Bread From Heaven Christian Fellowship
Thoughts For the Day
November 30 to December 6, 2009
Except when otherwise indicated “Scripture is taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
John 4:46-5:17
There Is A Mountain Of A Difference Between Helplessness And Hopelessness.
Do Not Confuse One With The Other.
Instruction:
For the first day (Monday), read the entire passage (John 4:46 to 5:18). Pray for wisdom to understand and courage to obey. Everyday thereafter, read the assigned passage carefully. Reading it twice would be good. As you read the passage, note the issues having to do with helplessness and how it got resolved.
Introduction:
The devotional reading this week is from John 4:46 to chapter 5 verse 17. There are two major characters in this passage. The first is a man who was apparently a high official in the court of King Herod whose son was sick and was probably beyond the ability of the Doctors to do anything about. The second is a man who was afflicted with some kind of a serious form disability. He had been an invalid for 38 years. The first man faced with something new and urgent situation: the threat to his son’s life. The other one may have acquired some kind of an ability to cope with his disability but he was not seeing any answer to his problem. Remember to distinguish the distinction between helplessness and hopelessness.
Monday: Read John 4:46-54. THE URGENCY ASSOCIATED WITH OUR PROBLEM GENERATES HELPLESSNESS, A DIFFICULT FOE TO FIGHT BUT HELPLESSNESS IS NOT HOPELESSNESS.
John 4:49 The royal official said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies." 50 Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he started off.
Helplessness is a reality we are confronted with from time to time. One common reason for our helplessness is the urgency that comes with running out of time in relation to our problem. In the Bible passage for this day, the man’s son was sick and, we are told, he was dying. When somebody is dying, time is so short and if an answer can still be found, it must be found very, very soon. The man’s son was dying and to save him, the father must find the answer soon. His helplessness was transformed into victory when he met the Lord Jesus Christ. Is the urgency of finding a solution weighing you down into a helpless and battered burden-bearer? The man found his answer in the Lord Jesus. You too can find your answer in Him
Tuesday: Read John 4:46-54. THE ABSENCE OF OUR USUAL SOURCES WHEN WE FACE OUR PROBLEMS IS ONE REASON FOR THE SENSE OF HELPLESSNESS THAT SOMETIMES GRIPS OUR ENTIRE BEING. BUT, HELPLESSNESS IS NOT HOPELESSNESS.
John 4:50 Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he started off.
Here was the situation. The man possessed power and money. But his power and money were instruments of zero value in relation to his dying son. In his position, he must have access to good doctors and the best of medical care. We can safely assume that he tapped into these resources but nothing and no one can provide the answer he needed. He refused to be hopeless and so he approached the Lord Jesus.
When our usual sources of help, comfort and assurance in life are absent, helplessness naturally comes in and grips our hearts. Helplessness is a difficult foe. But, in the story of this man’s problem, we note the wonderful reality that when nothing else can help, the Lord Jesus is there to provide what others cannot. That is why the Lord Jesus is called THE ANSWER.
Wednesday: Read John 4:46-54. THE LORD DEALS WITH OUR HELPLESSNESS IN A BEAUTIFUL MANNER. INSTEAD OF JUST REMOVING OUR FEELING OF HELPLESSNESS, THE LORD REMOVES THE REASON FOR OUR HELPLESSNESS.
John 4:49 The royal official said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies." 50 Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he started off.
What was the man’s problem? His son was dying. What was the reason for the man’s helplessness? His son was dying and there was nothing in his power that could save the son’s life. The sickness itself may not have made the man feel helpless but the approaching death was something else. There are two ways of removing our feeling helplessness. One was is to change our feelings and make us feel joyful. The better way is really to remove the cause and reason for our helplessness and the helplessness naturally fades away as a result.
Changing the feelings is not the answer that removes helplessness. Changing the situation and removing the problem is still the best way to deal with our helplessness. That is what the Lord can do for you today.
Thursday: Read John 5:1-17. A HARD AND OPPRESSING REALITY: HELPLESSNESS SOMETIMES MEANS TOTAL INABILITY BUT IT STILL DOES NOT MEAN HOPELESSNESS
John 5:5 And a certain man was there, who had been thirty-eight years in his sickness.
Thirty Eight years of being disabled is a long time by any standard. The man had total physical disability to carry out the usual requirements for the life of a person. Sure, he was able to move from one corner to the other – probably by crawling or some other slow and difficult method- but that was about all. Total inability is a harsh description but it seems to describe the man correctly. He was helpless in the true sense of the word but he was never hopeless.
This is important to note: Helplessness refers to our lack of ability. Hopelessness refers to the absence of God’s love and care. The man was helpless in relation to his ability but he was not hopeless because God is love and God provided the way out of his helplessness. Say this aloud: I may be unable but God is always able. Helplessness simply means to I need God’s help.
Friday: Read John 5:1-17. HELPLESSNESS CAN BE AGGRAVATED BY THE ABSENCE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT SYSTEM. STILL IT DOES NOT MEAN HOPELESSNESS.
John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, "Do you wish to get well?" 7 The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me."
The man believed a story that was probably popular in those days: an angel comes from time to time to stir up the water. Anyone who gets into the pool first gets healed. The man had no one to help him so he believed it was the reason why he was not healed. He was alone with no one else by his side to help him. It must have been a lonely life. He was helpless but he refused to be hopeless. He waited and waited and one day, somebody came and removed his problem and his helplessness. People may abandon us or refuse to help us but God knows what to do. The absence of a social support system can make us helpless but no hopeless. God is our hope and with Him, there is no hopelessness at all. Say this aloud: Lord, friends may fail me but You will always be faithful and You will never abandon me.
Saturday: Read John 5:1-17. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN GOD HELPS US OVERCOME OUR HELPLESSNESS WITHOUT LETTING US KNOW THE IDENTITY OF THE PERSON ASSIGNED TO HELP US.
John 5:12 They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, 'Take up your pallet, and walk'?" 13 But he who was healed did not know who it was; for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place.
The Lord Jesus asked the disabled man a very simple question: do you want to get well? The Lord did not introduce Himself so the man did not even get to know who it was who was talking to him. He got healed and everything but he walked away with his pallet- long the symbol of his disability and helplessness- without asking who it was who was talking to him.
Amazing but it is not really strange. It tells us a fantastic truth: God can help us even through persons not known to us at the time the help was extended. The man was helpless and the One who alone can remove his helplessness was there. He got his miracle. This is life. God knows our needs and He may decide to help us even without us knowing the identities of the appointed blessing giver.
Sunday: Read the entire passage- John 4:46 to 5:17: THE HIGH OFFICIAL AND THE DISABLED MAN WERE BOTH HELPLESS BUT BOTH REFUSED TO BE HELPLESS.
Reality is that problem comes our way and for some the visitation seems to be as regular the weekdays of the week. For some it may be a burden that is mitigated by the long period between visitations. It does not change the picture: we face problems and some of these problems can awaken us rudely with the reality that at sometimes, we are helpless and helplessness is a difficult enemy to contend with.
The powerful official was helpless but he refused to be hopeless. He found his answer in the Lord Jesus. The disabled man was helpless but he refused to be hopeless. He found his answer in the Lord Jesus although he was not even aware at first that it was the Lord Jesus. The point is that we are sometimes helpless but we can refuse to be cornered into hopelessness. We have the Lord Jesus and that is really what matters and the final keep to our victory. Rejoice, He loves you.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Marvelous Grace
MARVELOUS GRACE
Words: Julia H. Johnston, in Hymns Tried and True (Chi¬ca¬go, Il¬li¬nois: The Bi¬ble In¬sti¬tute Col¬port¬age As¬so¬ci¬a¬tion, 1911), num¬ber 2. Music: Daniel B. Towner, 1910
I
Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured, There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.
Refrain
Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin.
II
Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold, Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold, Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.
III
Dark is the stain that we cannot hide. What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide, Brighter than snow you may be today.
Χαρισ (charis) is the New Testament (Greek) word which is now translated into English as GRACE. It would not be easy- in fact, futile- to try to really understand and appreciate our salvation without understanding the word GRACE. Christians generally agree that Grace describes unmerited divine favor. That’s how the technical and older English puts it. To put it in modern English, grace is the gift from God that I do not deserve but God gives it anyway. It is the good that we do not deserve and there really is nothing that we can do to acquire it. It is free and so undeserved. It is not a reward for a reward is given in relation to an accomplishment. It would not be technically correct to limit the description of Grace as God’s free gift. Yes, Grace is free but to limit its meaning to its being free is to miss the point. It is free but the core idea of this free gift is that it is something that we do no deserve. The agreement among Christians about the meaning of grace is not absolute and does not appear to be reaching a point of absolute unanimity.
It is a good idea and certainly helpful for our understanding if we do not separate Grace from Mercy and Justice. Using modern English phraseology, Grace is the good that we do not deserve but is nevertheless given to us. Mercy is the opposite. It is the punishment that we deserve but is not applied against us. Justice has two (2 ) components: Reward for good behavior (obedience) and punishment for disobedience.
The Bible makes it plain that the chosen believers are recipients of both Grace and Mercy. Both are also exercised in relation to God’s absolute freedom to choose the recipients of both Grace and Mercy. Ex 33:19 And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. (NIV) Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace,… (NASB). Our salvation finds its root in divine election or the sovereign act of God in determining that some of us would be saved. That we were not a party to our salvation is clear in the fact that our salvation was decided before the creation of the world. God alone made the decision. The passage explains this as a matter of grace.
COMMON GRACE:
Among Christians, especially among those who are considered as Calvinists and Reformed, there is a type of grace called COMMON GRACE. The dominant word is GRACE and the classifying label is COMMON. Grace is the good we do not deserve but God gives it to us as His free gift. Why is this grace called common? Does it imply an inferior kind or quality? The word COMMON does not in any way imply an inferior quality but the scope of its operation and targeted recipients.
This is the favor of God that is given to everyone for the benefit of everyone. It is common because its recipients are not selected on the basis of religion or nationality. How does this Common Grace operate in the lives of people? Louis Berkhof (every Reformed Pastor has gone through Systematic Theology with his works as the textbooks) explains the function of Common Grace this way: “… curbs the destructive power of sin, maintains in a measure the moral order of the universe, thus making an orderly life possible, distributes in varying degrees gifts and talents among men, promotes the development of science and art, and showers untold blessings upon the children of men,” The specific operation of Common Grace are in the following areas:
PROVIDENCE: (God’s care for His creation).
All Christians believe that God is the Creator and that God continues to sustain and care for His creation. This is called providence and the fact that it is undeserved and applies to all justifies the use of the label Common Grace. The Bible tells us that Divine Providence – the expression of which is called Common Grace- is the ongoing task of the Lord Jesus Christ. Heb 1: 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. Col 1:16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. The manifestations of Providence are the rain, sunshine and other gifts that are beneficial to humanity as a whole (Matthew 5:45).
THE PREVENTION OF EVIL AND THE PROMOTION OF WHAT IS GOOD.
Romans 13 tells us that those in authority are tasked with dealing with evil and promoting what is good. Areas such as Peace and Order, governance, social rules (including tribal rules) enjoy God’s approval in the task of protecting human life and promoting what is good, beneficial social structures and the like.
THE POWER OF CONSCIENCE:
Romans 2 presents an interesting discussion about those who do not have the law (as the Jewish do) but do what the law requires. Paul explains that this is because the “law” is written in their hearts. Man, whether he is a believer or not, knows the distinction between what is right and wrong. Theologically, the explanation for this is the fact that the image of God in man did not disappear completely when man fell into sin. Total depravity refers to total inability to be saved not total inability to do any good.
THE POWER OF THE CREATIVE MIND.
If you look at the advances in science and technology, you would note that the minds that created and generated these scientific and technological advances belong to both believers and unbelievers. The image of God includes intelligence and this enabled man to discover something new for the benefit of everyone.
SPECIAL GRACE: THE OPPOSITE OF COMMON GRACE.
In Reformed Theology, Special Grace the grace is applied for our redemption or salvation. Specifically, in relation to the work of the Holy Spirit in convicting us of our sin, it is called IRRESISTIBLE GRACE sometimes referred to as EFFICACIOUS GRACE. This is a topic for another article.
John 1:14 (NASB)
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him, and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'" 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
Words: Julia H. Johnston, in Hymns Tried and True (Chi¬ca¬go, Il¬li¬nois: The Bi¬ble In¬sti¬tute Col¬port¬age As¬so¬ci¬a¬tion, 1911), num¬ber 2. Music: Daniel B. Towner, 1910
I
Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured, There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.
Refrain
Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin.
II
Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold, Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold, Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.
III
Dark is the stain that we cannot hide. What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide, Brighter than snow you may be today.
Χαρισ (charis) is the New Testament (Greek) word which is now translated into English as GRACE. It would not be easy- in fact, futile- to try to really understand and appreciate our salvation without understanding the word GRACE. Christians generally agree that Grace describes unmerited divine favor. That’s how the technical and older English puts it. To put it in modern English, grace is the gift from God that I do not deserve but God gives it anyway. It is the good that we do not deserve and there really is nothing that we can do to acquire it. It is free and so undeserved. It is not a reward for a reward is given in relation to an accomplishment. It would not be technically correct to limit the description of Grace as God’s free gift. Yes, Grace is free but to limit its meaning to its being free is to miss the point. It is free but the core idea of this free gift is that it is something that we do no deserve. The agreement among Christians about the meaning of grace is not absolute and does not appear to be reaching a point of absolute unanimity.
