Trust in the Lord

Proverbs 3:5-6

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.”

What does it mean to Trust in the Lord?

“Trust is the characteristic Old Testament word for the New Testament “faith”, “believe”.  It occurs 152 times in the OT, and is the rendering of Hebrew words signifying to take refuge. (Scofield Notes)

•      Psalm 56:3 “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You”
•     Ruth 2:12 “May the Lord reward your work, and your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge”
•      Psalm 22:8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
•  Psalm 37:4-7 “Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday.  Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.”
•   Isaiah 50:10 “Who is among you that fears the Lord, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light?  Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.”

(only a few of the multitude of verses that command our trust and show the blessings that follow when we do trust in the Lord with all our heart’s, mind’s and souls)

Trusting in the Lord is not trusting in man’s self in his own heart which is deceitful or in his own works of righteousness which the Bible says are like filthy rags:
“Isaiah 64:6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…”

Trusting in the Lord is not in a profession of religion or legalistic duties performed of it; but in the Lord, the object of all grace and in Him only.  Trusting in Him at all times.  In times of trial and affliction, in times of temptation and suffering.  His love, grace and mercy make Him deserving of this trust.  What He has done for us and others should move us to this trust.  He promises that all works of grace within us will be completed.  We must believe that He is able to do what He says He will.  Another way of saying to trust the Lord is saying to “commit” all your ways and your heart to the Lord. 

How to trust the Lord?

After looking at what it means to trust the Lord the next question many ask is how to trust the Lord?  We must, with an entire submission and satisfaction, depend upon Him to perform all the things He has promised and lean not on our own understanding.  

In all ways acknowledge God:  We must not only in our judgment believe in God but become His.  Our life is not our own.  We must seek His direction, ask His advise and not only when we are stuck in a situation that we feel desperate.  We must be in total submission and acknowledge God with thankfulness.  Those that put themselves under divine guidance shall always have the benefit of Godly wisdom. 

2^nd Timothy 3:2-4 says: “For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,”

This is definitely the trend in society, people are so all over the morality map, they have a hard time trusting anyone at all much less God.  People are so concerned about watching out about being wronged from the guy on the left that trust is a foreign concept.  However for Christians it must be different.  Regardless of your past, if you are a follower of Christ you know the truth.  To say you do not have the ability to trust God, must be a foreign concept.   Everyone has had difficult experiences some are harder then others but if you are truly born again then;

2^nd Corinthians 5:17 Must apply to you “Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come”

God wants to do something very special with this new creation but to fully be available for God to make this work happen you must first trust Him.  This is not something that comes easy to many Christians, letting anyone (even God) handle their life, it feels natural to want to be in control, but the longer one waits the longer they keep God from producing the long lasting fruit He truly desires. 



John Gills Exposition of the Bible
Mathew Henry's Commentary of the Whole Bible 
Scofield Notes

                                            Philippians 4:6-7

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”

Terms:

•    Anxiety: Biblical anxiety is defined as excessive worry, care, self-centered lack of trust in God’s wisdom / sovereignty or power.  Delighting in the Lord, meditating on His Word, prayer and thanksgiving are antidotes for anxiety. (Anxiety and prayer are two great opposing forces in Christian experience) {1 Peter 5:7 “casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you
• Peace of God:  The opposite of anxiety; inner calm or tranquility that is promised and comes when believers commit there cares to God in prayer.  Not merely a psychological state of mind, but an inner tranquility based on peace with God; the peaceful state of those whose sins are forgiven.  (Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ)
• Surpasses all comprehension:  Refers to the divine origin and peace of God’s love, it’s full dimensions and care transcends human intellect, analysis and insight
• Guard:  A military concept; meaning God’s “to keep a watch over” meaning God’s peace guards (His protective custody for those who are in Christ) believers from anxiety, doubt fear and distress to the core of their beings and to their deepest intentions. (1^st Peter 1:5 “who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”)
• Hearts and minds:  Paul was not making a distinction between the two he was giving a comprehensive statement referring to the whole inner person.  Because of the believers relationship with the Lord Jesus, Jesus guards his inner being with peace.

Prayer is the antidote to worry and the cure for anxiety.  God promises that no trial believers face will be too difficult for them to handle.

1^st Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

God expects us as believers to cry out to him when we have a need or problem not with doubting, questioning, or even blaming but with “thanksgiving”.

Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving” 

God has also promised that He will use all things in a believers life for good.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

When someone has become a child of God and has made “peace with God” in salvation he can have “peace with God”, the inward tranquility of the soul that is beyond understanding that is granted by God.

Romans 5:1 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Paul further defines this supernatural peace as that which surpasses all “comprehension / understanding”.  It transcends human intellectual powers, human analysis, human insights, and human understanding. 

Romans 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”

The goal of Christianity is not to get rid of all unpleasant circumstances it is to be able to trust in our infinite, holy, sovereign, powerful God in every difficulty. 

•      “The MacArthur New Testament Commentary”
•       “The MacArthur Study Bible”
•       “The NIV Study Bible”
•       “Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible”
• “John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible” 

A Rock verses the Sand

Matthew 7:24-25

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.”

(The parable ends the Sermon on the Mount)

(“rain came down”; the Holy land is known for rains that often cause disastrous floods)

 The hears of Christ words are divided into two’s: the wise and the foolish.  Those that hear and those that do not hear; the obedient and the disobedient.  Both groups hear God’s true Word, but some hear and obey and some hear and disobey.

