; they try to cover their nakedness. Innocence is gone forever. When confronted by God, Adam makes excuses.
“Who told you that you were naked?” "The woman you gave me."
First he blames Eve, and then he blames God.Eve blames the serpent. Judgment comes quickly.They are cast out of the Garden. God clothed them with garments of skin, a sign of his grace.
Now they are on their own. The world becomes a very unfriendly place.Cain kills Abel. Civilization spreads. Large cities form. Death is everywhere. That’s Genesis 4-5
Things go from bad to worse. In Genesis 6 God intervenes.
The earth had grown corrupt and full of evil. God calls Noah who builds an Ark. When the flood comes covering the whole earth, only 8 people are saved. Thus do we learn of judgment and grace.
Now the line narrows to Noah and his family. After the flood, the three sons of Noah spread out and begin to multiply. Generations come and go.Eventually they build a tower to express their enormous arrogance.God sends the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel. People scatter across the face of the earth.
3. GOD INITIATES REDEMPTION
When Adam fell God didn’t “knee jerk” and do anything until in Genesis 12 he calls Abraham. He’s a prosperous, middle-aged, pagan businessman in Ur of the Chaldees. God calls, he responds and becomes the outstanding example of faith in the Bible.
We can divide the whole Old Testament this way:
Genesis 1-11 God creates the human race.Genesis 12-Malachi 4 God creates the Hebrew race. Abraham and Sarah have a son–Isaac. Isaac has a son–Jacob.Jacob has many sons, the most important being Joseph.Joseph ends up serving Pharaoh in Egypt.His family follows him there. They number 70 people.God blesses them until the day comes when a Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph. For 400 years the people suffered in bondage until God raised up a deliverer named Moses.
He goes before Pharaoh and says, “Let my people go." When Pharaoh says, “No!” God sends the 10 plagues. The last one was the death of the firstborn.
So Moses leads the Jews out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, and into the desert. At Mount Sinai God gives the Law, starting with the Ten Commandments. You can read that in Exodus 20.
At Kadesh-Barnea they sent out 12 men to spy out the land of Canaan.It was a land filled with milk and honey. But because there were giants in the land, 10 of the spies said, “No, we can’t go.” Because the people did not believe God’s promise, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.
Then God raised up another leader–Joshua. He leads the people to conquer the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. They divided the land for the twelve tribes.
Then comes the wild period of the Judges where every man did what was right in his own eyes. You know some of them-Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, Samson. The story of Ruth belongs in this period.
God led his people by prophets, priests and judges. But the people wanted a king. So God gave them Saul who started well and ended badly. Then came David whose victory over Goliath made the women sing his praises. But later David’s reign would be tarnished because of his sin with Bathsheba. Then came Solomon, the king who asked God for wisdom.He built the magnificent temple in Jerusalem. But he married foreign women who turned his heart away from God. That’s 1 Kings 11.
Meanwhile the priests offered sacrifices day after day, year after year.A river of blood flowed
from the altar. High priests came and went.
After Solomon’s death the nation split into two parts.The northern ten tribes were led by a long string of evil kings.They were taken into captivity in 722 B.C. The southern two tribes had a few good kings. They lasted until 586 BC when the Babylonians took them into captivity.
The prophets brought God’s message of warning and hope. Isaiah spoke of a suffering servant. Jeremiah wept for his people. Daniel explained the handwriting on the wall.
The people of God languished in exile for 70 long years.It was a hard, humiliating time for the Jews.
Finally God raised up two key men. The first was Zerubbabel who led a small group back to Jerusalem at the end of the 70 years. In 445 B.C. Nehemiah rebuilt the walls around Jerusalem. Sometime after that Malachi the prophet gave his message from the Lord.
The Old Testament closes with a sense of longing and expectation.Promises had been made. The prophets had spoken. The people were waiting. What would God do?
4. GOD ACCOMPLISHES REDEMPTION
In a most unlikely way, in a most unlikely place, when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary. Not just any baby. But the seed of the woman, the son of David, the one whose name is Immanuel, God with us.
