Freedom is Good News Part 137

“To walk humbly with your God”; these are the words of Micah the prophet that we were looking at in our previous article.  Perhaps as we ponder this thought, our minds must come to the realization that God is awesome, powerful, majestic and wonderful – and we are not!  He is God of all the universe – and we are not!  He is the creator and sustainer of all that exists – and we are not!

Okay, point made, we must walk humbly with our God.  We reach back approximately 2700 years to grab this quote from the prophet Micah.  He was sent to the two capital cities of God’s people: Samaria, the capital of the northern tribes of Israel; and Jerusalem, the capital of the southern tribe of Judah. (Micah 1:1)  The news he was to deliver was not good.  His chastisements were deep and severe.  God’s people were not walking with Him.  On the contrary they were walking in rebellion to Him.

By the time we get to chapter 6 (where our above quote comes from) we read that God is, through Micah, setting up a “court of judgement”.  God says, “Stand up, plead your case before the mountains, let the hills hear what you have to say” (6:1).  In verse two, Micah speaks so as to announce the trial, “Hear, O mountains, the LORD’s accusation; …. For the LORD has a case against His people; He is arbitrating a charge against Israel.”

In verses 3 – 5, God’s case begins by asking a rhetorical question, “…What have I done to you?  How have I burdened you?”  He then goes on to refresh their memories, “I brought you up out of Egypt, and redeemed you from slavery …. Remember your journey through the wilderness that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD”.

But the people respond with a very arrogant defense, “So, with what shall I come before the LORD?  ….  Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of oil?  Shall I offer my firstborn for my sin?”  Essentially, they were saying, “Hey we’ve been offering sacrifice to you, what more do you want?  How can we buy you off and get you off our backs.”  These people had been offering sacrifices to Yahovah, the God of Israel, but they were also offering their sacrifices to the pagan gods, Dagon, Molech and Baal.

And so this is God’s reply through Micah, “He has showed you, O man, what is good, and what does the LORD (Yahovah) require of you?  To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” 

Many times, you and I are just like the ancient Israelites.  We spend some time each week (maybe) coming before God.  We may even call Him Father and His Son, Jesus.  We know the names to use and for one or two hours a week we even sing a song or two to Him.  But do we then go and sit at the altar of this world’s gods?  Oh, we have other names for them but “a rose by any other name ….”

Will you act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God all the hours of the week?  We will look more closely at this walk next time.

Freedom is Good News Part 136

Do you like to go for walks?  Many who live in the town of Elk Horn (where I live) know that Sally and I enjoy a good early morning walk.  Sometimes (not often) one of us may be ill or out of town and the other has to walk alone.  Let me state right here, it is not as enjoyable!!  To see the new flowers of spring and yet have no one to share with; well, it’s just not as enjoyable.  To witness a bright, full, early morning moon, knowing that the sun rise is just minutes away is a lot more fun when a loved one is there to share it with.  Or what about the star filled sky on a moonless night – let us stand in awe together.

Did you know that God feels the same way?  He desires to have His children walk with Him through this life here on earth.  You will notice that I said, “His children have to walk with Him,” and not “He must walk with His children.”  There is a big difference here!  One must realize that God knows where He is going and that we do not.  God’s wisdom and knowledge is perfect; but we are of a fallen race.  That race began with our first parents, Adam and Eve.  They were given instruction on how to have an abundant life in the Garden of Eden.  I think we know how this story progresses and it didn’t go well for God’s first children.  They were given only one commandment and still made the wrong choice.  They were told to walk in one direction but they chose to walk in the other.  Satan deceived them into thinking that they could make their own decisions.

If my wife, Sally, decides to walk north on Main Street and I choose to walk south, we obviously cannot walk together.  In Micah 3:3 the prophet asks the question, “Can two walk together unless they have agreed to?”  If we are to walk with another, we must agree to where we are going.

There is a well-known hymn called, “Trust and Obey”.  It begins with the words, “When we walk with the Lord in the light of His word, what a glory He sheds on our way.”  The author, John Sammis, gives us the same instruction as I did earlier; we must walk with our God.  And when we do, He sheds glory upon our way!  And why not?  It is the joy of every parent to walk hand in hand with their little toddlers.  How much more shall God feel blessed to have us desire to walk with Him?

How shall we walk with our God?  That’s a very good question – I’m glad you asked!  The same prophet Micah gives us a huge clue on the method we must employ; Micah 6:8, “He has showed you, O man, what is good, and what does the LORD require of you?  To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  Yes you must walk humbly with your God!! 

The prophet uses the words “your God”.  And why does he?  Why not say “my God” or “our God”?  We must understand that this is a very personal admonition.  We must first and foremost realize, it is our acceptance of God as our own that allows us to even walk with Him!!  And then…..we must do so in a humble manner.  More on this the next time.

