LEARNING DAILY

Philippians 1:9-11, And this I pray, that your love may abound still more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of the righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

This is the last page of the blog for 2023. It is really difficult to believe that another year has flown by. I have to be honest. I was not sure we would see this day come as I thought Believers would be raptured and in eternity with the Lord Jesus. But we are still here. I want to end the year with some thoughts to, hopefully, encourage and challenge you as we approach the new year.

I use Paul’s prayer above to pray each of us grow in our several areas of our spiritual lives – our love, our knowledge, our discernment, and our works of righteousness.

The Greek word Paul uses for love is agape which means a selfless, sacrificial concern for the benefit of others. The people of Philippi had a reputation regarding their love for others; Paul writes that he wants to see the effectiveness of this love “abound still more”. No doubt Paul wants the Philippians to grow in their love for one another. Could he be writing, praying that their love for God to grow more and more? His writing certainly indicates that the people loved God, but what would happen if their love for Him grew deeper, their faith became stronger, their walk on a narrow way became one of embracing more and more of His kingdom now?

What if that became our prayer, our goal for 2024? Would doing so give us greater strength to endure the trials, temptations, and difficulties coming in 2024? Perhaps abounding in our love for God would come from more time reading/studying/meditating on His Word, more time spent in prayer, and doing more to help others. My brothers and sisters, it is the only way to come to love God as he desires.

Paul is not only concerned about the Philippians growing in their love for God; he prays for them to grow in their knowledge and discernment. True Biblical love for others and for God requires knowledge. As we grow in our knowledge about the love God has for us, we grow in our love for Him and others. This knowledge is not a sentimental feeling but what comes from the knowledge and truth from God’s Word. We love based on Biblical principles. 1 Corinthians 13 is known as the chapter that defines what this is. Paul included the word discernment with knowledge. Discernment is being sensitive to spiritual and moral needs. In other words, we must become sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit to separate the good from the bad, the important from the unimportant in order to help those around us to grow spiritually and/or help them in their walk to or on the narrow way to heaven. Discernment helps us to love better by concentrating on God’s love; God’s love is unconditional where human love can be centered more on one’s self.

As we grow in God’s love, it helps Believers “approve the things that are excellent”. This helps them “be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of the righteousness”. This is what walking on the narrow way is about – becoming morally pure. Even as “good” as the Philippians were, Paul is writing to encourage them to grow even more in their walk with the Lord so others would see the result of being filled with Jesus Christ. There were greater blessings for them.

As we close 2023 and begin 2024, I pray this prayer from Paul to be each of our prayer. I am challenged and I pass the challenge on to each of you to grow in your walk with God, not by simply doing good works, but by living in a godly way so your good works reflect Jesus. The righteousness Paul writes about come not from good works but from God and from our faith in Him. It is only fitting to end this as Paul ended the verses above. May all we do as believers be done “with the fruits of the righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God”!

 

LEARNING DAILY

2 Timothy 2:15, Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

I do not make New Year resolutions; I would not keep them if I did. That being said, there are a few things I certainly need to work on as I walk the narrow way with the Lord. If you have read this blog for any length of time, you will know the encouragement to be diligent in your walk with God. Being diligent refers to being conscientious about our walk with Him; I want to focus more on the things I say and do, especially in the area of allowing God to have His way in my life. I have wasted a lot of time trying to manipulate Him into using me the way I think He should; I cannot remember a time that has worked.

Paul was writing to Timothy to caution him to stay diligent in how he handled the Word of God. The verse before the one above, Paul was reminding Timothy of those who were trying to distract the focus of Believers so they would follow a different teaching, an easier way to follow the Lord. There are still preachers who preach to “tickle the ears” of their followers; they preach an easier gospel that says walking a broad way will still get you to heaven. As Paul cautioned Timothy to “rightly divide the Word of God”, Believers today must be thorough in their study and application of God’s Word. David Jeremiah wrote in the notes of his Study Bible, “Shallow sermons lead to shallow saints and mistaken preaching leads to misguided lives. In other words, bad doctrine demolishes faith, causing people to think and live wrongly, while good doctrine – based on a right understanding of the word of truth – builds up and fortifies faith”.

In the previous verses, Paul condemned arguing and discussing pointless matters. In verse 15, Paul was encouraging a deeper study of God’s Word. That does two things. First, it certainly helps the Believer to know God’s Word and to be able to defend their faith. It also helps the Believer to know when something is worth arguing about and that which is just some distracting argument.

I am planning on this helping me to take each day as it comes. I am trying to stop suggesting ways I can help God save the world and everyone around me and just trust Him. The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know I am God”. Translated the verse means to stop striving and know that God has each day in His hands and will guide me to do what He wants. I cannot fix the problems I see around me and cannot do anything to change the minds of those who do not want to ask Jesus into their hearts nor change those who want to make Scripture fit their lives. But I can pray. I can study in order to “rightly divide the word of truth”. I can try to encourage those around me and those who read this blog to walk the narrow way in the midst of their trials, tribulations, and their successes in life. I can walk in the measure of faith God has given me through the Lord Jesus Christ and can be ready to explain to anyone who asks about the hope I have as I walk a narrow way. And, I can look forward to seeing what God does as a result.

