Freedom is Good News Part 75

What should we do when trouble strikes?  I suppose one must define “trouble”.  Like everything else in this world, we all see trouble in differing lights.  And depending upon our own personal situation in life, we might rate trouble higher or lower.  For instance, suppose you receive notice that your home insurance is going up – that can be labeled as trouble.  But last week your boss was feeling generous and gave you a healthy raise in pay.  On the other hand you just learned last week that you will be laid off and the possibilities for getting a good job are slim.  On a scale of one to ten, the first case might be a 1 or 2 but the second case is scarier and is a 6 or 7.

I just finished reading a book entitled, “The Auschwitz Escape” by Joel Rosenberg.  I’m sure we are all aware of what happened at Auschwitz during the early 1940s.  So why didn’t the Jews rebel?  Because they thought their trouble was at a level of 4 or 5.  Getting on the trains, they thought they were going to a concentration camp to work in factories helping to supply the German war machine.  “All will be back to normal after the war.”  Shortly after they arrived, they saw that their trouble was off the scale of 1 through 10.  As one prisoner put it, “The only way out is in ashes up the chimney”.  Death and cremation was all that was in store.  I have never ever seen nor imagined that magnitude of trouble.

And so trouble, in varying degrees, comes upon us all.  What should we do when trouble strikes?  The bible has a lot to say concerning trouble.  And I am sure you are way ahead of me on this one.  The number one answer to my question is to seek God. 

As I ponder this topic, my mind turns to a statement that Jacob made after he had come to Egypt and to his long lost son Joseph, who was now second in command to Pharaoh in Egypt.  Joseph then brings him into Pharaoh’s presence.  (This episode is found in Genesis 47.)  Pharaoh’s first question to Jacob is a curious one, “How old are you?” he asked.  And Jacobs answer is equally curious, “The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty.  My years have been few and difficult.”  The story of Jacob’s short (130 years) and difficult life begins in Genesis 25:21 and end with his death at the end of chapter 49.  It is a long section of scripture devoted to one man and  his family but it gives us quite a picture of Jacob as a self- serving twin son of Isaac who encounters many troubles and difficulties, to a repentant patriarch who seeks the God of his fathers and then confesses that this God is his God.

Where are you in your short and difficult life?  I believe I have said this before but it is true that we have a tendency to seek God only when we have difficulties and troubles.  A very wise man once said to me, “Seek God when things are good and perhaps you won’t have to see many troubles”. 

This world can be full of troubles.  I think back to my first attempt at an article for this venue and consider the fact that sometimes we just need good news.  God willing we will consider the topic of trouble and its anecdote, seeking the face of our God.

Freedom is Good News Part 74

I grew up in a branch of Christianity that discouraged the reading of the bible.  Today, I am amazed at this attempted hindrance!  It wasn’t until I was 26 years of age that I picked up a bible to read.  This was due to a challenge given to me by a co-worker.  It had been about eight years since I had attended any type of church services and he told me about something in the scriptures that I did not believe.  I located a bible, read the passage and realized (from the pages of the bible) that my friend was correct.  This was indeed a life changing moment for me.  Without trying to be judgmental, I saw that I had been deceived.

From that moment on, I wanted to know what the Word of God said and so I read.  Were there other things that I had believed in error?  Yes!  But why am I mentioning this in an article concerning good news today?  Because, the good news for me, has been that I have come to love God’s word more and more.  It is a pure joy and a real blessing to find extra time on my hands and then fill that time with reading God’s word.

I know that statement might seem strange in today’s world.  People have a tendency to fill their extra time with every secular activity under the sun.  And there is nothing wrong with many of the activities we have surrounding us these days.  I have noticed that we have a lot of “extra time” on our hands, -too.  Oh, I know we are so busy these days, how could one ever say we have extra time?  It has been my observation that our excessive busyness is really only the many secular activities we partake of.  I could make a list of the inane things we do these days but I’m sure you are well aware of your own list.

So, where is this discussion going you ask?  It comes full circle to where we were two articles ago – it has to do with (and let me take a line from that article) “Reading in God’s word by yourself is always a good thing to do, but reading out loud with another is a wonderful way to gain understanding and share the blessings of God’s word.”

There is a saying today that goes something like this, “the truly worthwhile things in life never come easy”.  The bible I have sitting in front of me, as I write this, has just short of 1700 pages.  I must admit, that is a lot of book.  And some of it (OK a lot of it) can be hard to understand.  But it does contain the thoughts of God!  And that is the “good news”.  God has given us an anthology of books that contain instruction, history, stories, allegories, poetry, letters, prophecy and wisdom.  Who could ask for more? 

In conclusion let me just say this, our Heavenly Father is honored by our reading His word – yes, honored!  And, you guessed it; that is good news. 

Freedom is Good News Part 73

“Shout with joy to God, all the earth!  Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious!”  Psalm 66:1-2.

We continue to look at the Psalm we began in last article.  Let’s consider that last phrase, “make His praise glorious!”  Have you ever wondered how we might make our praise of God, glorious?  Well the secret is in the word “glorious”.  The Hebrew for this word is “Kabod” and it literally means “a great quantity or weight of a thing”.  Many times in scripture we find it written that God has glory or that He is glorious.  In Psalm 19:1 we read, “The heavens declare the glory of God”.  Have you ever looked up at the stars on a clear dark night?  I cannot take my eyes off of them.  If it’s summertime I just want to lie under the canopy of stars and experience the awesomeness of God’s creation.