It is a good idea and certainly helpful for our understanding if we do not separate Grace from Mercy and Justice. Using modern English phraseology, Grace is the good that we do not deserve but is nevertheless given to us. Mercy is the opposite. It is the punishment that we deserve but is not applied against us. Justice has two (2 ) components: Reward for good behavior (obedience) and punishment for disobedience.
The Bible makes it plain that the chosen believers are recipients of both Grace and Mercy. Both are also exercised in relation to God’s absolute freedom to choose the recipients of both Grace and Mercy. Ex 33:19 And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. (NIV) Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace,… (NASB). Our salvation finds its root in divine election or the sovereign act of God in determining that some of us would be saved. That we were not a party to our salvation is clear in the fact that our salvation was decided before the creation of the world. God alone made the decision. The passage explains this as a matter of grace.
COMMON GRACE:
Among Christians, especially among those who are considered as Calvinists and Reformed, there is a type of grace called COMMON GRACE. The dominant word is GRACE and the classifying label is COMMON. Grace is the good we do not deserve but God gives it to us as His free gift. Why is this grace called common? Does it imply an inferior kind or quality? The word COMMON does not in any way imply an inferior quality but the scope of its operation and targeted recipients.
This is the favor of God that is given to everyone for the benefit of everyone. It is common because its recipients are not selected on the basis of religion or nationality. How does this Common Grace operate in the lives of people? Louis Berkhof (every Reformed Pastor has gone through Systematic Theology with his works as the textbooks) explains the function of Common Grace this way: “… curbs the destructive power of sin, maintains in a measure the moral order of the universe, thus making an orderly life possible, distributes in varying degrees gifts and talents among men, promotes the development of science and art, and showers untold blessings upon the children of men,” The specific operation of Common Grace are in the following areas:
PROVIDENCE: (God’s care for His creation).
All Christians believe that God is the Creator and that God continues to sustain and care for His creation. This is called providence and the fact that it is undeserved and applies to all justifies the use of the label Common Grace. The Bible tells us that Divine Providence – the expression of which is called Common Grace- is the ongoing task of the Lord Jesus Christ. Heb 1: 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. Col 1:16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. The manifestations of Providence are the rain, sunshine and other gifts that are beneficial to humanity as a whole (Matthew 5:45).
THE PREVENTION OF EVIL AND THE PROMOTION OF WHAT IS GOOD.
Romans 13 tells us that those in authority are tasked with dealing with evil and promoting what is good. Areas such as Peace and Order, governance, social rules (including tribal rules) enjoy God’s approval in the task of protecting human life and promoting what is good, beneficial social structures and the like.
THE POWER OF CONSCIENCE:
Romans 2 presents an interesting discussion about those who do not have the law (as the Jewish do) but do what the law requires. Paul explains that this is because the “law” is written in their hearts. Man, whether he is a believer or not, knows the distinction between what is right and wrong. Theologically, the explanation for this is the fact that the image of God in man did not disappear completely when man fell into sin. Total depravity refers to total inability to be saved not total inability to do any good.
THE POWER OF THE CREATIVE MIND.
If you look at the advances in science and technology, you would note that the minds that created and generated these scientific and technological advances belong to both believers and unbelievers. The image of God includes intelligence and this enabled man to discover something new for the benefit of everyone.
SPECIAL GRACE: THE OPPOSITE OF COMMON GRACE.
In Reformed Theology, Special Grace the grace is applied for our redemption or salvation. Specifically, in relation to the work of the Holy Spirit in convicting us of our sin, it is called IRRESISTIBLE GRACE sometimes referred to as EFFICACIOUS GRACE. This is a topic for another article.
John 1:14 (NASB)
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him, and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'" 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Preventing Arguriolatry: The Idolatry common to both believers and unbelievers
IDOLATRY: Gods Of Our Making
Theme For November 2009
Preventing Arguriolatry: The Idolatry common to both believers and unbelievers
November 22, 2009- 2 Timothy 3
2 Tim 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these.
Last 3 weeks: BIBLIOLATRY – Book-service.COSMOLATRY: World –service. Autolatry
PHILAUTOS - .Lover of Self.
Today: ARGURIOLATRY- Phileo (love) Argurion (silver),
Money is not evil- love of money is. 1 Tim 6: 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang. NASB
What do we need to understand to prevent money from becoming an idol?
ARGURIOLATRY or IDOLATRY involving money ….
I- ARGURIOLATRY TAKES PLACE WHEN THE MONEY EARNER LIVES A LIFE OF ARROGANCE .
Verses 1 to 5….
II- ARGURIOLATRY TAKES PLACE WHEN THE MONEY IN OUR HAND IS NOT ACCOMPANIED BY GOOD FAMILY RELATIONSHIP
Verses 1 to 5
III- ARGURIOLATRY BECOMES A WAY OF LIFE WHEN GOD IS TAKEN FOR GRANTED IN OUR LIVES.
Verses 1 to 5
The answer to the problem of Arguriolatry is clear to us:
First: The money earner must outgrow arrogance
Second: The money in our hand must be accompanied by wonderful family relationship
Third: the money in our hand must be handled with deep love for God and for His People.
No other way is more powerful than FAITHFUL TITHING in defeating ARGURIOLATRY.
Heb 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
Eccl 5:10 Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.
Eccl 7:12 12 Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor.
Prov 13:11 Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.
Gen 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God 22 and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."
MONEY CAN EITHER BE A BLESSING OR A MASTER
As a blessing, it’s good, as a master it’s terribly oppressing.
Roman Proverb: money is like seawater. The more you drink, the thirstier you get.
Theme For November 2009
Preventing Arguriolatry: The Idolatry common to both believers and unbelievers
November 22, 2009- 2 Timothy 3
2 Tim 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these.
Last 3 weeks: BIBLIOLATRY – Book-service.COSMOLATRY: World –service. Autolatry
PHILAUTOS - .Lover of Self.
Today: ARGURIOLATRY- Phileo (love) Argurion (silver),
Money is not evil- love of money is. 1 Tim 6: 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang. NASB
What do we need to understand to prevent money from becoming an idol?
ARGURIOLATRY or IDOLATRY involving money ….
I- ARGURIOLATRY TAKES PLACE WHEN THE MONEY EARNER LIVES A LIFE OF ARROGANCE .
Verses 1 to 5….
II- ARGURIOLATRY TAKES PLACE WHEN THE MONEY IN OUR HAND IS NOT ACCOMPANIED BY GOOD FAMILY RELATIONSHIP
Verses 1 to 5
III- ARGURIOLATRY BECOMES A WAY OF LIFE WHEN GOD IS TAKEN FOR GRANTED IN OUR LIVES.
Verses 1 to 5
The answer to the problem of Arguriolatry is clear to us:
First: The money earner must outgrow arrogance
Second: The money in our hand must be accompanied by wonderful family relationship
Third: the money in our hand must be handled with deep love for God and for His People.
No other way is more powerful than FAITHFUL TITHING in defeating ARGURIOLATRY.
Heb 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
Eccl 5:10 Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.
Eccl 7:12 12 Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor.
Prov 13:11 Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.
Gen 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God 22 and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."
MONEY CAN EITHER BE A BLESSING OR A MASTER
As a blessing, it’s good, as a master it’s terribly oppressing.
Roman Proverb: money is like seawater. The more you drink, the thirstier you get.
Preventing Autolatry: A very common type of Idolatry inside the home
IDOLATRY: Gods Of Our Making
Theme For November 2009
Preventing Autolatry: A very common type of Idolatry inside the home
November 15, 2009- 2 Timothy 3
2 Tim 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these. 6 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,
7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 And just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected as regards the faith. 9 But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, as also that of those two came to be.
IDOLATRY:
EIDOLON (idol)
LATREIA (service- worship)
IDOLATRY happens when….
We love, adore, respect, or even fear someone or something in the same manner of degree we love, adore,etc. God.:
Last 2 weeks: BIBLIOLATRY – Book-service
COSMOLATRY:World -service
Today: Autolatry
PHILAUTOS - .Lover of Self
Autolatry is dangerous and destructive but it is Preventable. How?
Understand What it is and what its common symptoms are then renounce it. 3 Questions to ask:
I- What is a good description of Autolatry?
Philautos - I am important, I must not be hurt, my needs are my priorities, If I want it, it must be mine…. My life the most important and deserving of all attention. Everything I do and allow to be done is for me importance. Everything because of men and for me. This was the sin of Adam and Eve. We can and we should love the self. But, it becomes wrong when the self becomes the center of our life. To love the self outside of our higher and greater love of God, we go into the wrong path. Remember what Jesus has said in Mt. 22, You shall LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart, the second is like to it “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
II- What are the usual Symptoms of Autolatry?
Boastful- Alazon. Originally, the Alazon referred to quack doctors. People who move from one city to another convincing people of their unusual powers and skills and of the unusual power of their medicines. Often times, their claims are something they cannot back-up. This is the person who promises to do what he cannot do, speaks of a quality that he does not have.
Arrogant- Huperaphanos is someone who is “believe sa sarili.” He may not be noisy like the boastful person. But, he treats other people with contempt. In his heart he cannot accept of something or someone having a bigger and greater ability.
Reviler- When you combine boastfulness and pride or arrogance, you will naturally end up being abusive of the rights of others. The word literally means blasphemy and refers to someone who loves to insult God and in this case, loves to insult people.
Conceited- Puts too much importance on self.
disobedient to parents- clear enough?
ungrateful- thank you is no longer a part of vocabulary
unloving – not unable to love but not willing to make others feel loved
irreconcilable- nurtures anger, does not want to be reconciled
malicious gossips- enjoys talking about and against other people
haters of good- is not happy when good things happen
treacherous- cannot be trusted
reckless- no sense of safety or wisdom in his activities
III- What is the best way to deal with Autolatry?
Love God above – God’s approval and he must be pleased in everything
Love others- consider their feelings and welfare
Love self in the context of..
What have we learned? (Summary)
What is the description of autolatry?
What are the usual symptoms of autolatry?
What is the best way to deal with autolatry?
How is this related with us? (Application)
We are all capable of becoming autolatrous
Autolatry can destroy our family life and the lives of those we love
Autolatry is the enemy in the home
How Should we respond? (Challenge)
Detect the presence of autolatry
Gather as a family and ask to be forgiven for autolatry
Ask God for deliverance from autolatry
If necessary, ask a Pastor to pray for you in your home
How Should We Respond Right Now? (Altar Call)
We can ask God right now for freedom from the power of autolatry in our home- let’s break it right now
Theme For November 2009
Preventing Autolatry: A very common type of Idolatry inside the home
November 15, 2009- 2 Timothy 3
2 Tim 3:1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; and avoid such men as these. 6 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,
7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 And just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected as regards the faith. 9 But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, as also that of those two came to be.
IDOLATRY:
EIDOLON (idol)
LATREIA (service- worship)
IDOLATRY happens when….
We love, adore, respect, or even fear someone or something in the same manner of degree we love, adore,etc. God.:
Last 2 weeks: BIBLIOLATRY – Book-service
COSMOLATRY:World -service
Today: Autolatry
PHILAUTOS - .Lover of Self
Autolatry is dangerous and destructive but it is Preventable. How?
Understand What it is and what its common symptoms are then renounce it. 3 Questions to ask:
I- What is a good description of Autolatry?
Philautos - I am important, I must not be hurt, my needs are my priorities, If I want it, it must be mine…. My life the most important and deserving of all attention. Everything I do and allow to be done is for me importance. Everything because of men and for me. This was the sin of Adam and Eve. We can and we should love the self. But, it becomes wrong when the self becomes the center of our life. To love the self outside of our higher and greater love of God, we go into the wrong path. Remember what Jesus has said in Mt. 22, You shall LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart, the second is like to it “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
II- What are the usual Symptoms of Autolatry?
Boastful- Alazon. Originally, the Alazon referred to quack doctors. People who move from one city to another convincing people of their unusual powers and skills and of the unusual power of their medicines. Often times, their claims are something they cannot back-up. This is the person who promises to do what he cannot do, speaks of a quality that he does not have.
Arrogant- Huperaphanos is someone who is “believe sa sarili.” He may not be noisy like the boastful person. But, he treats other people with contempt. In his heart he cannot accept of something or someone having a bigger and greater ability.
Reviler- When you combine boastfulness and pride or arrogance, you will naturally end up being abusive of the rights of others. The word literally means blasphemy and refers to someone who loves to insult God and in this case, loves to insult people.
Conceited- Puts too much importance on self.
disobedient to parents- clear enough?
ungrateful- thank you is no longer a part of vocabulary
unloving – not unable to love but not willing to make others feel loved
irreconcilable- nurtures anger, does not want to be reconciled
malicious gossips- enjoys talking about and against other people
haters of good- is not happy when good things happen
treacherous- cannot be trusted
reckless- no sense of safety or wisdom in his activities
III- What is the best way to deal with Autolatry?
Love God above – God’s approval and he must be pleased in everything
Love others- consider their feelings and welfare
Love self in the context of..
What have we learned? (Summary)
What is the description of autolatry?
What are the usual symptoms of autolatry?
What is the best way to deal with autolatry?
How is this related with us? (Application)
We are all capable of becoming autolatrous
Autolatry can destroy our family life and the lives of those we love
Autolatry is the enemy in the home
How Should we respond? (Challenge)
Detect the presence of autolatry
Gather as a family and ask to be forgiven for autolatry
Ask God for deliverance from autolatry
If necessary, ask a Pastor to pray for you in your home
How Should We Respond Right Now? (Altar Call)
We can ask God right now for freedom from the power of autolatry in our home- let’s break it right now
Preventing Bibliolatry: A Strange Kind Of Idolatry
IDOLS: Fake And False Gods Of Our Making
Theme For November 2009
Preventing Bibliolatry: A Strange Kind Of Idolatry
November 1, 2009
******************************
Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great." 2 And Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what wilt Thou give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?"