 LEARNING DAILY

John 18:37, Pilate said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered. “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I came into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

I have been trying to communicate with Ranger, our beloved cat. I have read some of the “expert” research about how to do that. For instance, if I look at him and slowly close my eyes, it tells him he is special to me. I have even read that I should follow that up with a yawn-like gesture. I’m not totally sure what the significance of that is. Now, I have noticed when I slowly close my eyes, he does slowly close his eyes in response. Now that might be a response of, “Oh brother, what is this human doing?”

I have also tried talking to him; it does not matter that I know all he must hear is noise. For you who have pets, do you ever wonder what it would be like if they could understand your words and communicate back to you so you could understand? I try to tell him things that would help him live a little bit better. For instance, it was really cool outside (39 degrees). I tried to tell him that he might want to go out to do his business (no cat litter inside) and come back in. He just looked at me and went out his cat window. Other times I am trying to help make his life a little easier and he looks at me and moves his mouth a little and does what he wants. Once in a while I may even get a meow or a growl in response to what I am saying/doing. All the things I try to guide him with or help him with are usually ignored; for the most part, “he just does not get it”.

That got me thinking of all the signs and help God gives people in the world. How many times have you heard that small still voice say “don’t go there!” How many times have you been told to don’t say anything. Have you thought that you should not do this or that because you just “feel” that it is not right or that something is wrong – you just don’t know why? What about those times when you hear the old question, “Did God really say or mean that?” That’s the Holy Spirit trying to guide you away from harm or evil, guiding you onto the narrow way to eternity in God’s kingdom. But, like Ranger, we just go ahead and do what we want, ignoring the signs and the small still voice of the Holy Spirit wanting to help us stay out of trouble.

Because people ignoring the voices of the prophets who passed on God’s demands for following Him, because people just did not “get it”, the Lord Jesus had to come to this earth. He came the first time as the “Prince of Peace” to pass along the message the Father wanted the people to hear and to call the people to repentance through faith in Him; “I came into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice”. He is coming again as the King of kings and Lord of lords to establish His kingdom on earth. Until He returns, Believers are to live their lives by walking on a narrow way, living not for themselves but for Him. We need to please Him in every way possible and stop ignoring that way of life He demands.

It was great timing. Ranger jumped up to sit on the computer. I guess he wanted to emphasize the point of the blog today. He followed my leading for a short time. Against my best guidance, he is ready to go back out in the cool air. Walk in the guidance of the Holy Spirit today. The King is coming, and He wants His followers to be ready, alert, and watching for Him. We do that by walking according to His Word and in obedience to His guidance on a narrow way. 

 

LEARNING DAILY

Isaiah 9:6, “For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

The past three weeks, Dr. Ed Newton has preached on the verse. He has explained that there is nothing God does not know (Wonderful Counselor). He has explained that God is mighty to save; He is our Champion. He has shown that God is a good Father (Everlasting father). This past weekend he talked about God, the Prince of Peace.

If You were asked your opinion of the world situation today, I imagine you would agree there is chaos everywhere. There is no peace in the world; there is certainly war and rumors of war all around. Deception, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes (natural phenomena), are occurring in more frequency and in greater destruction. Jesus’ words in Matthew 24 are certainly before us. We also see the words written by Timothy in his second letter about the perilous times in the last days causing a lack of peace in people. World leaders meet to discuss peace proposals and brag about the accomplishments of those meetings, only to see broken promises and failures of these talks. Dr. Newton spoke of the world seeing only a fake peace and we have seen his words to be true.

“Immanuel”, God’s Son was born into a world of chaos. He was born into a world where His people were looking for a conquering king to lead a rebellion against the Roman oppression and their taxation. He came into a dark world to bring the light of His gospel, His salvation. But “the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (John 1: 10-11). He came to bring a peace that is not found in the world. Dr. Newton pointed out that the Son came as a prince and not a king. I found that very interesting. The Son knew that the people were looking for a king to lead them and they would attempt to make Him their king in order to rebel against Rome. So, He came as a “prince”. The church Listener Guide has this written in it. “Prince” is a name marking the dignity of one who possess sovereignty in title; the ruler of a principality. [It is] a designation of how Jesus would come in humility not claiming a title as King, for it would have been interpreted politically”.

Jesus came to give peace in the midst of a chaotic world, a peace that the world could not give. He came to bring salvation to all who would accept the free gift He was offering. The Bible does tell us Immanuel will return. His return will not be with the designation of “Prince” but as “King”. When He returns as “King” it will be to establish His kingdom on earth.

Let’s put this in perspective for each person, individually. Jonathon Moore, Lead pastor at NorthRock Church spoke this weekend that Jesus came to each of us “just as we are but He does not leave us the way He found us”. For those who have asked “Immanuel” into their hearts. Remember who and what you were before He came to move in your life, to show you your need for a Savior. I know my life was such that I needed to change, redirect my life; I was on a broad way leading to destruction. I needed a Savior to turn my sinful nature into peace. And, He did!

The takeaway statement from Community Bible Church this weekend is: The Good News of Jesus described as peace on earth was not just to bring comfort but to convict us, convince us, but most of all change us!” People are looking for peace. That peace will only be found in Jesus Christ. Dr. Newton said, “The storms of life around us may not stop, but peace comes from the comfort of Jesus Christ who is greater than the anxiety you face.” I, for one, would rather face the trials and temptations, the storms, walking on a narrow way with Jesus, than have to try to figure them out on my own.