The “great quantity” of stars gives us an inkling of the glory of God!  I can praise God from my innermost being – yes, I can make His praise glorious.

Verse 3 & 4:  “Say to God, ‘how awesome are your deeds!’  So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.  All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name.”  Here we are at the beginning of February, and if you are like me you can’t wait for the first daffodil to poke its head out of the ground; then come the tulips and the lilacs; then the clematis, and on and on the flowers continue.  They give beauty to our eyes and precious scent to our noses.  Oh the wonders of God’s creation – it’s no surprise that David desires all the earth to bow down before Him.

David continues in this Psalm by asking us to “Come and see what God has done, how awesome His works in man’s behalf!  He reflects upon some of the awesome deeds that God did for David’s ancestors – the parting of the Red Sea for one, and he even praises God for some of the trials they and he went though.  He says, “We went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance”.  It is not during good times that God teaches us the deep lessons of life.  No, it is more often in the trials and problems of life that God teaches us the profound lessons and then brings us to that “place of abundance”. 

These are the lessons that stay with us.  These are the lessons that we must cherish.  James tells us to “Count it all joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be perfect and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

This Psalm 66 ends with the words, “Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld His love from me!” 

More good news to come – stay tuned!!

Freedom is Good News Part 72

Sally and I are in the process of reading through the Psalms together.  Reading in God’s word by your self is always a good thing to do, but reading out loud with another is a wonderful way to gain understanding and share the blessings of God’s word.  The Book of Proverbs 27:17 says this, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”  As one of us is reading, the other might ask to stop because something caught their eye: A discussion follows and both of us have learned something new. 

God’s word is amazing, in that when this happens, there is an inner joy that nothing in this world can duplicate.  My prayer for you, my readers, is that when you pick up God’s word to read the next time, you will find a brand new nugget of wisdom and knowledge and have this same joy. 

Do this sometime soon: fathers and mothers, read to the family in the evening after supper.  Turn the TV off, put down the phones and tablets, etc. and pick up God’s word.  Read to the whole family and make it a fun time!  But you’re not sure where to start?  Let me help with that.  Start with Psalm 66.  You don’t have to read the whole thing, then close the bible and let everyone go their own way.  No, just start with a portion of this Psalm – a few verses perhaps (you don’t want to overwhelm anyone); and close with a short prayer.  Perhaps the kids may even have a question or two for discussion.  Honoring God in this way as a family will reap some very precious blessings.

Well, let’s look at Psalm 66 and see what we may find:  “Shout with joy to God, all the earth!  Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious!”  This is verse one and two.  What a beautiful start to a Psalm.  We have three verbs here: shout, sing and make.  That first verb is expanded in the King James Version of the bible to “Make a joyful noise”.  First of all, I must confess, my northern European background seems to inhibit me from literally shouting for joy.  But I know that God hears my heart and in my heart I have often shouted to God with joy. 

The second verb is “sing” or as in the KJV “sing forth”.  Now here is where I can follow the instructions.  I like to sing!  I do not have a great voice but as someone once said, “God gave me this voice and He’s going to have to listen to it!”  God is pleased with song and especially ones that give “glory to His name”.  The Psalms have many places where we are admonished to sing.

The third verb is “make”.  But it is not just make anything, but “make His praise glorious”.  This is an interesting Hebrew word.  The basic meaning of “to make” is to “put something somewhere”.  And what does this Psalm tell us to put somewhere?  We are to put our praise for Him in a glorious way.

We will (God willing) look into this some more next time.

Freedom is Good News Part 71

We have been engaged, for the past couple of articles, in Paul’s prayer to the Ephesians found in Eph. 1:16-20.  This is not his only prayer for this church group.  We find a second prayer in chapter 3 verses14 through 19.  In the book of Romans Paul offers two short prayers for that church in 15:5-6 and 13.  He offers two short prayers for the Philippians in 1:3-4 and 9-11.  For the Colossians, he offers a prayer in 1:9-14.  In both letters to the Thessalonians there are prayers: 1 Thes. 3:12-13 & 5:23 and 2 Thes. 1:11-12 & 2:16-17.

Why do I mention them?  I think it is instructive to read the things that Paul thought were important for the churches.  In my own prayer life I will usually pray for the physical and emotional needs of a friend or brother, (health, finances or mental wellbeing) but I tend to forget the spiritual needs which are perhaps of greater importance.

We all have needs and wants.  In our congregation we have a prayer book that is passed around during our worship service so that requests for prayers may be written down.  Toward the end of services the written requests are read aloud and a prayer is offered for them.  Most often the prayer requests mention family members, acquaintances, co-workers and members of the congregation.  The concerns mentioned are most often physical.  It is the physical realm of which we are most aware and so it is there that we usually focus our time and efforts.  But, is it not in the spiritual realm of our lives that things are of utmost importance?  Yes – one’s need to “walk worthy of the calling we have received” (Eph. 4:1) so as to serve God in our lives, must come before the physical requests we have.