*******************************
3 And Abram said, "Since Thou hast given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir." 4 Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir; but one who shall come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir."
*****************
5 And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be."6 Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
******************************
Distinguishing between:
FAKE GOD- A fake claim is one that has no truth of any kind at all. A fake prophet is one who neither a prophet of God or of Satan. God has His prophets and Satan has his Prophets but the one who is neither God’s prophet nor Satan’s prophet is a fake prophet. History has known of many fake gods, human beings who claimed to have divinity but they were purely humans.
FALSE GOD A false claim is a claim that says he is someone when he is not that someone. A false prophet is one who claims to be a prophet of God when he is not.
Satan is, technically , neither a false god (he is the god of this world), nor a fake god (because he has spiritual and supernatural powers).
******************************
IDOLATRY:
EIDOLON (idol)- anything carved by hand or by the mind and given an importance that only God should have.
LATREIA (service- worship)-
IDOLATRY: We make our gods to worship or to serve, either as carved images or ideas and concepts in our minds.
******************************
BIBLIOLATRY:
Biblos (Book). Latreia (service or worship). Worshiping the book.
BIBLIOLATRY: (not Bibliophile- which is a good term)
Making the Bible what it is not: equal with God or God’s rival. Example: bible as pillow, as Anting-anting, as quotations in Oraciones. Pasting verses on windows to ward off evil. Wrapping the dead body with blankets printed with verses.
We take our joy in learning the Word but not relating with God. The joy of discovery of the Word’s teachings replaces the Joy of personally fellowshipping with God.
******************************
Bibliolatry Is Preventable. How?
Understand What the Bible Is Meant To Do In Our Lives:
Which is?
******************************
I- The Word Of God Points Out The Wonderful Reality Of Our Relationship With God. (Gen. 15:1)
He is our God
He is our Shield
He is our Great Reward
******************************
II- The Word Of God Points Out The Right Response To God And His Word: Conversation With God. (Gen. 15:1-6)
God spoke
Abraham Spoke
God spoke Again
Abraham spoke again
******************************
III- The Word Of God Points Out Our Zero Ability And God’s Absolute Ability In Our Favor. (Gen. 15:2-6)
Abram was childless
Abram would be gifted with countless covenantal children
******************************
What have we learned? (Summary)
I- The Word Of God Points Out The Wonderful Reality Of Our Relationship With God.
II- The Word Of God Points Out The Right Response To God And His Word: Conversation With God.
III- The Word Of God Points Out Our Zero Ability And God’s Absolute Ability In Our Favor.
******************************
How is this related with us? (Application)
Idolatry is in our heart as sinners.
We can easily make the Bible a substitute for God in our lives.
We all need to deal with Bibliolatry- enjoying the word without the corresponding holiness. Mastering the word without mastering the holy life.
******************************
How Should we respond? (Challenge)
Read the Bible to know who God is and how He wants us to relate with Him. Read the Bible and find out who he is to us and who we are to Him. Study the Bible to increase our knowledge of God’s identity, instructions and intentions. Get to know Him through the Bible.
Converse with Him for prayer with bible-reading stifles and defeats Bibliolatry. Prayer as a consequence of Bible-reading is not only proper, it is also powerful to ward off the old nature.
******************************
How Should We Respond Right Now? (Altar Call)
We ask God to forgive us for neglecting the Word or making the Word another god in our life
We will express gratitude to God for the Word He has given us.
Theme For November 2009
Preventing Bibliolatry: A Strange Kind Of Idolatry
November 1, 2009
******************************
Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great." 2 And Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what wilt Thou give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?"
*******************************
3 And Abram said, "Since Thou hast given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir." 4 Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, "This man will not be your heir; but one who shall come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir."
*****************
5 And He took him outside and said, "Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So shall your descendants be."6 Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
******************************
Distinguishing between:
FAKE GOD- A fake claim is one that has no truth of any kind at all. A fake prophet is one who neither a prophet of God or of Satan. God has His prophets and Satan has his Prophets but the one who is neither God’s prophet nor Satan’s prophet is a fake prophet. History has known of many fake gods, human beings who claimed to have divinity but they were purely humans.
FALSE GOD A false claim is a claim that says he is someone when he is not that someone. A false prophet is one who claims to be a prophet of God when he is not.
Satan is, technically , neither a false god (he is the god of this world), nor a fake god (because he has spiritual and supernatural powers).
******************************
IDOLATRY:
EIDOLON (idol)- anything carved by hand or by the mind and given an importance that only God should have.
LATREIA (service- worship)-
IDOLATRY: We make our gods to worship or to serve, either as carved images or ideas and concepts in our minds.
******************************
BIBLIOLATRY:
Biblos (Book). Latreia (service or worship). Worshiping the book.
BIBLIOLATRY: (not Bibliophile- which is a good term)
Making the Bible what it is not: equal with God or God’s rival. Example: bible as pillow, as Anting-anting, as quotations in Oraciones. Pasting verses on windows to ward off evil. Wrapping the dead body with blankets printed with verses.
We take our joy in learning the Word but not relating with God. The joy of discovery of the Word’s teachings replaces the Joy of personally fellowshipping with God.
******************************
Bibliolatry Is Preventable. How?
Understand What the Bible Is Meant To Do In Our Lives:
Which is?
******************************
I- The Word Of God Points Out The Wonderful Reality Of Our Relationship With God. (Gen. 15:1)
He is our God
He is our Shield
He is our Great Reward
******************************
II- The Word Of God Points Out The Right Response To God And His Word: Conversation With God. (Gen. 15:1-6)
God spoke
Abraham Spoke
God spoke Again
Abraham spoke again
******************************
III- The Word Of God Points Out Our Zero Ability And God’s Absolute Ability In Our Favor. (Gen. 15:2-6)
Abram was childless
Abram would be gifted with countless covenantal children
******************************
What have we learned? (Summary)
I- The Word Of God Points Out The Wonderful Reality Of Our Relationship With God.
II- The Word Of God Points Out The Right Response To God And His Word: Conversation With God.
III- The Word Of God Points Out Our Zero Ability And God’s Absolute Ability In Our Favor.
******************************
How is this related with us? (Application)
Idolatry is in our heart as sinners.
We can easily make the Bible a substitute for God in our lives.
We all need to deal with Bibliolatry- enjoying the word without the corresponding holiness. Mastering the word without mastering the holy life.
******************************
How Should we respond? (Challenge)
Read the Bible to know who God is and how He wants us to relate with Him. Read the Bible and find out who he is to us and who we are to Him. Study the Bible to increase our knowledge of God’s identity, instructions and intentions. Get to know Him through the Bible.
Converse with Him for prayer with bible-reading stifles and defeats Bibliolatry. Prayer as a consequence of Bible-reading is not only proper, it is also powerful to ward off the old nature.
******************************
How Should We Respond Right Now? (Altar Call)
We ask God to forgive us for neglecting the Word or making the Word another god in our life
We will express gratitude to God for the Word He has given us.
Prayer Devotional November 23 to 29, 2009
Bread From Heaven Christian Fellowship
Thoughts For the Day
November 23 to 29, 2009
Except when otherwise indicated “Scripture is taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
A PRAYER-BASED DEVOTIONAL
Read Acts 1
Acts 1:1 The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. 3 To these He also presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. 4 And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. " 6 And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. "
MONDAY: Acts 1:7 He(The Lord) said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;
Lord Jesus, I hear many rumors, stories, prophesies and predictions about what will happen in the near and distant future. I hear a lot about the feared global disaster expected to take place in 2012. Like others, I sometimes want to find out. But Lord Jesus, thank you for the reminder that events in the future have been set by the Father by His own authority. I understand that to mean that what will happen in the future is not for us to know because it is THE FATHER’S SECRET. I don’t have to be worried. Whatever may happen will not change your promise to us: Isaiah 41:10 'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' How foolish of me to be worried about the future. I will not seek to know what will happen. I will just enjoy the thought that You will always be with us to protect us. Thank You Lord Jesus.
TUESDAY: Acts 1:3 To these He ( the Lord Jesus) also presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Lord Jesus, there are so many things to worry about while in this world, I confess that there times when I lose heart. I sometimes lose sight of the truth that You are alive forever more and are working all things for out good. You gave Your disciples convincing proof that came back to life again. Lord, I see something more than just Your resurrection. Your disciples were convinced You have resurrected but that also means to me that they were convinced that actually died at one time. You died for me and came back to life. Why should I be worried about the future? Help me Lord to remember this truth. You are alive and You will not abandon me. Thank You Lord Jesus.
WEDNESDAY: Acts 1:4 And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me;,
Lord Jesus, from the accounts in the Gospels, I do not think that your disciples were members of one social group. They came from different social backgrounds and it seems to be that there was no other reason to be grouped together except that THEY WERE ALL YOUR DISCIPLES. Thank You Lord for the reminder to gather together with other believers. You word tells us not to neglect our gathering but there are times when I am simply too tired to go to church to be with other believers. Forgive me Lord. Help me to be willing and active attendee in our gatherings as Your people. I know that I will be blessed abundantly in and through these gatherings. Thank You Lord Jesus.
THURSDAY: Acts 1:5 for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. "
Lord Jesus, I thank you for the reminder that there are two baptisms in my life as a Christian. I know that water baptism is not a requirement to be saved but to show that I already belong to You and a member of the Church. I now also know that there is another baptism that I must go through- the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus, help me to understand what that is and to desire it as an important experience and event in my life. Thank You Lord Jesus.
FRIDAY: Acts 1:5 for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now…. 8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. "
Lord Jesus, I now know that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is for the power to witness for You in my life and in the world. I will obey. I Will become Your witness and I will tell others about You and Your goodness. But Lord, frankly, that is not an easy task for me. I may not have the courage or the ability. I know the answer: Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus, I desire to be baptized by the Holy Spirit to become a powerful witness for You in this world. Thank You Lord.
SATURDAY: Acts 1:5 for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now…. 8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. "
Lord Jesus, I know I have received the Holy Spirit when I became a believer according to the teaching of Ephesians 1:13. But Lord, I also know that it is the presence of the Holy Spirit to seal my salvation; to guarantee that I will never be separated from you is different from the power to witness for You. I have the SEALING presence of the Holy Spirit. I now desire to have the BAPTISM or WITNESSING presence of the Holy Spirit. Thank You Lord Jesus.
SUNDAY: Acts 1:5 for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now…. 8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. "
Lord Jesus, the disciples obeyed and became Your witnesses in Jerusalem, then in Judea and their work expanded as guided by the Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus, I have my own Jerusalem,; my family, my relatives, my friends. Help me Lord to testify about You as my Lord and Savior. Help me to have the courage to tell my Jerusalem about You and to invite them to church to join us in worship. Lord Jesus, my life would be nothing If I do not live out my life as Your witness. Here I am Lord, I am joining Your team of witnesses, for Your Honor and glory. Thank You Lord.
Thoughts For the Day
November 23 to 29, 2009
Except when otherwise indicated “Scripture is taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
A PRAYER-BASED DEVOTIONAL
Read Acts 1
Acts 1:1 The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. 3 To these He also presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. 4 And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. " 6 And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. "
MONDAY: Acts 1:7 He(The Lord) said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;
Lord Jesus, I hear many rumors, stories, prophesies and predictions about what will happen in the near and distant future. I hear a lot about the feared global disaster expected to take place in 2012. Like others, I sometimes want to find out. But Lord Jesus, thank you for the reminder that events in the future have been set by the Father by His own authority. I understand that to mean that what will happen in the future is not for us to know because it is THE FATHER’S SECRET. I don’t have to be worried. Whatever may happen will not change your promise to us: Isaiah 41:10 'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' How foolish of me to be worried about the future. I will not seek to know what will happen. I will just enjoy the thought that You will always be with us to protect us. Thank You Lord Jesus.
TUESDAY: Acts 1:3 To these He ( the Lord Jesus) also presented Himself alive, after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Lord Jesus, there are so many things to worry about while in this world, I confess that there times when I lose heart. I sometimes lose sight of the truth that You are alive forever more and are working all things for out good. You gave Your disciples convincing proof that came back to life again. Lord, I see something more than just Your resurrection. Your disciples were convinced You have resurrected but that also means to me that they were convinced that actually died at one time. You died for me and came back to life. Why should I be worried about the future? Help me Lord to remember this truth. You are alive and You will not abandon me. Thank You Lord Jesus.
WEDNESDAY: Acts 1:4 And gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me;,
Lord Jesus, from the accounts in the Gospels, I do not think that your disciples were members of one social group. They came from different social backgrounds and it seems to be that there was no other reason to be grouped together except that THEY WERE ALL YOUR DISCIPLES. Thank You Lord for the reminder to gather together with other believers. You word tells us not to neglect our gathering but there are times when I am simply too tired to go to church to be with other believers. Forgive me Lord. Help me to be willing and active attendee in our gatherings as Your people. I know that I will be blessed abundantly in and through these gatherings. Thank You Lord Jesus.
THURSDAY: Acts 1:5 for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. "
Lord Jesus, I thank you for the reminder that there are two baptisms in my life as a Christian. I know that water baptism is not a requirement to be saved but to show that I already belong to You and a member of the Church. I now also know that there is another baptism that I must go through- the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus, help me to understand what that is and to desire it as an important experience and event in my life. Thank You Lord Jesus.