According to Pastor, the most highlighted verse in 2023 was Philippians 4:7 which states, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”. If you or someone you know, is looking for peace in the storms around you, I urge you to look to Jesus, the author and finisher (perfecter) of your life. He is the One who saved you and is able to sustain you and bring your salvation to completion.

 

LEARNING DAILY

Philippians 2:9-11, Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of heaven and of those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Paul was writing as he looked into the future time when every person on earth and in heaven will declare Jesus Christ as Lord! Christmas is a time when all who believe Jesus was born should take a moment to remember, to bow and confess that He is truly “Immanuel, God with us”! I wonder what heaven saw as they witnessed the birth of the Son of God! It was a Holy Night and that is certainly my favorite Christmas song.

(Verse 1)

O Holy night! The stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of our Savior’s birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining.

‘Til He appears and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees; O hear the angel voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born.

O night, O Holy night, O night divine!

(Verse 2)

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,

 With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,

Here come the Wise Men from Orient land.

The King of kings lay thus in a lowly manger;

In all our trials born to be our friend.

He knows our need, to our weaknesses is no stranger,

Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!

Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!

(Verse 3)

Truly he taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother;

And I His name, all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we’

Let all within us praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever,

His power and glory evermore proclaim.

O Night divine, O night, O night divine.

From my family to you and your family we pray your Christmas is full of joy and peace as we celebrate together the birth of our Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. May He be the very center of your celebration this season. After all, He is the reason for the season!

 

LEARNING DAILY

I asked my wife to tell me her favorite Christmas carol/song. Of course, she said all of them! Finally, she said she really enjoyed the Mary Did You know? So here it is. Please read the lyrics and enjoy the message.

Mary, did you know

That your Baby Boy would walk on water?

Mary, did you know

That your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?

Did you know

That your Baby Boy has come to make you new?

This child you delivered will soon deliver you?

Mary, did you know

That your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?

Mary, did you know

That your Baby Boy will calm the storm with His hand?

Did you know

That your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?

When you kiss your little Baby you kissed the face of God?

Mary did you know?

The blind will see.

The deaf will hear.

The dead will live again.

The dumb will speak the praises of the Lamb.

Mary, did you know

That your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?

Mary, did you know

That your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?

Did you know

That your Baby Boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb?

The sleeping child you’re holding is the Great, I Am.

 

Mary did you know? To answer the question, I would say yes, she did. Consider her submission to the angel as he told her God’s plan for her, that she “would conceive in her womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David” (Luke 1:31-32). She knew He was the Son of God, yet human. No doubt she raised Jesus as every good mother would do. She loved Him and no doubt her thoughts, words, and life demonstrated she knew He would do great things revealing the plan of God. She accepted the plan of God for her life as the mother of God.

 

May each of us live the same way.

 

 

LEARNING DAILY

Luke 2:8, Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.

The virgin birth is almost impossible for me to grasp. It is central to this season, to the birth of “Immanuel, God with us”. God chose the city Bethlehem for His son to be born. He chose the lowest of society to be the first to witness His birth.

I am fascinated by this part of the story of the birth of our Lord.  Shepherds were considered the least of society because they were ceremonially unclean. They were considered unclean “because they invariably had to engage with Gentiles; therefore, they were not allowed to worship in the temple. Neither were they allowed to testify in court, because they were considered unreliable witnesses” (David Jeremiah Study Bible). Yet, the Bible does not record any other visitors who met Jesus on the night of His birth.

Can you imagine what the shepherds, on what began as an ordinary night for them, suddenly had an “angel of the Lord appeared to them and God’s glory shone all around them”? Their reaction is common by individuals in the Bible when angels appeared to them – they were afraid. The sudden appearance had to have been pretty dramatic! Can you imagine what you would do in their situation? The angel told them not to fear that he was bringing news to them of “a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” is “born to you this day”. The birth of Jesus was an announcement to the shepherds that He had come to save all mankind, even the lowly and poor. That is why the angel came to them first. Once the shepherds had calmed down, the angel told them where to find the baby and they went to see Him; as they returned to their flock, the shepherds were “glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them”.

When we were in Jerusalem last year, we visited the traditional place of where this event happened. We were told that the shepherds brought their flock into a cave for protection from the weather and predators. The cave was made of limestone and before the shepherds brought the flock into the cave, they wrapped their knee joints in strips of cloth known as “swaddling clothes” to protect them from the limestone as they laid down. These strips of cloth were also used as wicks for the menorahs. We were told that these shepherds were watching over the flock of sheep to be used as sacrificial lambs in the temple.  Do you see the symbolism of this “Immanuel, God with us”, come to be the sacrificial Lamb of God, was wrapped in swaddling clothes and became the light of the world.

The shepherds had a choice regarding how they would react to this news. They chose to go see the Savior and they left proclaiming what they had seen. They became the first evangelists who told all what they had seen and heard.

Did you catch the significance of the shepherds? Our experience, our walk on the narrow way into eternity in God’s kingdom must continue to be fruitful and not become nonchalant or cooled over time. Christians ought to be the happiest, the most joyful people because of what Jesus Christ has done for us. We ought to be the evangelists God desires us to be every day. They shepherds should be our example by “glorifying and praising God for all the things that they [we] had heard and seen, as it was told them [us]”.

