Jesus, Our Messiah, In The Old Testament

JESUS, OUR MESSIAH, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

We who live day-by-day and minute-by-minute bound by time; often find it hard to comprehend how God lives in eternity. While we live from day-to-day with more deadlines than we can deal with; He purposefully lives in eternity to show forth His glory and invites us into His loving, His welcoming, His redeeming Presence. He does this in the person of Jesus Christ, the Son, our Messiah. This is God’s eternal Gospel plan. So, for us, we start in the beginning, in the Old Testament. There we find a constant declaration of God’s Love expressed in Jesus.

Yes, it is the zeal of God who will accomplish this, the Prophet Isaiah proclaims. He will come as a child, as a son. Even so, the government of God’s Kingdom will weigh upon His shoulders. He will be given mighty names: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. From the time of His coming there will be no end to His Kingdom’s growth. He personally will establish it and uphold it with justice and righteousness forever.

Though Jesus comes to us as God Incarnate, God-in-the-flesh; He will be unique. He will be born of a virgin, unlike any other person in the history of our world. By God’s divine will, and by the virgin Mary’s willing obedience, Jesus comes as the one and only one like Himself. Still, in life He chooses hunger, thirst, pain, heat, cold, dirt, hard ground, sweat, difficult work, and eventually death. He endures the longest of days. He patiently teaches God’s Truth over and over again. He makes His life an open book, the Gospel to be clearly read in His actions and through His Words. Then He willingly lays down His life to open the door to faith which becomes His free gift of salvation to each of us who choose to believe and to entrust our very lives to Him. 

God declares Himself the Father of the coming Messiah. All that Jesus is and all that He does among us has arisen from the eternal gospel plan of the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit acting as One. God acknowledges this overpowering truth when Jesus begins His ministry, submitting to the rite of Baptism at the hand of John the Baptist. The Holy Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove. “And when was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.” (Matthew 3:16) God says, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) Here is an open declaration that Jesus is the Messiah, the one and only Son of God, who has always been and who will always be One with the Father and the Spirit. 

The prophet Micah had the privilege of announcing the birthplace of the coming Messiah in Bethlehem, where King David had also been born. See how comprehensively God arranges for the King whose dynasty provides the lineage for the Messiah to share his humble birthplace with the Messiah. Humility befits God’s eternal Gospel plan when the Mighty One comes as the little one, whose life is immediately both precious and precarious. How fitting that the One True King Above All Kings should be born during the reign of a false and fickle, a diabolical and an unholy, wholly political king. 

The prophet Zechariah declares the joy the crowds will demonstrate as Jesus rides on a donkey, a colt into Jerusalem. Though most of Jerusalem does not recognize Him, Scripture clearly points to Him as God’s promised Messiah. We recall the nature of God’s heart displayed as Jesus pauses while He weeps over God’s Chosen City. “And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.’” (Luke 19:41-44) Their Messiah is coming to fulfill every covenant promise God has made throughout their history; but even so, most will fail to recognize and worship Him. And the consequences of their failure to receive their Messiah will be terrifying.

Perhaps Judas becomes the saddest of all the tragic figures caught up in the ultimate revelation of the glory of Jesus when He is revealed through His betrayal, His trials, His torture, His crucifixion, His burial, and His resurrection. Judas’ price? Thirty pieces of silver. The price of a common slave. A pittance of a price for the precious life of Jesus. Notice in the passage above how clearly Zechariah predicted the specifics of Judas and his betrayal, and of the payment Judas received. Notice also that Zechariah accurately prophesies the actions of Judas when he realizes how disastrously his scheme has gone. “He cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.”  (Zechariah 11:13)

Even a Bible skeptic has to do some complicated mental gymnastics to explain away the shockingly accurate portrayal of the Messiah’s Crucifixion in Psalm 22. Behold the “dogs,” the Jewish leaders and the Jerusalem’s rebel spitting out taunts and curses at Jesus on the Cross. And see how they pierced His hands and His feet. Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, the Psalmist is inspired by God to pen these words which vividly describe Jesus and His suffering. God’s plan had always been for Jesus, the Son, to absorb all of God’s Just Wrath against sin, in this most hideous form of human suffering there just outside Jerusalem on a Roman Cross, rejected by His own people. 

Again in Psalm 22:18, the Psalmist describes how the soldiers around the Cross cast lots for Jesus’ clothing. Indeed, God chose from eternity to bear the suffering for our sin. From the Garden, to the Ark, to the Exodus, to the Kingdom and the Temple, to the Exile, to the return, even to the coming of Jesus the Messiah; God’s plan had never wavered. He would be the Redeemer of His People throughout history and throughout the world. Eternal Truth cannot be explained away. May God soften their hearts who continue to shake their fists at Heaven and God who so longs to save them from sin and theirselves.

For as Isaiah says Jesus WAS pierced for our transgressions. (He had no transgressions.) Jesus. WAS crushed for our iniquities. (He had no iniquities.) Jesus DID bear our chastisement. (He deserved none.) Jesus DID bring us eternal heavenly peace. (We had none.) Jesus DID endure the wounds that healed us. (Jesus deserved none, not even one.) Again, God’s prophet spoke God’s inspired Word pointing through the centuries to the time when Jesus would pay it all for each of us. 

Once again God uses the psalmist to look beyond the crucifixion and burial to the glorious resurrection—and again in fulfillment of God’s eternal plan. Notice the powerful phrase, “ . . . my glory rejoices; . . . “  Then, pointing to Jesus as the Son of Man, “ . . . My flesh also will rest in hope.” Speaking to the Father; “. . . You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” God will show the Messiah the path of life. And here is a central foundation truth—in God’s Presence (alone) is the fullness of joy. Not just joy, but eternal pleasures forevermore. What a powerful testimony to the coming into fulfillment of God’s eternal gospel plan—when He will be glorified and His multitudes of the redeemed, will be in His Presence forever. Hallelujah amen!