FRIDAY: Acts 1:5 for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now…. 8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. "
Lord Jesus, I now know that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is for the power to witness for You in my life and in the world. I will obey. I Will become Your witness and I will tell others about You and Your goodness. But Lord, frankly, that is not an easy task for me. I may not have the courage or the ability. I know the answer: Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus, I desire to be baptized by the Holy Spirit to become a powerful witness for You in this world. Thank You Lord.
SATURDAY: Acts 1:5 for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now…. 8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. "
Lord Jesus, I know I have received the Holy Spirit when I became a believer according to the teaching of Ephesians 1:13. But Lord, I also know that it is the presence of the Holy Spirit to seal my salvation; to guarantee that I will never be separated from you is different from the power to witness for You. I have the SEALING presence of the Holy Spirit. I now desire to have the BAPTISM or WITNESSING presence of the Holy Spirit. Thank You Lord Jesus.
SUNDAY: Acts 1:5 for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now…. 8 but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. "
Lord Jesus, the disciples obeyed and became Your witnesses in Jerusalem, then in Judea and their work expanded as guided by the Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus, I have my own Jerusalem,; my family, my relatives, my friends. Help me Lord to testify about You as my Lord and Savior. Help me to have the courage to tell my Jerusalem about You and to invite them to church to join us in worship. Lord Jesus, my life would be nothing If I do not live out my life as Your witness. Here I am Lord, I am joining Your team of witnesses, for Your Honor and glory. Thank You Lord.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
PREACHING THEME
For November: THE PERILS OF IDOLATRY
A form of Idolatry will be discussed in preaching for each Sunday of the Month.
November 1: Bibliolatry
November 8: Cosmolatry
November 15: Autolatry
November 22: Arguriolatry
November 29: Donolatry
A form of Idolatry will be discussed in preaching for each Sunday of the Month.
November 1: Bibliolatry
November 8: Cosmolatry
November 15: Autolatry
November 22: Arguriolatry
November 29: Donolatry
Saturday, November 14, 2009
He Is More Than A Burden-bearer
2009 Sept. 27 Ten30 AM
Come To Me- all who are weary and heavy-laden
He Is More Than A Burden-bearer Matthew 11:25-30
Matt 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, "I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes. 26 "Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight. 27 "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. 30 "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light."
The Background events.
Jesus says people call Him a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.
He rebuked the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum because they saw great miracles but they would not believe His claims.
What was the main issue?
People wanted to be on their own and the result is that they ended up carrying their own problems and burdens.
This is the background for the invitation of the Lord.
THE INVITATION:
28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. 30 "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light."
Summarizing the Invitation
Come and Get rested
Take my yoke upon you and find rest for your soul
I- THE INVITATION TO REST CONFIRMS THE TRUTH THAT WE ARE INADEQUATE BY OURSELVES
Come to me all who are WEARY AND HEAVY-LADEN.
Weariness assumes carrying a burden that you are no longer able to sustain-
II- THE INVITATION CONFIRMS THE TRUTH THAT WE NEED THE LORD JESUS BY OUR SIDE
Take My Yoke Upon You And Learn From Me
Yoking describes fellowship and learning during a journey of two persons traveling together
III- THE INVITATION CONFIRMS THE TRUTH THAT REST FROM OUR BURDENS IS A LIFELONG PRIVILEGE FOR US
29 "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.
The promise of rest is premised on a lifelong yoking with and learning from the Lord
3 very important reminders
The weight of the burden increases because we carry it too long
The uncertainty persists when we walk without our teacher by our side
The difficulty deepens when we walk without our guide
Come To Me- all who are weary and heavy-laden
He Is More Than A Burden-bearer Matthew 11:25-30
Matt 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, "I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes. 26 "Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight. 27 "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. 30 "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light."
The Background events.
Jesus says people call Him a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.
He rebuked the cities of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum because they saw great miracles but they would not believe His claims.
What was the main issue?
People wanted to be on their own and the result is that they ended up carrying their own problems and burdens.
This is the background for the invitation of the Lord.
THE INVITATION:
28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. 30 "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light."
Summarizing the Invitation
Come and Get rested
Take my yoke upon you and find rest for your soul
I- THE INVITATION TO REST CONFIRMS THE TRUTH THAT WE ARE INADEQUATE BY OURSELVES
Come to me all who are WEARY AND HEAVY-LADEN.
Weariness assumes carrying a burden that you are no longer able to sustain-
II- THE INVITATION CONFIRMS THE TRUTH THAT WE NEED THE LORD JESUS BY OUR SIDE
Take My Yoke Upon You And Learn From Me
Yoking describes fellowship and learning during a journey of two persons traveling together
III- THE INVITATION CONFIRMS THE TRUTH THAT REST FROM OUR BURDENS IS A LIFELONG PRIVILEGE FOR US
29 "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.
The promise of rest is premised on a lifelong yoking with and learning from the Lord
3 very important reminders
The weight of the burden increases because we carry it too long
The uncertainty persists when we walk without our teacher by our side
The difficulty deepens when we walk without our guide
What's In a name and Title? YOU CANNOT WORSHIP JESUS BY HIS NAME ALONE.
2009 September 14
YOU CANNOT WORSHIP JESUS BY HIS NAME ALONE.
Most people miss this very important truth that you cannot worship Jesus just by that name because it is a common name. You worship Him by His NAME and TITLES. John 1
What’s in a NAME and TITLE?
Name: This your identity as distinguished from everyone else.
Your name may also be the name of many others so you need another name (except the Indonesians)
Title
This is your identity with regards to your relationships, positions, duties, profession, importance in society or lack of it
Who do you say the Son of Man is?
The name Jesus was a common name. He had to be identified with a place to distinguish him from others of the same name: He was Jesus of Nazareth
The titles of Jesus are something else. They not only tell us who He really is but they also tell us who we are.
John 1 (NASB)
1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came for a witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light. 9 There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him, and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'" 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ .
John 1: One Name with 10 Titles
NAME: Jesus of Nazareth
TITLES: Word, Christ, Lord, only begotten from the Father, True Light, Lamb of God, Son of God, Son of Man, Rabbi, King of Israel,
THE ONE TITLE OF THE LORD JESUS THAT NO ONE ELSE HAS CLAIMED IS: THE WORD- ό λογος
The Greek New Testament uses several words that are translated as Word or saying in the English: Logos, Rhema (when the word of God penetrates your heart- The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word (Rhema of God), Epos, Chrestologia. By God’s choice, of these words, only ONE is used to refer to the PERSON OF THE Lord Jesus: HO LOGOS or the WORD.
THE WORD: HO LOGOS
What does the Title
LOGOS
tell Us?
I- THE TITLE WORD TELLS US WHO HE REALLY IS:
His equality with the Father- The Word was With God and the Word was God. John 1:1
His personal title in relation to everything that God does- He is the Word of God – Rev. 19:13
His personal title in relation to God’s eternal gift to us: Eternal life. 1 John 5:11-12
II- THE TITLE WORD TELLS US WHERE HE CAME FROM
John 1:1-2,14.
Philippians 2:5-8
The Arian heresy has plagued Christianity for so long, it refuses to die and it even enters many Church Councils or Boards
III- THE TITLE WORD TELLS US WHAT HIS GIFTS ARE:
1. He is the WORD that grants us God’s Favor or grace. John 1:6/ Eph. 4:7
2. He is the WORD that grants us God’s Freedom or Truth. John 1:17/John 8:32
3. He is the WORD that gives us God’s Family or sonship. John 1:12-3
Two Kinds of sonship- 2 kinds of birth
Born of blood, born of man’s will, born of the will of flesh, born of a sinful woman and sinful man as parents: This the FIRST BIRTH and the first sonship. This makes you a citizen of the world
Born of God by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Not the will of man, not the will of the flesh, not of blood. This is the SECOND BIRTH and Second sonship. This makes us citizens of heaven
With Him, we can have:
I- With Him, We Can Have God’s Favor Even If We Do Not Deserve It: It’s Called God’s Grace.
II- With Him We Can Have God’s Freedom Even If We Are Totally Sinful: It Is Called God’s TRUTH.
III- With Him We Can Join God’s Family Even If We Were His Enemies: It’s called God’s Gift Of Sonship.
HO LOGOS, The Word:
OF GOD’S FAVOR BY HIS GRACE
OF GOD’S FREEDOM BY HIS TRUTH
OF GOD’S FAMILY BY BEING BORN OF GOD OR BEING BORN AGAIN.
SINCE JESUS CHRIST IS GOD’S LOGOS FOR YOU, WHAT IS YOUR WORD FOR GOD NOW?
YOU CANNOT WORSHIP JESUS BY HIS NAME ALONE.
Most people miss this very important truth that you cannot worship Jesus just by that name because it is a common name. You worship Him by His NAME and TITLES. John 1
What’s in a NAME and TITLE?
Name: This your identity as distinguished from everyone else.
Your name may also be the name of many others so you need another name (except the Indonesians)
Title
This is your identity with regards to your relationships, positions, duties, profession, importance in society or lack of it
Who do you say the Son of Man is?
The name Jesus was a common name. He had to be identified with a place to distinguish him from others of the same name: He was Jesus of Nazareth
The titles of Jesus are something else. They not only tell us who He really is but they also tell us who we are.
John 1 (NASB)
1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came for a witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light. 9 There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him, and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'" 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ .
John 1: One Name with 10 Titles
NAME: Jesus of Nazareth
TITLES: Word, Christ, Lord, only begotten from the Father, True Light, Lamb of God, Son of God, Son of Man, Rabbi, King of Israel,
THE ONE TITLE OF THE LORD JESUS THAT NO ONE ELSE HAS CLAIMED IS: THE WORD- ό λογος
The Greek New Testament uses several words that are translated as Word or saying in the English: Logos, Rhema (when the word of God penetrates your heart- The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word (Rhema of God), Epos, Chrestologia. By God’s choice, of these words, only ONE is used to refer to the PERSON OF THE Lord Jesus: HO LOGOS or the WORD.
THE WORD: HO LOGOS
What does the Title
LOGOS
tell Us?
I- THE TITLE WORD TELLS US WHO HE REALLY IS:
His equality with the Father- The Word was With God and the Word was God. John 1:1
His personal title in relation to everything that God does- He is the Word of God – Rev. 19:13
His personal title in relation to God’s eternal gift to us: Eternal life. 1 John 5:11-12
II- THE TITLE WORD TELLS US WHERE HE CAME FROM
John 1:1-2,14.
Philippians 2:5-8
The Arian heresy has plagued Christianity for so long, it refuses to die and it even enters many Church Councils or Boards
III- THE TITLE WORD TELLS US WHAT HIS GIFTS ARE:
1. He is the WORD that grants us God’s Favor or grace. John 1:6/ Eph. 4:7
2. He is the WORD that grants us God’s Freedom or Truth. John 1:17/John 8:32
3. He is the WORD that gives us God’s Family or sonship. John 1:12-3
Two Kinds of sonship- 2 kinds of birth
Born of blood, born of man’s will, born of the will of flesh, born of a sinful woman and sinful man as parents: This the FIRST BIRTH and the first sonship. This makes you a citizen of the world
Born of God by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Not the will of man, not the will of the flesh, not of blood. This is the SECOND BIRTH and Second sonship. This makes us citizens of heaven
With Him, we can have:
I- With Him, We Can Have God’s Favor Even If We Do Not Deserve It: It’s Called God’s Grace.
II- With Him We Can Have God’s Freedom Even If We Are Totally Sinful: It Is Called God’s TRUTH.
III- With Him We Can Join God’s Family Even If We Were His Enemies: It’s called God’s Gift Of Sonship.
HO LOGOS, The Word:
OF GOD’S FAVOR BY HIS GRACE
OF GOD’S FREEDOM BY HIS TRUTH
OF GOD’S FAMILY BY BEING BORN OF GOD OR BEING BORN AGAIN.
SINCE JESUS CHRIST IS GOD’S LOGOS FOR YOU, WHAT IS YOUR WORD FOR GOD NOW?
Wonderful Grace Of Jesus (Based on Psalm 23)
Bread From Heaven Christian Fellowship
Thoughts For the Day
November 16 to 22, 2009
Read Psalm 23
Except when otherwise indicated “Scripture is taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
Wonderful Grace Of Jesus (1918)
(Words and Music by Haldor Lillenas)
Wonderful Grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin;
How shall my tongue describe it,
Where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden, setting my spirit free;
O the Wonderful Grace of Jesus reaches me!
Unmistakably assuring, powerfully comforting, faith-building, mind-opening, heart-warming: All these describe Psalm 23, the chapter which is timeless in its power and relevance and one of the best presentation of the Grace of God in our lives. We will do something different this week. We will have a prayer-devotional. Read the passage and pray through the entire chapter using our suggested prayers.
Psalm 23:
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.
5 Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Monday: THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD. PRAISE THE LORD!
Ps 23: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
Lord, I have people I call my friends. There are very special people in my life. But You are my Shepherd. I cannot reverse the truth and say that that You are among those who are special to me. I did no make You special to me. You made me special to You! You are my Shepherd; I am special to You! I belong to You. You are the Boss of my life, my Guide, Provider, Protector and blessing-giver. You own me; You have complete control of my life. Hallelujah, I belong to You.
Lord, I now know why David said: “ I shall not want.” One version I read translates this sentence as: “ I have everything I need.” “Everything I need”, I know, does not mean :I have already received all that I need.” I know Lord that it simply means that with You as my Shepherd and Provider, I do not have to worry about anything. You are my Shepherd and provider. The Lord is my shepherd. I will count my blessings and those that have not arrived and I am still waiting for, I will praise God for them. Your blessings to me are on the way for one reason: You are my Shepherd. Thank You Lord.
