No Reason To Be "Troubled"

"When Herod the king hear this, he was troubled ('disturbed, agitated'), and all Jerusalem with him."  (Matthew 2:3)

I pray this new year finds you new.  In Jesus Christ new just keeps getting newer.  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."  Notice, "....have passed.., have become...."  The past is past; the new is, can we say it?-- always new.  Maybe instead of always looking man's concept of "new," we should "look for," accept, and walk in the Eternal.

But to our text.  I wondered today why "....all Jerusalem..," was, "agitated."  Of course, Herod didn't want a rival.  But, "all Jerusalem...."?  Weren't there those in Jerusalem who knew the Psalms and the Prophets?  Or was it like so many today who when what was only ethereal to them is finally seen as the Reality, they aren't so sure if this is what they were really expecting or wanted.

While there will always be "surprises" in life, there is a very real sense in which world events should not surprise the person who not only reads the Bible but believes/accepts the Bible.  There will be "new" events this coming year, events which will be a surprise to many, expected by some, and, there will be many different reactions to these events.  But, "troubled, disturbed, agitate," should not be in us.  The Words of Jesus in John 14 are akin to the Words He spoke in the Prophets, and they should be our guiding life style and reaction to everything, "And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come, you may believe"--------not, "troubled, disturbed, agitated."

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray the world events will never leave me, "disturbed, troubled...."   Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Sorry For The Holiday Intrusion

I know the last thing you probably wanted or expected on New Year's Day was another email from me.  Today's Proverb text, however, for some reason, really, really impacted me today; ergo:

"....for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to those who are simple (i.e., 'a person who is gullible, without moral direction and inclined to evil,' sort of like me), knowledge and discretion to the young-- let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-- for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."

What a precise, direct, life-changing Word which reveals the primacy of, "the Words of God," in our daily sojourn.  Sermons, okay, counseling, okay, teaching, okay.  But they in no way equal or surpass this glorious, wonderful description of the, "God-Breathed," Words in our lives.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"Ponders By Talking To Himself"

"Blessed is the man (whose)...delight is in the Law (Words) of the Lord, and in His Law (Words) he meditates day and night." (Psalm 1)

I noticed again this time that the margin in the NKJV says of, "meditates": "he ponders by talking to himself."  This sounds like craziness to the Western mindset, but to me as a follower of Jesus Christ, a follower of Him Who lives in me, it is the very, "power of God."

The Hebrew Word for, "meditate," affirms the margin notes.  It means, "utter, speak, muse."  For me, it is musing, (thinking, considering) and, speaking His Words.  This is a reason that I pray allowed the Scriptures, Jesus' Words, Jesus' "thoughts."  Though I do pray "other ways," I have just never found a better way of praying than, "....talking to himself," Jesus' Very Words.

I must admit that the first thought this time was, "If what we call blessing is not rooted in, "....but his delight is in the Law of the Lord", then it is dangerously close to a counterfeit "blessing."  Whether it be health, finances, "favor," whatever, the blessed person is only the person who has his "delighter" right.

What about you as you face a "New Year?"  Of all your blessings, are the, "Words of God," at the top, the center, the foundation of your blessings?  If so, this will be not only a "Happy New Year," but a blessed New Year.

Father, in Jesus' Name, Your Words were not always my, "delight."  But I so thank You that by Your mercy and grace You have brought me to that.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Not On Or Beside, But, "At The Center"

"Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain standing at the center of the throne...."  (Revelation 5:6, NIV))

Sometimes I save my Revelation reading for the last day of the quarter so that I can read through the book in one sitting.  If you have never done this, I highly recommend it.

John saw Jesus, "....standing at the center of the throne."  Bonhoeffer entitled one of his books Christ the Center.  This is "where" Jesus is, "....at the center of the throne," His Church, our lives.  Remember what Jesus has told us in Revelation 3, "To him who overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne."

This, my friend, is our home, dwelling place in Jesus Christ, because the Blessed Trinity, "raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus."  May the Holy Spirit write this in our hearts and minds.  The Reality will carry anyone who has surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ through 2020 in the Eternal Realm.  This is "Resurrection Power."

May we, His Church, have a, "....seated...together in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus", glorious New Year!

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for inviting me, welcoming me to be in You for Eternity.  Amen.  

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Love Is Not Flattery

"And this I pray: that your love may abound more and more and extend to its fullest development in knowledge and all keen insight [that your love may display itself in greater depth of acquaintance and more comprehensive discernment]...."  (Philippians 1:9)

Darby's says, "in full knowledge and all intelligence." 

There are passages in the Gospels which record Words of Jesus which do not seem "loving" to the, what Mumford has called, the "sloppy agape" people, yet they are, "in full knowledge and all intelligence."  For example, in Matthew 17 we read, "And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 'Lord, have mercy on my son....I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.'  Then Jesus answered and said, 'O faithless and perverse ('to distort, misinterpret, corrupt') generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I put up with you?  Bring him here to Me.'"  This is Jesus Christ.  This is not some misinterpretation of Jesus.  To say to the man or the disciples, "O well, that's okay.  I understand your weakness.  Let me do something now," would not be love, the giving Love of the Godhead, the love which brings you and me into Himself rather than comforting me in my self; it would be nothing but flattery. 

I am so thankful, at least we all ought to be, that our Lord Jesus does not "love" us with flattery, a sort of, "there-there-your-okay" false love devoid of, "full knowledge...."  Personally, I am thankful for His Love which has, over the years, even said, "How long...."  What Jesus spoke to my heart so many years ago, "You can sit here the rest of your life and pity yourself.  Or, you can get up and follow Me," it was nothing but pure, "Agape."

I pray for those who have quit in their walk in Jesus, those for whom their expectations and desires were not met, those who succumbed to the lie that "God does not love me."  It is the, 'distort, misinterpret,' of the Matthew 17 text.  May you and I realize today that our text gives us a "weapon" with which to combat this.  It is, "Agape," the Love in Jesus Christ which is found only in, "greater depth of acquaintance...," in Jesus Christ Himself.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I thank You for Your, "Agape."    Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2