God Smiles: Flowers As His Parables

Parables as flowers, some of you may be asking? Well, parables were some of Jesus’ most effective approaches to very earthy people, inviting them into the beauty of living in God’s Kingdom. After all, Jesus did say in Luke 12:27; “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” God created the earth resplendent with beauty as a testimony to His Glory. The variety in His Creation boggles the mind. Adam and Eve had the unique privilege of living in fellowship with Him in the perfect, the original garden. I have put in my share of hours among flowers both here and in Nigeria, and though the labor is intense at times, I confess the testimony each unique blossom speaks to my soul, blesses me again and again.

I praise God that He writes His Grace and His Mercy on a wide variety of tablets. There are the heavens. There are the mountains. There are the oceans. There are the trees. There are His animals. There are His creatures in the seas. There are, above all, His own children, His children who seek His face in Jesus.

And while there is a great consistency in all He has made as He focuses our hearts, our minds—indeed, our deepest souls on His saving grace in Jesus our Savior; He amazes each of us individually in those voices which sing to us most clearly His Gospel message so that we will turn to Him in faith. For me flowers have become parables of His perfect and creative and persistent love. I can only rejoice and praise His Name.

I will borrow a line from “The Chosen,” that powerful depiction of Jesus and those He chose to follow Him on this earth; “It would have been enough.” Just before HIs arrest and trials and crucifixion began, His followers repeated particular examples of how He had intervened in each of their lives as He called them to Himself, after repeating this phrase, “It would have been enough.” Well, I would humbly add, there is so much of His glory, His splendor, His redemptive design, and beauty in every single flower, just one among the thousands He has created would have been enough; but allow me to share some of my favorites which speak so powerfully His Love for me.

A Regal Rose

God’s glory in all His perfection
declares His splendor, His grace, His delight
in all His Creation
precise, His regal rose
telling His Story,
each petal so soft,
so appealing—
so much like His mercy.

An Easter Lily

Consider the purest of whites,
the golden, the green,
displayed as His Testimony
declaring His victory
even at the end
of His darkest of stories—
yet His Love rises
victorious.

A Delightful Dahlia

See, the purple, the pink, then the white
seem somehow flowing
secure yet so free
in the breeze
just to be as beautiful
as she can be
worshiping
her perfect Creator.

Tiger Lilies

Bright as they can be
rejoicing in His Glory
who colors for all to see
their particular delight—
reflecting His passion,
His creative power
on display
His majesty proclaiming.

Just A Zinnia You Say?

You might dismiss this
common flower
seeming  just like
one more flower to see—
and yet examine
her divine design
in a trinity of shapes
and colors profound.

These Dependable Daffodils

No matter the length of this winter
nor the frost hardening the ground
these dependable daffodils
rise up and brave the cold—
to defy dreariness
shouting their first hallelujahs
recalling
His resurrection once again.

Even One Sunflower

Even one sunflower
lifting up his crown
so beautiful
a testimony
to our great God
glorious in Heaven
should be enough
for my seeking heart.

“God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone,
but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.”
 Martin Luther

Everyone Needs A Barnabas, A Paul, And A Timothy Part III

Everyone Needs A Barnabas, A Paul, And A Timothy Part III

Imagine A Letter From Paul

Imagine how you would feel
as Timothy
to receive a letter
from the Apostle Paul
who had taught you all
you know about
following Christ.

Imagine how delighted
you would feel to
read his words, “ . . . my
beloved son, . . .;” how secure
to read these words, “. . .
grace, mercy
and peace from our Lord.”

Imagine how challenged
you would feel with
Paul, more than a
father, waiting in prison
anticipating
going Home
to meet His dear Lord.

************

”Well, I must admit after all these years
to remember how I felt when
I, Timothy, after having assisted
my Father-in-the-Lord,
the Apostle Paul
write such monumental letters
to the  believing Corinthians, Philippians,
Colossians, the Thessalonians,
and even my dear brother Philemon;
to now receive letters
from him, myself.

”I still remember as a boy
learning to honor
the writings of Moses,
David, and the prophets
as my mother Eunice
and my grandmother Lois
brought me up in our
Greek home to honor
the Scripture.
So, I had a deep
appreciation
for the written
Word of God.

“How did I first meet Paul?
Paul and Silas came to Lystra,
where Paul had visited
before, and met my family—
our fellow believers
spoke to him about my
faith and he asked
me to join him on their mission.
As a Greek I was required
for propriety’s sake
to do all that was
required to be accepted
by Jews.

“To serve Jesus, my Savior,
and to be mentored
by Paul, It was well
worth it.
He truly became my
spiritual Father,
teaching me the faith
in our Lord Jesus,
and training me
in the Scriptures,
and how they
applied to Jesus,
gradually entrusting
me more and more
assignments.
Oh, how blessed
I was to learn
from this great Apostle
of our Lord.”

************

Philippians 2:19-24

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon,
so that I too may be cheered by news of you.
For I have no one like him,
who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.
For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
But you know Timothy’s proven worth,
how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.
I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me,
and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

************

“Oh, how I loved
Timothy—
oh, how he loved
our Master, Jesus,
oh, how he sacrificed
just to join us
in our mission.
He did not allow
any requirement
to keep him
from joining us
to take the Gospel
to the Jews
and to the Gentiles.

“He was always listening,
always learning,
then obeying, then teaching
as I taught Him.
In every way he
became a son in the Lord
to me—loving and honoring
Jesus—and teaching others
to do the same—
and even though he was young
he had one of those
hungry hearts
desiring our Lord
and His Gospel
above everything else.