And what about ourselves?  Do we remember to pray for ourselves?  Do we need spiritual enlightenment, wisdom, better knowledge of the path God wants us to walk or an understanding of God’s word?  Or how about the joy and peace in our lives to overflow with love for God and for our neighbor.  Do we find ourselves getting angry, offended, or filled with pride and vanity?  It is hard to pray for someone else if we are in a bad mood or filled with vanity.

Perhaps I have mentioned this before but I liken it to the speech the stewardess gives before each and every flight; “In case of a loss of oxygen in the cabin, a mask will drop from the compartment above you.  Make sure you place the mask on yourself first so that you may be able to help a child or neighbor with theirs.”  I suppose it should be obvious, but if we are struggling with a lack of oxygen, we are no good to ourselves or others.  And so it is in the spiritual realm.  We need to be in a good relationship with our heavenly Father so as to better help a friend who needs us to pray for them.

I have given you many references to Paul’s prayers.  I encourage you to get your bible and read all of them.  Perhaps in your on-going reading, you may find other prayers that Paul or Peter or one of the other writers in the bible used.  I find these prayers very uplifting.  And that is good news.

Freedom is Good News Part 70

“That you may know … the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints”; this is where we ended our discussion of Paul’s prayer to the Ephesian church in our last article.  Do you understand the riches that may be yours as one of God’s called out ones?  First of all, God owns all things.  Psalm 24 verse 1 tells us, “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”  That is a good start, but in reality, God is creator over the entire universe – over all things visible and invisible and He owns it all!

In Matthew 25:31-36, Jesus tells us a parable concerning His kingdom.  In it He separates the sheep from the goats.  The sheep (on His right) have fed the hungry, given drink to the thirsty, clothed the naked and visited the sick (I believe we are familiar with this parable).  The point of this is that the sheep are told, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”  Let me state it this way, the riches of His glorious inheritance is the kingdom of God!!  This is why, in Matthew 6:33, we are told, “seek first the kingdom and its righteousness and all things will be given to you.”

God is working with us today in order to prepare us for this inheritance.  In another scripture, Jesus tells us that, “everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father of mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29)  Let me ask you something, how long is eternal life?  And again, how big is God’s kingdom?  What kind of work does God have for us to do?  In Isaiah 9:6-7, in speaking of our Savior, Isaiah says, “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given … and of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.  He will reign on David’s throne … with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.”  In Luke 19:17 Jesus says, “Because you have been trustworthy in a small matter, take charge of ten cities.”  This parable concerns us, His servants.

Friends, there is much more to say concerning our inheritance, but let us move on to the third petition of Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church;  “That you may know … His incomparably great power for us who believe.”  At this, Paul goes on to describe this great power; “That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms.”  I don’t know about you but I am completely blown away when I consider that God can take a lifeless piece of flesh, the synapsis in the brain have ceased, the body has grown cold, no blood is flowing because the heart has stopped and yet by the word of His mouth, life enters the body and resurrection occurs.  This is His incredibly great power for us who believe.  A new body, one that is indestructible, that will inherit His kingdom, a kingdom that will exist forever; this is the hope to which He has called us and to which Paul desires that the eyes of our heart may be enlightened!

Good news indeed!!!

Freedom is Good News Part 69

In almost all of Paul’s letters to the churches, he includes a prayer for them.  Let’s take a look at one the prayers that Paul includes to the church in Ephesus.  “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.” (Eph. 1:18)  Some time ago we talked about how we all need God’s help in having our hearts opened to His enlightenment. 

The Word of God can sometimes be a mystery.  I have, in the past, likened it to a jig-saw puzzle – you need to put this piece in place before you can see where this other piece fits.  So it was for me when I began reading the bible almost 42 years ago.  Friends and brethren, there are still many pieces lying on the “table” that I haven’t fit into place yet.  And there are some pieces that seemed to fit many years ago, but as I learn, read and studied, I realize they were in the wrong spot!  My admonition to you – don’t ever be afraid to question your knowledge of God’s word.  May God enlighten the eyes of all of our hearts!

The first petition of Paul’s prayer is: “That you may know the hope to which He has called you…”  This is an interesting request by Paul for his beloved brethren in Ephesus.  At first blush one may wonder why they did not understand the hope of their calling.  But I must ask the question, “Do you?”  The Greek word Paul uses here is an interesting one.  There are two words used in Greek for “knowledge”.  Without getting too deep here, one simply means, “an inception or progress in knowledge”; as in, “I am coming to a knowledge of Spanish”.  In other words, it’s an ongoing thing.  While the one Paul uses in this prayer (oida) suggests “fullness of knowledge”.  This “hope” to which we are called, must be fully known or better said, fully understood.  This is a much stronger word. 

Sometimes we might look at the word “hope” as a “maybe kind of word”, “I’m going fishing and I hope to catch some fish; maybe I will catch some and maybe I won’t”.  But the hope that God calls His children to is never a maybe thing.  This word that Paul uses here has a meaning of “having a favorable expectation with assurance”.  We can expect a certain outcome and we are assured of it.  Paul wants God to give his readers a true and full knowledge that His promise is assured.  In other words, no doubts! 