 

LEARNING DAILY

John 1:10-13, He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Many years ago, a coach working with me to lead a group of students in an organization known as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (in a public school, by the way) introduced John 1:1-18 as a part of the Christmas story. I have used some of the verses at other times during the Christmas season. I am never ceased to be amazed that “Immanuel, ‘God with us’”, “the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace” was not recognized by His chosen people when He came into the world and walked among them. The “world” today still does not recognize Jesus. The “world” refers to the “Kosmos”, the whole of society organized and operating independently of God, His word, His rule (from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible). The “world” rejects God, the Christmas story, His knowledge, His involvement in the lives of people, and His Word.

This mindset of the “world” is the exact reason for the birth of Immanuel; a person must be willing to turn away from the darkness present in the “world”. The evidence available is more than sufficient for any person to make the choice that “Immanuel is God with us”. This decision comes with the leading of the Holy Spirit on one’s life as has been previously written. Sadly, the “world” will or has not recognized the gift God gave to bring salvation. When Jesus was on earth His own people, the Jewish people, did not recognize Him because they were looking for a different type of Savior. If any people should have recognized Him the Jewish people should have seen the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and the miraculous performed by Him. But, the position of Jewish leaders, their pride, and their jealousies prevented them from recognizing Him as the Messiah. Instead of being worshipped, He was despised, rejected, hated, and eventually hung on a cross by the very people He came to save.

Not much has changed since the biblical days we read about. People today who claim to be “religious”, who claim to be seeking God’s will turn away from walking the narrow road He demands His true followers to walk, to go their own way; in reality these people are walking that broad way which leads to destruction.

I like the “buts” of Scripture because it is an indication that there is an alternative, a different way than the negative. Read verse 12 again. “But many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” In my mind this verse is as powerful as John 3:16! ALL who receive the message of the gospel, the salvation God gives us through “Immanuel, God with us”, become the children of God. He sets them on a narrow way to walk into eternity in His kingdom! I looked up (in the Vines dictionary) the Greek word for “right” to try to understand this verse fully. It means authority and power. There are spiritual honors given to all Believers because they are in God’s family. Vines also noted, “Exousia first denotes freedom to act and then authority for the action”. That freedom comes through the power God gives. All Believers have God’s power and authority to act because of their faith placed in the name of Jesus Christ. No, it is not for everyone. It is only for those who have by faith placed their life in the promise of eternal life through Immanuel.

All that Immanuel endured while on earth, including His death on the cross, was to benefit those who believe in Him. The last part of verse 12 reminds us that this relationship with God is not a natural occurrence nor a matter of one’s will or a decision a person makes on their own. Being born-again or being saved is not to be a cliché or be misunderstood. It is completely the work of God and according to His will. To think that a person has anything to do with their salvation – other than accepting the free gift – is to be lost forever.

Every believer has so much to be thankful for as we celebrate the birth of “Immanuel, God with us” as we draw closer to the day we celebrate His birth. Let this season be a true celebration of His birth and what His gift of salvation, redemption, and our walk on a narrow way into His eternity means!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Isaiah 7:14, Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Matthew 1:23, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Isaiah’s prophecy was spoken by an angel in a dream to Joseph. Dr. Ed Newton, Lead Pastor at Community Bible Church asked this question in his message this weekend, “Is the virgin birth important?” His answer, “Absolutely!” I am going to try to explain why he answered his own question in this way in this page of the blog.

To understand the need for a virgin birth one must understand man’s need for a Savior. Sin entered the world through Adam when he disobeyed God’s command to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all have sinned –“. This is the “bad news”! No one was born a Christian because all are born into sin because Adam ate an apple (Dr. Newton). Every single person is born a sinner; one who needs a Savior. If the verse from Romans is read again, notice that death follows sin. Sin always leads to death. As I understand death here, it means eternal separation from God. All die. What needs to be considered is where one will spend eternity – with God or without Him. “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” (Isaiah 5:18). That verse was on the listener Guide.

But there is good news! Pastor Newton mentioned the “we can’t have good news without the bad news first”. What is the good news? The Savior, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ was born of a virgin: “the sin of Adam was not passed on to Jesus” (from the Listener Guide). No earthly father was involved in His conception so the sin of Adam was not passed on to Jesus.  That is important because only One who was without sin could die on a cross for all of the rest of us who were born into sin through Adam. Paul wrote in Romans 7:24-25, “O wretched man that I am! Who can deliver me from this body of death? I thank God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Let me ask the question again. Is the virgin birth important? Absolutely! “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.” Adam’s disobedience of God’s command not to eat from a specific tree led to the introduction of sin and death into the world.  By contrast the one act of righteousness by the Lord Jesus Christ, His death on a cross, led to the opportunity for “whosoever would believe in Him” by faith would be saved. Jesus, born of a virgin, without sin, is the only person who hung on the cross, taking God’s wrath for you and me.

Understanding this should help each of us who have accepted His salvation and walk the narrow way in His guidance and grace better understand the necessity of being born of a virgin. What a gift God has given to mankind. “Immanuel”. “God with us”. The perfect gift of the Father sent to be with us and to save people from their sins. May this precious gift be the center of Christmas this year for all who believe.

 

LEARNING DAILY

Isaiah 53:2-3, For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.