“It is his eager-to-hear,
eager-to-learn,
eager-to-share
determination
that set him apart
in my heart—
for I had, since meeting
our Lord Jesus
on the road to Damascus,
longed to know our Savior
more so I could better
teach others about
His Love, His Mercy, and His Grace.

“This is why Timothy
came to be my dear son
and such a dear gift
from our Lord to me—
as my time was running short
Timothy’s time was still beginning—
as he visited with me in prison,
as he helped me write
my gospel letters,
as he prayed with me
and more and more,
for me—
Jesus, allowed me to see
the passion for the Gospel
still burning bright in me,
burning ever more
brightly in Timothy.
Praise be to God! Amen!”

************

I am convinced that any believer in Jesus who loves the Gospel, lives the Gospel, and shares the Gospel, needs at least one Timothy to keep them sharp, always learning, always doing—and so, always teaching the believer eager to grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.  I was uniquely blessed to arrive at Baptist High School in Jos, Nigeria, just as God had prepared many young student hearts to seek in-depth, committed discipleship. These students had a Holy Spirit driven desire for Jesus, for Bible Study, for memorizing Scripture, and for learning how to live and share the Christian life. In fact, Larry Davis, a teacher and coach at the school, actually turned over to me what became my first discipleship group at the school. These were five deeply faithful, deeply joyful, and deeply obedient students of the Gospel. They were my first Timothys in Nigeria: Mike, Shola, Ademola, Philip, and Victor. 

*They were always seeking God with hungry hearts and minds.
*They were 100% committed to do what the Word of God taught them to do.
*They were active in ministry among their fellow students.
*They grew in the faith until they became partners in sharing the Gospel.
*They supported me well as I adjusted to all that was new to me in Nigeria.
*They were constantly engaged in sharing the Gospel and growing the Kingdom.
*In their day-by-day lives they were eager to glorify God.

God granted me a blessed 18 years at Baptist High School where I found delight in too many Timothys-in-the-Gospel to count. He also gave me the rich privilege of working through discipleship with many among our Nigerian staff. I must give Him praise for surrounding me with many colleagues who became my Barnabas brothers and sisters, my Paul-like mentors in the faith, and my Timothys as we grew together in the ups and downs of sharing the Gospel. Even today, there remain in my life those who uphold me like Barnabas, teach me like Paul, and fulfill me in my calling like Timothy. What can I say? Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

Everyone Needs A Barnabas, A Paul, And A Timothy, Part II

Everyone Needs A Barnabas, A Paul, And A Timothy
Part Two

Acts 26:12-18
“In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority
and commission of the chief priests.
At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven,
brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground,
I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language,
‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?
It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.
But rise and stand upon your feet,
for I have appeared to you for this purpose,
to appoint you as a servant and witness
to the things in which you have seen me
and to those in which I will appear to you,
delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—
to whom I am sending you to open their eyes,
so that they may turn from darkness to light
and from the power of Satan to God,
that they may receive forgiveness of sins
and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’”

Everyone Needs A Paul

Before Jesus changed him
no one could resist him
as an unholy fire burned
hot within him threatening
the faithful, scattering
them from Jerusalem
with the power of his
murderous persecution.

After Jesus changed him
no one could resist him
as God’s Holy Spirit burned
hot within Him declaring
God’s gospel message
of salvation in Jesus—
neither the angry Jews
nor the murderous Romans.

For God had a call on
his life, this onetime Saul
blinded on the road
by the glory of his Lord,
granted more than the
sight he had known—
now the Love of His
Savior afire in his heart.

It is an eternal necessity—that is, for each of us to reach the point in our life when we lay ourselves down at the feet of Jesus, and ask Him to be the Lord of our life. So, God has always had His eternal Gospel plan—having Jesus come to live among us on this earth. In so coming among us He lived the perfect life to reveal the ways of God among human kind. In so living He demonstrated how to walk in God’s Presence every day, looking and listening for His direction, seeing, hearing, and obeying His perfect Will. In loving God and every person, Jesus made clear the perfect Way. And then came His ultimate purpose—to willingly, obediently, and lovingly lay down His life for us, so that our sins might be forgiven. Then, Jesus arose victorious, declaring for all time the defeat of sin through Him. And so, the decision is in our hands and in our hearts. We must decide for Jesus or against Him. We must choose Heaven or Hell. So, the Holy Spirit draws us towards our ultimate decision. 

By God’s Grace He raises witnesses to the Gospel, who declare with their lives and with their words, the necessity of yielding to the Holy Spirit and making Christ Lord. This is precisely why we all need a Paul. For God raises up Paul and His similarly burdened brothers and sisters gifted with Gospel burning hearts, who proclaim the Jesus path we must follow if we would discover and accept the claims of Jesus, our Savior. How thrilling to hear Paul’s testimony. How blessed to see how Jesus caught him on the road to Damascus. How amazing to see how He spoke God’s Truth into Saul’s troubled heart. How profound to see the absolute change the Spirit brought in Saul’s life once Jesus confronted him, and won the surrender of his heart, mind, and strength to His loving Lord Jesus.

We all need a person or people in our lives who have experienced this miraculous transformation achieved by Jesus. We need people in our lives who speak the deep and troubling truth concerning the hopelessness of our present lives. We need bold and honest souls who love us too much not to interrupt our present course which leads us towards eternal death and destruction. We need people like Paul who will use the mighty Word of God to speak the truth we must heed lest we die forever. We need people like Paul who worry little about what we think of them, so that they say the hard things about our sinfulness we need to hear. We need people like Paul who stick with us as we come to Jesus and begin life in His service, so that when we falter, they point us to Jesus and His outstretched, loving hand to take our own and raise us up, dust us off, and lead us back onto His pathway leading towards Heaven, blessed eternally, in the presence of Jesus.