Tuesday: THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD: HE FINDS FOR ME THE GREEN PASTURES!
Ps 23: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
Lord, when I did not understand this, sometimes, I wondered: what has this green pastures have to do with my daily fight to earn a living and provide for my needs and the needs of my loves ones? I now know that the green pasture is where the sheep will find sufficiency of food. It speaks of guaranteed and actually available provisions. I now understand that the Shepherd, not the sheep, locates the Green pastures. The sheep is unable but the Shepherd is able. The sheep is beset with limitations but the Shepherd is not. I am unable and beset with limitations, You are not.
There were times Lord when I was too tired to think about where to go for the answers to my questions in life. There were times when I became tired for one reason or the other. I may have been relying on my own knowledge, intelligence and strength to find the green pastures. So I got tired. Forgive Lord. Lord I want to put myself completely under your care. You are my shepherd. Guide me to the Green Pastures. Save me from the foolishness of trying to make it in life everyday on my own. I can’t but I have you so I will make it.
Wednesday: THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD: He leads me beside quiet waters!
Ps 23: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
Lord, there are many things that I am worried about; things that I fear. I am spending too much time looking at the noisy waters. I listen too much to scary sounds. I easily miss the truth that I have You by my side GUIDING AND LEADING ME. Why do I spend so much time being afraid? I now know why. I keep on counting the reasons for my fear. I count all my worries, the problems that have not been solved and even the imaginary problems. I keep on listening to noisy waters. Please forgive me. I shall not be afraid. I have You and You do not only make me lie down in green pastures.; You also lead me beside quiet waters. How foolish of me to be afraid when I have You. Thank You Lord for being my Shepherd.
Thursday: THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD: He Restores My Soul.
Ps 23: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.
Lord, I must confess that there were times when my soul had become very tired and the hurt was too deep to understand. I can’t buy anything from the drugstore to heal the pains in my soul. And, often Lord, the reason for my pain and tiredness is that I cannot walk in righteousness and so I judge myself, sometimes too harshly that I end up losing my strength.
Lord, thank you for reminding me that when I become too tired, sometimes too tired to even think of life, You are there, ready and able to lift me up, to restore my soul, to restore my joy, to restore confidence. I am grateful for the reminder that You do not only restore my soul but that You also lead me in the paths of righteousness. Since that is the path that You have chosen for me and You’re there to guide me, how can I go astray? Thank You Lord for being there, as MY SHEPHERD, my Provider, the Restorer of my soul and my Guide.
Friday: THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD: I cannot fear anything!
Ps 23: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.
Lord, in this life, I sometimes go through the valleys that I would rather not go through. Sometimes I encounter threatening shadows in the valley. Sometimes, I get a hint of death. Sometimes, I sense evil lurking around. When this happens, I find walking forward in life a bit difficult to do. Forgive me for being so foolish.
With you by my side, why do I even have to worry about or fear evil, threatening shadows, and all those things that normally inject fear in the hearts of people? I have You and Your rod and Your staff and these certainly comfort me for I have the assurance that I am under Your protection and You won’t even allow me to walk away from You. Oh Lord, renew my courage. I have You and in the end, I know that is the main issue. Thank You Lord.
Saturday: THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD: I cannot miss the feasting table!
Ps 23: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. 5 Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.
Lord, I must confess. Some situations irritate me. Some people can bother me by their presence. Sometimes, I have enemies. I must also confess that there were times when I punished myself by entertaining worries, fear, discouragements and all those strength-sapping, heart-melting and fear-inducing thoughts. I’m so sorry Lord. Please forgive me.
Thank your for the reminder that even if my enemies come rushing forward to attack me, they really cannot disturb me because they will see you busy preparing the table for me; in our modern Language Lord, we call that setting the table. That is not easy to imagine but it is as glorious as anything can be. The enemy is halted in their tracks by the sight of the My Lord who is the Lord of the entire universe, My shepherd, provider, protector and guide, preparing the table for me. Forgive me Lord for focusing on the enemies and not on the prepared table and the goodies on the table that You have prepared for me.
Sunday: THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD: I have a prepared table and the anointing with God’s oil.
Ps 23: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. 5 Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Lord, sometimes I wonder, why would you prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies? Now I know and I am overjoyed by this discovery. The table is a FEASTING table. I know I am supposed to sit at that table and enjoy the bounty of your goodness. It is also a FELLOWSHIP table. You will allow me to have a special place with you around that table because I belong to you. You have chosen me from eternity and my life in Your hand. It is a wonderful fellowship Lord and I am grateful. I know it is also a table of FEARLESSNESS for it is being prepared in the presence of my enemies and my enemies can only look with utter helplessness because they cannot do anything! I do not have to fear at all! Why do I keep on looking at the enemies? I must look at the table, Your table for me.
Lord, many times, I feel small, insignificant, so unimportant. And yet, I read that You are anointing my head with oil. When I did not understand that I was wondering what that was all about. Now, I know and I am overwhelmed and filled with joy. Anointing my head with is Your PUBLIC DECLARATION that I am important in your courts. What could be greater than to be publicly, (and in fact Lord, I know this to be true, it is also a universal declaration,) seen by both good angels and fallen angels as well, that I am Yours by reason of divine election. I am provided for and sustained through Divine Provisions described here as Good and mercy or goodness and lovingkindness. How foolish of me to feel small and insignificant when I have You as my Shepherd.
Thoughts For the Day
November 16 to 22, 2009
Read Psalm 23
Except when otherwise indicated “Scripture is taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
Wonderful Grace Of Jesus (1918)
(Words and Music by Haldor Lillenas)
Wonderful Grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin;
How shall my tongue describe it,
Where shall its praise begin?
Taking away my burden, setting my spirit free;
O the Wonderful Grace of Jesus reaches me!
Unmistakably assuring, powerfully comforting, faith-building, mind-opening, heart-warming: All these describe Psalm 23, the chapter which is timeless in its power and relevance and one of the best presentation of the Grace of God in our lives. We will do something different this week. We will have a prayer-devotional. Read the passage and pray through the entire chapter using our suggested prayers.
Psalm 23:
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.
5 Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Monday: THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD. PRAISE THE LORD!
Ps 23: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
Lord, I have people I call my friends. There are very special people in my life. But You are my Shepherd. I cannot reverse the truth and say that that You are among those who are special to me. I did no make You special to me. You made me special to You! You are my Shepherd; I am special to You! I belong to You. You are the Boss of my life, my Guide, Provider, Protector and blessing-giver. You own me; You have complete control of my life. Hallelujah, I belong to You.
Lord, I now know why David said: “ I shall not want.” One version I read translates this sentence as: “ I have everything I need.” “Everything I need”, I know, does not mean :I have already received all that I need.” I know Lord that it simply means that with You as my Shepherd and Provider, I do not have to worry about anything. You are my Shepherd and provider. The Lord is my shepherd. I will count my blessings and those that have not arrived and I am still waiting for, I will praise God for them. Your blessings to me are on the way for one reason: You are my Shepherd. Thank You Lord.
Tuesday: THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD: HE FINDS FOR ME THE GREEN PASTURES!
Ps 23: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
Lord, when I did not understand this, sometimes, I wondered: what has this green pastures have to do with my daily fight to earn a living and provide for my needs and the needs of my loves ones? I now know that the green pasture is where the sheep will find sufficiency of food. It speaks of guaranteed and actually available provisions. I now understand that the Shepherd, not the sheep, locates the Green pastures. The sheep is unable but the Shepherd is able. The sheep is beset with limitations but the Shepherd is not. I am unable and beset with limitations, You are not.
There were times Lord when I was too tired to think about where to go for the answers to my questions in life. There were times when I became tired for one reason or the other. I may have been relying on my own knowledge, intelligence and strength to find the green pastures. So I got tired. Forgive Lord. Lord I want to put myself completely under your care. You are my shepherd. Guide me to the Green Pastures. Save me from the foolishness of trying to make it in life everyday on my own. I can’t but I have you so I will make it.
Wednesday: THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD: He leads me beside quiet waters!
Ps 23: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
Lord, there are many things that I am worried about; things that I fear. I am spending too much time looking at the noisy waters. I listen too much to scary sounds. I easily miss the truth that I have You by my side GUIDING AND LEADING ME. Why do I spend so much time being afraid? I now know why. I keep on counting the reasons for my fear. I count all my worries, the problems that have not been solved and even the imaginary problems. I keep on listening to noisy waters. Please forgive me. I shall not be afraid. I have You and You do not only make me lie down in green pastures.; You also lead me beside quiet waters. How foolish of me to be afraid when I have You. Thank You Lord for being my Shepherd.
Thursday: THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD: He Restores My Soul.
Ps 23: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.
Lord, I must confess that there were times when my soul had become very tired and the hurt was too deep to understand. I can’t buy anything from the drugstore to heal the pains in my soul. And, often Lord, the reason for my pain and tiredness is that I cannot walk in righteousness and so I judge myself, sometimes too harshly that I end up losing my strength.
Lord, thank you for reminding me that when I become too tired, sometimes too tired to even think of life, You are there, ready and able to lift me up, to restore my soul, to restore my joy, to restore confidence. I am grateful for the reminder that You do not only restore my soul but that You also lead me in the paths of righteousness. Since that is the path that You have chosen for me and You’re there to guide me, how can I go astray? Thank You Lord for being there, as MY SHEPHERD, my Provider, the Restorer of my soul and my Guide.
Friday: THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD: I cannot fear anything!
Ps 23: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.
Lord, in this life, I sometimes go through the valleys that I would rather not go through. Sometimes I encounter threatening shadows in the valley. Sometimes, I get a hint of death. Sometimes, I sense evil lurking around. When this happens, I find walking forward in life a bit difficult to do. Forgive me for being so foolish.
With you by my side, why do I even have to worry about or fear evil, threatening shadows, and all those things that normally inject fear in the hearts of people? I have You and Your rod and Your staff and these certainly comfort me for I have the assurance that I am under Your protection and You won’t even allow me to walk away from You. Oh Lord, renew my courage. I have You and in the end, I know that is the main issue. Thank You Lord.
Saturday: THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD: I cannot miss the feasting table!
Ps 23: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. 5 Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.
Lord, I must confess. Some situations irritate me. Some people can bother me by their presence. Sometimes, I have enemies. I must also confess that there were times when I punished myself by entertaining worries, fear, discouragements and all those strength-sapping, heart-melting and fear-inducing thoughts. I’m so sorry Lord. Please forgive me.
Thank your for the reminder that even if my enemies come rushing forward to attack me, they really cannot disturb me because they will see you busy preparing the table for me; in our modern Language Lord, we call that setting the table. That is not easy to imagine but it is as glorious as anything can be. The enemy is halted in their tracks by the sight of the My Lord who is the Lord of the entire universe, My shepherd, provider, protector and guide, preparing the table for me. Forgive me Lord for focusing on the enemies and not on the prepared table and the goodies on the table that You have prepared for me.
Sunday: THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD: I have a prepared table and the anointing with God’s oil.
Ps 23: The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. 5 Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Lord, sometimes I wonder, why would you prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies? Now I know and I am overjoyed by this discovery. The table is a FEASTING table. I know I am supposed to sit at that table and enjoy the bounty of your goodness. It is also a FELLOWSHIP table. You will allow me to have a special place with you around that table because I belong to you. You have chosen me from eternity and my life in Your hand. It is a wonderful fellowship Lord and I am grateful. I know it is also a table of FEARLESSNESS for it is being prepared in the presence of my enemies and my enemies can only look with utter helplessness because they cannot do anything! I do not have to fear at all! Why do I keep on looking at the enemies? I must look at the table, Your table for me.
Lord, many times, I feel small, insignificant, so unimportant. And yet, I read that You are anointing my head with oil. When I did not understand that I was wondering what that was all about. Now, I know and I am overwhelmed and filled with joy. Anointing my head with is Your PUBLIC DECLARATION that I am important in your courts. What could be greater than to be publicly, (and in fact Lord, I know this to be true, it is also a universal declaration,) seen by both good angels and fallen angels as well, that I am Yours by reason of divine election. I am provided for and sustained through Divine Provisions described here as Good and mercy or goodness and lovingkindness. How foolish of me to feel small and insignificant when I have You as my Shepherd.
Monday, November 9, 2009
A BEAUTIFUL MEDITATION FROM PSALM 23
SHEPHERD OF MY SOUL
Psalm 23.
Introduction:
Aside from his writings, we really don’t know much about King David. We know that when he was young, he was described as having “fine features and that he was good looking (1 Sam 16:12)”.
We also know that when he was younger, he grew up tending his father’s sheep on the upland of Judah. The limited record in the Bible tells us also that he was a musician, a powerful musician. He may have been good with the flute for that would a common instrument for the shepherds. But, he was certainly a powerful player of the harp.
As a shepherd, David had to bring the animals to the place where grass would be found. He was responsible for seeing to it that the animals under his care would have the best pasture, a steady and sufficient supply of water and that each one would be protected to the best of his ability. He grew up with the work of shepherding as his primary task in life.
Although he was not trained by his father to be soldier and to be a leader in Israel, God called him to be the leader of the nation of Israel. He defeated Goliath, who at one time, was the greatest threat to the nation of Israel because there was no one in the army of Israel who was strong enough nor courageous enough to face Goliath. The young Shepherd boy David killed the feared giant with a properly placed stone on the forehead, courtesy of his ever-dependable sling.
I am introducing the message today this way because I want to be sure that we all have the same understanding about David’s early life as a shepherd of his father’s sheep. Then, later, by God’s appointment, he became the shepherd of the nation of Israel. From a literal shepherding of his human father’s flock, he became the political and spiritual shepherd of his heavenly father’s flock. All his life he was a shepherd.