This does not read very “Christmasy” does it! It is more to clear up possible misconceptions about Jesus than anything. Hollywood has given us many misconceptions on the appearance of Jesus. First, let me ask who you see when the name of Jesus looks like? Pastor Newton, in His message last weekend, that too often Jesus is thought of as this “buff”, good- looking guy that just drew people to Him because of His appearance. Of course, the color of His skin has entered the discussion, as if it matters.

We must remember that He was born into a Middle Eastern Jewish family. Yet Isaiah wrote that there was nothing about the appearance of Jesus that drew people to Him. He lacked any earthly splendor or physical attractiveness. What then causes people to be drawn to Him? Pastor mentioned that no one wakes up one day and says that today they are going to search for Jesus, believe in Him. and then, follow Him. The answer is found in John 6:44 where Jesus tells the reader, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws Him; and I will raise Him up at the last day.”

Jesus was not only rejected by people when He walked with men on this earth, He was hated by those who rejected Him. He is still rejected and hated by men today. Why? Is because people actually believe He is who He said He was and think that believing in Him and following Him they would lose their status and/or have to give up their possessions and wealth to do so? In Matthew 23:37-39, Jesus indicates His sorrow at the rejection by the Jewish people; He simply wanted to gather them together under His protection. But He said they were unwilling for Him to do so; their stubbornness reflects the stubbornness of people today and their resistance to the grace and will of God. Yet the people’s rejection and their treatment of Jesus was necessary for His death to occur. He was hung on a cross to take the sins and shame of a fallen world; it was a necessary part of the process.

This leads us back to John 6:44. God desires all men to come to Him and be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4). The problem is all are so filled with sin that not one of us has the strength or ability to seek after the Lord on our own. To draw all to Him, the Holy Spirit is sent to convict each person of their sin, unrighteousness, and understanding they will be judged accordingly. This is to draw all to Jesus, the only One who can forgive and cleanse them. The promise Jesus gave was He would lift all who believe in Him out of their unrighteousness and set them on a narrow way in order to cleanse and change them.

God desires all come to Him but that does not mean all will accept the salvation He offers. No there are many today that reject Him, ridicule and mock Him. He does not force His free gift of salvation on anyone, even when He desires all would be saved. However, each person is given the opportunity to respond to Him as He tugs and pulls on their hearts. Right now, the Holy Spirit continues to convict each person of their sin. The Word of God is still teaching the truths that help those who believe, to walk a narrow way. God still desires every person to accept His free offer of salvation through Jesus.

As we celebrate the birth of the Messiah, Immanuel, may we be thankful for God’s eternal plan of salvation for mankind, the plan to redeem each of us. May we focus on the greatest gift of all – a baby born who would live and die that we might live eternally with Him. May we be grateful that we said yes to the Holy Spirit’s conviction and know that someday this mortal body will put on immortality as we enter heaven and our eternal rest with Him.

I am so thankful God never gave up on me!

 

LEARNING DAILY

Matthew 1:23, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

I read yesterday’s daily writing from my brother Don this morning – I know a day late! I had to chuckle because the thought was the same as what I had chosen to write today’s blog about. He has given me permission to use what I want from it to help with my thoughts today. So, the few of you who receive from both of us….

No doubt Joseph had concerns about his betrothed, Mary, being pregnant! He was going to divorce her quietly until the angel of the Lord appeared to him changing his perspective and understanding of what was happening. The pregnancy was the result of a miraculous fulfillment of prophecy. Isaiah had explained exactly what was to happen in order for the Messiah to be brought into the world. People would “call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”. The prophecy was clear that Jesus is God and was sent to earth to be with us and save us from our sins.

Read what my brother, Don, wrote about the Incarnation (God with us). “The doctrine of the incarnation is a vital today as it was in the first century. The incarnation is a mysterious miracle, it is central to the New Testament witness and to the message of Christianity. To deny the divine-human Savior is not Christianity, but as John wrote, “antichrist.” It is a mystery as the Trinity, perhaps even more so but it is vital to the message of Christ. The Trinity and the Incarnation belong together. The Trinity declares that the man Jesus is truly divine. The Incarnation declares that the divine Jesus is truly human. Explain it…it is a mystery; it requires belief rather than explanation. It is a product of Infinite, therefore beyond analysis by finite man” (E.S. Williams).”

To be honest, I am thankful Don wrote this because I was going to explain that my mind could not comprehend that “God is with us”. It is like so much of the Believer’s walk with the Lord that must be accepted by faith. May I tell you that when a person asks Immanuel into their life as Savior and Lord, he/she will never be separated from His love. Romans 8:38-39 remind us, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”.

When one is born-again, He comes to live within them. Take time to read John 14:23. His presence within us assures us we can accomplish His purpose for our lives and overcome the fears and distractions that come our way as we walk the narrow way. “God with us” tells me we can pray without ceasing and He will certainly hear our prayers, answering them as only He knows to be best and at the best possible time. It reminds me that we walk each day with Him by faith and trusting Him to lead us; He is always with us wanting us to commune with Him and wants to commune with us. He gives comfort when comfort is needed, and I believe He rejoices when we rejoice.