Freedom is Good News Part 135

How powerful are words?  Concerning His own “words”, God said this, “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away.”  Wow!  That is a long time. 

In our previous article I mentioned that God spoke and the heavens and the earth were created.  God’s words are powerful!!

Here is how the apostle John begins his gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”  We may wonder what John is saying here but he goes on to explain, “(this Word) was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.  He came unto His own but His own did not receive Him.  Yet to all who receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God; born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”  I think it is especially interesting that John is inspired, by the Spirit of God, to call the one who would become the Savior, by the term “the Word”. (John 1:1-14)

Yes, God’s word is the ultimate in power and authority.  It is by His words that we truly have life, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  That everyone of us can have access to this word of His is truly a gift from God.  We have access to the written word of God because down through the ages men have given their lives to ensure its availability.  For a very modest amount of money, we may have this treasure to hold in our hands! 

But we have access to the true and living Word of God, Jesus Christ.  It is interesting how the bible describes this access to the Living Word.  In John 6:44 Jesus says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.”  Earlier in this same chapter we read, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37)  And then once more in verse 65, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has given it to him.” 

Access to this Living Word – Jesus Christ – is limited to the will of the Father.  I feel compelled to say, “Thank you, Father, for drawing me to your Son.” 

If you run across a new word that you have never used before, it is easy to get a dictionary and find its meaning.  (Oh, I know, nobody uses the dictionary anymore; you just ask your smart phone for the definition and bingo, you have it.)  But what if you want to come to know the true and living Word?  That is where the written word comes in.  Are you a curious person?  Are you one who wants to add to your knowledge?  The written word of God is a true treasure, filled with knowledge and understanding.  What?  It’s not easy, you say?  All things of value take hard work to attain.  But God is always there to help.  It may not be immediate, for God wants us to seek Him with all our heart.

Freedom is Good News Part 134

The words we speak are important!  We say many things in the course of the day; some of them are off the cuff and some of them are deliberately formed to try and get across a point.  I would go on to say that words are powerful – I believe you have heard the saying that “the pen is mightier than the sword”.  So, if words have power, how should we form and evaluate the words that we speak on a daily basis?

Let us first consider God’s words.  Genesis 1:3 says, “And God said, ‘Let there be light’ and there was light.”  If we look at each of the six days of creation, we see that they all begin with, “And God said”.  God spoke the universe into existence.  God’s word is powerful – He speaks and things happen.

I am always struck by the scriptures wherein the words, “thus declares the LORD” end a very powerful lesson or correction.  God speaks and He means what He says!!

One particular piece of scripture gives me great excitement whenever I read it and I ask you to pay attention to how it ends:  “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath, and from doing your pleasure on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable;  if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall find your joy in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.  The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”  (Isaiah 58:13 – 14)

So what about our words?  In Matthew 12:36 Jesus said, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken.  For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”  Now, there’s a scripture to pay attention to!  What kind of things come out of our mouths on a daily basis?  What kind of careless words do we say? 

I am sure that every one of us, reading this article, has spoken words that have gotten us into trouble.  And it’s a kind of trouble that is not always easy to undo.  Two verses before this in Matthew 12 Jesus makes a very interesting comment, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”  In other words, if our hearts are filled with evil things then evil words come out of the mouth.  Again Jesus puts it this way, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.”

Well, then, perhaps we should consider what is in our hearts – we should examine our hearts.  Solomon wrote the book of wisdom which we call Proverbs. In the first eight chapters he make 10 paternal appeals and in chapter 4, toward the end, he says this, “My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.  Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.  Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

Freedom is Good News Part 133

Have you ever noticed that we human beings seem to “seek the LORD” only when we are in trouble?  “O, LORD if you will only get me out of this jam, I will do thus and such…….”  You fill in the blank!  Somehow we seem to think that God is some kind of a deal maker.  “I’ll do something for you God, if you will do this for me.” 

Allow me to share with you that this is not how God, who created the universe by His spoken word, works!  Sometimes we think that we are mighty big and mighty important people, but even King David (who was a man after God’s own heart) said, “I am but a worm and not a man….” (Psalm 22:6)  No one knew God better than David.  A cursory reading of the words of David, in the psalms, will bear this out.  David humbly served God.  And David loved God.

In Isaiah 40:6 we read, “A voice says, ‘cry out.’  And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’”  And this is the answer that comes to Isaiah, “All men are like grass and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.  The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them.  Surely the people are grass.  The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

If one would care to understand just how big God is and how small we are, this chapter 40 of Isaiah should hit the mark.  Verse 14: “Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten Him, and who taught Him the right way?  Who was it that taught Him knowledge or showed Him the path of understanding?”  Verse 22: “He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in……..to whom will you compare me?  Or who is my equal?  Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these?  He it is who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name.  Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”  Yeah, God is an awesome God!!