There are Similarities and Differences between both the wise builder and the foolish builder:

Similarities:

• Everyone who hears these words of Mine” applies both to the wise and foolish man.  They both have heard God’s word and have heard the way to Salvation.
•     They both build a house after hearing the way to salvation.
•        The wise man builds his house (which represents his life, on “these words of Mine”
•        The implication is that the foolish man although he does not act upon, or follow Christ’s Word (the Word of God), thinks or believes he is secure simply because he has heard and acknowledged the words.  He does not intentionally build a house he thinks is going to fall.
•  Both builders have confidence their houses will stand; but one man’s confidence is in the Lord and the other man’s is in himself.

Differences

•   One Act’s upon God’s Word (obedience) and the other does not act upon His Word (disobedience).  One builds using divine standards, the other uses his own.
•     The wise man built upon the rock, whereas the foolish man build his house upon the sand.
•        The Greek word for Rock is “Petra” this doesn’t mean a stone or boulder but a GREAT outcropping of rock or a large expanse of bedrock.  “Solid, Stable and Unmovable.” 
•        Sand is loose, unstable and very movable. 

The Rock vs. The Sand:

The Rock:

God’s Word is the basis of the Rock.  This builder is the one who hears Jesus’ words and acts on them. 

 “The house built on the rock is the life of obedience, the life Jesus has been explaining through the Sermon on the Mount.  It is the life that has a scriptural view of itself, as described in the Beatitudes.  It is the life that has a scriptural view of the world while not being a part of it.  It is the life that has the divine view of Scripture and that determines not to alter God’s Word in the slightest degree.  It is a life that is concerned about internal righteousness rather than external form.  It is a life that has a godly attitude toward what is said and what is done, toward motives, things, money, and other people.  It is a life of genuineness rather than hypocrisy, and of God’s righteousness rather than self-righteousness. The house built on the rock is the life that empties itself of self-righteousness and pride, that is overwhelmed by and mourns over its own sin, that makes that maximum effort to enter the narrow gate and be faithful in the narrow way of Christ and His Word.  Such a builder does not build his life or place his hope on ceremony, ritual, visions, experience, feelings or miracles but on the Word of God and that alone. ” (John MacArthur)

The Sand:

The sand is composed of human opinions, attitudes and wills, which are always shifting  and unstable.  Building on the sand is building on self-will, self-fulfillment, self-purpose, self-sufficiency, self-satisfaction and self-righteousness. 

“To build the house of one’s life on the sand is to follow the ultimate deception of Satan, which is to make a person believe he is saved when he is not.  Because that person is under the delusion that he is safe, he sees no reason either to resist Satan or to seek God.” (John MacArthur)

The rain, the floods, and the winds:

Signify God’s final judgment.  The storm is the ultimate test that every human will face.  The house that is founded upon the rock (Christ and His Word) will stand; the one that is build upon the sand which is anything other than Christ and His Word will be utterly destroyed.  Whether one’s religion is true or false, one day it is going to be tried.  That trial will prove with absolute finality what is real and what is false. who have entered by the narrow gate to walk the narrow way and who have entered by the wide gate which leads to destruction. The house on the rock of Jesus Christ and His Word will be delivered from the wrath to come and will only have praise from God (1^st Corinthians 4:5) “…and then each man’s praise will come to him from God”

• The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Matthew 1-7
• MacArthur Bible Commentary 
• The NIV Study Bible 
• Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible   

Who was Melchizedek???

    Melchizedek, (mel KIZ uh dek) king of righteousness; 22nd century B.C; Genesis 14:18.

    His mysterious appearance and disappearance as a friend of Abraham and worshiper of God has led to speculation about Melchizedek’s origins.  Some think that this historical king-priest had no father or mother, nor any descendants, but existed eternally, such as the archangel Michael.  In the New Testament, he is pictured as a supernatural figure whose untraceable origins and eternal life prefigure the divinity of Jesus Christ.

    When Abraham met him, Melchizedek was king of Salem (short from of Jerusalem) and a priest of the Most High God.  This was a propitious meeting, at which this king-priest interceded on Abraham’s behalf.  Melchizedek offered bread and wine to the war-weary Abraham, a prayer of blessing for him, as well as praise to God for victory over Chedorlaomer and his allies, who had previously kidnapped Abraham’s nephew Lot.  For this service, Abraham gave Melchizedek a tithe of all the bounty won in battle.

    The Melchizedek mentioned in the Psalms may be the same one as in the Genesis account, or he may be the more symbolic idealized king-priest that would foreshadow Jesus’ priestly ministry.  According to the writer of Hebrews, the priesthood of Melchizedek was greater than Abraham and the Levitical or Aronic priesthood (as Levi was subordinate to Abraham; hence also to Melchizedek).[i] 

    So who was he really?  He was king of Salem and priest of the most high God and other glorious things are said of him.  The most rabbinical writers conclude that Melchizedek was “Shem” the son of Noah, who was king and priest to those that descended from him, according the patriarchal model.  This is not at all probable; for why should his name be changed?  How come he came settle in Canaan?

    Many Christian writers have thought this was a “Theopany” or “Christophany” and that this was or Lord Jesus.  The appearance of the Son of God himself.  Known to Abram, at this time, by this name, as afterwards, Hagar called him by another name (ch16:13).  He appeared to him as a righteous king, owing a righteous cause, and giving peace.  It is difficult to imagine that any mere man should be said to be without father, without mother and without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life.  It is likewise difficult to think that any mere man should, at this time be greater than Abram, in the things of God, that Christ should be a priest after the order of any mere man, and that any human priesthood should so far excel that of Aaron as it is certain that Melchizedek’s did.