There is no greater privilege than knowing “Immanuel”. There is no greater knowledge than knowing “God is with us” in these times we face. As we go through this season that many only look for that ultimate present, are only concerned about what to have for the family meal or have the frustration of when to be with whom, take a moment to consider that “the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.””  What a mystery that God sent His Son to be with all who believe not only when we get to heaven but right now.

 

LEARNING DAILY

Luke 1:32-33, “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the House of Jacob forever and ever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” The angel Gabriel speaking to Mary.

The birth of a baby is a miraculous event. But the announcement of a baby to be born through a virgin was the miracle that God had planned before the creation of the world. The phrase “Son of the Highest” is referencing God; the Jewish word is ‘El ‘Elyon meaning “God Most High”. The angel Gabriel would use this terminology to say this baby would have the same divine qualities of the Father meaning the baby would be fully God and fully human.

God had promised that the Messiah would come from the lineage of David and would ultimately establish His kingdom as an heir of David. The baby would rule over the house of Jacob forever. Mary was told that His kingdom would be great and an everlasting kingdom. This king will be different from any and all previous kings, world leaders we have known or read about. Think about it for few moments. This king will not be corrupt. He will not be a tyrant. He will know everything and cannot be deceived, or rule unjustly. He will fulfill every prophecy spoken about Him. He is the promised king. He has come so all who believe in Him would be set free from the power of sin, themselves, and from death. In order to do so, He must die and be victoriously raised from the grave. Until He returns to establish His kingdom, He will change those who faithfully follow Him by His grace as they walk on the narrow way into His eternal kingdom. There will be no king like Him.

The prophesies also speak of Him establishing His kingdom on earth and never giving it up. Read Isaiah 9:6-7. The New Testament has many references to His return, the rapture of the true Church, the defeat of Satan and his Antichrist, and finally establishing His kingdom on earth. It will last for 1000 years. At the end of that time Satan and his followers will be loosed for a short time and then will be sent to the lake of fire for eternity with no hope of being released. It is at that time that the eternal reign of King Jesus will rule for eternity.

The eternal kingdom is one of righteousness and justice. No sin there. No more tears, sickness, pain, or death there. Only the peace that flows from the grace of God. The only people there are those who have their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, those who have walked on the narrow way. Don’t get technical here – I know that there are those who, like the thief on the cross gave their lives to Jesus and were in eternity that day. There will be loved ones there; there will be no more separation from them. In 1 Corinthians 2:9 Paul writes, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him”. He is writing about the eternal kingdom that this baby to be born to the virgin Mary, will reign over.

I have little concept how long eternity is nor a kingdom that will never end. But it seems to be a long, long time.

 

LEARNING DAILY

Isaiah 9:6a, b, For unto us a child is born, unto us a child is given….

Dr. Ed Newton has been using the rest of this verse to preach on each of the names given the child who was born, our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. I have written about two of the names in two other pages of the blog. I want to focus on the first part of the verse as a prelude to the Christmas season in order to understand the why “Jesus is the reason for the season”. In the rest of this page of the blog I am going to quote the Chronological Bible I am using for my daily devotions this year. This is what is written in it to introduce The Coming of the Messiah.

“All is now ready for the most important event in human history. It is an event planned even before the creation of the world. It is the keeping of a promise made to Abraham over 2000 years earlier. It is the fulfillment of a host of prophecies regarding the Messiah who would come to establish His kingdom. Most importantly, it is the beginning of a dynamically new relationship between God and man. The event is the coming Savior of the world, the Messiah – or, as referred to in the Greek, the Christ.

The Christ is not to be just another world leader, as Cyrus, Alexander, or Caesar. He is not to be just another great man of God, as Abraham, Moses, or David. He is to be God Himself in human flesh! The Lord of heaven is to be a servant on earth. God, who has previously made Himself known through a nation and a law, is now to reveal Himself in the most personal way possible – in the form of a man. Until now God’s blessings have been reserved mostly for a chosen people, but now they are to become available to all people in every nation.

Who is this Christ, the Messiah? His name is Jesus. His symbolic name. Immanuel (meaning “God with us”), signifies His deity. He is a man, to be sure, but God as well; and He is God – the God of Creation – but man as well. God lowers Himself so that man might be elevated. He leaves heaven so that man might enter it. To man, who cannot begin to understand the ways of God, it is clearly a mystery. But what a marvelous and wonderful mystery it is!

As the New Testament record now begins, the Scriptures proclaim the good news of the salvation of mankind which comes through obedient faith in Jesus the Christ. The good news begins with the miraculous birth of Jesus to a virgin of Galilee in the days of Herod, King of Judea.”

I love the lyrics of a song that says. “You didn’t want heaven without us. So, Jesus, you brought heaven down. My sin was great; Your love was greater. What could separate us now?” As we continue on in the Christmas season, may none of us forget that among the decorations, festivities, and gift buying, Jesus loved you so much that He did not want to live in heaven without you! Because each of us were living our lives far away from Him, we needed to be saved. So, Jesus left heaven and came to live among us and die in our place; there was no other way for us to be united with God for eternity. May this season of celebration of a child, given to us be a season of reflection and thanksgiving for the greatest gift we could ever be given.

 

LEARNING DAILY

1 John 3:8, He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. (Darkened emphasis is mine for the purpose of this page of the blog.)