So let’s get back to our original thought, and ask the question; how and when should we seek this awesome God?  Might I suggest that if we sought Him when things were good in our lives, then things might not have to turn sour.  Isaiah addresses this idea in chapter 55:6, “Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.  Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.  Let him turn to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him, for my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.”

So that’s the when we should seek Him; and as for the how?  James tells us in chapter 4:6, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”  As was said before in this article:  David, a man after God’s own heart sought the LORD with great humility. 

When all is well, let us seek God’s face.  Let us humbly bow before Him and give Him honor and praise and glory; His grace will be ours – for He is God and we are the sheep of His pasture.

Freedom is Good News Part 132

How much are you worth?  No, I am not interested in your monetary value, but I am interested in the intrinsic value of your life!  We could start off with a very familiar scripture and realize that we are “worth more than many sparrows” (Matt. 10:31); but that is not telling us very much.

So, how much is your life worth?  “He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.”  We have been looking at Isaiah 53 in our previous articles and this quote is a continuation of that piece of scripture; it is found in verse 5.

I had mentioned that Isaiah 53 is arguably the greatest prophecy of the crucifixion of our Savior in the entirety of the bible.  It fits so closely that many Rabbinical Jews do not know what to do with it – for they reject Jesus Christ as their Messiah and yet…..it fits!!

So, I ask again, how much is your life worth?  This “suffering Servant” of the LORD God, this Savior of all mankind, was nailed to a wooden cross for us; “He was pierced for our transgressions”.  This Son of God was beaten, spit upon and mocked; “He was crushed for our iniquities”.  This Redeemer died for you and for me; “Upon him was the punishment that brought us peace”.  “And with his stripes we are healed”, healed from the disease of unrighteousness, healed from the sins that lead to death! 

Do you begin to see just how much your life is worth?  God desires our redemption!  God desires that we accept His free gift of grace!  God, our Father, sent His only begotten Son as a ransom for our lives!  The bible tells us that God is “unwilling that any should perish, but that all might come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)  The love of God is not just good news, it is the greatest news that the ears of mankind could hear.

Isaiah continues in verse 6, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way, and the LORD had laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”  God showed His love for us even when we were yet sinners; even when we turned away from Him; even when we desired nothing but our own ways to walk in!

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”  Have you ever wanted your own way?  Have you ever argued your own opinion to the point where you almost lost a friend?  By our human standards, Jesus had every reason to “open His mouth” and state His case – but He didn’t.  He submitted to the will of His father and, “He humbled Himself becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Phil. 2:8)  Hallelujah, what a Savior! 

And so I ask you, what is your life worth in God’s eyes?

Freedom is Good News Part 131

In Isaiah 53:1 the prophet begins by asking the question, “Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”  Have you ever come face to face with a question straight from the word of God and realized that you had to have an answer for it?  If we are serious about the word of God then our answer must be yes!

In the four gospels, for instance, Jesus asks some 300 questions.  The use of questions was a rabbinical way of teaching and Jesus was a master at it.  He had all the answers to every question posed to Him, after all He is the Son of God!  But in these four Gospels, Jesus was asked approximately 180 questions and directly answered very few of them.  His answers to these queries sometimes came with a question of His own as He attempted to get people to think for themselves.  Sometimes He answered with a scripture.

I opened this article with a quote form Isaiah and he would have us answer his questions; 1) have you believed his message?  And 2) has the arm of the LORD been revealed to you?  Maybe we should take the time and ponder these questions!!

In the original Hebrew there were no chapter breaks (these were added somewhat recently as an aid for us) and so we may look back a few verses to 52:10, “The LORD will lay bare His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.”  I believe this is perhaps the answer to both questions.  The arm of the LORD has been revealed to all the nations and the message of Isaiah has to do with God’s salvation.

So let’s read on in Isaiah 53,  “For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground;  he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”  Who is this of whom Isaiah speaks?  Do we know this one?

Let’s read on, “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”  Logically speaking, there is only one who fulfills all of these statements – Jesus Christ!

In our previous article I made reference to a song, “Hallelujah, what a Savior”.  The first verse of that song is, “Man of Sorrows, what a name, for the Son of God who came, ruined sinners to reclaim!  Hallelujah, what a Savior.” 

There is more to this 53rd chapter of Isaiah that we shall take a look at.  It, along with the final few verses of chapter 52, is arguably the greatest prophecy of the crucifixion of our Savior in the entirety of the bible and it was written about 730 years before the birth of Jesus. 

Do you believe the message?  Has the arm of the LORD been revealed to you?

Freedom is Good News Part 130

I was looking at a scripture yesterday that got me to thinking.  It is not an unusual or obscure scripture but one that should be quite familiar.  It is found in the Gospel of John chapter 14:1.  But before I type it out, let’s fill in a little background.

Jesus has just spent approximately thirty-three and one half years on this earth.  Of those years, He has been with the twelve apostles for about three and one half years.  When we get to chapter 13 of John we encounter Jesus partaking of His final Passover on this earth and the twelve are gathered around Him. 