Shepherds glorified him. Angels announced him. The Magi brought him gifts .The angel told Joseph, “Call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins" Matthew 1:21.
He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
He was baptized by John, tempted by the devil, misunderstood by the religious leaders, feared by some, hated by others, but the common people heard him gladly. He was full of grace and truth. He was the fullness of God in bodily form.
The Bible says he went around doing good. He causes the blind to see, makes the deaf to hear, casts out demons, heals the sick and raises the dead.He invites all the weary to come to him for rest. He teaches God’s law, embodies God’s love, and fulfills God’s promises.
He preaches to the masses. He speaks in parables. He is a friend of sinners everywhere.
Repeatedly he tells the 12 that he will be betrayed into the hands of sinful men who will beat him and then crucify him. He tells them that after three days he will rise from the dead. They do not understand.
In the Garden of Gethsemane he prays in agony. Judas betrays him. Peter denies him. The disciples abandon him. Caiaphas accuses him. Herod mocks him. The soldiers beat him, Pilate condemns him to death.
He is crucified between two criminals. He cried out, “Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” And, "It is finished.”Finally, “Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit.” Then he breathed his last breath.
He was buried in a borrowed tomb. One day he was dead.Two days he was dead. But on the third day . . .
Two women went to the tomb to anoint his dead body.They found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty.An angel said, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He has risen!" Luke 24:5-6.
The word began to spread. “He’s alive!” Over 40 days Jesus appeared to his disciples many times.
His message is . . . “God is glorified. I am alive. Redemption is accomplished.” “Go and tell everyone!” Then he ascended into heaven.
5. GOD GIVES BIRTH TO THE CHURCH.
For ten days the disciples waited and prayed. That’s Acts 1.On the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came in great power. With the sound of a rushing wind. With tongues of fire. The disciples speak in foreign languages they did not know. They were worshipping, not preaching. Peter stood up and spoke in Aramaic, a language they all understood and 3000 are saved in one day. This was the first gospel sermon.
The church is born in Jerusalem and grows amid much opposition. The message spreads throughout Judea and Samaria. Then to Galilee.
It moves across the Roman Empire as Peter, Paul and the other disciples preach the Good News. The church faces growing opposition and rising heresy. There are troubles on every hand.
James writes. Paul writes. Peter writes. John writes. The New Testament is completed.
So the Word of the Lord spread, the disciples multiplied, and the church grew.
Even in the face of intense opposition, the first Christians proclaimed this message: Jesus is Lord! He is risen from the dead!They said to anyone would listen, “If you will repent and believe the gospel, Jesus will give you power over sin, over death, over hell, and over the world, the flesh and the devil.”
Jesus Christ is Lord!
6. GOD COMPLETES REDEMPTION
If you go all the way to the end of the New Testament, to the book of Revelation, there we find pictured the final act of history–the return of Jesus Christ to the earth.
It begins this way:
“The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.”
If it was soon 2000 years ago, how much longer can it be? Jesus Christ is coming again! That’s an amazing thought. Magnificent! Thrilling!
Acts 1:11 says that “this same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
“This same Jesus."
Not someone like Jesus. Not a group of Jesus scholars. But Jesus himself is coming again.
Coming soon to this planet!!
Coming soon to Montreal.
Coming soon to Calcutta.Coming soon to Beijing.Coming soon to Edmonton.
Coming soon to Auckland.
Coming soon to Miami.
Coming soon to New York.
Coming soon to a city, a town, a village, a street, a home near you.
When he comes the second time, it will not be as Savior. It will be as judge. He came the first time as the Lamb of God. He comes again as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. When Christ finally appears the second time, -every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
The best is yet to come. No wonder the Bible ends with these words:
“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen." (Revelation 22:20-21).
That is the Bible.God creates man.Man rebels.God initiates redemption.God accomplishes redemption.God gives birth to the church.God completes redemption.
If we imagine the Bible as a great sanctuary and every book in the Bible as a seat in the sanctuary, then we can say wherever you go in the Bible, you’ve got a great view because you can see Jesus everywhere.