Now, he is about to interpret his entire life in the light of God’s love. Having been a shepherd all his life and having experienced the greatness of God’s love, he opted to write about the story of his life in relation to God’s presence. He tells his entire story with these words: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.” Psalm 23 is David’s interpretation of the story of his life. In Psalm 23, he writes out of the background of having both good and difficult memories. So, he writes about God as his shepherd. What can we learn from this?
I THE TROUBLES OF A SHEPHERD-LESS LIFE.
Please remember again that David is telling the story of life including the beautiful experiences as well as the difficult experience as he writes Psalm 23.
By implication, David cites the most common troubles and uncertainties of life. These are:
1. THE LACK OF RESOURCES OF EVERYDAY LIFE. Green pastures and quiet waters are the daily provisions required for all grazing animals. The green pastures provide sufficient grass and the quiet waters allow the animals to drink for they cannot drink from rough and noisy waters.
Green Pastures and quiet waters are basic necessities of life. These are the money for the children’s transportation everyday. The cost of daily living in this world.
It is surprising how many things in life cause us to be worried on a daily basis. Will the water come today? Will I be able to finish all my work today? Will I be able to give enough money for the children’s monthly school expenses? Some people just cannot have enough assurance for tomorrow’s green pastures and quiet waters.
2. THE AIMLESSNESS OF LIFE. For many people, they carry out the demands of life without a definite and meaningful direction. They don’t walk on the established and proven path. They walk towards all kinds of direction. David talks about being guided.
3. THE TIREDNESS OF LIFE. “We are living in a day of extreme weariness. Our minds are tired. Our bodies are tired. Our hearts are tired. Our nerves are tired. Everything about us is tired and exhausted.” Source: Robert T. Ketcham, “I Shall Not Want”.
David speaks about Green pastures and quiet waters not only as daily needs of life. He mentions green pastures and quiet waters in the context of restoring his soul. To have one’s soul restored is to say that although I go through tired days in my life, tired physically, mentally, emotionally, even spiritually, you help in such a way that my soul is restored. And so, I get up from my tiredness and face life again with confidence. Do you find you soul restored or do you find that today is worse than yesterday and that everyday seems to be deteriorating very badly.
4. THE FEARFUL MOMENTS OF LIFE. David cites two fearful moments of life:
4.1. Valley of the shadow of death. It can be translated as the valley of Deep darkness. For the sheep, the afternoon walk back following the shepherd from the pastureland to the house, many times, would be a journey through fear.
The valley of the shadow of death is not to be associated with the coming to the end of one’s life, but all the days that are in between birth and death.
-It is the days of hardship filled with the desire to want.
-It is the days of not knowing what to do next.
-It is the days of when anxiety has entered the heart and home.
-It is the days of loss filled with the pain of loneliness.
From the valley amidst the darkness rises the question, “Do we trust the Shepherd, or fear the moment?” Fear can seize the heart causing us to take off running aimlessly. Fear stems from a life of “want”. We become fearful and afraid of not getting what we want.
David said he feared no evil. To acknowledge “The Lord is my Shepherd,” drives fear from us. Allowing us to rest in the “I shall not want” provisions of the Shepherd. The valley of the shadow of death is not the experience just before we die. It refers to threatening situations during our ordinary course of life. Threats are all around. It seems like death is just waiting around the corner. It seems like there really is no certainty of a beautiful tomorrow.
4.2. Presence of My enemies. The enemies are mentioned in this verse not so much as a threat to life but as threat to a peaceful, abundant and stable life. He keeps me from death when attacked by my enemies. You provide a table for me in the presence of my enemies. When surrounded by enemies, the preparation of a banquet is not possible. The simple yet important task of taking care of our hair will not be possible. There will be no time to sit down and share a drink. There will not be a sufficient supply for my cup.
II THE TREASURES OF A SHEPHERD-GUIDED LIFE
Over and against the troubles of life such as the insufficiency of daily provisions, the aimlessness of life, the tiredness of life and the fearful moments of life, one can have beautiful and meaningful blessings in his life. This is David’s testimony in Psalm 23. David speaks of the beauty, the certainty, the confidence in life through the following:
Because he is my Shepherd, I have the following:
1. THE PERSON OF THE LORD.
(My – in the sense of being related and in the sense of being present and in the sense of being in his side). This comes through the born-again experience and obedient life.
2. THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.
2.1. Constant. In the Green Pasture. Beside quiet waters. Through the valley of the shadow of death. In the presence of my enemies.
2.2. Comforting. Restores my soul. “God knows we need restoration. In the face of common temptation we fall -- voluntarily and repeatedly. The same old flaws and failures pursue us all through life.” Rescues me from the enemy. If God is for us, who can be against us?
2.3. Cleansing. His presence provides paths of righteousness.
3. THE PROVISIONS OF THE LORD.
3.1 Daily Needs. Green Pastures. Quiet waters. When there is no quiet water, the shepherd places rocks on the water to form a quiet pool to enable the sheep to drink.
3.2 Daily sense of being secure.
3.2.1 Daily security in the area of provisions. Green Pastures (lying down). Quiet waters (led beside it). Not only to feed but to lie down. To know that there will be enough and to lie down on that knowledge. Nakahiga sa katiyakan.
3.2.2 Daily security in the area of protection. Rod – To hit at the wild animals, but also to “palo” the stubbornly disobedient animal. Staff – To push animals away but also to pull in the straying animals. Sometimes, the sharp point of the bottom part of the staff is used to prick the stubborn animals to keep it going. You cannot afford imprecision during the passage through the valley of the shadow of death.
3.3 Daily guidance. He guides me. “Divine guidance is not some sentimental theory. Divine guidance is a blessed reality.”
3.4 Daily expression of concern. Prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies.
4. THE PROGRAM OF THE LORD.
The Lord provides a program for the entire life of the believer. He has appointed two companions who will just follow us in the sense of attending to our needs. Follow in the sense of being servants ready to whatever is necessary for the master. What are these two companions?
4.1 Goodness.
4.2 Love or mercy. Here’s a stanza from an old hym:
“O to grace how great a debtor,
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy grace, Lord like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
THE DECISION: INVITE JESUS TO BE YOUR SHEPHERD (OWNER, LEADER, PLAN-MAKER, MORAL STANDARDS GIVER). Say, Jesus is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.
Psalm 23.
Introduction:
Aside from his writings, we really don’t know much about King David. We know that when he was young, he was described as having “fine features and that he was good looking (1 Sam 16:12)”.
We also know that when he was younger, he grew up tending his father’s sheep on the upland of Judah. The limited record in the Bible tells us also that he was a musician, a powerful musician. He may have been good with the flute for that would a common instrument for the shepherds. But, he was certainly a powerful player of the harp.
As a shepherd, David had to bring the animals to the place where grass would be found. He was responsible for seeing to it that the animals under his care would have the best pasture, a steady and sufficient supply of water and that each one would be protected to the best of his ability. He grew up with the work of shepherding as his primary task in life.
Although he was not trained by his father to be soldier and to be a leader in Israel, God called him to be the leader of the nation of Israel. He defeated Goliath, who at one time, was the greatest threat to the nation of Israel because there was no one in the army of Israel who was strong enough nor courageous enough to face Goliath. The young Shepherd boy David killed the feared giant with a properly placed stone on the forehead, courtesy of his ever-dependable sling.
I am introducing the message today this way because I want to be sure that we all have the same understanding about David’s early life as a shepherd of his father’s sheep. Then, later, by God’s appointment, he became the shepherd of the nation of Israel. From a literal shepherding of his human father’s flock, he became the political and spiritual shepherd of his heavenly father’s flock. All his life he was a shepherd.
Now, he is about to interpret his entire life in the light of God’s love. Having been a shepherd all his life and having experienced the greatness of God’s love, he opted to write about the story of his life in relation to God’s presence. He tells his entire story with these words: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.” Psalm 23 is David’s interpretation of the story of his life. In Psalm 23, he writes out of the background of having both good and difficult memories. So, he writes about God as his shepherd. What can we learn from this?
I THE TROUBLES OF A SHEPHERD-LESS LIFE.
Please remember again that David is telling the story of life including the beautiful experiences as well as the difficult experience as he writes Psalm 23.
By implication, David cites the most common troubles and uncertainties of life. These are:
1. THE LACK OF RESOURCES OF EVERYDAY LIFE. Green pastures and quiet waters are the daily provisions required for all grazing animals. The green pastures provide sufficient grass and the quiet waters allow the animals to drink for they cannot drink from rough and noisy waters.
Green Pastures and quiet waters are basic necessities of life. These are the money for the children’s transportation everyday. The cost of daily living in this world.
It is surprising how many things in life cause us to be worried on a daily basis. Will the water come today? Will I be able to finish all my work today? Will I be able to give enough money for the children’s monthly school expenses? Some people just cannot have enough assurance for tomorrow’s green pastures and quiet waters.
2. THE AIMLESSNESS OF LIFE. For many people, they carry out the demands of life without a definite and meaningful direction. They don’t walk on the established and proven path. They walk towards all kinds of direction. David talks about being guided.
3. THE TIREDNESS OF LIFE. “We are living in a day of extreme weariness. Our minds are tired. Our bodies are tired. Our hearts are tired. Our nerves are tired. Everything about us is tired and exhausted.” Source: Robert T. Ketcham, “I Shall Not Want”.
David speaks about Green pastures and quiet waters not only as daily needs of life. He mentions green pastures and quiet waters in the context of restoring his soul. To have one’s soul restored is to say that although I go through tired days in my life, tired physically, mentally, emotionally, even spiritually, you help in such a way that my soul is restored. And so, I get up from my tiredness and face life again with confidence. Do you find you soul restored or do you find that today is worse than yesterday and that everyday seems to be deteriorating very badly.
4. THE FEARFUL MOMENTS OF LIFE. David cites two fearful moments of life:
4.1. Valley of the shadow of death. It can be translated as the valley of Deep darkness. For the sheep, the afternoon walk back following the shepherd from the pastureland to the house, many times, would be a journey through fear.
The valley of the shadow of death is not to be associated with the coming to the end of one’s life, but all the days that are in between birth and death.
-It is the days of hardship filled with the desire to want.
-It is the days of not knowing what to do next.
-It is the days of when anxiety has entered the heart and home.
-It is the days of loss filled with the pain of loneliness.
From the valley amidst the darkness rises the question, “Do we trust the Shepherd, or fear the moment?” Fear can seize the heart causing us to take off running aimlessly. Fear stems from a life of “want”. We become fearful and afraid of not getting what we want.
David said he feared no evil. To acknowledge “The Lord is my Shepherd,” drives fear from us. Allowing us to rest in the “I shall not want” provisions of the Shepherd. The valley of the shadow of death is not the experience just before we die. It refers to threatening situations during our ordinary course of life. Threats are all around. It seems like death is just waiting around the corner. It seems like there really is no certainty of a beautiful tomorrow.
4.2. Presence of My enemies. The enemies are mentioned in this verse not so much as a threat to life but as threat to a peaceful, abundant and stable life. He keeps me from death when attacked by my enemies. You provide a table for me in the presence of my enemies. When surrounded by enemies, the preparation of a banquet is not possible. The simple yet important task of taking care of our hair will not be possible. There will be no time to sit down and share a drink. There will not be a sufficient supply for my cup.
II THE TREASURES OF A SHEPHERD-GUIDED LIFE
Over and against the troubles of life such as the insufficiency of daily provisions, the aimlessness of life, the tiredness of life and the fearful moments of life, one can have beautiful and meaningful blessings in his life. This is David’s testimony in Psalm 23. David speaks of the beauty, the certainty, the confidence in life through the following:
Because he is my Shepherd, I have the following:
1. THE PERSON OF THE LORD.
(My – in the sense of being related and in the sense of being present and in the sense of being in his side). This comes through the born-again experience and obedient life.
2. THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.
2.1. Constant. In the Green Pasture. Beside quiet waters. Through the valley of the shadow of death. In the presence of my enemies.
2.2. Comforting. Restores my soul. “God knows we need restoration. In the face of common temptation we fall -- voluntarily and repeatedly. The same old flaws and failures pursue us all through life.” Rescues me from the enemy. If God is for us, who can be against us?
2.3. Cleansing. His presence provides paths of righteousness.
3. THE PROVISIONS OF THE LORD.
3.1 Daily Needs. Green Pastures. Quiet waters. When there is no quiet water, the shepherd places rocks on the water to form a quiet pool to enable the sheep to drink.
3.2 Daily sense of being secure.
3.2.1 Daily security in the area of provisions. Green Pastures (lying down). Quiet waters (led beside it). Not only to feed but to lie down. To know that there will be enough and to lie down on that knowledge. Nakahiga sa katiyakan.
3.2.2 Daily security in the area of protection. Rod – To hit at the wild animals, but also to “palo” the stubbornly disobedient animal. Staff – To push animals away but also to pull in the straying animals. Sometimes, the sharp point of the bottom part of the staff is used to prick the stubborn animals to keep it going. You cannot afford imprecision during the passage through the valley of the shadow of death.
3.3 Daily guidance. He guides me. “Divine guidance is not some sentimental theory. Divine guidance is a blessed reality.”
3.4 Daily expression of concern. Prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies.
4. THE PROGRAM OF THE LORD.
The Lord provides a program for the entire life of the believer. He has appointed two companions who will just follow us in the sense of attending to our needs. Follow in the sense of being servants ready to whatever is necessary for the master. What are these two companions?