I’m not sure if the events leading up to this Passover were any different than the others He had spent with the twelve but He alone knew that this would be a very special Passover; He would be the true Passover Lamb – “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”. 

He had been giving the Apostles clues about what was to happen.  Four times in the book of Matthew He mentions to them that He would have to suffer and be crucified (16:21, 17:22, 20:18 and 26:2), but they never really comprehended His words.  And now in the book of John 13:1 we are told, “It was just before the Passover Feast.  Jesus knew that the hour had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father.”

It is appropriate for us to examine this part of scripture at this time of year, for we are headed toward the time of Passover.  The next line in John 13:1 reads, “Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love.”  Wow!!  The full extent of His love!!  And it is that line that leads me into the scripture that I was about to type at the beginning of this article.

Jesus is confronting His imminent death – a most torturous, hideous and painful type of death; death by crucifixion.  But at this last Passover meal, His thoughts are upon His disciples and not upon Himself.  He takes time to comfort His friends.  John 14:1, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You trust in God; trust also in me.  In my Father’s house are many abodes; if it were not so would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?”

Jesus had just washed His disciple’s feet.  He shared a meal with them and He brought forth the symbols of His own life – the bread (“Take and eat; this is my body.”)  And the cup (“Drink from it all of you, this is my blood of the new covenant.”)

And so He now takes advantage of this precious time with the twelve and begins to teach them some of the most profound things He could ever share with them!!  (Read John 14, 15, 16 and 17)  And yes, He begins by saying, “Do not let your hearts be troubled”.  I am reminded of the words of a song, “Hallelujah, what a Savior”.

Yes, there is more to come on this subject.

Freedom is Good News Part 129

I was reading an article a short time ago on the subject of “balance”.  The author was contemplating this busy world in which we live and the struggle we encounter as we strive to deal with balancing the many activities in our lives: family, job, exercise, sleep, entertainment and diet. 

Did I leave anything out?  Well, yes, I probably did and I’m sure you might be able to add to this list.  The question that must be asked here is, where does God fit into our busy schedules?  Do we just figure that God has to fit into a one hour slot when we gather together with others to sing a few songs and listen to a message?  Is that all that God deserves?

This article I was reading made this statement, “Your effort to balance life is a waste of time, like striving after the wind.  Don’t even try.”  And then the author quoted this scripture, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  (Matthew 6:33)

You see, God does not deserve the leftovers of our lives.  The God that we should be serving is the one who is the Creator of all the universe.  He is the God that confronted Job and asked where he was when God “laid the foundations of the earth” and the same God who commissioned Isaiah to cry out to His people concerning their sins.  He is the one who sent His only begotten Son to die an extremely torturous death so that we might have life.  Do we really understand who this God is?

What was it Isaiah said when he realized that the majesty of God was in front of him?  What was it that he spoke when the angels that accompanied God cried out, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.” (Is. 6:3)  Isaiah cried out, “Woe is me!  I am ruined!  For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” (Is. 6:5)  Did Isaiah realize something at that point?  Did his whole life change at that moment?  You bet it did!  As much as his small human mind could comprehend what he was experiencing at that moment, his whole life took a great pivot Godward!!

Who is this God?  Let us read the words of King David, the man after God’s own heart,

“Praise to you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, from everlasting to everlasting.  Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all.  Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hands are power and might to give strength to all.  And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.” (1 Chronicles 29:10-13)

Read that again – slowly!  These are true words of praise and honor to the only living God.

Freedom is Good News Part 128

Do you know what I love about that quote from our previous article?  The one in 2 Timothy 3:14-17?  It tells us that Timothy learned the Sacred Writings in his childhood.  In other words, someone was busy teaching this young child about the salvation of God.

And of course, the message of salvation through a Messiah, sent from the Father, is taught in many places throughout the Old Testament!!  Now, if we go back to the first chapter of this letter to Timothy we read this:  “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” (2 Tim. 1:5)

In the book of Acts, chapter 16 we read of Paul coming into contact with Timothy.  We are told that he was a disciple, that his mother was a Jewish believer and that his Father was a Greek (possibly not a believer).

This young man was blessed to have a godly mother and a godly grandmother who desired that Timothy know and understand the ways and purposes of God!  These women were knowledgeable of the scriptures and so they were familiar with Deuteronomy 4:9, “Be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live.  Teach them to your children and to their children after them.”  Isn’t it a beautiful thing that Paul commends both mom and grandma in his letter to Timothy? 