The following is in no way original with me;
In Genesis he’s the Seed of the Woman.
In Exodus he’s the Passover Lamb.
In Leviticus he’s the Scapegoat.
In Numbers he’s the Serpent lifted up in the Wilderness.
In Deuteronomy he’s the Cities of Refuge.
In Joshua he’s the Scarlet thread on Rahab’s house.
In Judges he’s the Perfect Judge.
In Ruth he’s the Kinsman Redeemer.
In I Samuel he’s the Trusted Prophet.In 2 Samuel he’s the True Son of David.
In 1 Kings he’s the Promise Keeper.
In 2 Kings he’s the Jealous God.In 1 Chronicles he’s our Reigning King.
In 2 Chronicles he’s our Deliverer.
In Ezra he’s the Faithful Scribe.
In Nehemiah he’s the Rebuilder of Broken Walls.
In Esther he’s Mordecai at the Gate.
In Job he’s My Redeemer Who Lives Today.
In Psalms he’s the Lord who is my Shepherd.
In Proverbs he’s our Wisdom.
In Ecclesiastes he’s our True Satisfaction.
In Song of Solomon he’s the Beautiful Bridegroom.
In Isaiah he’s the Suffering Servant.
In Jeremiah he’s the Righteous Branch.
In Lamentations he’s the Weeping Prophet.
In Ezekiel he’s the Son of Man.
In Daniel he’s the Fourth Man in the Furnace.
In Hosea he’s the Faithful Husband.
In Joel he’s the One Who Restores.
In Amos he’s the Burden Bearer.
In Obadiah he’s the Mighty Judge.
In Jonah he’s the Foreign Missionary.
In Micah he’s our Peace.
In Nahum he’s the Avenger.
In Habakkuk he’s the Lord in His Holy Temple.
In Zephaniah he’s the Lord Mighty to Save.
In Haggai he’s the Lord of Hosts.In Zechariah he’s the Fountain of Cleansing.
In Malachi he’s the Sun of Righteousness.
In Matthew he’s the Promised Messiah.
In Mark he’s the Faithful Servant.
In Luke he’s Friend of Sinners.
In John he’s the Son of God.
In Acts he’s the Ascended Lord.
In Romans he’s the Justifier.
In 1 Corinthians he’s our Righteousness.
In 2 Corinthians he’s the God of All Comfort.
In Galatians he’s the Redeemer from the Curse of the Law.
In Ephesians he’s the Head of the Church.
In Philippians he’s the All-Sufficient Christ.
In Colossians he’s the Fullness of God.
In 1 Thessalonians he’s the Lord Coming Down from Heaven.
In 2 Thessalonians he’s the Judge coming with Blazing Fire.
In 1 Timothy he’s our Mediator.In 2 Timothy he’s our Master.In Titus he’s the Blessed Hope.
In Philemon he’s the One Who Paid Our Debt.
In Hebrews he’s Our Great High Priest.In James he’s the Judge Standing at the Door.
In 1 Peter he’s the Chief Shepherd.
In 2 Peter he’s the Morning Star.
In 1 John he’s the Word of Life.
In 2 John he’s the Son of the Father.
In 3 John he’s the Truth.
In Jude he’s the Lord Coming with countless thousands of his saints.
In Revelation he’s the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
He’s the Theme of the Bible. The whole book is about him. If you’ve read the Bible but you don’t know Jesus, you’ve missed the point.
Of his kingdom there will be no end.He shall reign forever and ever and ever.King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Blessings,
John
What can you do in 30 minutes? How much can you read? How much TV can you watch? How many projects can you start and finish? How many calls can you return?
Obviously I’m not suggesting that you let a quick-scan, “fly-over” approach take the place of in-depth Bible study-a thousand times no!
Suppose you had 30 minutes. Could you tell the story of the Bible in a half-hour? Most of us would have a hard time doing that.
After all, the Bible is a big book. The numbers are staggering.
66 books written by 40 authors in three languages over 1500 years.