The second petition that Paul prays is that you may know “the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints”.  No strange Greek word here.  We all know what an inheritance is.  God has promised us a portion of His estate.  Wow!  I mentioned to a group recently that in the known universe, if God wanted to divide equally among the 7 billion residents of the earth, all the stars, each of us could have 2 trillion of them.  That’s a lot!!!  But His inheritance to His children is worth even more than that. 

Stay tuned, there’s a lot more to talk about.

Freedom is Good News Part 68

We have been looking at a section of the 73rd Psalm these past few articles – verses 23 through 26.  Last week we considered Asaph’s statement that God will guide him with His counsel and so now we come to a very uplifting statement.  The verse reads like this:  “You guide me with your counsel and afterward you will receive me into glory.”  It is God who guides us and it is God who will receive us!

I know there are a lot of people who do not believe in God and there are a lot of people who do not accept the God of these Holy Scriptures and there are a lot of people who are not interested in reading or studying about God in these Holy Scriptures.  But as for me, I’m with Asaph on this!  I desire God to guide me and I desire God to lead me, take me, and receive me into glory.  I have never been ashamed to tell my heavenly Father that I love Him and that I desire to have Him guide me into His glory!  And do you know why?

It’s because I’m with Asaph on this and his next lines in this Psalm are my lines: “Whom have I in heaven but you?  And earth has nothing I desire besides you.”  I believe that when I enter into His glory, when I at last see my God face to face, when I bow before Him on His throne, I will be amazed that I ever held anything in this world as having any worth!!!  Jobs, cars, houses, clothes, entertainment, whatever it may have been that grabbed my attention when instead I could have been drawing nearer to my God and my Savior. 

Oh, I am like Asaph; letting my feet almost slip and envying others – losing my foothold because I took my eyes off the true prize, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  And this takes me back to where we started this journey into Asaph’s Psalm.  If you have been paying close attention there is a tremendous lesson here.  You might remember that several weeks ago I made this bold statement, “In the letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote, ‘…seek those things which are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.’  In short, I can unequivocally say that this scripture is the answer to the entire topic of this column.  And when I say ‘this column’ I do not mean just this present article.  I am talking of our entire search for “good news!!”

The reality of having God in our lives must be second to nothing else.  For “Whom have I in heaven but you?  And earth has nothing I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”  I will leave it to you to read the remainder of the Psalm.  Asaph’s testimony is worthy of your reading.

We have a lot of responsibility with the word of God.  We may gain knowledge and we may gain understanding but what will we do with them?

Freedom is Good News Part 67

We began looking into a portion of the 73rd Psalm two articles ago.  , “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.”  These are two beautiful sentiments expressed by the Psalmist Asaph as he repents for his thoughts that were causing him to sin.  His next line in this Psalm is very informative, “You guide me with your counsel”.  What is it worth to you to be guided by the counsel of the one who has created all things, “visible and invisible”?  To be guided by the one who sees the big picture of all that happens here on earth? 

Perhaps we should ask the man, Job.  Remember, he was the man who lost all his earthly possessions and his health and then pondered why God had left him so.  Near the end of the book of Job we find him very humbly replying to God, “I know that you can do all things; that no plan of yours can be thwarted.… Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know… therefore I repent in dust and ashes.” (Job 42:1-6)  And so Job was blessed immensely.

Or perhaps Isaiah the prophet may instruct us in the worth of God’s guidance.  “Behold your God!  Behold the Sovereign LORD comes with power and His arm rules for Him… He tends His flock like a shepherd… He gently leads those who have young…. For who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed Him as His counselor?  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?”  (Isaiah 40:9-14)

Yes, God is the one to guide us by His counsel!  But will we listen?  Down through the ages people have spurned the counsel of God.  Our very first “parents”, Adam and Eve had but one commandment that God told them to obey and they failed – they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  God brought Abraham into the land of promise and yet when adversity came, he packed up and moved into Egypt for a while.  Israel, time and time again forsook the counsel of God – they halted from going into the land that God had brought them to, they grumbled and complained afterward as they wandered in the wilderness. 

I could go on with example after example, but the question remains: will we listen to the counsel of God?  Let us not forget that in his statement, Asaph doesn’t pray that God will guide him by His counsel but, in faith, he acknowledges that God does guide him.  So how do we realize that God will guide us?  Solomon, in Proverbs 3:4 says this, “In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”  Let me put two and two together; if we acknowledge God in all our ways, He will guide us and thus make our paths straight.

Do you acknowledge God in all your ways?  Do you listen for His counsel in your life?

Oh, there still is a lot more to come concerning this 73rd Psalm.  Stay tuned!!

Freedom is Good News Part 66

“Yet I am always with you…” says Asaph in Psalm 73:23.  I really appreciate the way this is stated.  Asaph does not say that God is always with him; but that he is always with God and that makes all the difference.  The one thing we must always keep in mind is that it is not about us, it is always about God!  What do I mean by this?  In the scheme of things universal, we humans are of little import when compared to the greatness, the splendor, the majesty and the awesomeness of the Almighty God we serve.  Our God is supreme, He is sovereign, He has created and rules over a universe that is beyond man’s comprehension.  And yet He allows us to “always be with Him”.