God continues with Moses here in Deuteronomy 4:10, “Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.”  But God isn’t finished.  He knows we have short memories and so in Deuteronomy 6:6, He tells us again, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” 

One more time God tells of the importance of godly instruction.  In Deuteronomy 11:18 He says, “You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”  This last expression: sitting, walking, lying down and rising is used to let us know that we should be teaching our children at every opportunity we get.  God was, and still is, serious about this teaching of our children – He mentions it 4 times in these three chapters.  And then King David picks up the command in the 34th Psalm verse 11, “Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Timothy’s mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois must have done a wonderful job of instructing him.  He was a valuable asset to the Apostle Paul in so many areas of preaching the good news.  Paul even calls him “His true son in the faith” and the New Testament mentions his name 27 times. 

Teach your children.  Teach them diligently.  Teach them about God.  Instruction from someone else is O.K. but instruction from Dad and Mom pleases the Heavenly Father.

Freedom is Good News Part 127

I have heard some people say the Old Testament has been done away with.  Making a statement like that, puts an individual on very shaky ground!!  Last week we took a look at a couple of statements Paul wrote to his young assistant, Timothy.  Let’s take a closer look at them.

In his first letter we find this admonition, “Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.” (1 Tim. 4:13)  What scripture did Timothy have to read and teach from?  At the time of this letter, the only scripture available to Timothy was the manuscript (or series of scrolls) we call the Old Testament – the New Testament had not yet been penned.  Timothy was to read, preach and teach the Old Testament, or as Jesus called it, “the law and the prophets”.

Are you familiar with the books from Genesis through Malachi?  Jesus certainly was; and so was Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, Peter and James.  Over and over, these men quoted from them; they understood them; they taught from them – Jesus said, at one point, that they were the words of life (Matt. 4:4) and when He said this He was quoting from the book of Deuteronomy 8:3, “(God) humbled you (Israel) causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”

Jesus used these words when Satan was tempting Him to turn some stones into bread.  In Matthew 4:4-10 Jesus quoted words from “the Law” each time Satan posed a temptation, “Jesus answered him, ‘it is also written: You shall not put the LORD your God to the test’” (Deut. 6:16); and finally, “Away from me Satan!  For it is written: Worship the LORD your God and serve Him only.’” (Deut. 6:13)

I believe I have indicated in the past that the bible may be compared to a jig-saw puzzle.  God wants us to read, to think, to meditate and so to put together an understanding of His true plan for mankind.  But if we toss out three quarters of the puzzle, we have a very skewed; yes a very incomplete picture.  The Old Testament is an integral part of the picture God wants us to see.  And now we come to the second quote mentioned in last week’s article, “But as for you, Timothy, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:14-17)  

Here, Paul calls the Old Testament “the sacred writings” and also tells us that they are able to make one wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.  Let me end here by stating that salvation is significant to the good news we seek!!

Freedom is Good News Part 126

The bible, from Genesis through Revelation, is a unified piece of literature consisting of 66 books with approximately 40 authors.  That statement, in itself, is astounding.  I do not believe that there is anything like it in all of the world’s literature.  The one thing that makes it a unified text is that its editor is God. 

Yes, God used humans to pen this tome in order that we might have an instruction manual for life itself!

Paul put it this way, “But as for you, Timothy, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:14-17)

Paul, here, is urging his young assistant to continue to teach the scriptures.  These scriptures with which Timothy was acquainted, consisted of the Old Testament; Genesis through Malachi.  In his first letter to Timothy, Paul tells him to, “Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.” (1 Tim. 4:13)

The only Scriptures extant at that time were the Old Testament.  These scriptures, Paul tells him, were “able to make you wise for salvation through Jesus Christ”.  Consider that for the time being – we’ll talk some more about it next time (God willing).

Freedom is Good News Part 125

There are those who enjoy the snow.  In past years it has been evident, from the tracks in some of the fields and meadows, that snow mobiles are used around here!  Now, mind you, I actually enjoy the walks my wife and I take in the early morning crisp cold air - but the snow!!!

The reality here is that it is just a matter of perspective.  A recently aired news piece on TV had the reporter interviewing those who enjoy the snow and so encouraged others to get out and go sledding or ice skating, etc.  And I see their point.  So, what is your perspective? 

OK, this is not an article concerning the weather or the amount of snowfall!  But what is your perspective concerning the world in which we live?  In other words, what is your worldview? 

Some years ago I encountered this concept of “worldview”.  At first I didn’t know what to make of it.  “What is your worldview?”  “Do you have a secular worldview or a biblical worldview?”  I believe the answer to that question tells a lot about how a person sees their relationship with God.

There are a lot of venues in the world today from which to garner information.  On-line or hard copy, we can read opinions, ideas, or theories about politics, science, history or current events.  But in today’s world, how do you know what is true?  My comment on this is that if you put forth an expert on a subject, someone else will put forth 3 experts confirming an opposing view.

Generally speaking, before answering anyone who would ask me my opinion on a given subject, I have to formulate my answer through the truth of the bible.  In other words, I have a biblical worldview – for me there can be no other way.  You see, those with a secular worldview can make up any answer they might want to because they don’t have the “sure foundation” of the bible. 