The message this weekend was about the “Mighty God” sent into this world to save and change each person who would believe in Him and truly follow Him in faith. There were so many thoughts or verses referred to that I want to work through in the coming days in this blog. I want to begin with a new Hebrew word I learned about – the word is “Gibbor” which means “Hero, Champion or Warrior”. (from the Listener Guide). Pastor Newton used Deuteronomy 10:17 as one of the verses for this word, “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and awesome God”. He continued to explain when the word “El” (the shortened form of the word “Elohim”) is put with “Gibbor” it means that God “Mighty God” has “the strength and power to get you out of your situation”.

John wrote in verse 6 and 7 about the deceptiveness of sin and those who would do their best to lead people astray from walking on the narrow way. Jesus warned us about this when He said the narrow way would be difficult. “People who embrace sin are not simply misguided; they are unwitting tools of the devil who uses them to sow destruction in the world (John 8:44)” (David Jeremiah Study Bible). All sin, in all forms is from Satan. This verse has, sometimes, been directed towards those whose sin is habitual and not repented of.

Perhaps John is writing towards those who have taught and lived the idea that after one accepts Christ as their Savior, the gospel gives them a license to sin and live however they want.  Believers are not to submit to their sinful nature, their old self. They are to live their lives by walking the narrow way with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. How can we do that? We do so because Jesus, “Mighty God” is with us and is able to not only save us but to keep us and defend us. Save and defend us from what? He saves us from sin, ourselves, and eternal separation from God (Pastor Newton).

That’s why John wrote the verse we began with. The Lord Jesus left Heaven to come to walk with us. He came “that He might destroy the works of the devil”. Paul writes in the last part of Hebrews 2:14, “that through death He might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil”. The Lord Jesus Christ was born into this world as a lowly baby who was place in a manger for a crib. But He came with power and a purpose. It was not what His people were expecting nor looking for. He came to save us. He came with power to be “El Gibbor” who is able to get us out of the situation(s) we face. He came to defend us as we walk with Him daily. We, therefore, trust He is doing so and walk steadily with Him in faith. We can do so because He has the power to keep us from all that is trying so hard to defeat us. In the end He has the power to resurrect us; “Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me though he dies, yet shall he live,”; death does not win! (from the Listener Guide and pastor Newton).

I want to write the takeaway from the message written on the Listener Guide to finish this page of the blog. May it be an encouragement to all who read it. May each of us write it on our heart to remember as we walk through those difficult times. “There is no situation you will ever face that God won’t be strong enough to deliver you from that place.” Stay strong in the “Mighty God”, resist the devil, believe and know He is with you today, the next day, and every day after that. Be thankful for His mercy and His grace as you walk in obedience and in faith on the narrow way into eternity with Him.

 

LEARNING DAILY

Romans 8:26-27, In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

Jesus told His followers that they would face difficulties as they walked the narrow way. If you have walked with Jesus for any length of time you know that those preaching that all you have to do is give your life to Jesus and give money to them and your life will be prosperous and happy. No, the true followers of Jesus who are trying to walk the narrow way as He instructs will find circumstances they do not understand, times they do not know how to pray and difficulties of various kinds.

What happens when the difficulties, circumstances, and the pressures become so great that one does not even know how to verbalize the needs or desires? It is clear from John 6:63 (yesterday’s blog) that the “the Spirit gives life and the flesh profits us nothing”; God sent Believers the Holy Spirit to help them both spiritually and physically. Believers look forward to eternity in God’s kingdom when the cares and trials of this world are finished. But until that time, we continue to walk on the narrow way, experiencing the “stuff” we do with the rest of creation. In Romans 8:22 Paul writes that “the whole of creation groans and labors with birth pangs”. That means all creation groans because of undesired circumstances. All creation eagerly awaits the glory of God’s people through Christ’s return to establish His kingdom. Until our bodies are redeemed, we must rely on the Holy Spirit (who was sent by God when we gave our life to Christ to save us) to help us in and through our weaknesses.

Christians groan because of sin’s presence in the world and because of sins power in us and around us. How does one know how to pray regarding this? At times, I don’t know and rely on the Holy Spirit to intercede for me with “groans”, those unspoken thoughts and feelings that my words cannot express, to the Father in heaven. The Holy Spirit is the connection from me to the Father and provides the words I need to communicate with Him. The Holy Spirit petitions the Father on behalf of our needs “according to the will of God” (v.27).

The Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity meaning the Holy spirit is God. The Father knows the mind of His Spirit in us; they are eternally connected. God continually searches our hearts. The Holy Spirit forms our unspoken “groaning” into prayers that conform to God’s will (verse 27). God receives our prayers directly from our hearts. That does not mean we do not need to try to pray. It means that the Holy Spirit is interceding or helping us pray and to pray within the will of the Father. He knows our needs because of the Holy Spirit; therefore, we do not need to worry about the groans when we do not know how to pray about situations and circumstances we face.

We serve and follow a great God who certainly understand our needs and situations and circumstances better than we do. We need to be thankful He sent the Holy Spirit to help us walk and talk with Him!

 

LEARNING DAILY

John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” Jesus

Jesus has just given interesting teaching about “eating His flesh and drinking His blood”. There were many who heard this say it was a difficult thing to understand; because the teaching was not understood many who were following Him stopped following Him. Jesus used symbolism at times that people could not grasp the meaning of. He referred to Himself as the Bread of Life and those who followed Him had to “eat His flesh and drink His blood”. He had earlier stated that people needed to believe in the “bread of heaven” whom God had sent. Jesus was certainly not saying that people needed to eat His body or drink His actual blood! The entire point is spiritual in its meaning. He was saying that a person believing in Him had to receive the truth of Christ deep within, they must receive it fully and absolutely.