I believe you are blessed as I am, to look back on life and recognize those people like Paul God placed along your way. I still thank God for my own Father and Mother, who invited our Pastor to talk with my older brother and me about our need for Jesus. He came to our house and explained in a way we could understand even as young boys, our need for Jesus as our Savior. I do not recall his actual words, but I do know he did so clearly and that he neither frightened nor confused us. He simply gave us the Gospel facts. That very day the Holy Spirit opened up Ray’s heart, and he made his decision to make Jesus His Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit continued working, based on our Pastor’s witness, until the words of the hymn, “Oh, why not tonight?” one Sunday evening, pierced my heart with my need for Jesus. And so, that very night I prayed with the Pastor and gave my life to Jesus.

Not only did I need the Pastor to show me the way to Jesus and salvation. I needed those who would lead me and guide me in Jesus’ perfect way for me. Not only did Paul show people in his life the way to Jesus and salvation. He taught them  and exhorted them to follow in the path the Lord Jesus laid before them. When they wandered from truth, He forcefully and lovingly showed them the way back to Jesus. Even in the life of the Apostle Peter, and in the life of his dear friend and co-laborer Barnabas, Paul proclaimed clearly the truth about the Jesus Way, and corrected them if they wandered. In my long life I have needed such bold and loving correction, and God has, of course, provided Paul’s to admonish me. I praise God for pastors, certainly (including my present pastor), Bible teachers (including one presently teaching a group of us in Galatians), missionary colleagues, Nigerian and Nigerien Christian brothers and sisters, and my dear wife, just to name a few. They have not allowed me to wander far, and have kept me on the Jesus path, the only path to the life filled with obedience and joy in our blessed Lord Jesus.

I Needed A Gospel Witness

There was a time in my life
when I was in danger
of choosing the wrong
and the dangerous,
self-centered way
rather than God’s loving,
His perfect Way for me.

I needed a Gospel Witness
who would in obedience
take the time to show
me God’s perfect way in
Jesus to center
my heart Making Him my
Lord on the Way to Heaven.

And as I have walked all these years
along His Good Way blessed
with further witnesses
He has lovingly kept
leading me back
when I’ve wandered—so
I praise Him forever.

Everyone Needs A Barnabas, A Paul, And A Timothy

Everyone Needs A Paul, A Barnabas, And A Timothy
Part One: Barnabas

Acts 4:36-37: Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus,
whom the apostles called Barnabas
(which means “son of encouragement”),
sold a field he owned
and brought the money and
put it at the apostles’ feet.

Everyone Needs A Barnabas

Everyone needs a Barnabas,
a loving and faithful believer
who joyfully serves our Lord Jesus
while encouraging, teaching,
believing, inspiring, caring,
challenging and building
your faith in the Master
as you become His Disciple.

Even the great Apostle Paul
needed His brother in the Lord, His
fellow Apostle in Antioch, 
His missionary companion
living in the midst of travels,
travails, welcoming new
 believers, establishing
churches, facing persecution. . .

. . .Challenging each other to stand
on the Word, even in declaring
God’s Truth, pointing together 
the Church to faith in Jesus over
works of the Law—remaining 
true to the Gospel to defend
Gentile believers in Antioch
before the leaders in Jerusalem . . .

We all need a Savior, indeed. What a wonderful Savior we have in Jesus. He loves us. He calls us. He welcomes us. He redeems us. He leads us. He prepares us. He takes us home to Heaven. We will spend eternity expressing our gratitude forall He does. 

He does not leave us alone. He surrounds us with His own people, gifted and equipped and called to walk alongside us in the mystery of growing in Him toward maturity in His Kingdom of Love and Light and Life. Bible teachers often express this by saying we (as believers) need a Paul, a Barnabas and a Timothy.

I am going to rearrange that order, beginning  with Barnabas, rather than Paul, and finally Timothy. While we all definitely need a Paul, I believe we would never find our own Paul, for they are rare, indeed; if there were no “Barnabas-es” to provide fellowship, encouragement, support, and camaraderie. I am reminded of the new believer, Saul, who had terrorized the church in Jerusalem and beyond—in many ways making himself their chief persecutor. Then, after Jesus literally blinded him with conviction, and he came to belief in Damascus, Saul needed someone to stand up for him among the Disciples in Jerusalem, Barnabas did stand up for him. And when Barnabas needed a co-laborer in Antioch, he went and found Saul in Tarsus.  Surely he was sent by the Holy Spirit on a divine mission to bring into ministry Saul who would become the mighty Apostle Paul.

Because Paul’s redemption had been so startling, the church leaders in Jerusalem found it difficult to believe that their greatest persecutor had now become a sincere believer, himself. So, we read in Acts 9:27; Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and described how Saul had seen the Lord, who spoke to him on the road to Damascus, and how Saul had spoken boldly in that city in the name of Jesus. Barnabas put his good reputation on the line to stand up for Saul and the genuineness of his faith in Jesus. 

Acts 11: 25-26: So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. Later, as Barnabas worked with the church in Antioch, he realized he needed a co-leader, so he went to find Saul in Tarsus. He brought him back, and they led the work together as God did amazing work using the two of them in seeing many called into ministry through the church where believers were first called Christians. In Acts 11 and 12 we read that Barnabas and Saul were sent with gifts to help feed the believers in Judea during a time of famine. Then they returned to Antioch together, with John Mark, thought to be a cousin of Barnabas. 

Acts 13:1-4: Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seluecia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. So, amongst the prophets ministering in the Antioch church, the Holy Spirit called two of them to become missionaries in Cyprus and beyond. Interestingly it seems that as they began their work, Barnabas was the leader, but as they moved more and more into the Gentile world, Saul was called by his gentile name, Paul, and assumed more and more of the leadership role. Yet, they worked as a team, along with Mark, who accompanied them. Those who take the Gospel around the world today still find that pairs of missionaries generally do better than those who work alone. 