In this society where truth seems to be very illusive, how do we know what is “truth” and what is not?  The only foundation for truth that we have is the word of God for we read “Thy Word is Truth”.  The truth is, apart from that foundation, all human beings are liars; in fact the bible puts it this way, “Let God be true, though every man a liar”. (Rom. 3:4)  Now it is always possible for a person to be in error as to what he says – but deliberately telling an untruth is lying.

How then can a person who says he is a Christian and believes the bible to be the word of God, make a comment that involves secular reasoning or understanding and which also contradicts the word of God?  Allow me to end this session by quoting from the true Lord’s Prayer found in John 17:  Jesus was in prayer to the Father and says this, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”  And yes we are seekers of truth and good news! 

Freedom is Good News Part 124

I mentioned in our previous article that, “the grace of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Remember the short definition of grace we used last week?  “Grace is getting something that you do not deserve.”  Do any of us deserve eternal life?  Well, actually – NO, we do not.  Does that come as a surprise to you?  It should not be surprising if you are familiar with the word of God.  Because through the scriptures we are brought into a knowledge of God – who He is and what His will is for us, His children.  We come to see just what it is that God requires of us and just what God will do for us.

I have mentioned many times before that God desires a relationship with us, but that there is no way for us to enter into that relationship while we are dead in our sins.  Yes, it is axiomatic that we needed a Savior, a Redeemer, someone who would be willing to bear the burden of our sins – and that someone is Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.  This redemption from God fits within our short definition of mercy, “mercy is not getting what you deserve.”

Our God is a Holy God, this we know.  But do we truly realize that our Holy God cannot dwell with that which is unclean (unholy)?  We accept the blood of Jesus, we believe He cleanses us from our sin and we obey His holy and righteous commands so as to begin to form a relationship with Him.  And God promises eternal life.  If we will accept it, He gives us a “helper” to guide us in this path of righteousness.  Why do I say, ‘if we will accept it’?  Because many of us do not utilize this gift – this grace – of our Father. 

I know that some of this can be quite deep.  But it really only brushes the surface of the depth of the goodness and love that God has for us, His children. 

At His last Passover (sometimes called the last supper) Jesus says this, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.  And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to abide with you forever – the Holy Spirit of truth” (John 14:15-17).   Some translations of the bible say He will give us a ‘Comforter’ and the Greek word that Jesus uses actually has the meaning of ‘one who come to the aid, comfort or consolation of another’.  God in His goodness and His grace is willing to give to us repentant sinners, a piece of His very self to aid, comfort and console us.

In other words, God is rooting for us all the way.  He wants – yea even desires – that we successfully navigate this world around us, to keep our hearts, our minds and our eyes fixed upon Him. 

He has given us His only begotten Son.  He has given us His written instructions in the bible.  He has given to us the counselor; a part of His very being.  These are things that a hundred generations before us never were privileged to understand.

Yes, He loves us more that we could ever know.  Would you meditate upon these things?  Would you get on your knees today and visit with Him?  Would you thank Him for His GOOD NEWS?

Freedom is Good News Part 123

In our last article we talked a little about the Godly concepts of justice and mercy.  You see, if God were not a God of justice He could not show forth His mercy.  For mercy does not, yea cannot, exist where there is no justice.  How can someone show forgiveness if there is nothing to be forgiven of? 

There is a third aspect of God’s character that must be introduced at this point: grace!  May I give you a succinct definition of these three aspects of God’s character?  Justice is getting what you deserve; mercy is not getting what you deserve; and grace is getting something that you do not deserve. 

And so, we are sinners – what is the result of sin?  “For the wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 6:23)  You and I as unrepentant sinners will find, in the justice system of God, the verdict of “death”.  We cannot complain for God has spelled it out for us.  But God has provided a way out and lets us know that He has sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice to take away our sin.  1 John 4:10, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”  WOW – now that is mercy, tremendous mercy.  But wait!  God does not stop there.  He goes on to express unto us the third element of who He is – grace!

What is this grace that God showers upon His children?  What is this gift of God that goes beyond what we deserve?  Let’s go back to finish the scripture quote in Rom. 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the grace of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  So does this ‘three part trail’ go from: 1) we are sinners worthy of death to; 2) we accept the mercy God has provided through the blood of His Son to; 3) eternal life in our Savior?  If that were so, then once we repented and received baptism we would be whisked away into the kingdom of God to be with Him forever – no more sorrow, no more crying, no more pain, just joy and bliss with God.  Guess what, that did not happen.  Not even with the Apostles!  In March of 1979 after I came up out of the waters of baptism, the same people were in the room, the same snowstorm was happening outside.  That was almost 40 years ago and this physical life is still all I see around me.

God is good!  Remember, Jesus said, “No one is good except God alone”.  And so God in His goodness provides for the repentant sinner in many ways.  Acts 2:36-39 says, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”  Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”  And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

The gift of the Holy Spirit!  To have a piece of God in-dwell the new child of God is an amazing concept – so let’s take a look at that next time, God willing.