    The most commonly received opinion is that Melchizedek was a Canaanitish prince, that reigned in Salem, and kept up the true religion there; but if, so , why his name should occur here only in all the story of Abram, and why Abram should have altars of his own and not attend the altars of his neighbor Melchizedek who was greater then he seems unaccountable.[ii]

    The lack of biographical and genealogical particulars for this ruler, whose name meant “righteous king” and who was a king-priest over ancient Jerusalem, allowed for later revelation to use him as a “type of Christ”.  His Superior status in Abram’s day is witnessed by (1) the king of Sodom, the first to meet Abram returning in victory, deferring to Melchizedek before victory, deferring to Melchizedek before continuting with his request and  (2) Abram, without demur, both accepting a blessing from and also giving a tithe to this priest-king.

    Priest of the most high: The use of El Elyon (Sovereign Lord) for God’s name indicated that Melchizedek, who used this title 2 times (verses 18,19) worshiped, served and represented no Canaanite deity, but the same one whom Abram also called Yahweh, El Elyon (v.22).  That this was so is confirmed by the added description, “Professor of heaven and earth,” by being used by both Abram and Melchizedek (verses 19 & 22)[iii]

    It appears that Melchizedek was a type of Christ.  Evidence points to him as an actual king, his name means “righteous king” who was a king-priest over Jerusalem and later revelation seems to point to this meaning as well in Psalms 110:4 and Hebrews 7:17

Specifically in Hebrews; like Melchizedek’s priesthood, Jesus’ was first and last based on who he was.  It had nothing to do with the physical body but everything to do with eternal power, the power of an indestructible life.  The comparison is Jesus to Melchizedek so it can not be Jesus to Himself there for it must not be a Theophany… and the evidence for the other two just don’t hold as much ground.  Therefore the best educated guess can be that Melchizedek was probably a man that symbolized the person of Christ

---

[i] Dietrich Gruen. Who’s Who in the Bible An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary. (Lincolnwood, Illinois, Publications International, LTD. 1998) 207.

[ii] Mathew Henry. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible (Peabody, Massachusetts, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. 1991.) 78.

[iii] John MacArthur. MacArthur Bible Commentary. (Nashville, Tennessee, Thomas Nelson, Inc. 2005.) 34. 

A brief history of Apologetics

    From the writers of the Gospels, through the letters of the New Testament, through various stages of history all the way up till present day Christian philosophers, writers and thinkers have dealt with the question of what is the best way to present the faith to non-Christians.  This school of thought is known as apologetics. Paul’s speech to the Athenians in the book of Acts chapter 17 is often looked upon as one of the first examples of Christian apologetics.  Early church fathers such as Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria and the Greek Apologist Origen helped to lead the role of the apologetic into the fourth and fifth centuries.  Aurelius Augustine with his writings on human culture, philosophy and history spear headed Christianity’s world view with the first complete Pauline view in the faith.

    Anselm became well known for his ontological argument in his revolutionary “Proslogion.” In thirteenth century Europe Thomas Aquinas became a major name in Christian philosophy beginning with his challenge on the Aristotelian worldview.  Aquinas is well known for his “five ways” or “five arguments” for the existence of God, which has been under debate for over 2 centuries.

    The sixteenth century leads to the protestant reformation with the rise of Martin Luther tacking the Ninety-five Theses to the churches door condemning it for their offenses. He wanted the churches’ focus to find its way toward the doctrine of salvation not the selling of indulgences.  John Calvin was also a chief player in the reformation.  Calvin’s claim was that faith was always reasonable but to men it seemed unreasonable because men were blinded by their sin.

    The more modern times brought with it skepticism, the Enlightenment brought greater challenges with even sharper turns from scripture with thinkers like Hume and Kant and Darwin all warming up in Satan’s dugout.  Francis Schaeffer, C. Stephen Evans and David Clark are all examples of those within the twentieth century who have picked up the apologetic torch and continue to carry on the timeline of those that have not let it die out.

     After reviewing the various approaches to Christian apologetics my preferred approaches is and always has been the classic approach.  I am a logic based person.  I studied law and political science in college and it comes easy and natural to me to draw on logic. Scripture tells in Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith”  Only God can create faith that’s not man’s job but man can turn a man’s eyes upward where they were once staring down.  Only God can soften a man’s heart but a Christian with a heart for the Lord can take a mind and create the spark for God to build the fire. 

    When dealing with a seeker, a skeptic or an antagonistic I always start with Jesus.  Jesus as a man is just as established as any person in history.  If someone tries to deny Jesus they have to deny for the sake of our material: Plato, Aristotle, Constantine, ETC. At that point the person usually will admit that a man named Jesus at least lived.  If the individual does not admit that Jesus lived, I’ll usually dive into my historical timeline a little deeper.  I’ll ask: If Jesus didn’t exist why did the crusades happened?  If Jesus didn’t exist why do we have the calendar system we have?   If Jesus didn’t exist why do where did all the Christian holidays come from? 

     When I finally reach a point where my partner in the conversation concedes to the fact that a man named Jesus 2011 years ago existed I’ll go further.  I’ll use the classic approach and say that they only have 3 options: If Jesus existed and He claimed to be the Son of God which history shows to be the case, he was either, crazy, lying or telling truth. 

    From that point I’ve already gained enough ground where they have conceded that I know a thing or two about history and I’ve earned the credibility in their eyes to speak about the history of miracles and other historical events related to the Gospel message or they will try and shut me down and tell me He was lying.