Over 1100 chapters.
Over 31,000 verses.
Over 800,000 words.
Would it be possible to tell the story of the Bible in one message? That’s our goal. Buckle up because we’re going to start in Genesis and end in Revelation and see if we cover the whole book in one message. Here is the story of the Bible, told in six acts.
1. GOD CREATES EVERYTHING
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In 6 days God made everything. On the 7th day he rested.That’s Genesis 1.
Genesis 2 tells us about Adam and Eve.God created Adam out of the dust of the ground and placed him in the Garden.
Then he fashioned Eve from a rib taken from Adam’s side.He presented Eve to Adam who was very pleased indeed.The two became one flesh. They were naked and they were not ashamed.
2. MAN REBELS AGAINST GOD
The serpent appears to Eve and deceives her.She eats the fruit, gives it to Adam, and he eats.
Eve ate the fruit because she was deceived by the serpent.Adam was not deceived as Eve was. He knew it was wrong but ate the fruit anyway. Therefore God holds him accountable.
“Sin entered the world through one man" (Romans 5:12).
This was the decisive moment, the great turning point.Nothing will ever be the same. Suddenly they are ashamed; they try to cover their nakedness. Innocence is gone forever. When confronted by God, Adam makes excuses.
“Who told you that you were naked?” "The woman you gave me."
First he blames Eve, and then he blames God.Eve blames the serpent. Judgment comes quickly.They are cast out of the Garden. God clothed them with garments of skin, a sign of his grace.
Now they are on their own. The world becomes a very unfriendly place.Cain kills Abel. Civilization spreads. Large cities form. Death is everywhere. That’s Genesis 4-5
Things go from bad to worse. In Genesis 6 God intervenes.
The earth had grown corrupt and full of evil. God calls Noah who builds an Ark. When the flood comes covering the whole earth, only 8 people are saved. Thus do we learn of judgment and grace.
Now the line narrows to Noah and his family. After the flood, the three sons of Noah spread out and begin to multiply. Generations come and go.Eventually they build a tower to express their enormous arrogance.God sends the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel. People scatter across the face of the earth.
3. GOD INITIATES REDEMPTION
When Adam fell God didn’t “knee jerk” and do anything until in Genesis 12 he calls Abraham. He’s a prosperous, middle-aged, pagan businessman in Ur of the Chaldees. God calls, he responds and becomes the outstanding example of faith in the Bible.
We can divide the whole Old Testament this way:
Genesis 1-11 God creates the human race.Genesis 12-Malachi 4 God creates the Hebrew race. Abraham and Sarah have a son–Isaac. Isaac has a son–Jacob.Jacob has many sons, the most important being Joseph.Joseph ends up serving Pharaoh in Egypt.His family follows him there. They number 70 people.God blesses them until the day comes when a Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph. For 400 years the people suffered in bondage until God raised up a deliverer named Moses.
He goes before Pharaoh and says, “Let my people go." When Pharaoh says, “No!” God sends the 10 plagues. The last one was the death of the firstborn.
So Moses leads the Jews out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, and into the desert. At Mount Sinai God gives the Law, starting with the Ten Commandments. You can read that in Exodus 20.
At Kadesh-Barnea they sent out 12 men to spy out the land of Canaan.It was a land filled with milk and honey. But because there were giants in the land, 10 of the spies said, “No, we can’t go.” Because the people did not believe God’s promise, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.
Then God raised up another leader–Joshua. He leads the people to conquer the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. They divided the land for the twelve tribes.
Then comes the wild period of the Judges where every man did what was right in his own eyes. You know some of them-Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, Samson. The story of Ruth belongs in this period.
God led his people by prophets, priests and judges. But the people wanted a king. So God gave them Saul who started well and ended badly. Then came David whose victory over Goliath made the women sing his praises. But later David’s reign would be tarnished because of his sin with Bathsheba. Then came Solomon, the king who asked God for wisdom.He built the magnificent temple in Jerusalem. But he married foreign women who turned his heart away from God. That’s 1 Kings 11.