4.1 Goodness.
4.2 Love or mercy. Here’s a stanza from an old hym:
“O to grace how great a debtor,
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy grace, Lord like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
THE DECISION: INVITE JESUS TO BE YOUR SHEPHERD (OWNER, LEADER, PLAN-MAKER, MORAL STANDARDS GIVER). Say, Jesus is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want.
Devotional for the week: Love lifted me
Thoughts For the Day
LOVE LIFTED ME. November 9 to 15, 2009
Read Matthew 8 and 9
Except when otherwise indicated “Scripture is taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
(Note: We are quoting extensively from William Barclay for 2 reasons: first, he is really good as a scholar. Second, to remind us that there are resources out there that can prove to be quite helpful to us)
LOVE LIFTED ME (Hymn):
Chorus:
Love lifted me! Love lifted me! When nothing else could help Love lifted me!
2nd Stanza:
All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling
In His blessèd presence live, ever His praises sing,
Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul’s best songs,
Faithful, loving service too, to Him belongs.
The Lord’s Promise: John 14:13 "And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
MONDAY: “LORD , IF YOU ARE WILLING, YOU CAN MAKE ME CLEAN.”
Matt 8:1 And when He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2 And behold, a leper came to Him, and bowed down to Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." 3 And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and present the offering that Moses commanded, for a testimony to them."
“IN the ancient world leprosy was the most terrible of all diseases. E. W. G. Masterson writes: “No other disease reduces a human being for so many years to so hideous a wreck.” It might begin with little nodules which go on to ulcerate. The ulcers develop a foul discharge; the eyebrows fall out; the eyes become staring; the vocal chords become ulcerated, and the voice becomes hoarse, and the breath wheezes. The hands and feet always ulcerate. Slowly the sufferer becomes a mass of ulcerated growths. The average course of that kind of leprosy is nine years, and it ends in mental decay, coma and ultimately death. Leprosy might begin with the loss of all sensation in some part of the body; the nerve trunks are affected; the muscles waste away; the tendons contract until the hands are like claws. There follows ulceration of the hands and feet. Then comes the progressive loss of fingers and toes, until in the end a whole hand or a whole foot may drop off. The duration of that kind of leprosy is anything from twenty to thirty years. It is a kind of terrible progressive death in which a man dies by inches.”(William Barclay. Commentary on Matthew).
I do not now if you have become a “living dead”; somebody who is alive but is treated like a dead man and looks at life like a dead man (no hope, no future). Other than death itself, leprosy was THE ENEMY then since it “kills” a person even before he actually dies. Leprosy then was so invasive, so destructive, so merciless, so devastating that a man was required to warn others that he had it. He must shout: “unclean, unclean” at the approach of others. What is your “leprosy” now? Learn from the Leper in the story. The Lord loves you and His love can lift you. Tell Him: “ Lord, if you are willing, You can make me clean.” It’s a way of saying, “the right to ask is not mine but it will be my privilege to receive your blessing.” What are you waiting for?
TUESDAY. “LORD, JUST SAY THE WORD”
Matthew 8:5 And when He had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, entreating Him, 6 and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering great pain." 7 And He said to him, "I will come and heal him." 8 But the centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 "For I, too, am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." 10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled, and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. 11 "And I say to you, that many shall come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven; 12 but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. " 13 And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; let it be done to you as you have believed." And the servant was healed that very hour.
“The centurions were the backbone of the army. In Roman legion there were 6, 000 men; the legion was divided into sixty centuries, each containing 100 men, and in command of each century there was a centurion. These centurions were the long-service, regular soldiers of the Roman army. They were responsible for the discipline of the regiment, and they were the cement which held the army together. In peace and in war alike the morale of the Roman army depended on them. In his description of the Roman army Polybius describes what a centurion should be: “They must not be so much venturesome seekers after danger as men who can command, steady in action, and reliable; they ought not to be over-anxious to rush into the fight, but when hard pressed, they must be ready to hold their ground, and die at their posts.” The centurions were the finest men in the Roman army.
It is interesting to note that every centurion mentioned in the New Testament is mentioned with honor. There was the centurion who recognized Jesus on the Cross as the Son of God; there was Cornelius, the first Gentile convert to the Christian Church; there was the centurion who suddenly discovered that Paul was a Roman citizen, and who rescued him from the fury of the rioting mob; there was the centurion who was informed that the Jews had planned to murder Paul between Jerusalem and Caesarea, and who took steps to foil their plans; there was the centurion whom Felix ordered to look after Paul; there was the centurion accompanying Paul on his last journey to Rome, who treated him with every courtesy, and accepted him as leader when the storm stuck the ship (Matthew 27:54 Acts 10:22; 22; 26; 23; 17; 23; 24:23; 27:43).” (Barclay on Matthew)
The Centurion in the story was more than just a good man. His attitude towards the slave was extraordinary. This kindness is only possible for a man who has the love of God in his heart. Under Roman Law, the slave was not really a person but an object or a thing and is usually treated as such. The slave was nothing but the Centurion grieved for his servant. I believe the story is included in the Bible because this man exhibited the kind of love that the Savior has for us. We are like that slaves, nothing and deserve nothing as far as the law is concerned. But there is someone who cares. The Centurion understood the truth. All that the Lord Jesus had to do was say the word. The Centurion says: “Lord just say the word.” Today, you can certainly talk to the Lord and say: “Lord, just say the word in my favor. I shall be blessed.”
WEDNESDAY. “ LORD, YOUR TOUCH IS MORE THAN ENOUGH”
Matthew 8:14 And when Jesus had come to Peter's home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. 15 And He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she arose, and waited on Him.
“On this occasion Peter’s wife’s mother was ill with a fever. There were three kinds of fever which were common in Palestine. There was a fever which was called Malta fever, and which was marked by weakness, anemia and wasting away, and which lasted for months, and often ended in a decline which finished in death. There was what was called intermittent fever, which may well have been very like typhoid fever. And above all there was malaria. In the regions where the Jordan River entered and left the Sea of Galilee there was marshy ground; there the malarial mosquitoes bred and flourished, and both Capernaum and Tiberias were areas where malaria was very prevalent. It was often accompanied by jaundice and ague, and was a most wretched and miserable experience for the sufferer from it. It was most likely malaria from which Peter’s wife’s mother was suffering.” (Barclay on Matthew)
The focus of the story is not really on the marital status of Peter (he was married) but the need of this lady who was Peter’s mother-in-law. She was not well, stricken by fever. Just before this, the Lord healed the slave of the Centurion by a word. In this case, no spoken word is recorded. The Lord did not speak but He gently touched the stricken woman. She got healed.
Have you ever wondered about the touch of the Lord? Some people believed they have felt the touch of the Lord. I know I have. It is an experience that is really beyond explanation. You can ask Him today: “Lord, Your touch will be more than enough for me.” But don’t forget the rest of the story. The one who got healed got up and served the Lord. Be ready to be blessed with the Lord’s touch but be ready to serve also.
THURSDAY. “LORD CAST THE SPIRIT OUT AND CARRY AWAY MY ILLNESS”
Matthew 8:16 And when evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill 17 in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, "He Himself took our infirmities, and carried away our diseases."
Demons are fallen angels and are sometimes called evil spirit. In the Bible, demons are recorded as having some kind of a power that enabled them to enter and inhabit a human body. Sometimes, the presence of the demon makes a person quite sick. But, take a quick look at the text again. Did you notice the time of the day when this healing and deliverance took place? It says in the evening. Why? Wouldn’t it be better for this even to have taken earlier during the day? William Barclay has a beautiful explanation. He says:
“AS we have already seen, Mark’s account of this series of incidents makes it clear that they happened on the Sabbath day (Mark 1:21–34). That explains why this scene happened late in the day, at the evening time. According to the Sabbath Law, which forbade all work on the Sabbath day, it was illegal to heal on the Sabbath. Steps could be taken to prevent a person from getting any worse, but no steps might be taken to make him any better. The general law was that on the Sabbath medical attention might only be given to those whose lives were actually in danger. Further, it was illegal to carry a burden on the Sabbath day, and a burden was anything which weighed more than two dried figs. It was, therefore, illegal to carry a sick person from place to place on a stretcher or in one’s arms or on one’s shoulders, for to do so would have been to carry a burden. Officially the Sabbath ended when two stars could be seen in the sky, for there were no clocks to tell the time in those days. That is why the crowd in Capernaum waited until the evening time to come to Jesus for the healing which they knew he could give. (Barclay on Matthew)
But, as look at the story again, note the focus: It’s not really the sick but the Savior. Matthew 8:16 And when evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill 17 in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, "He Himself took our infirmities, and carried away our diseases."
He can (and would love to) speak against something that is afflicting you and He is able (and He would love to) to carry your burdens away from you. Is there something that is afflicting you? Is there something heavy in your life that You want to be carried away from you? You can talk to the Lord and say: “ Lord, please speak against my affliction and please carry away from me my burdens.”
FRIDAY. “LORD, I WILL FOLLOW YOU”
Mathew 8:18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side. 19 And a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go." 20 And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." 21 And another of the disciples said to Him, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." 22 But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me; and allow the dead to bury their own dead."
Some people say that this section is not in synch with the rest of the stories in the chapter. That is because the chapter is mostly about miracles but this has nothing to do with a miracle. To answer this, in the first place, the fact that this chapter tells a lot miracle stroies does not have to say that only miraculous events will be covered by this section. The chapter is about the Lord and the people He has had interaction with. This section no longer deals with healing but attitude of people concerning the Lord. When we consider attitude as a major theme in this chapter, then everything falls into the right place: the attitude of the needy, the attitude of the sick, the attitude of the Centurion, the attitude of the Leper and now the attitude of some of those who had wanted to follow the Lord.
Two men expressed desire to follow the Lord. One, the scribe, was told of the extreme poverty that Jesus has had to go through so the scribe better be sure of what he wants to do. Another man wanted to follow but he wants to bury his father first. He was told to let the dead bury their own dead. There is no consensus as to what this statement means. Space and time would not let us discuss it here. I will at another time. But the point of the statement is this: do not let anything get between you and the Lord. If you have been called to serve, serve. If you have been asked by God to do something, carry out your task as an obedience. The point is this: obedience is prompt, punctual and persevering. You can talk to Him and say : “Lord, I will follow you and I will not let anything prevent me from obeying.”
SATURDAY- “LORD, SAVE US!”
Matthew 8:23 And when He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm in the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves; but He Himself was asleep. 25 And they came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing!" 26 And He said to them, "Why are you timid, you men of little faith?" Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and it became perfectly calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, "What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"
“IN one sense this was a very ordinary scene on the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is small; it is only thirteen miles from north to south and eight miles from east to west at its widest. The Jordan valley makes a deep cleft in the surface of the earth, and the Sea of Galilee is part of that cleft. It is 680 feet below sea level. That gives it a climate which is warm and gracious, but it also creates dangers. On the west side there are hills with valleys and gullies; and, when a cold wind comes from the west, these valleys and gullies act like gigantic funnels. The wind, as it were, becomes compressed in them, and rushes down upon the lake with savage violence and with startling suddenness, so that the calm of one moment can become the raging storm of the next. The storms on the Sea of Galilee combine suddenness and violence in a unique way.” (Barclay on Matthew)
The story points out a very common and frightening experience in life. Everything seems to be calm and wonderful and then a storm hits us, sometimes completely unexpected in terms of its timing and ferocity. The Lord was with the disciples when they went through this storm. That, in fact is the lesson. The presence of the Lord pacifies the storm. Storms of any kind are terrible. They are specially frightening and threatening when relationships and even life are involved. When the Lord is present, the storm is pacified. Remember the old Sunday School song? “With Christ in my vessel I can smile at the storm.” There is nothing wrong in calling upon Him and saying: “Lord, save us” in reference to specific stormy situation that you are going through.
SUNDAY. “LORD, SET ME FREE!”
Matthew 8:28 And when He had come to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs; they were so exceedingly violent that no one could pass by that road. 29 And behold, they cried out, saying, "What do we have to do with You, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" 30 Now there was at a distance from them a herd of many swine feeding. 31 And the demons began to entreat Him, saying, "If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine." 32 And He said to them, "Begone!" And they came out, and went into the swine, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters. 33 And the herdsmen ran away, and went to the city, and reported everything, including the incident of the demoniacs. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they entreated Him to depart from their region.
There are several ways of studying this passage. One is to engage in along and arduous research about the background and origin of demons. You can, I suppose, go into a deep study of the reality and identity of demons. There are many other ways of approaching this. Let me suggest an approach that is practical, correct and beneficial. Let’s start by finding out what the demons have done to the men; how the Lord dealt with the demons and how the people responded to the deliverance of the men who afflicted by the demons. Here it goes.
The demons took control of the men, either of their bodies or their faculties. The demons, however, recognize Jesus Christ quickly. In this way, demons are better than most men. Their spiritual insight is quite good. The Lord told them to leave and they left the men’s bodies. They transferred to the bodies of pigs nearby and the whole herd drowned in the water. The men of the city, realizing their loss, asked the Lord to leave their place. Lessons?
Demons are dangerous, don’t play with them and don’t join in their activities (Ouija board, spirit of the glass, etc.). Demons recognize spiritual identity so they should know you and they know that you are special to God so they should not touch you. Don’t be afraid, you are safe. When a person is demonized, the answer is deliverance or casting out the demon, not peer-group counseling. Here is our final lesson and very important. The men of the city were willing to have the demons afflict a person so long as their sources of income were not affected. What are giving up because of our attitude towards income? To prevent this problem, let us offer out bodies and everything that we have to the Lord for His use and His glory. And, the conclusion is this: there is nothing, big or small, that is beyond the power of the Lord. Call upon Him; He will save you.