   If they choose to say Christ was lying then I ask what are the chances He would have taken a lie as far as crucifixion?  If they still don’t want to give any ground it’s usually at this point I’ll agree to disagree, pray for them and leave them in God’s hands.  I have logically answered as many questions as they were coming up with while maintaining control of the topic and not letting it go on a wild tangent of asking irrelevant questions.  If the person was sincere in seeking answers chances are either a deeper conversation sparked out of that talk, or they didn’t make to the end themselves.  If they were just trying to punch holes in my faith, then I was obedient to God in what He instructed me to do and I leave them in His capable hands.  Amen.

Lessons of life from Ezra and Nehemiah

Practical lessons can be learned from the lives of Ezra and Nehemiah. Their books contain practical lessons for everyday life.   

Ezra: 7:10 (Study… Practice… Teach…)

“For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it and to teach His statues and ordinances in Israel”

The pattern of Ezra’s preparation is exemplary, He studied and practiced the law in his own life before he opened his mouth to teach that law but the success of Ezra’s leadership did not come from his strength alone, but most significantly because “the good hand of God was upon him” (7:9).  Ezra understood the need for preparation.  Today many ministers and preachers of the word today try to “hear” God’s calling and rush into things with out proper preparation.  They either rush their education if they receive any formal training at all.  Ezra understood the need of removing the splinter in his own eye before tackling the plank in someone else’s (Matthew 7:4).  Of course having God’s call is essential; if God’s not in it your doomed before you start, but at the same time without doing the work to prepare, with out a solid foundation in the Word, without taking the time to grow and water and tend that calling the enemy will sift you like wheat.

Ezra 8:21-23 (I proclaimed a fast)

“Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions.  For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to protect us from the enemy on the way because we had said to the king, ‘The hand of our God is favorably disposed to all those who seek Him, but His power and His anger are against all those who forsake Him’ So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He listened to our entreaty.”

Ezra 8:31

… “and the hand of our God was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way.  Thus we came to Jerusalem and remained there three days.”

The Jews would soon begin a long dangerous journey on roads that were frequented by thieves who robbed for survival.  Ezra and the people did not want to confuse the king regarding their trust in God’s protection so they sought him faithfully and prayerfully  through a fast for his protection. God honored their faith and prayer with His protection.  This is important because Ezra was aware of the importance of this Journey to God.  However he did not come to God in arrogance, or pride claiming God’s protection on this journey, instead he humbled himself and had the community humble their selves before almighty God.  We need to take a lesson in humility and reverence today before God.  Today you see T-Shirts like “Jesus is my Homeboy” or I had someone tell me a few weeks ago (a grown man) “I call Jesus my bro in prayer”.  These are both total lack of reverence and respect towards God.  We have grown in society to a place of complacency towards God we need to find humility and reverence and fervency in our prayers and the way we address the almighty Lord. 

Reconciliation with God:

Ezra 10:1

Now while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the house of God, a very large assembly , men, women and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterly.

Nehemiah 1:4-7

“When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. I said, ‘I beseech You, O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who preserves the covenant and loving kindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, let your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to praying before You now, day and night on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father’s house have sinned.

Ezra and Nehemiah have a lot in common in these scriptures. Their contrite spirit before the people was evident; these extreme expressions of contrition demonstrated the seriousness of the sin issue at hand and the genuineness of their repentance.  Both man had a deep sense of Jerusalem’s significance to God and were greatly distressed at the fact that affairs hand not advanced for God’s glory.  Most importantly and what we can draw from most today is that they understood the importance of repentance.  

    Ezra “wept and prostrated himself… according to Miriam Webster “to prostrate” is to be stretched out with face on the ground in adoration or submission; also : lying flat; and he did this in front of the whole community of God! Nehemiah wept, mourned, fasted prayed for days!  How does that compare to our repentance today (be mindful that these men weren’t even guilty of the sins that they were repenting for they were repenting for the community!) 

    God requires repentance; Luke 13:3 “I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish”   2^nd Corinthians 7:10 “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death”  

    Today in many services in many churches across this world, on radio’s on televisions, it has become common for people to here sermons on the Gospel of Christ that are so watered down regarding salvation and regarding repentance, that they think they say one little prayer in their seat, on their couch, in their car on the way to work and they are saved.  People do not understand the meaning of true repentance but here it is outline what the heart of repentance is by these two men.

Nehemiah’s Example:

Nehemiah 5:14

“Moreover, from the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my kinsmen have eaten the governor’s food allowance.”…..

    This refers to the provisions from the Persian administration and which Nehemiah had chosen not to partake because it would have to come from taxing his poverty stricken people. The scripture goes on to say how Nehemiah worked him self on the wall and provided himself for his servants at his own table… This is a wonderful example of being a Christian witness.  Living the life walking the walk and being the example in leadership.  Its all to often that in Christian leadership, leaders tend to become distant from the people, stand offish sometimes not even on purpose its just the role they tend to take on; but its always important to lead by example, to lead as Christ led; to lead from love and Nehemiah here is a perfect example of that.

The Image of God in mankind.

What is the image of God in mankind?

Genesis 1:26-27

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creping thing that creeps on the earth.  God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them”

    Man is the crowning point of creation, a living human, was made in God’s image to rule creation.  “Our Image”  This speaks of the creation of Adam in terms that are uniquely personal.  It establishes a personal relationship between God and man that does not exist with any other aspect of creation.  It is the very thing that makes humanity different from every other created animal.  It explains why the Bible places so much stress on God’s hands-on creation of Adam.  He fashioned this creature in a special way- to bear the stamp of His own likeness.  It suggests that God was, in essence, the pattern for the personhood of man.