Meanwhile the priests offered sacrifices day after day, year after year.A river of blood flowed
from the altar. High priests came and went.
After Solomon’s death the nation split into two parts.The northern ten tribes were led by a long string of evil kings.They were taken into captivity in 722 B.C. The southern two tribes had a few good kings. They lasted until 586 BC when the Babylonians took them into captivity.
The prophets brought God’s message of warning and hope. Isaiah spoke of a suffering servant. Jeremiah wept for his people. Daniel explained the handwriting on the wall.
The people of God languished in exile for 70 long years.It was a hard, humiliating time for the Jews.
Finally God raised up two key men. The first was Zerubbabel who led a small group back to Jerusalem at the end of the 70 years. In 445 B.C. Nehemiah rebuilt the walls around Jerusalem. Sometime after that Malachi the prophet gave his message from the Lord.
The Old Testament closes with a sense of longing and expectation.Promises had been made. The prophets had spoken. The people were waiting. What would God do?
4. GOD ACCOMPLISHES REDEMPTION
In a most unlikely way, in a most unlikely place, when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary. Not just any baby. But the seed of the woman, the son of David, the one whose name is Immanuel, God with us.
Shepherds glorified him. Angels announced him. The Magi brought him gifts .The angel told Joseph, “Call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins" Matthew 1:21.
He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
He was baptized by John, tempted by the devil, misunderstood by the religious leaders, feared by some, hated by others, but the common people heard him gladly. He was full of grace and truth. He was the fullness of God in bodily form.
The Bible says he went around doing good. He causes the blind to see, makes the deaf to hear, casts out demons, heals the sick and raises the dead.He invites all the weary to come to him for rest. He teaches God’s law, embodies God’s love, and fulfills God’s promises.
He preaches to the masses. He speaks in parables. He is a friend of sinners everywhere.
Repeatedly he tells the 12 that he will be betrayed into the hands of sinful men who will beat him and then crucify him. He tells them that after three days he will rise from the dead. They do not understand.
In the Garden of Gethsemane he prays in agony. Judas betrays him. Peter denies him. The disciples abandon him. Caiaphas accuses him. Herod mocks him. The soldiers beat him, Pilate condemns him to death.
He is crucified between two criminals. He cried out, “Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” And, "It is finished.”Finally, “Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit.” Then he breathed his last breath.
He was buried in a borrowed tomb. One day he was dead.Two days he was dead. But on the third day . . .
Two women went to the tomb to anoint his dead body.They found the stone rolled away and the tomb empty.An angel said, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He has risen!" Luke 24:5-6.
The word began to spread. “He’s alive!” Over 40 days Jesus appeared to his disciples many times.
His message is . . . “God is glorified. I am alive. Redemption is accomplished.” “Go and tell everyone!” Then he ascended into heaven.
5. GOD GIVES BIRTH TO THE CHURCH.
For ten days the disciples waited and prayed. That’s Acts 1.On the Day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came in great power. With the sound of a rushing wind. With tongues of fire. The disciples speak in foreign languages they did not know. They were worshipping, not preaching. Peter stood up and spoke in Aramaic, a language they all understood and 3000 are saved in one day. This was the first gospel sermon.
The church is born in Jerusalem and grows amid much opposition. The message spreads throughout Judea and Samaria. Then to Galilee.
It moves across the Roman Empire as Peter, Paul and the other disciples preach the Good News. The church faces growing opposition and rising heresy. There are troubles on every hand.
James writes. Paul writes. Peter writes. John writes. The New Testament is completed.
So the Word of the Lord spread, the disciples multiplied, and the church grew.
Even in the face of intense opposition, the first Christians proclaimed this message: Jesus is Lord! He is risen from the dead!They said to anyone would listen, “If you will repent and believe the gospel, Jesus will give you power over sin, over death, over hell, and over the world, the flesh and the devil.”
Jesus Christ is Lord!
6. GOD COMPLETES REDEMPTION
If you go all the way to the end of the New Testament, to the book of Revelation, there we find pictured the final act of history–the return of Jesus Christ to the earth.