I know I have certainly been blessed to have “Barnabas-es” supporting, encouraging, correcting and pushing me to fulfill the Call of God in my life. I think of Marsha Eichenberg Cooke, who mentored me through four years of summer missions. Something like a Drill Instructor, she taught me how faith acts through the Grace of God in the midst of troubling circumstances. Next Norman and Carolyn Mock in Ludowici Georgia, two of the “loving-est” folks I have ever known, helped me grow up as I lived and taught and served alone for the first time. In Nigeria one of my first discipleship group members, Mike Tosan, taught me how deep, deep faith can overcome all obstacles, and bear fruit for God. And then as Becky later joined me there, Don and Gwen Reece both loved and challenged us to see how far God would take us in serving Him. In Niger an eighty year-old volunteer who deeply loved God’s Word, Jim Kelly, taught me so much about the faithfulness of God. Each of these, in his or her own way, did what Barnabas did for Paul—they modeled for me how we can and must depend on God as He calls us into and develops us for His service.

Even as God the Father, Son and Spirit, exhibit so beautiful a manifestation of His Oneness in dynamic Love of our great God; even so, we never stand alone in our worship and service to our Maker. Each of us is but one within the Body, the Church; and so we deeply depend on each other as we grow in knowledge, in fellowship, and in service to our Maker, Savior, Spirit—three-in-one.

God Knows Us, He Sees Us, He Empowers Us

GOD KNOWS, HE SEES, HE EMPOWERS 

Where does a man go when he has been anointed by God’s own prophet Samuel to become the King of Israel after her first King, Saul? Where does he go even though he, himself, has delivered Saul from the great giant, Goliath? Where does he go when he, himself, has sung God’s soothing Psalms to quiet Saul’s tortured and disobedient spirit? Where does he go when he has performed Saul’s disgusting quest and earned the hand of the king’s daughter? Where does he go when in all matters he stands in the eyes of God and in the eyes of the people as a worthy successor to the king? Where does he go when he is the very best friend of the present king’s heir apparent? Where does he go after the king tries to pin him to the wall with a spear? Well, in this case, David labeled as “a man after God’s own heart,” flees into the wilderness. Often he finds himself escaping Saul “by the skin of his teeth,”as we might say. And yet he also finds himself choosing to spare Saul’s life, even when the king wanders into circumstances which would seem to give David the opportunity to avenge himself upon Saul. David refuses to harm God’s anointed king, even after these long years of fleeing so many attempts by Saul to catch and assassinate him. Finally the king, completely depraved, is slain by the ungodly Philistines, along with his sons, including David’s best friend, Jonathan. 

Surely, then, the wording of David’s Psalm 139 comes as no surprise when this mighty King and gifted poet, David, examines the role of Almighty God in rescuing himself, and the Kingdom of Israel, itself. In fact David serves as an excellent example of God’s involvement in each of our lives. We can say, based upon David’s spirit-inspired comments in Psalm 139,  God sees us. God knows us. He empowers us. 

GOD KNOWS US

How good it is that our incredible, our omnipotent, our omniscient, our omnipresent God, Creator of the Universe; takes time, minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, and day-by day to know us. In fact He knows us much better than we know ourselves. He opens up paths before us according to His perfect knowledge. His love gives us the choice to follow Him. God knows our every need. He knows His provision for us in the midst of our greatest need. So He came to this world as Jesus to live among us, to show us the way to follow His path for our redemption. In fact, He actually gave Himself-in-Jesus upon the cross to cover the penalty for our sin and disobedience. Then He gave us redemption and deliverance when He arose victorious on the Cross. Praise God. He knows us.

GOD SEES US

Not only does God know us, He sees us. He walks so close beside us, He sees even our smallest, our most personal joys—He stands behind every bit of joy.  He also walks right beside us on the darkest days and becomes the light which gives us hope just when we need it the most. Wherever we go He never leaves our side. He knows our thoughts, our feelings, our hopes, our dreams, our fears, our doubts, and our despair. His Spirit indwells our hearts deepening all that is right, but also strengthening, cleansing, and perfecting us as He deals with all that is wrong within us. He sees us always. He proves to us that He is always the same; yesterday, today and forever. Praise God. He sees us.

GOD EMPOWERS US

From before we were born, throughout all our days on this earth, and even as we
are delivered into His eternal Presence, God empowers us to complete the course He sets before us. We are so precious in His sight.  He is intricately involved as we are formed in our mother’s womb, molding and shaping every cell within us to become perfect in His sight. Each glorious day He writes into the book of our lives, a beautiful testimony to His Love, His Mercy and His Grace. Surely, the more we understand the depths and the goodness of His touch upon our lives, the more we have cause to praise Him forever. No wonder His thoughts become precious in our sight. No wonder the blessings He bestows on us overwhelms us like the grains of sand on the sea shore. No wonder we grow to reject all wickedness and blasphemy in His sight. Praise God. He empowers us.

When we experience the truth of David’s Psalm 139, we find ourselves, like him, overwhelmed with praise and gladness as we consider God’s eternal greatness and His overwhelming, personal love expressed inside of us and all around us.

HE MOST TRULY KNOWS AND LOVES ME

I can but join David as I praise Him,
I can but raise my heart and sing
filled with joy and conviction
as I raise my voice before His glory
and His knowledge and His power—
for my God most truly, faithfully,
He most truly knows and loves me.

Just like the shepherd David found Him 
in the valley as He guarded his
father’s sheep, and as he lay
by night under those stars who joyfully
praised Him, and as David found Him
ever faithful even as he faced
a lion attacking his helpless sheep.