Near the end of our last article, I stated that Asaph “opens up his heart to us in a very humble way” and his statement here continues the humility as he bows before God through the written word of a poem.  Both James and Peter, in their respective letters, tell us that “God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud”.  Asaph is in need of God’s grace and he knows it.  He has allowed his heart to wander into dangerous territory, “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold, for I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” (73:2&3)  The Psalmist reveals his thoughts and struggles in the first half of the Psalm and then confesses that he did not understand these things “till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.” (Verse 17)  What a beautiful turning point!  True prayer takes us into the very throne room of God.

 “Yet I am always with you…”  Are you always with God?  Is He your first thought in times of trouble and in times of sorrow?  Is He your first thought in times of blessing and in time of joy?  We humans walk through this life as though we were in charge.  Have you ever had the thought “I’ll call upon God when I need Him”, rather than humbly telling your Heavenly Father that you are always with Him?  This short statement by Asaph tells us that he knew God was a God of mercy and compassion. 

The next statement in this Psalm emphasizes that Asaph really knew how beautiful a relationship with God could be, “you hold me by my right hand”.  What is it like for an infant, just learning to walk, to know that Mom or Dad has its hand firmly in theirs?  Sometimes it is just enough to know that someone will hold our hand.  And when we would compare ourselves to the God we serve, we must admit that we are indeed, just learning to walk.  Praise be to God that He is abounding in lovingkindness.

 And yes there still is a lot more to come concerning this 73rd Psalm.  Stay tuned!!

Freedom is Good News Part 65

Why do the anchors on television networks tell us every night, with serious faces, that they have “breaking news”?  Why do they show us over and over again scenes of wreckage and carnage from some recent disaster, whether natural or man-made?  Why? They know we are interested.  They know we are attracted.  And they, of course, want our attention.  The only thing we have to offer these news outlets is our attention.  The more we pay attention, the more value they can claim.

OK, we all intrinsically know this but why is it so?  Why are we attracted?  I suppose one answer might be its just human nature.  Perhaps it’s just our desire to gawk or maybe it’s our compassion for those who may be suffering.  And compassion for suffering is a good thing if it draws us to do something – even if it is just our heartfelt prayer.

In the letter to the Colossians, Paul wrote, “…seek those things which are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”  In short, I can unequivocally say that this scripture is the answer to the entire topic of this column.  And when I say “this column” I do not mean just this present article.  I am talking of our entire search for “good news”!!

There are many instances, in the bible, of people who went astray from their relationship with God because they did not continue with this very simple formula written down by the Apostle Paul for us.  It would do us all some good to consider this when pulled into the doldrums through some nightly news drama. 

“Seek those things which are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.”  The quickest way for us to enter that journey is by prayer.  True prayer takes us into the very throne room of God.  We enter by the hand of our Savior, the Son of God!  Listen to the prayer of the Psalmist, a man named Asaph; this is from the 73rd Psalm, “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.  You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.  For whom have I in heaven but you?  And earth has nothing I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psm. 73:23-26)  I am not very proficient at memorizing scripture but this is one of the few I have committed to memory. 

Maybe we should take a longer look at this.  It is filled with good news and may be of help when we find ourselves becoming glum.  It would be a very good thing if you would read the entire Psalm so as to see why Asaph wrote these later verses.  This man opens up his heart to us in a very humble way as he tells us of his sin in envying the wicked.  There is a lot more to come concerning this 73rd Psalm.  Stay tuned!!

Freedom is Good News Part 64

In our previous article, we touched upon some heavy concepts.  I asked if God was honored to be your God.  Have you ever explored that topic?  Seriously now; for these things are of utmost importance.  Does your life bring honor to the God of all heaven and earth, the creator of all things, the one who gives you your every breath?

I get the feeling that there are some who call themselves Christians and yet they seem to take God for granted.  “God is just someone we pay attention to for one hour a week.  But the rest of the week is for me.”  A cursory reading of the bible should inform us that God wants to be a part of every aspect of our lives!  He wants, even commands us to love Him with all our heart, all our strength and all our life.

In this life we all have struggles; struggles with our fellow man, struggles with ourselves and yes, even struggles with our relationship with God.  Sometimes we do not feel like being joyful or being friendly – we are tired and out of sorts and “darn it, I just want to be left alone to wallow in my own despair.”  But that is not the attitude to which we are being called.  God has a great and awesome plan for those that are His and He is working out all things “for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)  We all want good, don’t we?

God sees the big picture.  We, on the other hand sometimes, cannot see beyond the ends of our noses.  God wants to bless His children.  Scripture tell us that He is the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17).  But He will not force us to walk with Him.  It is His desire to give us good things in this life and to lead us to life eternal.  Yes, God sees the big picture and like a loving parent, He gives us just the things we need.

We in this county have a lot to be thankful for.  Shouldn’t we perhaps humble ourselves and in a true and loving way give HIM thanks for the love and the grace He gives and also for the fact that He gives us just the things we need?

There is a line from a song that I enjoy listening to:

I thank God for the mountains, I thank Him for the valleys, I thank Him for the storms He’s brought me through.  For if I’d never had a problem, I wouldn’t know that He could solve them; I’d never know what faith in God could do.