     The image of God is personhood, and personhood can function only in the context of relationships.  Man’s capacity for intimate, personal relationships needed fulfillment.  Most important, man was designed to have a personal relationship with God.  It is impossible to divorce this truth from the fact that man is an ethical creature.  All true relationships have ethical ramifications.  It is at this point that Gods communicable attributes come into play.  Man is a living being capable of embodying God’s communicable attributes.  In his rational life, he was like God in that he could reason and had intellect, will and emotion.  In the moral sense, he was like God because he was good and sinless.  However, it did not bestow deity upon man.[1]

    After forming man’s body, God “breathed into his nostrils, the breath of life.”  Only after God breathed life into the lifeless body did it become a “living soul”.  This living soul is not uniquely human, however; what is uniquely human is the divine “image” and “likeness” in man (1:26,27).  “He bridged the gap by breathing into man the breath of life, thus making him in His own image”.

    God made man in His own image and likeness, and then immediately granted him dominion over the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, cattle, and other creeping things.  The dominion which man enjoyed in the Garden of Eden was a direct consequence of the image of God in him.[2]

     The image of God is also the image of the Trinity.  Spurgeon said in a sermon on the “Person of the Holy Sprit”  “When God first made man, He said, “Let US make man”; not let ME, but, “Let US make man in Our own image.” The covenant Elohim said to each other,  “Let us unitedly become the creator of man.”  So, when in ages far gone by, in eternity, they said, “Let us save man;” it was not the Father who said, “Let ME save man,” but the three persons conjointly said, with one consent, “Let US save man” It is to me a source of sweet comfort to think that it is not one person of the Trinity that is engaged for my salvation; it is not simply on person of the Godhead who vows that He will redeem me; but it is a glorious trio of Godlike ones, and the three declare, unitedly, “We will save men” [3]

    Sin is the thing that has poisoned us and tainted God’s image within us.  A.W Tozer writes “Man was made in the image of God, and while sin has ruined him and condemned him to death forever unless he be redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ, mankind is a being only one degree removed from the angles.  But sin, God knows, is like a cancer in the very being of man.  Man, made in the image of God, is now a dying man.  He is sick unto death, because of the poison of sin.  But extract and take out that sin and you have the image of God again.  And Jesus Christ the image of God because He was a man without sin.”[4]

    We have the ability to regain God’s image once again and that is to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the gift of salvation.  In repentance and the blood of Christ we become white as snow and God’s image is once again restored.

---

[1] John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville, Tennesse: Thomas Nelson, Inc, 2005.) 11.

[2] John J. Davis, Paradise to Prision (Salem, Wisconsin: Sheffield Publishing Company, 1975)76-77,81

.

[3] Charles H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon’s Sermons; Volumes 1 of 5 (Peabody, Massachuestts: 1883), 56.

[4] A.W. Tozer, Tozer Speaks, Volume One (Camp Hill, Pennsylvaina, Wing Spread Publishers: 1994), 15.

Happy Are The Sad: Matthew 5:4

Happy Are the Sad 

Matthew 5:4  Blessed are those who mourn, 
   for they will be comforted.

    The structure of life; the way we live is to avoid pain, to avoid sadness to deeply desire comfort, to flee from sorrow and to escape disappointment.  However; Jesus says, “Happy are the Sad” “Blessed are those who mourn” this is contrary to everything we know.

   Our country has gone absolutely crazy on what our priorities are when it comes to what we spend money on.  In a 2008 article in Forbes Magazine on what Americans spend money on was published, it breaks down, in a survey that was done in 2005 what Americans spend money on compared to what the rest of the world does. 

    In impoverished areas of Egypt and Ethiopia it was  typically found that the general population was spending 43% -55% of income on food and non-alcoholic beverages. In America and Canada we spend only 4-6% on food; we spend 5-6% on Tobacco, Alcohol, and Narcotics.  The big and scary numbers come for the shoppers… Electronics we spend 15.5% of our discretionary spending, and apparel somewhere around 15%.

http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/30/china-india-brazil-ent-fin-cx_ml_0730worldspending.html

WoW…  55% on food for the starving nation;  ….   30% just on entertainment and clothes for Americans.  Have we gone Entertainment crazy?  Are we trying and trying almost always hopelessly through money and amusement to make ourselves happy and wondering where is the happiness?  

Jesus didn’t only say; Happy Are the Sad but He also said in Luke 6:25 “Woe unto you that laugh now for your laughter shall become weeping”.  That makes this much more serious.  He’s not just saying the one who morn’s is blessed but he put’s a curse on the world’s type of happiness. 

What kind of mourning is Jesus talking about and not talking about:

·        General Sorrow: weeping, general loneliness, sorrow, sadness, the kind of every day sorrow you have to let out, being able to let it out and release it is a gift from God

·        Mourning because a man can not satisfy his lust: an improper type of morning: 2^nd Samuel 13:2: Absalom was so infatuated with his sister Tamar that he fell sick  because he could not satisfy his lust.  In 1 Kings 21:4 Ahab wanted Naboths vineyard and he coveted so much that he laid on his bed and would not eat. 

·        Foolish Mourning; mourning that is over extended for someone who can’t let someone go.  Happens in the case of Christians who die in the Lord and a partner becomes a literal basket case. Not talking about the natural grieving process from experiencing loss but way over and above. When the mourning becomes selfish and life altering and the Christian wont accept or let the departed go and be with the Lord there is only sorrow and no rejoicing in the resurrection with Christ.

·        Being over sorrow from guilt of sin; some people just get so so  so sorry, so mournful as a way for atoning for their sins that its over done.  There’s an Arab saying that says “To much Sun shine; makes desert”

Jesus is not talking about the sorrow of this world.  That kind of sorrow doesn’t teach us much. 