Freedom is Good News Part 122

In our previous article we considered the statement ‘God is good’.  And I asked the question as to whether you might know someone who believes that the God of the Old Testament is mean, angry and harsh.  How would you answer them?

I might start off by quoting the verse from James 1:17 (the verse I ended with last week) “(God) does not change like shifting shadows”; or perhaps the verse in Malachi 3:6, ‘I the LORD do not change’; or maybe Hebrews 13:8, ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today and forever’.  These three scriptures are quite persuasive in letting us know that God did not change His ways from the front of our bibles to the back of them! 

It was Jesus Himself who told us that ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life’.  And in the letter of 1 John 4:8 & 16 we find out that ‘God is love’!  Peter chimes in with his second letter 3:9, ‘The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you; He is  not willing that anyone should perish, but that  everyone should come to repentance.’

Wow!!  This God we are called to serve really does love His creation – He loves us and desires that we abide with Him and His Son for all eternity. 

One thing we must know about God; He is a God of justice.  He told our first parents, Adam and Eve, what not to do.  They paid no attention and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and then they denied culpability for the sin, “Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”  The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”  Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?”  The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Gen. 3:11-21)  This was the world’s first example of passing the buck. 

Again, God is a God of justice and so punishment needed to be meted out.  God went back up this ladder of blame and cursed the serpent first, then punished the woman and finally pronounced punishment upon the man.  Then God, in His mercy and love for His children, provided garments of protection and modesty.

Do you remember how God worded His one and only commandment to Adam?  “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.  And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” 

In a manner of speaking, they did die that day.  The special fellowship they had enjoyed with God in the garden ended and any promise of eternal life for them ended that day.  But on the other hand, the God of mercy and grace, bestowed upon them His forgiveness. 

Freedom is Good News Part 121

“As Jesus was walking along the way, a man ran up to Him and fell on his knees before Him.  ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’  ‘Why do you call me good,’ Jesus answered.  ‘No one is good except God alone.’” (Mark 10:17-18)

We may get into this “eternal life” question at some time but I would like to ponder Jesus statement that “No one is good except God alone”.  Have you ever run into someone who said, “The God of the Old Testament was mean, angry and harsh”?  Perhaps you have said it yourself!  Or maybe you know someone who thinks that God cannot be good because there is so much suffering in the world.

Since the beginning of time, from when Adam and Eve were created, has there been anyone who has known God the Father better than the Son of God, Jesus Christ?  In the book of Matthew 11:27 Jesus makes this statement, “No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”  If ever there was a tight relationship it would have to be between God, the creator of all things, and His Son, the Savior of all mankind.

A question for you:  has the Son of God chosen to reveal to you the Heavenly Father?  This is a very personal question.  Many people go around talking about Jesus and how He has done many things in their lives; they preface their prayers with “Dear Lord” and so address our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  But in Matthew 6:9, Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father …” And I very seldom hear people talk about what the Father has done for them in their lives.

And so it is good to understand your relationship with Jesus.  It is also good to develop closeness to the Father of all mankind.  Jesus tells us He is good.  Let’s let the scriptures tell us how good He really is.

Shall we take a look at a couple of verses from the book of Isaiah and consider  his thoughts about our God and Father?  “So, do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand…. For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you.” (Is. 41:10&13)  This One who desires to take hold of our right hand is God.  Some may incorrectly state that the God of the Old Testament is harsh – but the God I serve wants, yes desires my love and attention.  He wants to strengthen and help me.  Jeremiah tells it this way, “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I will hope in him.”  The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.  It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lamentation 3:21-26)

“He does not change like shifting shadows.”  (James 1:17)   Oh, there is so much more - God is good, all the time!!

Freedom is Good News Part 120

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of (faithful) witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes upon Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

How strong was the faith of Jesus Christ?  To be slightly glib, I would say that on a scale of 1 to 10, He was at a 12!!  He came down from heaven (from the heavenly throne room of the Father) and became flesh.  Paul, in his letter to the Philippians 2:5-8, says this, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Our Savior went to the cross for us.  As He hung there, losing every drop of blood unto death, He had to have profound faith that He would be brought up unto resurrection from the grave by the mighty hand of the Father.  And then we read in the book of Hebrews, quoted above, that He is “the founder and perfecter of our faith”.

If you have faith in what the Heavenly Father has done; if you have faith in what your Savior, Jesus Christ, has done; and if you have faith in the understanding that you are walking in the path of righteousness with your Father and His Son, then you can rejoice that your faith has been founded in Jesus Christ and will be perfected in Him.  In his letter to the Galatians 2:20 Paul writes, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Wow!! This is heavy stuff!!  But whoever said the bible was light?  These words of Paul are not things to be read over and forgotten – they are the truth of God and they are facts.