Even as David found himself in the king’s throne
room playing his own harp,  the
Spirit used his sweet psalms to soothe
Saul, troubled by his own disobedience—
then he stood before Goliath
with nothing but a sling, five stones,
and his trust in the Lord, Israel’s great God.

Even as He sat accused on Israel’s throne
by God’s angry prophet caught
up in adultery and murder,
his heart broken by his guilt, sorely punished,
then redeemed and cleansed, redeemed by God’s pure
love and grace, exemplified
in a cleansing, dutiful sacrifice.

All throughout His life in the depth of valleys
filled with death’s fearful darkness and
on the mountaintops when God’s own light
so filled his heart with pure joy and at all
those times which seemed somehow in between 
both the best and worst of all his
days, God always loving him, proved faithful, 

I can but join David as I praise Him,
I can but raise my heart and sing
filled with joy and conviction
as I raise my voice before His glory
and His knowledge and His power—
for my God most truly, faithfully
He most truly knows and loves me.

Praise God! He loves me!!!

Proverbs For Life: Part Two

PROVERBS FOR LIFE: PART TWO

Our good God cares how we live. He made us for His glory as we are blessed by Him, and as we serve as witnesses to His Goodness before the world. So, as we consider these proverbs, we will see how He guides us through His Wisdom, and how He so perfectly blesses us and others. For instance, in Proverbs 17:22 He explains; the cheerful heart acts like potent and beneficial medicine—giving us spiritual, emotional and physical health. Then, as He often does, He contrasts His blessing with the pitfalls of following the world’s way of thinking. Those who do so find their spirits crushed by their own pride. Without Him and the perfect wisdom which comes from trusting God’s Word,  we are doomed to become, even as we live, like dried up, dead men’s bones. There remains only lifeless nothingness—our lives literally perish without His Wisdom and His Love.

We who know Him discover that everything we own belongs to Him. God places everything we have in our hands so we can offer it back to Him in loving service. He chooses to bless us. In following Him we choose to bless others with all we have, for He  has freely given all of it to us. He fills our barns to bless others. He blesses our every source of plenty—for He has others He wants to bless through us, and the gifts we have because He has given us so much. Jesus reverses this picture in the parable he tells about the rich man and his barns. This rich man continues making bigger and bigger barns for himself. He never finds the blessing of sharing with others, but when he dies he loses all of his control over the wealth he has hoarded. God freely gives good gifts to us. Then our first act in gratitude and worship is to share with others. In sharing we do so with delight, for he has given us the opportunity to share His blessings. 

PROVERBS 22:1

Actually, then, we discover in living our lives open-handed, always looking to give rather than to hoard, the depth and the breadth of God’s riches completely surrendered to Him and His purpose in blessing His world. Then His glory grows in the eyes of the world, and our own reputation shifts from pointing to ourselves into multiplying opportunities to praise Him before the world. Even when we earn a reputation before the world—we make it our testimony to point people away from us and to Him. He deserves our every act of love. He deserves our unselfishness. He deserves our acts of unselfish service given to those who need it most—all accomplished by His grace and for His glory. Then, as is His true Nature, He stretches our hearts to receive more and more so that we can share with others more and more until they, too, find that their hands are full, so they can share, even as He has shared with us.

You know, words are a particularly noble gift from God. Surrendered by our imperfect hearts to His perfect heart, they become a blessing for healing in the midst of those stumbling through the pain of grief. He alone can take our words and fill them with power to restore and to rebuild spirits broken by the cares of the world. He can miraculously take our words as a proverbial “anti-match,” neither sparking the fire of anger nor spreading the wildfires which threaten not only ourselves but those around us. How blessed and how calming come HIs Spirit-inspired words of peace. How blessed come those cooling and refreshing showers which bless when love’s declaration dampens the most deadly fires of out-of-control anger. God’s Love becomes the damper which conquers all of the Enemy’s fires so that we and all God’s children receive release and then recovery from the Enemy’s angry and dangerously flaming words—all his lies.

Ultimately, as the Lord’s Spirit strengthens the sensitivity of our hearts seeking His glory, we discover how dearly we are blessed by His own people who become our friends. Those who walk especially close by His side, often speak Truth they have received from Him. Even if such words, which come upon us hot from the altar fires of worship, seem to sear us with their holy heat. They destroy and ultimately heal any imperfections in us. And when the Lord does so, we find ourselves always stronger, better and certainly healthier than we have ever been. So, as we read in Proverbs 27:6 the wounds of a friend-in-Jesus are faithful, helpful, bountiful—overflowing with His rich blessings.

The Book of Proverbs in the Bible records in the midst of God’s Story of Redemption available to all human kind, deep, abiding wisdom, which guides us clearly in God’s path for our blessing and His Glory. When we carefully consider these Proverbs, and pray for God’s Holy Spirit to use them, they inspire and direct our hearts. We find ourselves walking His perfect path for us. May we allow God to accomplish in us His Purpose in Proverbs, and in all of His Blessed Word, so that His perfect light illuminates all our days. As we are so blessed, may we fulfill His desire to richly bless His beloved world while His Spirit works in and through us. Amen!

Proverbs For Life

PROVERBS:GOD’s WISDOM:Part One

When we read Proverbs we are reading the basic book of God’s wisdom for His people. We are reading the holy, the inspired written record of God’s advice for living good lives in this world. We are reading deeply spiritual truth for those who seek to live lives that fully honor God. We are reading solid advice for living day-to-day in obedience to God. So, as we read, we must do so with our heart’s keen hunger for living as God directs. 

TRUST THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART

Proverbs tend to be direct and straightforward. Proverbs 3:5-6 challenges us as people seeking God’s Way to give our trust to God with all our hearts, with everything we are. We are not to rely on our own understanding. In living our lives we are to choose God’s Way over our own. In everything we think or do or say, we are to turn from our self-dependence, and depend solely on God. Then we are promised: God Himself will make our paths in life clear and secure.