It begins this way:
“The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.”
If it was soon 2000 years ago, how much longer can it be? Jesus Christ is coming again! That’s an amazing thought. Magnificent! Thrilling!
Acts 1:11 says that “this same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
“This same Jesus."
Not someone like Jesus. Not a group of Jesus scholars. But Jesus himself is coming again.
Coming soon to this planet!!
Coming soon to Montreal.
Coming soon to Calcutta.Coming soon to Beijing.Coming soon to Edmonton.
Coming soon to Auckland.
Coming soon to Miami.
Coming soon to New York.
Coming soon to a city, a town, a village, a street, a home near you.
When he comes the second time, it will not be as Savior. It will be as judge. He came the first time as the Lamb of God. He comes again as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. When Christ finally appears the second time, -every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
The best is yet to come. No wonder the Bible ends with these words:
“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen." (Revelation 22:20-21).
That is the Bible.God creates man.Man rebels.God initiates redemption.God accomplishes redemption.God gives birth to the church.God completes redemption.
If we imagine the Bible as a great sanctuary and every book in the Bible as a seat in the sanctuary, then we can say wherever you go in the Bible, you’ve got a great view because you can see Jesus everywhere.
The following is in no way original with me;
In Genesis he’s the Seed of the Woman.
In Exodus he’s the Passover Lamb.
In Leviticus he’s the Scapegoat.
In Numbers he’s the Serpent lifted up in the Wilderness.
In Deuteronomy he’s the Cities of Refuge.
In Joshua he’s the Scarlet thread on Rahab’s house.
In Judges he’s the Perfect Judge.
In Ruth he’s the Kinsman Redeemer.
In I Samuel he’s the Trusted Prophet.In 2 Samuel he’s the True Son of David.
In 1 Kings he’s the Promise Keeper.
In 2 Kings he’s the Jealous God.In 1 Chronicles he’s our Reigning King.
In 2 Chronicles he’s our Deliverer.
In Ezra he’s the Faithful Scribe.
In Nehemiah he’s the Rebuilder of Broken Walls.
In Esther he’s Mordecai at the Gate.
In Job he’s My Redeemer Who Lives Today.
In Psalms he’s the Lord who is my Shepherd.
In Proverbs he’s our Wisdom.
In Ecclesiastes he’s our True Satisfaction.
In Song of Solomon he’s the Beautiful Bridegroom.
In Isaiah he’s the Suffering Servant.
In Jeremiah he’s the Righteous Branch.
In Lamentations he’s the Weeping Prophet.
In Ezekiel he’s the Son of Man.
In Daniel he’s the Fourth Man in the Furnace.
In Hosea he’s the Faithful Husband.
In Joel he’s the One Who Restores.
In Amos he’s the Burden Bearer.
In Obadiah he’s the Mighty Judge.
In Jonah he’s the Foreign Missionary.
In Micah he’s our Peace.
In Nahum he’s the Avenger.
In Habakkuk he’s the Lord in His Holy Temple.
In Zephaniah he’s the Lord Mighty to Save.
In Haggai he’s the Lord of Hosts.In Zechariah he’s the Fountain of Cleansing.
In Malachi he’s the Sun of Righteousness.
In Matthew he’s the Promised Messiah.
In Mark he’s the Faithful Servant.
In Luke he’s Friend of Sinners.
In John he’s the Son of God.
In Acts he’s the Ascended Lord.
In Romans he’s the Justifier.
In 1 Corinthians he’s our Righteousness.
In 2 Corinthians he’s the God of All Comfort.
In Galatians he’s the Redeemer from the Curse of the Law.
In Ephesians he’s the Head of the Church.
In Philippians he’s the All-Sufficient Christ.
In Colossians he’s the Fullness of God.
In 1 Thessalonians he’s the Lord Coming Down from Heaven.
In 2 Thessalonians he’s the Judge coming with Blazing Fire.
In 1 Timothy he’s our Mediator.In 2 Timothy he’s our Master.In Titus he’s the Blessed Hope.