So how do we tie all these things together?  Honor God by getting down on your knees and giving thanks to Him for all things, rejoicing in the good things and pondering the lessons He gives us in the tough things, the disappointing things – yes, not just for the mountains but also for the valleys.  Make an appointment with your heavenly Father and let Him know how much you love Him.  That would be good news for and to your Father in heaven!!

Freedom is Good News Part 63

Last week I ended the article by quoting from Hebrews 11:13-16 but I left out the last sentence of verse 16.  I called it a very important line and so I quote it here: “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”

Let’s take a look at this in two pieces.  First, “God is not ashamed to be called their God” is a very powerful statement.  This is sort of a “left handed” way of saying that God is honored to be their God.  But, we might also realize that it implies there are some individuals whom God is ashamed of!  Is God honored to be called your God?

Perhaps the greatest covenant statement in scripture is one that is found throughout the bible, from Genesis to Revelation: “I will be your God and you will be my people”.  God first brings this up with our Father Abraham in Genesis 17:7, “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.”  This is not a personal covenant with just the Patriarchs.  It is an everlasting covenant with Abraham’s children, that is, the children of faith who belong to Christ (Gal. 3:29).  We are to find ourselves fully immersed in this covenant when we read in 2 Corinthians 6:16, “…For we are the temple of the living God.  As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they will be my people.”

So let me ask again, is God honored to be called your God?  Does your life bring honor to your God?  And further more does God consider you to be one of His people?  I will leave you to examine your own lives in regards to these questions.

The second part of this quote I introduced above has to do with the reward that God has prepared for His faithful ones: “For He has prepared a city for them.”  This is an interesting statement because we don’t often consider that we have a “city” being prepared for us.  In song and statement down through the ages we have “a mansion just over the hilltop”.  We have a mansion of “purest gold”.  We have “a mansion He prepareth, that where He is there I may be.”  In the gospel of John (from the King James translation) in chapter 14 verse 2 we read, “In my Father’s house are many mansions … I go to prepare a place for you.”  The word “mansion” here needs a little explanation, but for now we are looking at a city.

So, what are Abraham’s children awaiting?  “I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them.  They will be His people and God Himself will be with them and be their God.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:2-4)  Wow!  Now that is something to think on!!  Good news indeed.

Freedom is Good News Part 62

My computer tells me that I’ve been writing these articles for quite some time; we have somewhere around 62 articles.  A lot of ground has been covered over the past many weeks; so, how much longer could one continue to write before all the concepts and ideas in the Word of God have been exhausted?  May I take a stab at the answer and suggest that the word “forever” applies here!

One of the things that we should try and get our minds around is that God’s word will outlast our thoughts, even if we would live a thousand life times.  Our God is an infinite God.  The scriptures teach us that He always was and always will be.  Did I say “get our minds around” the immensity of God? 

If I were to try to get my mind around the fact that God will always be, I might not have much of a problem.  After all, I am alive and I can perceive that time will continue into the future.  Throughout my life, time has always progressed toward the future so why shouldn’t I think it will continue?  However, as I look back into the past, I have no perception of anything preceding my birth.  I am told of history and may read about history but my personal experience is void.  How then can I get my mind around the fact that God had no beginning?

This is why I believe the bible tells us things like: “We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (1 Corinthians 4:18)  A short few scriptures later Paul tells us, “We live by faith and not by sight.” (1 Cor. 5:7)  And then in his letter to the Colossians Paul tells us to “seek those things which are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” 

These are difficult commands for us to assimilate into our experience.  And yet Paul does make them!  These thoughts go right along with the topic we have been looking at the past several weeks – “how do we emulate our father Abraham?”

Remember, we read in Hebrews 11:10, “For he (Abraham) was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”  May I suggest that Abraham had his eyes fixed on those things which are not seen; he understood the eternal nature of the God he served. 

We need to finish our look at this man Abraham by reading a little further into the faith chapter in Hebrews.  In verse 11:13 it says this, “All these people were still living by faith when they died.  They did not receive the things promised they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance.  And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.  People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.  If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.  Instead, they were longing for a better country- a heavenly one.” 

There is one more important line here but we are out of space.  Good news for next time.

Freedom is Good News Part 61

We have been considering Abraham “our father” in the past few articles and truly there is much more to visit about this one who is called “the father of the faithful”.  In the book of Hebrews we find what many have called “the faith chapter” or others call “the hall of fame of the faithful”.  And yes, Abraham is found there.

Following faith statements concerning Abel, Enoch and Noah; we read in Hebrews 11:8, “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went out even though he did not know where he was going.”  Can we have some fun for a moment and listen in on the conversation God had with this man of faith?  “Abram, I need you to move your household.”  “OK God, shall I find a house across town?”  “No, I will require you to make a much longer journey.”  When all was said and done, God had His servant Abram pack up all his possessions and move approximately 1000 miles.  That is about the distance from our town of Elk Horn to Atlanta Georgia and he and his household travelled by camel and donkey.  “Are we there yet, Father?”

Yes, Abraham was an obedient servant of God!!  Hebrews 11:9, “By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.”  One thing we find out about Abraham is that he was an extremely wealthy man and yet his life in this land of promise was to him as living in a foreign country.  And throughout his life he dwelt in tents.  Genesis 13:2 tells us that “he had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.”  How long did he live in tents?  The bible tells us that he was 75 years old when he made this 1000 mile journey and he lived to a very ripe old age of 175 – his tent dwelling days were 100 years!! 