FEAR THE LORD: DISCOVER KNOWLEDGE

Surely God’s people recognize His being all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere-present. So, Proverbs 1:7 reminds us to fear the Lord; and to recognize His power and His greatness. We must never forget how utterly small we are as we stand before Him. If we remember our own inadequacy, we begin to understand the mystery and the grandness of His Way for us. Then as we follow in His Way, we discover how faithfully and truly He leads us. However, we are clearly warned: We prove ourselves fools when we reject His godly wisdom, and suffer for our foolishness.

PRIDE FIRST, THEN THE FALL

Proverbs declares; a person’s pride predisposes that person to fall disastrously. A pride problem always precedes destruction. Big pride problems push us over the precipice as we trip over ourselves and fall into the deadly chasm of fools. Enormous pride leads toward a cataclysmic catastrophes. When our very spirit unwisely chooses haughtiness, we set ourselves up for a fall that will certainly humble us, and might also destroy us. God has made us to glorify Him and not ourselves.

PROVERBS WARNS: GUARD YOUR HEART

Proverbs emphasizes the centrality of our heart in choosing which way we choose to walk, the way of Heaven or the way of the world. In our hearts we make choices which affect the daily direction our lives follow. So we must guard our heart, or perhaps, more accurately stated; we must call on God to guard our hearts—for only His righteousness can overcome our personal weaknesses. Where we are weak, He is strong. “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) I am wise to look to Christ, and not rely upon my own strength, but rather, to guard my heart and and all that proceeds from the purity only He can bring to my heart.

STRENGTH WALKS IN PATIENCE

Proverbs teaches us that patience and self-control provide success in battle. Whatever form a battle takes, the patient and self-controlled soldier will hold the upper hand. Whether our battle be physical, mental or spiritual; allowing God’s Hand to have full control over our preparation and follow-through, bringing victory in the end. Goliath had no idea what He was facing in his final battle. David most surely did. He trusted in God, self-controlled and patient, and we all know who saw victory that day. There was surely fear in the heart of David, but there was no panic, because he patiently looked not to himself but to God. When we allow God to control our battles His victory will surely follow.

Proverbs proclaims the depths of spiritual truth built on the strong foundation of complete faith in God. Proverbs takes God’s perfect Truth and gives clear, down-to-earth advice which serves as our sure foundation for godly and productive lives for His glory and for our good. Wise folks listen intentionally and obediently to these Proverbs inspired by God’s Spirit. As we follow His direction in Proverbs, we discover His path for us. If we follow Him we will discover His blessed, His loving, His perfect wisdom.

Here Is A Story

We live in troubled times. Politicians and their partisans shout louder. Countries fight rather than finding common ground to serve all their people. Tyrants rule with prideful, selfish intent. In all these ways and so many more, the divisions in life have become much harder. It seems we see less and less cooperation and more and more competition. It seems the world’s “Win at all costs!” has replaced Heaven’s, “ . . . and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” And so we find ourselves more and more separate and more and more alone. I believe it’s time to pray for more and more and more of God’s Way and less and less of the world’s. So, I offer this humble story for us to pray over and the condition of our hearts and souls in the midst of our strife-ridden earth. 

Here Is A Story

Here is a story
told in all kinds
of ways so filled
with hopes and with
dreams—no one can
hear it without
taking away
the very best
for tomorrow
and possibly
for our always,
forever.

There was a valley
and there was a
mountain and those
from the valley
were skeptical
about those from the
mountain while those
from the mountain
were doubtful about
those from the valley—
they lived separate
forever.

Then One came among
them both in the
valley and upon
the tall mountain
and He loved them
and taught them and
healed them and fed
them and brought them
together and joined
them as sisters
and as brothers
forever.

But storms blew on
the mountain and
and deep in the
valley and a
voice dark and ugly
raised questions about
Him—can you trust
One who gives
such gifts up there
or down there to
your enemies
forever?

And those on the
mountain and those
in the valley were
blinded by the storm
and turned away
from Him who had
been their very
best friend—He
He had blessed them
and loved them and
and called them His
together.

Then those in the
valley and those on
mountain forgot
their family
on the mountain
and their family
in the valley
as they suffered
alone in the darkness
through long nights
which seemed to last
forever.

Then again rose the
sun both up high
on the mountain
and deep down in
the valley and
the One sang them
a song which joined
them together
so beautiful,
so holy, so
joyful
forever. 

Come join Me
you people down
in the valley and
up on the mountain,
come Love your God
with all of your heart
and all of your strength
and love each other
for here are your
sisters and here
are your brothers
forever.

There Is A Wholly Beautiful Uniqueness

There Is A Wholly Beautiful Uniqueness

There is a wholly beautiful uniqueness
about each and every person’s life
lived right here upon this earth
day-by-day with faith in Jesus
who is the Son of God and the Son of Man
Immanuel (God With Us), the very
Lamb of God, the great I AM,
who died, was raised victorious
eternally over death and sin and
lives in every believer born again
a conqueror empowered
by the Holy Spirit who breathes
into every redeemed soul God’s
individual redemptive flame
lit as a light for the darkened  world
even as the Creator placed each
star in the heavens to dance their praises
for the glory of their Maker, the One
who not only lovingly
makes them but calls them by name.