LOVE LIFTED ME. November 9 to 15, 2009
Read Matthew 8 and 9
Except when otherwise indicated “Scripture is taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
(Note: We are quoting extensively from William Barclay for 2 reasons: first, he is really good as a scholar. Second, to remind us that there are resources out there that can prove to be quite helpful to us)
LOVE LIFTED ME (Hymn):
Chorus:
Love lifted me! Love lifted me! When nothing else could help Love lifted me!
2nd Stanza:
All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling
In His blessèd presence live, ever His praises sing,
Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul’s best songs,
Faithful, loving service too, to Him belongs.
The Lord’s Promise: John 14:13 "And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
MONDAY: “LORD , IF YOU ARE WILLING, YOU CAN MAKE ME CLEAN.”
Matt 8:1 And when He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. 2 And behold, a leper came to Him, and bowed down to Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." 3 And He stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus said to him, "See that you tell no one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and present the offering that Moses commanded, for a testimony to them."
“IN the ancient world leprosy was the most terrible of all diseases. E. W. G. Masterson writes: “No other disease reduces a human being for so many years to so hideous a wreck.” It might begin with little nodules which go on to ulcerate. The ulcers develop a foul discharge; the eyebrows fall out; the eyes become staring; the vocal chords become ulcerated, and the voice becomes hoarse, and the breath wheezes. The hands and feet always ulcerate. Slowly the sufferer becomes a mass of ulcerated growths. The average course of that kind of leprosy is nine years, and it ends in mental decay, coma and ultimately death. Leprosy might begin with the loss of all sensation in some part of the body; the nerve trunks are affected; the muscles waste away; the tendons contract until the hands are like claws. There follows ulceration of the hands and feet. Then comes the progressive loss of fingers and toes, until in the end a whole hand or a whole foot may drop off. The duration of that kind of leprosy is anything from twenty to thirty years. It is a kind of terrible progressive death in which a man dies by inches.”(William Barclay. Commentary on Matthew).
I do not now if you have become a “living dead”; somebody who is alive but is treated like a dead man and looks at life like a dead man (no hope, no future). Other than death itself, leprosy was THE ENEMY then since it “kills” a person even before he actually dies. Leprosy then was so invasive, so destructive, so merciless, so devastating that a man was required to warn others that he had it. He must shout: “unclean, unclean” at the approach of others. What is your “leprosy” now? Learn from the Leper in the story. The Lord loves you and His love can lift you. Tell Him: “ Lord, if you are willing, You can make me clean.” It’s a way of saying, “the right to ask is not mine but it will be my privilege to receive your blessing.” What are you waiting for?
TUESDAY. “LORD, JUST SAY THE WORD”
Matthew 8:5 And when He had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, entreating Him, 6 and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering great pain." 7 And He said to him, "I will come and heal him." 8 But the centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 "For I, too, am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." 10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled, and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. 11 "And I say to you, that many shall come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven; 12 but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. " 13 And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; let it be done to you as you have believed." And the servant was healed that very hour.
“The centurions were the backbone of the army. In Roman legion there were 6, 000 men; the legion was divided into sixty centuries, each containing 100 men, and in command of each century there was a centurion. These centurions were the long-service, regular soldiers of the Roman army. They were responsible for the discipline of the regiment, and they were the cement which held the army together. In peace and in war alike the morale of the Roman army depended on them. In his description of the Roman army Polybius describes what a centurion should be: “They must not be so much venturesome seekers after danger as men who can command, steady in action, and reliable; they ought not to be over-anxious to rush into the fight, but when hard pressed, they must be ready to hold their ground, and die at their posts.” The centurions were the finest men in the Roman army.
It is interesting to note that every centurion mentioned in the New Testament is mentioned with honor. There was the centurion who recognized Jesus on the Cross as the Son of God; there was Cornelius, the first Gentile convert to the Christian Church; there was the centurion who suddenly discovered that Paul was a Roman citizen, and who rescued him from the fury of the rioting mob; there was the centurion who was informed that the Jews had planned to murder Paul between Jerusalem and Caesarea, and who took steps to foil their plans; there was the centurion whom Felix ordered to look after Paul; there was the centurion accompanying Paul on his last journey to Rome, who treated him with every courtesy, and accepted him as leader when the storm stuck the ship (Matthew 27:54 Acts 10:22; 22; 26; 23; 17; 23; 24:23; 27:43).” (Barclay on Matthew)
The Centurion in the story was more than just a good man. His attitude towards the slave was extraordinary. This kindness is only possible for a man who has the love of God in his heart. Under Roman Law, the slave was not really a person but an object or a thing and is usually treated as such. The slave was nothing but the Centurion grieved for his servant. I believe the story is included in the Bible because this man exhibited the kind of love that the Savior has for us. We are like that slaves, nothing and deserve nothing as far as the law is concerned. But there is someone who cares. The Centurion understood the truth. All that the Lord Jesus had to do was say the word. The Centurion says: “Lord just say the word.” Today, you can certainly talk to the Lord and say: “Lord, just say the word in my favor. I shall be blessed.”
WEDNESDAY. “ LORD, YOUR TOUCH IS MORE THAN ENOUGH”
Matthew 8:14 And when Jesus had come to Peter's home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. 15 And He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she arose, and waited on Him.
“On this occasion Peter’s wife’s mother was ill with a fever. There were three kinds of fever which were common in Palestine. There was a fever which was called Malta fever, and which was marked by weakness, anemia and wasting away, and which lasted for months, and often ended in a decline which finished in death. There was what was called intermittent fever, which may well have been very like typhoid fever. And above all there was malaria. In the regions where the Jordan River entered and left the Sea of Galilee there was marshy ground; there the malarial mosquitoes bred and flourished, and both Capernaum and Tiberias were areas where malaria was very prevalent. It was often accompanied by jaundice and ague, and was a most wretched and miserable experience for the sufferer from it. It was most likely malaria from which Peter’s wife’s mother was suffering.” (Barclay on Matthew)
The focus of the story is not really on the marital status of Peter (he was married) but the need of this lady who was Peter’s mother-in-law. She was not well, stricken by fever. Just before this, the Lord healed the slave of the Centurion by a word. In this case, no spoken word is recorded. The Lord did not speak but He gently touched the stricken woman. She got healed.
Have you ever wondered about the touch of the Lord? Some people believed they have felt the touch of the Lord. I know I have. It is an experience that is really beyond explanation. You can ask Him today: “Lord, Your touch will be more than enough for me.” But don’t forget the rest of the story. The one who got healed got up and served the Lord. Be ready to be blessed with the Lord’s touch but be ready to serve also.
THURSDAY. “LORD CAST THE SPIRIT OUT AND CARRY AWAY MY ILLNESS”
Matthew 8:16 And when evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill 17 in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, "He Himself took our infirmities, and carried away our diseases."
Demons are fallen angels and are sometimes called evil spirit. In the Bible, demons are recorded as having some kind of a power that enabled them to enter and inhabit a human body. Sometimes, the presence of the demon makes a person quite sick. But, take a quick look at the text again. Did you notice the time of the day when this healing and deliverance took place? It says in the evening. Why? Wouldn’t it be better for this even to have taken earlier during the day? William Barclay has a beautiful explanation. He says:
“AS we have already seen, Mark’s account of this series of incidents makes it clear that they happened on the Sabbath day (Mark 1:21–34). That explains why this scene happened late in the day, at the evening time. According to the Sabbath Law, which forbade all work on the Sabbath day, it was illegal to heal on the Sabbath. Steps could be taken to prevent a person from getting any worse, but no steps might be taken to make him any better. The general law was that on the Sabbath medical attention might only be given to those whose lives were actually in danger. Further, it was illegal to carry a burden on the Sabbath day, and a burden was anything which weighed more than two dried figs. It was, therefore, illegal to carry a sick person from place to place on a stretcher or in one’s arms or on one’s shoulders, for to do so would have been to carry a burden. Officially the Sabbath ended when two stars could be seen in the sky, for there were no clocks to tell the time in those days. That is why the crowd in Capernaum waited until the evening time to come to Jesus for the healing which they knew he could give. (Barclay on Matthew)
But, as look at the story again, note the focus: It’s not really the sick but the Savior. Matthew 8:16 And when evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill 17 in order that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, "He Himself took our infirmities, and carried away our diseases."
He can (and would love to) speak against something that is afflicting you and He is able (and He would love to) to carry your burdens away from you. Is there something that is afflicting you? Is there something heavy in your life that You want to be carried away from you? You can talk to the Lord and say: “ Lord, please speak against my affliction and please carry away from me my burdens.”
FRIDAY. “LORD, I WILL FOLLOW YOU”
Mathew 8:18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the other side. 19 And a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go." 20 And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." 21 And another of the disciples said to Him, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." 22 But Jesus said to him, "Follow Me; and allow the dead to bury their own dead."
Some people say that this section is not in synch with the rest of the stories in the chapter. That is because the chapter is mostly about miracles but this has nothing to do with a miracle. To answer this, in the first place, the fact that this chapter tells a lot miracle stroies does not have to say that only miraculous events will be covered by this section. The chapter is about the Lord and the people He has had interaction with. This section no longer deals with healing but attitude of people concerning the Lord. When we consider attitude as a major theme in this chapter, then everything falls into the right place: the attitude of the needy, the attitude of the sick, the attitude of the Centurion, the attitude of the Leper and now the attitude of some of those who had wanted to follow the Lord.
Two men expressed desire to follow the Lord. One, the scribe, was told of the extreme poverty that Jesus has had to go through so the scribe better be sure of what he wants to do. Another man wanted to follow but he wants to bury his father first. He was told to let the dead bury their own dead. There is no consensus as to what this statement means. Space and time would not let us discuss it here. I will at another time. But the point of the statement is this: do not let anything get between you and the Lord. If you have been called to serve, serve. If you have been asked by God to do something, carry out your task as an obedience. The point is this: obedience is prompt, punctual and persevering. You can talk to Him and say : “Lord, I will follow you and I will not let anything prevent me from obeying.”
SATURDAY- “LORD, SAVE US!”
Matthew 8:23 And when He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm in the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves; but He Himself was asleep. 25 And they came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing!" 26 And He said to them, "Why are you timid, you men of little faith?" Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and it became perfectly calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, "What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"
“IN one sense this was a very ordinary scene on the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is small; it is only thirteen miles from north to south and eight miles from east to west at its widest. The Jordan valley makes a deep cleft in the surface of the earth, and the Sea of Galilee is part of that cleft. It is 680 feet below sea level. That gives it a climate which is warm and gracious, but it also creates dangers. On the west side there are hills with valleys and gullies; and, when a cold wind comes from the west, these valleys and gullies act like gigantic funnels. The wind, as it were, becomes compressed in them, and rushes down upon the lake with savage violence and with startling suddenness, so that the calm of one moment can become the raging storm of the next. The storms on the Sea of Galilee combine suddenness and violence in a unique way.” (Barclay on Matthew)
The story points out a very common and frightening experience in life. Everything seems to be calm and wonderful and then a storm hits us, sometimes completely unexpected in terms of its timing and ferocity. The Lord was with the disciples when they went through this storm. That, in fact is the lesson. The presence of the Lord pacifies the storm. Storms of any kind are terrible. They are specially frightening and threatening when relationships and even life are involved. When the Lord is present, the storm is pacified. Remember the old Sunday School song? “With Christ in my vessel I can smile at the storm.” There is nothing wrong in calling upon Him and saying: “Lord, save us” in reference to specific stormy situation that you are going through.
SUNDAY. “LORD, SET ME FREE!”
Matthew 8:28 And when He had come to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs; they were so exceedingly violent that no one could pass by that road. 29 And behold, they cried out, saying, "What do we have to do with You, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" 30 Now there was at a distance from them a herd of many swine feeding. 31 And the demons began to entreat Him, saying, "If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine." 32 And He said to them, "Begone!" And they came out, and went into the swine, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters. 33 And the herdsmen ran away, and went to the city, and reported everything, including the incident of the demoniacs. 34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they entreated Him to depart from their region.
There are several ways of studying this passage. One is to engage in along and arduous research about the background and origin of demons. You can, I suppose, go into a deep study of the reality and identity of demons. There are many other ways of approaching this. Let me suggest an approach that is practical, correct and beneficial. Let’s start by finding out what the demons have done to the men; how the Lord dealt with the demons and how the people responded to the deliverance of the men who afflicted by the demons. Here it goes.
The demons took control of the men, either of their bodies or their faculties. The demons, however, recognize Jesus Christ quickly. In this way, demons are better than most men. Their spiritual insight is quite good. The Lord told them to leave and they left the men’s bodies. They transferred to the bodies of pigs nearby and the whole herd drowned in the water. The men of the city, realizing their loss, asked the Lord to leave their place. Lessons?
Demons are dangerous, don’t play with them and don’t join in their activities (Ouija board, spirit of the glass, etc.). Demons recognize spiritual identity so they should know you and they know that you are special to God so they should not touch you. Don’t be afraid, you are safe. When a person is demonized, the answer is deliverance or casting out the demon, not peer-group counseling. Here is our final lesson and very important. The men of the city were willing to have the demons afflict a person so long as their sources of income were not affected. What are giving up because of our attitude towards income? To prevent this problem, let us offer out bodies and everything that we have to the Lord for His use and His glory. And, the conclusion is this: there is nothing, big or small, that is beyond the power of the Lord. Call upon Him; He will save you.
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