There is absolutely no hope of salvation or spiritual insight that can be gained by human effort. Any effort to achieve spiritual insight by human effort will be flawed. In 1 Corinthians 2:10-12 Paul writes that spiritual insight about God’s Word through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Because the flesh relies on human efforts, it “profits nothing”. For example, no one can know the thoughts of another person; a person only knows their own thoughts (1 Corinthians 2:11). “The Holy Spirit is fully God so the Holy Spirit knows and understands the thoughts and wisdom of God. Therefore, He is able to teach believers the truth of God. The unbeliever can study the Scriptures and learn certain facts about the Almighty, but only through the illumination of the Spirit does true understanding come” (David Jeremiah Study Bible). 1 Corinthians 2:14 explains, “the unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him”.

John 3:6 gives more insight to this, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”. Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus that he needed to be “born-again” in order to receive the Holy Spirit who would then teach Him truth. When Jesus said, “the flesh profits nothing”, He was telling all people that they could never attain eternal life through the flesh or by their own power; the flesh will never be able to produce any spiritual power. Only through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and the indwelling Holy Spirit can one be saved. Only by walking on the narrow way into eternity is one able to then do what Jesus instructed in Matthew 16:24, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me”.  That is discipleship. It is a heavy cost that Believers commit to. The reward for doing so far exceeds the cost!

Jesus spoke only what the father told Him to speak. He said so often. He said that the words He speaks are spirit. The words He speaks are life to the Believer and, therefore, He is speaking life to all who hear them or read His Word. The Holy Spirit draws us to the Lord through the power and authority of His words. That is the power to change each Believer into the image of the Son as he/she walks the narrow way into God’s kingdom. May I encourage you to embrace what God is doing in you to prepare you to enter God’s kingdom. Stay in God’s Word each day; allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in you.

 

LEARNING DAILY

James 4:6-8a, But He gives more grace. Therefore He says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

If a Believer is moving closer to God, James tells us that God is drawing closer to the Believer. It is important to not get lost in theological details of this message. Be aware of those who get caught up in the dos and don’ts of walking a narrow way. There is a consistent message throughout the New Testament: God’s grace ‘is sufficient for all our needs” 2 Corinthians 12:90. It is the same grace that brings Believers into the family of God that sustains the Believer’s fellowship throughout all the pressures and difficulties faced. When Believers submit or place themselves under the control of God, they become more open to trusting Him in both the good and difficult times. The Father in heaven wants us to walk in simple, quiet fellowship with Him.

In Mathew 11:30, Jesus told His disciples and Believers today that “His yoke was light and His burden was light”. He does not want us to feel burdened down, He just wants us to draw near Him. The question becomes how we draw near to Him. The answer has been written about many times in this blog – we make sure our priorities, our thoughts, our desires and our behavior line up with His. The David Jeremiah Study Bible reminds us that this can be achieved through the following principles in James 4; they will help us grow in grace. (1) Relinquish control of your live – v.7. (2) Resist the devil – v. 7. (3) Restore worship to a priority – v.8. (4) Renounce sinful actions – v.8. (5) Reject sinful attitudes – v.8. (6) React to sin in sorrow – (v.9). (7) Refrain from a frivolous attitude toward evil – v. 9. (8) Respond humbly to success – v. 10. (9) Refuse to slander your fellow Christians – v. 11,12.

Believers must build a relationship with God in order to “submit to Him”, “resist the devil”, and “draw near to Him”. The fast-paced world we live in trying to work, study, build relationships with people can complicate the relationship building with God if allowed. These things can draw our attention away from the quiet time necessary to be with God. If not careful, these things begin to take more and more time causing our time with God to be more and more distant. The result of becoming distant also allows the old self to come out, acting out in poor behavior and poor choices of words. Not one of us is immune to that and knows this firsthand.

Every Believer needs to spend more time alone with God. Prayer is how we communicate with God. It is not necessarily about how much we say or how much time we spend in prayer. It is about quieting our hearts before Him and saying what is in our hearts. It is reflecting on His greatness and His goodness to us. It is telling Him about the joys and the difficulties we are facing. We can pray when alone or when in a crowd; we do so by giving our attention to His love and His grace. The more we do so, the closer we draw to Him. The more we do so, the more we resist the devil. The closer we draw to God in prayer, the closer He draws to us.

We draw closer to the Father when we spend time reading/studying/meditating on His Word. It is a lamp to our path, to our walk on the narrow way. It is our guide as the Holy Spirit gives direction and brings to our mind the Word we have put in our heart. We react to Satan’s temptations and temptations from the lust of the world by God’s Word just as Jesus did when tempted by the devil. The Word of God gives us courage and strength to meet each difficulty and trial we face during the day. It is the spiritual food that nourishes our spiritual life. As we walk the narrow way according to God’s Word the relationship with Him grows.

Do you want to live a life of victory? Draw near to God. He will draw close to you. Hebrews 11:6 supports this by telling us that “God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”. Be diligent in drawing close to Him and see what He does in your life.