2^nd Corinthians 7:10 “For Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

You can be mournful or sorrowful about anything you want to be but if you cry your eyes out about the things of this world you will only find yourself more attached to the things of this world.  Godly sorrow is sorrow that leads to repentance; sorrow over sin.  Sorrow over this world is useless its being sorry because you’re a sinner that is the only issue.

What is it to mourn over human circumstances?

·        Mark 8:36 “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

Remember what we talked about in our last message?  Blessed be the poor in Spirit? No one gets into God’s Kingdom without being Spiritually bankrupt remember the Greek word ptochos we looked at, “Shrinking, cringing, begging poor”; .  You have to have that overwhelmingly helpless feeling. Why am I brining this up because these go hand and hand.  Recognizing that you are ptochos in Sprit that you are spiritually bankrupt that there is no good thing in you, that you are in deed a sinner is the intellectual part, is the head knowledge, once you realize that it becomes emotional, now this part comes in and you naturally become sorrowful for that; mournful.   

The happiness doesn’t actually come in the mourning but it comes from what God does from it.  Try to live as a Christian and keep sin in your life bottled up; see what that does to your life?  However see what happens when you confess that sin and repent from it; the freedom and happiness that comes from it.

The Happiness comes from the comfort God gives us. Jesus is the first comforter for He says the Father will give “another” comforter” the Holy Spirit.

·       John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever”

·                 John 14:26 “ But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance , whatsoever I have said unto you.”

If you don’t have a sense of the sin in your life, a mournful sense of the sin, then you seriously need to question your salvation. God demands repentance not just empty belief with repentance comes a sorrowful sense for your responsibility of that sin. 

How do you know you’re a Christian?

Is it because you made a decision for Christ a bunch of years ago that you can hardly remember but you know you made?  If that’s the only thing your basing your salvation on you have a serious problem;

Hopefully you answer that question because there is present evidence of Jesus in your heart and in your life.

Remember I’m always available to answer any questions adammorsch@optonline.net

Happy Are The Humble: Matthew 5:3

Happy Are The Humble

Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Welcome to week 2 of my 10 week series "Happiness According to Jesus" this week's focus will be on Humility; Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit".  The Beatitudes also known as; "The Sermon on the Mount" was Jesus' first and most important sermon.  Jesus began his sermon speaking about the poor in spirit  moreover, the humble fore a reason.

    Jesus is introducing a new way of living a new way of happiness a new type of blessedness a “makarios” (the Greek word we looked at last week that meant blessing) different to everything in the world, different to everything people were used to and had been exposed to at this point. This is a happiness that is not produced by the world therefore it is not subject to change by the world or the circumstances of the world. 

Jesus was introducing a new standard of living a selfless standard, with a focus that was not external it was internal.

    When Jesus was preaching the Sermon on the mount He was preaching to the multitude but the message was really only to His disciples and when I use the word disciples I mean his closest followers not the many who followed Him but were not committed to His teaching.  The reason that the message was tailored to those who were committed to His teachings were because only those with faith in Jesus Christ can know this kind of blessedness.  The only people that can know this kind of blessedness is the people that know that they can’t live this way on their own. No one that doesn’t have the power of God operating in their lives can experience this kind of blessedness. No one who had not come to this point of humility could experience these great blessings.

    When looking at the Beatitudes they seem like a complete paradox or in complete contrast to everything that the world knows.  Chapter 5:3  Blessed are the Poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven… Why does Jesus begin with the poor in spirit. 

It is a fundamental characteristic of a Christian!  It is a necessity to anyone who wants to enter the kingdom of God! You can not enter the kingdom of God with the Spirit of Pride.  Without being poor in spirit, you can not receive grace!  Without understanding how poor we are we can never understand how glorious He is! Proverbs 16:5 says, "Cursed are the proud. God gives grace to the humble." This has to be at the very beginning. That's why it's first. Listen, the only way to come to God's kingdom is to confess your own unrighteousness, confess your inability to meet God's standards, confess that you can't do it. You can not come to God unless you know your Spiritually bankrupt and that’s the way you have to live your Christian life.

    What does it mean to be poor in Spirit?  What kind of poverty is it? Lets look at the term poor.  Poor in Greek is the word “ptochos” it literally means a shrinking from something or someone, to cower and cringe like a beggar. Its not just poor its begging poor.  Ptochos poor, beggar poor in many cases a man is crippled, blind, deaf, dumb in total dependence of someone else.  This to Jesus is happiness?  How can that possibly be?  Well He's not talking about physical begging, physical poverty, but He's talking about poverty of spirit.  A man can not work to own His own salvation. He is totally in dependence of Jesus Christ. He is absolutely incapable of anything and totally dependent on grace. So Jesus says happy are the destitute cowering cringing beggars (ptochos).  The world tells us happy is the rich; happy is the famous, happy are the self-sufficient and the proud. God identifies with people who beg on the inside, not people who are self-sufficient, not people who can work out their own salvation, not people who believe in their own resources, but those who are destitute beggarly. It doesn't mean poor spirited in the sense of lacking enthusiasm. It doesn't mean lazy or quiet or indifferent or passive. It doesn't mean that at all. A poor in spirit individual is one with no sense of self-sufficiency. Listen, when you admit your weakness, when you admit your nothingness, that's not the end, that's the beginning, but that, is the hardest thing you will ever do. Jesus is saying the first thing you've got to say is, "I can't. I can't do it. I can't." That's poverty of spirit.