In Philemon he’s the One Who Paid Our Debt.
In Hebrews he’s Our Great High Priest.In James he’s the Judge Standing at the Door.
In 1 Peter he’s the Chief Shepherd.
In 2 Peter he’s the Morning Star.
In 1 John he’s the Word of Life.
In 2 John he’s the Son of the Father.
In 3 John he’s the Truth.
In Jude he’s the Lord Coming with countless thousands of his saints.
In Revelation he’s the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
He’s the Theme of the Bible. The whole book is about him. If you’ve read the Bible but you don’t know Jesus, you’ve missed the point.
Of his kingdom there will be no end.He shall reign forever and ever and ever.King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Blessings,
John
Friday, October 17, 2014
LOOK UP!
By John Stallings
Charles Lindbergh told of his lonely flight to Paris Atlantic alone in a plane.
Lindberg reported running into a blinding storm out of whose thick
clouds lightening flashed. The flier looked to his right, but the clouds and
the storm seemed to extend as far as he could see to the right. He looked to
his left, but, again, the storm seemed to extend as far as he could see to his
left. The clouds seemed to sink ever lower. The pilot said that he knew his
little plane wouldn’t stand that buffeting wind and those sharp lightening
bolts for long. There was just one thing to do. Lindbergh tilted the controls
upward. The little plane trembled and shivered and climbed until it shot
through the clouds and out into the bright sunshine of a cloudless sky.
The guide leading his tour group on some
narrow ledge of the Alps , or some other high place, will say every so
often, "Do not look down." Those of us who suffer from fear of heights
find it the hardest thing in the world not to look down.
Movie-makers have many ways to build suspense and instill terror through
their pictures. One time-honored device is to appeal to our fear of heights
which comes from looking down. They will picture someone perched on the narrow
ledge of a skyscraper, seventy or a hundred stories from the ground. This doesn’t
frighten us as much if the ledge is wide enough to stand on.
LOOK UP!
LOOK UP!
We get chills down our spines seeing the person up on the ledge
and then panning the camera down all the way to the street where traffic is
moving. This makes some of us want to scream. It is the downward look which is
so terrifying, so chilling, and so unbearable.
Recently I was watching a T.V show where some young adventurous
folk were laughingly throwing things off a sky scraper in New York. I’m sure
they’d gotten permission from the city and had the area roped
off. Nonetheless, as I watched, with the camera panning down then going back to
the people on a roof doing the throwing, I was surprised at how nervous and
squeamish I got. I’ve never had that much of a problem with fear but my body
couldn’t survive the amount of medication it would take to get me to even go to
the rooftop where this was going on.
Life can be pretty dreadful if we spend our time looking down. I’m
not saying for a moment that there’s not the strong temptation to look down, to
look for the worst. Heaven knows there’s more than enough that is low,
distasteful, destructive and discouraging to look at these days.
An honest and Godly faith will not deny that there are awful realities
in life. We know that the faith of Christ stated honestly isn’t “pie in the
sky” descriptions of life. Jesus never claimed that things cannot be horrific
and tragic. He rather made plenty of space for the things that are destructive
and harmful, the devilish, demonic powers that are loose in the world
In all reality there’s a frightening, chilling list, of ruthless
forces coming against our lives and playing havoc with our dreams and our
hopes. In these words of Jesus, we can hear the roar of a great storm with its
screaming winds leaving a fearful and empty silence in its wake.
Let Jesus speak. He says … "ye shall hear of wars and
commotion, nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, great
earthquakes shall be in diverse places." Luke 21:9
On and on He goes about outside conditions, "signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars." How apropos
a description this is for our times!
Jesus does not stop with His recitation of our day. He probes at
the internal struggle of our souls. Jesus says that under the pressure of
outside forces a man's spiritual defenses may feel as if they’re crumbling. And
they indeed can crumble. But the facts are; you and I can stand anything if our
faith holds fast. If an anchor holds, then never mind how strong and contrary
the winds might be. If, on the other hand, our faith fails and our spiritual
fortress is overrun, then all hope is lost.