My friends, by definition a tent is a temporary dwelling.  If we would understand our father Abraham’s example we should perhaps come to grips with this life we are now living and ask ourselves the question, “Are we living here today as strangers in a foreign country?”  Do we understand that this amazing body we have been given by God is also just a temporary dwelling? 

As we continue on reading in Hebrews 11 let us go on to verse 10, “For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”  There is a song that we sometimes sing in our worship service, perhaps you are familiar with it, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through.  My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.”  I think of this song when I consider Abraham’s lesson for us. 

Are you looking to this world for the fulfillment of your dreams?  Or are you like “Father Abraham”, looking forward to that “city with foundations whose architect and builder is God?”

 That is where the reality of the good news lies.

Freedom is Good News Part 60

I just re-read the previous article and paused to consider the fact that Abraham was called a “friend of God”.  You believe in an Almighty God, creator of the entire universe.  What would it be like to know that God calls you His friend?  Indeed, what would it take to be called God’s friend?

We saw in that article that Abraham was obedient to God.  We also saw that obedience is linked to faith.  “Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness.” (Gen. 15:6 & Rom. 4:3)  There are four concepts, faith, obedience, friendship with God and righteousness that are brought together in the book of James 2:21-24: “Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did (obedience) when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness’, and he was called God’s friend.  You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.”

So just what is faith?  Is it merely a belief that God exists?  Earlier in this same chapter of James (verse 19) we read, “You believe that there is one God.  Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder.”  That in itself is a telling statement!  We must go beyond that if we are to be a friend of God.

Some time ago, a friend and brother in Christ, said that a good working definition of faith is having a trust in God so as to know that His every intention for you is always good.  I believe this gets to the heart of a true faith.  When we know and understand that God’s intentions for us are always good then we will have no problem in doing what God wants us to do.  We will be obedient and so emulate our father Abraham. 

There is another aspect to consider when we look at the word obedience, and that is love.  The easiest way to connect the two concepts of obedience and love is to see what our Savior had to say about them.  In the gospel of John 14:15 Jesus said, “If you love me you will obey what I command.”  In verse 21, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.”  And in verse 23, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.  My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him.  He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.”

How can we say we love and trust God and then not do His will; not obey Him.  This kind of obedience is a good thing; for it pleases our Father and is the conduit for His love upon us.  And that is “Good News”!

Freedom is Good News Part 59

In our previous article we saw that we should “Look to the rock from which you were cut …. Look to Abraham, your father.” (Isaiah 51:1 & 2)  As we consider this we see that Isaiah is not the only one to call Abraham our father.  In two of Paul’s letters we receive the same information: Rom. 4:16, “God’s promise comes by faith and is guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring … for he is the father of us all.  As it is written: ‘I have made you a father of many nations’.  So he is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed.”  And then in Galatians 3:29 we read, “If you belong to Christ then you are Abraham’s offspring, and heirs according to the promise.”

This is quite interesting, but it is found in the words of Jesus how we must apply the information.  In John 8:39, “If you were Abraham’s children then you would be doing the things Abraham did.”  Perhaps we should be looking into the life of the man Abraham to see just how we might emulate him!

Abraham was truly one of God’s “mighty men” of the scriptures.  He is mentioned many times in both the Old Testament and the New.  When we begin the book of Genesis we are given a whirlwind tour in the first 11 chapters.  I liken it to God putting the video on fast forward.  In these 11 chapters we cover approximately 1800 years.  But when we come to chapter 12, and are introduced to Abram (Abraham’s original name), things begin to slow down and we get to take a closer look at the man who was called “the friend of God”.

Genesis 12:1, “The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and come to the land I will show you.”  Abram did not negotiate with God.  He did not quarrel with God.  He did not argue with God.  Abram picked up stakes and left!  And so he traveled to the land of promise.  The writer of the book of Hebrews, in the chapter of the faithful (chapter 11) says it this way, “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.”  As we consider how we are to emulate this man who is called our father, perhaps this should be our first stopping place.

The significant word here is “obeyed”.  In the scriptures, this word can be linked to two other important words: faith and love.  Quickly referencing this we may look at Hebrews 3:18 & 19, “And to whom did God swear that they would never enter His rest if not to those who disobeyed.  So we see that they were not able to enter, because of unbelief.”  The children of Israel were a rebellious lot.  We learn in Numbers 14 that when God wanted to take them into the Promised Land they were unwilling.  God tells us that their disobedience is because of their unbelief.  If we believe God, if we have faith, we will be obedient to Him. 

But obedience is also linked to love; and we will consider that in our next article, God willing.

Freedom is Good News Part 58

A short time ago I was reading from the book of Isaiah and came upon a scripture that caught my eye.  Isaiah 51:1-2 says, “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were dug; look to Abraham, your father and to Sarah, who gave you birth.”  There is a lot here to catch one’s eye and so perhaps we can spend some time considering this scripture.