    Let me talk for just a moment why it is important to look at some words in the “original” Greek.  When we read our Bibles weather we are reading the “King James Version (KJV)”; the “New King James Version (NKJV)” the “New International Version (NIV)” the “New American Standard Version (NASV)” the “English Standard Version (ESV)” or one of the many other versions out there what we are reading is a translation from a Greek Manuscript.  There are approximately 5700 Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament available today.  These were written from Arabic and Hebrew languages between the first and fourth centuries.  When examining the Greek words we can often get closer to the original text, the original meaning that the authors were hoping to get across.  That is why I’ll sometimes take a word and look at the Greek just like many Pastors and biblical scholars will do to try to get closer to what the Bible was actually trying to say.     

Happiness According to Jesus

    This week I want to look at Happiness and Joy.  Moreover TRUE happiness and Joy.  The kind of happiness and joy that Jesus talked about and promoted.  Jesus was all about people being happy, people being filled with Joy. As John MacArthur put it “Jesus was in the happiness business”.  However! Jesus’ idea of happiness was not what the world (when I use the word world I mean the secular, non-Christian, people who put the things of this world before the things of the Kingdom of God) would consider happiness.  True Happiness is backwards… Now off the cuff that might not make sense and may not sound like something that you want to obtain, but were going to examine that statement. 

    First I want to start by looking at the Greek word MAKARIOS.  Makarios means a kind of happiness, a kind of blissfulness, a kind of contentedness, a kind of peacefulness  and a kind of blessedness that is unaffected by circumstance nor subject to the change of circumstance. This is the basic New Testament concept of Blessedness.  It is the state that God wants His people to live in.  It is a word that talks about character.  This word is used to describe God:

·       Psalm 68:35  “Blessed Be God”

·       Psalm 72:18  “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel”

·       Psalm 119:12    "Blessed art Thou 0 Lord"

·       1^st Timothy 1:11 “The Blessed God”

 What ever it is to be blessed it is true of God and of Jesus Christ.  The only people who will experience it are the people who partake of God and partake of Christ.  There is no blessedness apart from Christ.  Here’s the good news!  2^nd Peter 1:4 tells us “We who believe in Jesus Christ are partakers in His divine nature”… Watch this… Now Peter says we partake in His divine nature. What’s that mean.  We can know the same bliss, the same inner state of contentment, the same happiness deep down within us that is known by God and the Lord Jesus Christ themselves.  Am I saying that we can have the same peace as God? Yes!  Am I saying we can have the same happiness, and inner contentment as the God that created the entire universe? Yes I am!  How can that be? Because Jesus died on the cross for our sins and we are no longer under the curse of sin and we are free from being a slave to sin and we can have perfect fellowship with Christ which is the ONLY thing that can make that peace, that happiness available.

    In Matthew’s Gospel chapters 5-7, known most popularly as the “sermon on the mount” or The Beatitudes, Jesus lay’s out what it is that makes a man blessed, here blessed is synonymous with happy.  Matthew presents in the word’s of Jesus an outline of happiness that is opposite of the way most of the world would see it.

    Right now, I want you to take a test.  Pass or Fail. First thing that pops in to your head…. Ready….  Picture happy people……………………………………………….

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Did you picture the go-getter? The guy who always seems to get what he wants, where he wants, when he wants, did you picture the rich, the noble, the one who has lots of the world’s things???  In the words of Jesus happy people are the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, the hungry and the thirsty, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted, and the reviled.

    Maybe that sounds like the opposite of happiness to you?  If you are really hungry, you missed breakfast, too busy for lunch, get home its late your ready for dinner now your hungry your maybe a little bit irritable all you want is dinner anything will do at that point because your real hungry.  Put your self there for a minute in your mind’s eye, everyone’s been there, stomach’s turning, maybe its even tight and hurting a little your so hungry, you don’t even want anyone to talk to you or deal with anything you just want to eat.  There is this movie you REALLY want to see you been waiting for this movie to come out for weeks you get home and as soon as you get home you get a phone call and someone asks you if you want to go see that movie, but the catch is got to go right away. This means you don’t have time to eat.  How much is this movie going to mean to you, how much are you going to enjoy this movie if you do go and see it, how much happiness is this movie going to bring you.  The point is when your body needs food you cant replace food for anything else.  This is the same with spiritual things.  When your body needs Spiritual food, no, money, toy , relationship, thing, nothing but Jesus Christ, obeying him as Lord in your life, spending time in His word, and personal time with Him in prayer will bring happiness to your life!

  For the next weeks to come I’ll continue with this theme of finding true happiness in life as I walk through the Beatitudes and hope to uncover some life changing truths in the process. 

A Perfect Love

A Perfect Love

    Man was created in God’s image.  This means that man was created for relationships. We know that man shares certain biological features with animals, plants and even atomic particles.  Man is not like them nor decent from them.  No other life in the universe was created for relationships the way man was.  Man has the capacity for “Self-Consciousness” which only man possesses.  Man has the ability to appreciate beauty, to feel emotion, to be morally conscious, to reason, to acquire wisdom, to relate to other people, and maybe most importantly to love each other and to love God.  With that comes the abilities to: fellowship and share: thoughts, attitudes and experiences.

    Humans cry out for love more than anything else. Love is the theme of more: songs, books, plays, movies, poems then any other topic.

    What is John talking about when he uses the word “Perfect”?

Perfect is from the Greek verb “Teleioo” which simply means complete, whole.  It basically means to carry out something to the max.  A form of this word was used by Jesus when he said on the cross “It is finished!” “Te Telosti” (same verb).  It has been carried out to the max, it can go no further, it can not be added to.  It is finished.