Jesus spoke of it in these awesome words: "Men's
hearts failing them for fear." Fear has an awesome mortality rate.
Things can go so awfully wrong that the confidence upon which life is built can
begin to totter. The night of sorrow or pain can be so long and so lonely that
it seems that all about us there is only insanity, and ugliness.
The temptation is to look down. That is what we are seeing all
around us. We see such violations of honor in places of public trust and
responsibility. Many people have decided that everybody is a crook in public
life. The temptation is to look down. Those of us who love the church and the
gospel and are in the role of the leadership see so much that is discouraging.
So many of our churches are little more than social clubs, or places to vent
emotional energy.
I’m embarrassed and ashamed at some things I see being done in the
name of God. I blush at some of the schemes and methods some folk practice who’re
supposed to be the shepherds of the people of God. Is it any wonder that men
and women give up on the church?
It’s easy to look down, but Jesus says that at such a time, "Look
up. Lift up your head." Do not look down where all is ugly and
corrupt and the world around us seems so low, so conniving and so selfish.
On the other hand, you and I know people whose hearts beat not
just for themselves? Fix your mind and heart on them, not on the low-lifes.
Look up!
The divorce rate seems to always be climbing and many people seem
not to take seriously the vow "till
death do us part." Sometimes I almost choke on those words in marriage
ceremonies. Don't look down! I know of couples who’ve celebrated their 50th wedding
anniversaries in joy and happiness. Don't look down! Look up!
You and I need to be one of those examples upon which others may
look and take strength. There are such people. I have known, still know, scores
of folk whose example gives us courage, whose dauntless faith inspires our
faith. Look up toward such examples. I have known people who lived such giant
lives in God that I can hardly hope to have all of their gifts and graces. As
in Elijah’s day, God still has thousands who “haven’t bowed their knee to
Baal.”
Look up! Lift up your heads! Your redemption dreweth
nigh.
Jesus still lives; the Holy Spirit is still at work; the God of all comfort is still on the throne. Things may go so terribly wrong that everything seems defiled and spoiled. Look up. This is the worst and most sinister danger- that we, looking down, will be content to live in the lowlands of doubt, fear and defeat.
Jesus still lives; the Holy Spirit is still at work; the God of all comfort is still on the throne. Things may go so terribly wrong that everything seems defiled and spoiled. Look up. This is the worst and most sinister danger- that we, looking down, will be content to live in the lowlands of doubt, fear and defeat.
Some may have come to that really desperate and terrible place, to
that awful night of the soul where you suspect that there is no God anywhere in
all the thick and starless night through which you are passing. Some may be at
the place where they wonder if trying to be decent and honest is still
worthwhile, that right and wrong are just words that people use. When that kind
of terrible doubt grips you by the throat and starts choking you, shake
yourself loose and look up! God no doubt is on His way to rescue you right now.
Like Lindbergh, by looking up you can climb above the clouds and
mists and rains which have now blinded your view.
The clouds may be heavy where you’re traveling. Look up, and by
faith face skyward. Above the clouds the sun is shining, somewhere warm winds
are blowing, and the skies are cloudless and clear.
Up above the clouds of gossip and slander there is –A fellowship, and a joy divine.
Up above the clouds of gossip and slander there is –A fellowship, and a joy divine.
My good friend Gordon Jensen wrote a beautiful song that comes to
mind.
Redemption Draweth Nigh
Years of time have
come and gone. Since I first heard it told
How Jesus would come again some day
How Jesus would come again some day
If back then it seemed so real
Then I just can’t help but feel
How much closer His coming is today
Then I just can’t help but feel
How much closer His coming is today
[Chorus]
Signs of the times are everywhere
There’s a brand new feeling in the air
Keep your eyes upon the eastern sky
Lift up your head redemption draweth nigh.
Signs of the times are everywhere
There’s a brand new feeling in the air
Keep your eyes upon the eastern sky
Lift up your head redemption draweth nigh.
Look up!
Blessings,
John
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