The first word is quite important.  God is speaking and He says “listen to me”.  Perhaps every time we see these words in scripture we should sit back and ponder what God has to say.  The Hebrew word used here for “listen” is “shema” and has a definition of, “to hear intelligently - with the implication of paying close attention” (Vines dictionary of the bible).  This word is used as an imperative - some 27 times in the book of Isaiah for various peoples.  But here it is used as a command to those who “pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD”.  Is that you?  Do you do these two things?

In the gospel of Matthew chapter 6, Jesus tells us not to worry about the things of this world; what to eat, drink or wear.  He then says in verse 33, “But seek first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

So, we are to seek righteousness.  And the scriptures tell us that it is Jesus himself who is our righteousness (see Jeremiah 23:5&6, 1Corinthians 1:30).  Furthermore, Jesus tells us to follow Him (Luke14:27).  Hmmmm.  Do you pursue righteousness?  Do you follow your Savior? 

The other parameter for those who should be listening is “those who seek the LORD”.  In the book of Deuteronomy we are told to “seek the LORD” and to do this with all of our heart and soul!  But really, even without the admonitions in the scripture wouldn’t we strive to seek God?  (That is an interesting question in light of our present society but we shall leave it for discussion at a later time.)

For now, let’s just say that you who are reading this are in some ways “seeking the LORD”.  Having established this, I guess it behooves us to “listen to” God.  And He is telling us to “look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were dug”.  We are then told that this is Abraham and Sarah and intimates that they are our parents.  I do not in any way want to leave Sarah out of this equation and will suffice it to say that she and her husband were truly of “one flesh”, from a biblical stand point.  Their lives are displayed in scripture so that we may emulate them!  And emulate them we must. 

How are we to see them as our parents?  We shall consider this in future articles.  Remember, we are speaking of “good news”.

Freedom is Good News Part 57

God promises us a gift.  “And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  And who is there among us that does not enjoy receiving a gift?

If you have been with me through the past several articles, you know that we have been talking about repentance and baptism.  We now come to the result of these things; the receiving of the Holy Spirit of God! 

I believe we already understand that God has given us the gift of His Son.  “For God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son …”  This gift was given in order that we may receive another gift – the gift of eternal life.  The blood of the Son of God cleanses us from every sin.  We obtain from Him a righteousness that allows us to enter into the presence of our Heavenly Father.  But the good news here is that God did not just remove our past sins from us and then leave us to figure things out for ourselves.  He gave us a helper – the Holy Spirit!

Shortly after the Passover meal (called the last supper by some), Jesus addressed His disciples with many encouraging words.  Let’s read what He had to say about the Spirit.  “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 Spirit of truth.”  (John 14:15)  “All this I have spoken while abiding with you.  But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”  (John 14:25)  “When the Counselor comes which I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth which goes out from the Father, it will testify about Me.”  (John 15:26)  “I tell you the truth: it is for your good that I am going away.  Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send it to you.”  (John 16:7)

We find out several things here: first, it is a Spirit of truth.  If you want to understand the truth of God, you must receive the “Spirit of truth”.  It is my opinion that God will give you some of His truth so as to lead you to realize that you need to repent and receive His Holy Spirit.  Going hand in hand with repentance, Jesus tells us that we are to obey His commands.  We also see that the Spirit is sent from the Father.  And most interestingly we see the Spirit is called a “Counselor”.  The King James Version calls the Spirit a “Comforter”, and the Greek word used here really means “one who is called to another’s side, for aid, counsel, defense or comfort”. 

I must stop here and praise the heavenly Father who has thought of everything.  He has given us His word, from Genesis to Revelation.  He has given us His Son – the Savior of mankind.  And if that weren’t enough; He gives us a Counselor to aid and comfort us as we walk through this world. 

Embrace these things my friends.  The hope of eternal salvation lies before us.  What then shall we do?  “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.”

Until next time.

Freedom is Good News Part 56

In the previous several articles we have considered the statement that Peter made to the crowd gathered during the Feast of Pentecost:  “Peter replied, “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.”  We have said that this short statement contains several concepts and have now made our way to the phrase, “for the forgiveness of sins”. 

First, I must say that we cannot draw close to God while in a sinful state.  In the book of Isaiah 59:1-2 we read this: “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”  Throughout the entirety of the bible, there are many scriptures that I would categorize as “scary”, and this is one of them!  My sins have caused a separation from my God; the one who has given me life itself, the one who provides for me in every way, the one who protects me in my every step of this life and the one who loves me more that I could ever grasp.  Yes, we all need our sins forgiven.

I am sure that some of you reading this have followed Peter’s admonition and have repented, been baptized into Christ Jesus and have had your sins forgiven.  Yet we live in a fallen world and we sin.  John in his first letter says this, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9)  It has been rightly claimed that “Christians are not perfect, just forgiven”.  And so the good news is that we can and must repent of our sins and so be forgiven.  And the great news is that we may then fellowship with our Father and His Son. 

But some of you have not followed Peter’s admonition.  I wish you would.  A life of fellowship with our heavenly Father and His Son cannot compare with anything in this life.  The reality of this is found in that final statement of Peter, “And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  Notice I used the word “reality”.  This is not some “pie in the sky” dream we are looking at but the reality of the promise of our God.

God willing we will close up this series of articles by considering the “gift of the Holy Spirit”.  And so, the good news just keeps on coming!!

Until next time, rejoice in the “good news” of Jesus Christ.