Perfect love is the legacy that God has left to His children. 

• Romans 5:5 “…and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us”

When you were saved the flood gates were opened and the love of God was poured out in to your heart through the power of the Holy Spirit. The fullest expression of the love given to us is when we keep the commandment of God.

• John 14:21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him
• 1 John 2:5 …but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him

We’re not speaking about a love that is connected to emotional sentimentality.  Love that achieves perfection can only be found in sanctification, salvation and obedience to the Word of God.  You may ask how this love is achieved how can this create a love relationship in your life?  Very easy because by, living in obedience to the Word of God by constantly, with out ceasing praying for sanctification, allows God through the power of the Holy Spirit to open flowing rivers of His perfect love into your life.  His blessing of Joy, Peace, Wisdom, Compassion, and all the joys and fruits of the holy Spirit which are actual previews of heaven.  The Bible tells us we live in the Heavenlies; once we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we receive the Holy Spirit which is the power of God, the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Heaven inside of us hear on Earth!  (How many times did Jesus say “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand”)

Love is a proof of being in the fellowship. He who does not love abides in death.

• 1^st John 2:9-11  “If we claim to be in the light and hate someone, we are still in the dark, But if we love others, we are in the light, and we don’t cause problems for them.  If we hate others, we are living and walking in the dark.  We don’t know where we are going because we can’t see in the dark.”
•  1^st John 3:10-14 “You can tell god’s children from the evil’s children because those who belong to the devil refuse to do right or to love each other.  From the beginning you were told that we must love each other.  Don ‘t be like Cain who belonged to the devil and murdered his own brother.  Why did he murder him?  He did it because his brother was Good and he was evil.  My friends don’t be surprised if the people of this world hate you our love for each other proves that we have gone from death to life.  But if you don’t love each other you are still under the power of death.”
• 1^st John 4:7-12 “My dear friends, we must love each other. Love comes from God, and when we love each other, it shows that we have been given new life.  We are now God’s children and we know Him.  God is love and anyone who doesn’t love others has never known Him.  God showed His love for us when he sent His only Son in to the world to give us life.  Real love isn’t our love for God but His love for us.  God sent His Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven.  Dear friends, since God loved us so much, we must love each other.  No one has ever seen God but if we love each other God lives in us and His love is truly in our hearts.

In Chapter 4 John has the bases loaded and he brings with 1 swing of the bat everyone one home.  He is addressing Christians for he says “we are now God’s children and we know Him.” He says all love comes from God, anyone who doesn’t love others NEVER knew God… Remember John is addressing believers, people of faith, “professing” Christians… Churches today are filled to the brink with them. Show up every Sunday, maybe even tithe… maybe even daily read their Bible… Spiritually they are DEAD because they have no love for the Brethren.  John makes this clear this is not an option, this is not a Sunday just in church thing, this is a full time, Salvation Requirement, Sanctification process, Jesus Commandment.. LOVE THY NEIGHBOR!. 

“Dear friends since God Loved us this much we must love each other!” 

John doesn’t say should, John doesn’t say try, John doesn’t say do our best John says MUST.

Romans 13:8 “Let love be your only debt! If you love each other, you have done all that the Law demands.”  The Greek word for demand is απαίτηση it means “The absolute requirement, under the law.  This is not a strong suggestion or, a instruction to be taken lightly.  It is a make it or break it term!  No love no salvation!!! If you do not love each other your commitment to Christ is not for real.  When you pray Jesus I make you Lord of my life, I commitment my life to following you, the understanding that you will love the brethren that you will love the Church of Christ that you will love each other as Christ has loved you is a prerequisite it is understood from the beginning.

Six reasons why we should love:

1. Love is the essence of God: {God by nature is love, God defines what love is}  He loves us so much that he is patience and gives many warnings of coming judgment, this is a sign of His compassion. He loves us so much that He has set up a Heaven for His believers.  He has loved us so much that he created a beautiful Earth, with variety (colors, food, senses etc.)  . 
2. This love was manifest by Christ: (The gift of the Son of God) so that we might have eternal life… not that we might love God, but that while we were sinners God loved us.  God gave His son for our sins.  He is the mercy seat, He is the atonement of our sins. . 2nd Corinthians 5:21, "He who knew no sin became sin for us." Galatians 3:13, "He was made a curse for us." 1st Peter, "The just for the unjust." And so, God makes the extreme sacrifice, sending His Son in our place. 1^st John 3:16 "We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."
3. Love is our testimony: If we love one another God abides in us and His love is perfected in us. No one can see God, God abides in us, so God is in display in us. We live in a watching unbelieving world, as Christians we must be showing love. John 13:35 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
4. Love is the assurance of our salvation: 1 John 4:13-16 “¹³ This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.  If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.  And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.”
1. He has given us the Holy Spirit
2. You know you have the Spirit because you believe in the gospel
3. You come to believe in that love that God has for us
5. Love is our confidence in judgment: 1st John 4:17-18 “This is how love is made perfect among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.  There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”  Its not just your theology that is the issue at the time of judgment but your heart.  If you love with this whole mature love you can live your life with confidence with out fear, you can stand before God one day with confidence.  The Greek calls that kind of confidence “empistosyni” am confidence with boldness.  Perfect love dismisses fear you can live without fear.
6. Love is reasonable:  1^st John 4:19 We love because he first loved us. Its only reasonable to say that true believers are characterized by the way they love. A unconditional love, sacrificial love, self-less love, unrequited love, a humble love a love that tolerates no sin a love that bears the pain of others,  a love that accepts a love that forgives, a love that is the assurance of our salvation, a perfect love.