************

God’s Holy Church mirrors the wonders of the galaxies and the stars in the heavens above. As each galaxy and every star has their precious and precise place in the glorious dance across the heavens, so every member of God’s family has their place in His living, growing, glorious Church. And every person’s unique place fits exactly in God’s eternal Purpose. We discern this from Scripture:

Genesis 19:1-6
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs it course with joy.
its rising from the ends of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

***************

And so, I take joy in looking around me throughout my present and my past from my own experience within my own faith family. I am so blessed as I  identify and appreciate the uniqueness, the shaping and the molding and the perfecting of gifts within my church family. Each individual fits just right in the midst of the beauty and  glory God reveals while the Holy Spirit unifies and perfects our shared testimony to our Savior and His Gospel—the salvation and glorification of His own children, His people as we worship Him and serve others in the world around us. It is His Glory and His Gospel and by His Spirit that He works within us as He draws people to Himself and His Salvation.

Even so I praise God for Bible teachers who so love the Word, they dig deep and seek the Holy Spirit’s leading as they discover God’s Truth to share in all its glory, revealing the truth for the Church, which challenges, corrects, encourages and uplifts us and His disciples. In so doing, God uses them to prepare us for His declaration and manifestation of the Gospel all around us in our community, and beyond us throughout the world. Both in the present and in the past we have been blessed by those who answered this calling and gifting in their lives among us, pastors, teachers, and disciplers.

And again, I praise God for prayer warriors, who both in their private closets and within our faith groupings pray as if the life of our church depends on God’s gift of prayer. IT DOES! Faithfully, day-and-night they praise God, they seek His Face, they pour out their hearts’ concerns for His people and for His world. They thank Him for every blessing He bestows as He in joy answers their Spirit directed prayers. They pray both individually and in community with others. Before all, they pray. Throughout all, they pray. About all, they pray. Anticipating all, they pray. God uses their prayers gathered in His Holy Hands as He strengthens, as He inspires, and as He guides our Church.

And then I praise God for those who powerfully declare God’s Truth. Our hearts, individually, in small groups, and as a faith family, sorely need God’s Truth—inspired by the Holy Spirit to lift us up when we are down, to correct our path when we go astray,  and to challenge us when we need to claim new territory for our Lord. How blessed we are for these who often speak the Truth that we must hear, whether  it sounds dear in the midst of our troubles, or even though it seems hard in the midst of our wandering. How blessed we are by their careful seeking out His Truth for proclamation, for the way they open their own souls for both inspiration and correction. How blessed we are by the long hours they spend in His Word, and in prayer, making sure they have correctly discerned His message for each of us and all of us in the midst of our need. How blessed we are as He feeds them, His servants, and all of us through them.

Praise God for gifted, called, and surrendered worshippers who so clearly reflect His glory before us. Praise God for their sincerity and for the beauty of their musical offerings of thanksgiving before Him. Praise God for the inspiration of their testimonies which lift us up as they invite us to join them in worship. Praise God for the power with which His Holy Spirit speaking in and through them draws us in our hearts before His Throne. Praise God for their willingness to stand before us and declare the goodness of our Lord. Praise God for the way God uses their offerings to open up our minds and prepare us for the declaration of His Word. Praise God for the way in which their songs touch us when we find joy even in the face of sorrow. Praise God for the way His voice uses theirs  to bring us healing when we feel hurt, discouraged, or lost. Praise God that we can join with these worshippers lifting up His Holy Name for all the goodness He displays.

Praise God for those who walk humbly and lovingly among us, ministering by their gifted spirits and personalities, serving us when we are in need. Praise God for how the Holy Spirit sensitizes their hearts to know when we need a word, a touch, a smile, a laugh, a shared tear, a helping hand, or a prayer.  Praise God for how they uplift us when we need His touch through them and their genuine and caring hearts. Praise God when their courage in ministry inspires our own as they walk beside us. Praise God when God’s own assurance of His Presence right there beside us becomes so obvious through the caring “hugs”  they share. Praise God for their knowing and obeying His Call when He summons them to love us from afar, or right up close beside us. Praise God for how their loving care testifies to God’s own loving care. Praise God, for such as these, His humble servants, are always there.

Praise God for those who heroically and faithfully and beautifully testify with their day-to-day lives how God makes all things possible through Jesus our Savior. Praise God for those who over the years never falter, though their paths through life may be more complicated than others. Praise God for those whose strength in facing this life lies outside the common path. Praise God for how He uses these blessed pilgrims as they inspire us and help focus our eyes on Jesus. Praise God for the privilege of knowing and serving and loving precious souls such as these. Praise God for how He reaches deep into our hearts and teaches us humility and gratitude and obedience through such inspired lives as these. Praise God for their genuine smiles and their absolute lack of guile. Praise God for their lives reminding us daily how we each must depend on Him and His faithful Love.

Praise God for those among us who keep our eyes from focusing only on ourselves and those close around us. Praise God for those who remind us that God calls each of His children in taking the Gospel to ALL the world. Praise God for those who remind us that He expects our full participation in Great Commission obedience throughout the world, through prayer, through our witness, through our ministry, and through our obedient giving. Praise God for those who remind us that God’s vision always takes us beyond acting as if we begin with our own, and then if we have a little left over; share with those beyond us. Praise God for those who go themselves beyond us, and calls us to support with our prayer and gifts their going in obedience to their Gospel calling, because in reality, their calling is our calling, also. Praise God for those who call us never to be satisfied until all people everywhere in the world have heard the Gospel for themselves.

Now, I challenge you to spend some time remembering and recognizing before God those who fit within your own faith family, these categories of those who bless you and others also. Thank God by name for those who share your own faith walk, who represent the different blessings which add to your daily walk with Him. Think present and past. Think of those close beside you. Think of those who challenge you. Think of those who inspire you. Think of those who confront you. Think of those who encourage you. Think of those who comfort you. Thank God for them, all of them. Thank God for Jesus who has saved and transformed them. Thank Him for the Holy Spirit who indwells and inspires them. Thank God as He continues to grow and bless and use your faith family in accomplishing His Eternal Gospel Purpose.

May this be our prayer, now and forever. Amen!