The good news here is that our Heavenly Father and His Son love us so much that “We have been given everything we need for life and godliness.” (2 Peter 1:3)  Paul says as much in his letter to the Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” 

But you must take the next step.  You must ponder, you must meditate upon whether you have received this calling (yes this calling, right here in the words of this article) and that you have prepared the soil of your heart so as to receive the seeds of the Gospel and to become one of the chosen ones of God.  In Acts 2:38, Peter told us what to do, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  Do you have the faith to take this step?  “And with Him will be His called, chosen and faithful followers.”

Freedom is Good News Part 119

Some might feel that the activity of having faith is as easy as falling off a log (I’ve never actually done that! – fall off a log, that is!).  We have been considering faith – the faith that Abraham had – and that it involves much more than just some mental exercise.  It truly involves some kind of activity, just as Abraham’s faith did!

Ultimately, what are we looking for?  As I see it, God has given us life so that we might begin a journey toward Him!  A good word to use here would be “relationship”.  God wants to have a relationship with His creation, yes, with His children.  Isn’t that what we are looking for?

But one thing the scriptures teach us is that our God is Holy and we are not; and that presents a problem, because that which is unholy cannot draw near to that which is holy.  This we know, for the scriptures also teach us that we need to be redeemed from our unholyness, our sinful nature.  God, in His wisdom and understanding, has, from the foundation of the world, considered and provided for our needs in this case.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)  “Whoever believes in Him” … Did you catch that?  Faith or belief is involved here!

OK, so back to my question, ultimately, what are we looking for?  In a word, we are looking for righteousness!  It is righteousness that will bring us into a relationship with our Heavenly Father and because we have no righteousness of our own, we must be redeemed by Jesus Christ and so accept His righteousness through the blood of His sacrifice.  Do you believe that Jesus’ blood imputes righteousness to you so that you might fellowship with the Father?

We have come a long way in just a short space; allow me to insert here a quote from my daughter, Cynthia Saladin, “If God is your God and you want fellowship with Him, the law is part and parcel of your relationship with Him.  It defines what is acceptable conduct in His presence.  The law is a reflection of the character of God.”  I know I am prejudice toward my daughter but that statement says a mouthful!!  Remember what James said, “Faith without works is dead.”  A short perusal of the faith chapter in the book of Hebrews should give us understanding here, “By faith, Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did, and thereby was commended as a righteous man … By faith, Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family … By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went even though he did not know where he was going …by faith, Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, … because they were not afraid of the king’s edict.” (Hebrews 11:4-23)  We could go on but I believe we see that each of these (and more) were commended for their faith by doing something.

Oh yes, faith is a huge subject – there is still more to come!!

Freedom is Good News Part 118

“You have faith that there is one God.  Good!  But even the demons believe that and shudder.” (James 2:19)  This is quite an interesting verse.  And one that should make us stop and think about our belief system.  There are many people in our society that say they believe in God and they will even say that they believe in the God of the bible.  But this same bible tells us that this kind of belief is no better than the belief of Satan and his minions. 

In our previous article I mentioned that Jesus says in John 8:39, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works Abraham did.”  Are you a child of Abraham?  In Romans 4:11 we read, “So then, he (Abraham) is the father of all who believe …”; and again in Galatians 3:29 “And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.”  Well, only you can answer the question as to whether you are Abrahams offspring or not, and only you can answer the question as to if you are doing the works that Abraham did. 

Friends and brethren, this is an important discussion.  We have been considering the scripture in Rev. 17:4 concerning the “called, the chosen and the faithful”.  Each one of these concepts builds upon the next – for how can you be a chosen one of God if you have never been called and to whom are you to be faithful if God has not chosen you?  Can you begin to grasp the depth of all this?  Those who are “called, chosen and faithful” are those who will accompany our Savior in the last days as Satan is being defeated and Christ is beginning the process of setting up the Kingdom of God on this earth!!!

Let’s consider the word “faithful”.  First, let’s notice it does not say “faithsome”.  OK, my computer is telling me that I just made that word up; but you get the point, our faith must be full and not just partial. 

Remember the incident in Mark 9:14-28, where a certain man asked Jesus to cast a demon out of his son?  The man’s words were, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”  Jesus’ response was, “If you can?  Everything is possible for him who believes”.  And immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe help my unbelief!”  Jesus cast the demon out of the child but the father’s reply is one that we all share: “I believe, help my unbelief!”  Our God is loving and kind and merciful and full of grace toward His children, He does help our unbelief but we must do as the father did and ask.  This subject of faith is not an easy one.  The word itself is tied in with the concept of obedience. In the book of Hebrews we see that when the Israelites sinned in the wilderness and refused to enter the promised land, they were punished for their unbelief: “And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?  So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:18-19)

Oh yes – there is still more to come.  We are just coming to the part where the rubber meets the road!!